Monday 1/25/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
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[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 19:30

Levante

v

Las Palmas

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS3		13/10	21/10	12/5	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEVANTE	RECENT FORM
ALALHLALHWAL​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 0	ADAWHDHWHLAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Las Palmas have not won away from home in La Liga this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Levante, victorious against Vallecano in their last home game, can boost their survival chances by grabbing just a fourth win of the season. The bottom club know this is a real chance against a Las Palmas team who have yet to win away from the Canaries and have not kept an away clean sheet – in any competition – all season long.

RECOMMENDATION: Levante
2

 

[superbeets]

Championship TODAY 19:45

Burnley

v

Derby

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		8/5	23/10	2	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BURNLEY	RECENT FORM
ALHWHDAWAWAW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 2 - 0 0 - 0 2 - 1	HWADALAWHDHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Burnley have won eight of 13 home league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Unbeaten in four league games, Burnley have only lost twice at Turf Moor this term and they have kept four clean sheets in their last six Championship outings. Derby are winless in four matches, and they haven’t beaten Burnley in their last 11 meetings in this division.

RECOMMENDATION: Burnley
3


REFEREE: Michael Oliver STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Scottish Championship TODAY 19:45

Morton

v

Rangers

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		9	5	1/4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MORTON	RECENT FORM
ADAWADHLHLAW​ Most recent​	0 - 4 0 - 1 1 - 2 3 - 2	HDALHWAWHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Rangers have scored 19 goals in their last four games

EXPERT VERDICT: Expect plenty of goals at Cappielow. Morton drew 2-2 at Ibrox last month and a cup run will be raising confidence levels. The Gers have been spurred into action by a sloppy end to the year and won 4-0 at Morton earlier in the campaign.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Barry Cook STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Kings F Lucic suspended for incident versus Coyotes
By The Sports Xchange

Los Angeles Kings winger Milan Lucic was suspended one game without pay for roughing Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton on Saturday.
Lucic was assessed a roughing minor and game misconduct for slashing and then sucker-punching Connauton, who also slashed Lucic in the goal-mouth altercation.
Lucic did himself no favors postgame by publicly criticizing referee Brad Meier for throwing him out of the game.
"I mean, if I don't react, I don't think he even calls a penalty," Lucic said. "Same guy -- Brad Meier. I think this is the fourth time he's kicked me out of a game. It's always the same thing with him. It's if guys can take liberties on me and it's not a penalty. If I do something, then I'm automatically kicked out of the game. It's just unfortunate that it is that way with him, and I've just got to move on and not get frustrated by the referees in the game."
Lucic will forfeit $32,258.06 to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund because of the suspension.

---The Detroit Red Wings recalled left winger Eric Tangradi and defenseman Nick Jensen from Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League on Sunday.
The Red Wings also assigned center Joakim Andersson to their AHL affiliate.
Tangradi, 26, leads Grand Rapids with 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) in 36 games and is tied for fifth in the AHL with 16 goals. The 6-foot-4, 233-pounder has played 143 games in the NHL since 2009-10 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens. Jensen, 25, was originally drafted by the Red Wings in the fifth round in 2009 and has spent the past three seasons with the Griffins, totaling 44 points (eight goals, 36 assists) and 38 penalty minutes in 159 games.

---The Arizona Coyotes recalled forward Christian Thomas from the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League.
Thomas, 23, has recorded seven points (three goals, four assists) in 15 games with Springfield. He has one goal and two assists in 26 career NHL games between the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens.

---The Edmonton Oilers assigned defensemen Brad Hunt and Griffin Reinhart and right winger Zack Kassian to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League.
Hunt, 27 appeared in seven games with the Oilers, posting two penalty minutes. Reinhart, 21, has recorded one assist and eight penalty minutes in 13 games with the Oilers this season. Kassian, 25, has one goal, one assist and 18 penalty minutes in six games with the Oilers this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (21-20) at Blue Jackets (15-27)

Date: January 25, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Montreal Canadiens became the third team in NHL history to open with nine straight wins at the same time the Columbus Blue Jackets were trudging through the league's worst start in 72 years.

Although a large gap still exists between them in the Eastern Conference, they're now in the same unwanted position - out of a playoff spot.

Montreal hopes ending a five-game skid can give it a boost entering Monday night's opener of a home-and-home set against the Blue Jackets, who are still unsure if coach John Tortorella is healthy enough to return to the bench.

The Canadiens (24-20-4) have gone from the class of the league to fifth in the Atlantic Division, nine points back of first-place Florida. Certainly the dropoff has something to do with the loss of goalie Carey Price, who had a 2.06 goals-against average while winning 10 of 12 starts when he suffered a lower-body injury Nov. 25.

Price is expected to miss at least another three weeks, which is more bad news for a Montreal team that is 5-16-1 since Dec. 3.

The Canadiens snapped an 0-4-1 stretch by beating Toronto 3-2 in a shootout Saturday, but they blew a two-goal lead and are still three points behind New Jersey for the East's final wild-card spot.

"I think it's important just to build off that and know we have to be a little bit better," forward Max Pacioretty said. "You take the two points and you don't talk about what happened in the past. You just look ahead."

The Blue Jackets (17-27-5) haven't recovered from a 0-8-0 start and sit at the bottom of the NHL despite hiring Tortorella on Oct. 21 after the first seven defeats.

Even Tortorella has been bitten by the injury bug, suffering two broken ribs in a practice collision with winger Rene Bourque on Friday and being forced to sit out Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss at Boston. Assistant Craig Hartsburg was the acting head coach as Columbus dropped its third straight.

"We're just trying to hold the fort until he's back and do the best we can here, and the players played hard," Hartsburg said.

Joonas Korpisalo made 32 saves in place of Sergei Bobrovsky, who was put on injured reserve for the third time after tweaking his groin in Thursday's loss to Calgary. Forward David Savard also was placed on IR retroactive to Jan. 13 because of an oblique strain that will keep him out at least four weeks.

Captain Nick Foligno returned after missing the previous six with an upper-body injury but didn't record a point. Dalton Prout and Kerby Rychel tied the game in the second after the Blue Jackets allowed the first two goals earlier in the period.

Columbus came up empty on four power-play chances, including one in overtime.

"You're happy to come away with a point but, man, I just thought that game was ours for the taking," Foligno said. "All facets of our game, minus our power play, were outstanding and that's disappointing, because that's how you win games.

"Sometimes you've got to rely on your power play and it's a privilege to be on it, and we just didn't get the job done."

Foligno scored in the opening period against the Canadiens in the first matchup Dec. 1, but Pacioretty's power-play goal with 2:09 left in the game gave Montreal a 2-1 win.

Mike Condon made 22 saves in that contest, but it's unclear if he'll be in net as the Canadiens try to win a fifth straight meeting.

Montreal hosts the Blue Jackets to conclude the set Tuesday night.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (22-17) at Flyers (18-17)

Date: January 25, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Boston isn't going to complain about winning four of its last five games, but coach Claude Julien realizes the Bruins' luck will run out at some point if they don't pick up their play.

The Philadelphia Flyers are just happy to be playing at all.

Boston looks to keep rolling by beating the Flyers for the first time in three meetings when they visit snow-covered Philadelphia on Monday night.

The Bruins (25-17-5) have scored 15 goals during a 4-1-0 stretch following a three-game skid that saw them score only four times. Most of the victories haven't been easy, though. They had to come back to beat Buffalo on Jan. 15, needed a last-minute goal against Toronto the following night and blew a two-goal lead in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over Columbus.

Brad Marchand scored in his fourth consecutive game to put the Bruins up 32 seconds into the second period before David Pastrnak scored three minutes later, but they relinquished the lead later in the period and failed to convert on any of their five power plays.

The last came in overtime, dropping Boston to 1 for 15 with the man advantage over its last eight.

'I think the two points is really important this time of year when you look at the standings. It's not so much the goals we gave up, it's the way we played again,' Julien said. 'We need to be better. I thought our intensity was good, but not good enough.

"The execution was average. We're going through a little bit of that stretch right now.'

The Bruins hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference thanks to their current run. They've killed all 25 of opponents' power-play chances over their last nine and have surrendered more than two goals twice during that stretch.

Jonas Gustavsson found out shortly before faceoff that he'd be starting Saturday's game after Tuukka Rask told Julien he couldn't begin in goal because of an undisclosed injury.

Rask dressed as the backup as Gustavsson made 31 saves. It's unclear if Rask will be in net as the Bruins try to beat the Flyers for the first time this season.

Philadelphia (20-17-8) beat Rask in each of the previous matchups, winning 5-4 on Claude Giroux's overtime goal Oct. 21 before he assisted on Jakub Voracek's first-period tally in a 3-2 victory Jan. 13.

The Flyers, though, have dropped back-to-back games, 3-2 to Toronto on Tuesday and 4-3 at Pittsburgh on Thursday. Rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere assisted on first-period goals from Brayden Schenn and Voracek against the Penguins, but they allowed the next four before Giroux's late goal in the third.

'I think we had a good start and we kind of got caught flat-footed at the beginning of the second,' Voracek said. "I think if we were better even strength, we win that game."

The Flyers practiced in Brooklyn on Saturday after that night's game against the New York Islanders was canceled because of a heavy snow storm that shut down a good portion of the East Coast. Philadelphia also was affected.

"It is what it is. You don't control it," coach Dave Hakstol said. "You make do. It's unfortunate. You wake up on game morning (wanting to play), especially for us to get back to it."

Steve Mason stopped 46 of 50 shots while winning both previous meetings with the Bruins. He's 0-2-1 with a 2.95 goals-against average over his last three starts, though.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (23-16) at Islanders (22-15)

Date: January 25, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

While winning at home has proved difficult lately, the Detroit Red Wings haven't experienced too many issues earning victories on the road with Petr Mrazek playing a prominent role.

The Red Wings haven't fared as well in most of their recent visits to the New York Islanders but will try to change their luck in their first trip to Brooklyn on Monday night.

Detroit (24-16-8) showed a little more spark offensively in two games this weekend, scoring three goals in each after averaging 1.8 in its previous 11 contests. The Red Wings used one of those performances for a 3-0 win in Buffalo on Friday but fell 4-3 to visiting Anaheim on Saturday.

They've won six of seven on the road and have lost a season-high five straight at home.

"I'm not sure why that is. I know (against Anaheim), we didn't play well enough to win and the next game we play in New York, we better play better," coach Jeff Blashill said.

Having Mrazek in net could aid Blashill's team. He's won six consecutive road starts, including the shutout in Buffalo, while posting a 1.16 goals-against average and is 6-1-1 with a 1.24 GAA in his past eight overall starts.

Mrazek, though, was pulled from his lone road game versus the Islanders on March 29 after giving up four goals on 11 shots. That 5-4 loss dropped the Red Wings to 1-3-1 in their last five visits to the Islanders, but those games were played in that team's former home on Long Island.

New York (25-15-6) was scheduled to play its latest game in Brooklyn on Saturday against Philadelphia but that was postponed because of Winter Storm Jonas. That also delayed the Islanders' chance to build on their 3-0-1 record in the past four games.

New York has earned those points by outscoring opponents 9-0 in the third period. Travis Hamonic had the first of his team's three scores in the final 20 minutes Friday in a 5-2 win in Ottawa and assisted on another.

Hamonic missed the previous four games because of a lower-body injury. Fellow defenseman Nick Leddy also scored his second goal in three contests.

"(Production from the defensemen) has always been an ingredient of our hockey team. We're not even close to the pace we were last year, but they're starting to pick it up a little bit," coach Jack Capuano said. "I was pretty pleased with those guys on the back end, and we've got to continue with it."

The Islanders didn't need any goals from their blueliners in their two wins against Detroit last season in three meetings. Brock Nelson had two goals and two assists in the season series, including New York's initial score in the home victory in March.

Frans Nielsen scored the tiebreaking goal just 16 seconds into the second period, and Cal Clutterbuck provided a key short-handed tally.

The Islanders have won eight of 10 overall against the Red Wings since the beginning of the 2008-09 season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (18-25) at Rangers (24-17)

Date: January 25, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Alain Vigneault wasn't happy with the New York Rangers' latest performance. The coach's mood has a good chance to change with a matchup against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Rangers attempt to bounce back from a listless effort by beating the Sabres for a record eighth straight time Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

New York (26-17-5) had a chance at its first three-game winning streak in over two months Sunday but fell 3-0 at Ottawa.

"Every time we think we're building a little bit of momentum, we come up with one of these," Vigneault said. "Other than (Henrik Lundqvist) and (Jesper Fast), we had so many guys that were off their games, it was unbelievable. We're on the outside the whole night and just didn't have a good game at all."

The Rangers have enjoyed plenty of those against the Sabres, outscoring them 26-8 while winning seven straight to match their longest streak in the all-time series from 1971-72.

They've also won four in a row at home over Buffalo, including a 6-1 victory Jan. 3, 2015.

Rick Nash had two points and has six goals and four assists in eight matchups as a Ranger.

It's uncertain if the right wing will be available, however, after a lower-body injury sidelined him against the Senators.

Lundqvist's status is also unknown since he has not started consecutive games since Oct. 9 and 10, and stopped 30 of 32 shots Sunday. However, he's got a 1.63 goals-against average while winning four of his last six starts and has also won five straight against the Sabres behind a 1.41 GAA and one shutout.

Backup Antti Raanta has yet to face Buffalo. He's 0-4-1 with a 3.33 GAA over his last seven games.

The Sabres have lost nine of 13 and have been outscored 5-1 while dropping the last two. They were outshot 45-19 on Friday, including 18-2 while surrendering all of Detroit's scoring in the third period of a 3-0 home defeat.

Buffalo (19-25-4) could get a boost with the potential return off center Zemgus Girgensons (upper body) and defenseman Josh Gorges (undisclosed). The duo returned to practice Sunday after Girgensons missed four games.

While the Sabres' website claims they're probable, coach Dan Bylsma isn't making a declarative statement.

"(Girgensons) skated (Saturday) and did well and had his full return to practice (Sunday). Hopefully that means he's in (Monday)," Bylsma told the team's official website.

Bylsma is looking to reunite Girgensons with star rookie Jack Eichel, who has just one of his 14 goals in the past nine games.

"They scored some goals, Zemgus was generating quite a bit more offense than he had and that's what we hope for putting them back together," Bylsma said.

Eichel is playing at MSG for the first time.

Ryan O'Reilly leads Buffalo with 17 goals, despite going seven games without one. He does have five of his team high-tying 23 assists over that stretch.

Robin Lehner may be back in net after he had 42 saves against the Red Wings. He's 0-3-0 despite a 2.34 GAA in four games this season.

"The 0-and-3 in the win column bothers me," Lehner said. "I want to win."

He's got a 3.23 GAA while winning two of three meetings with the Rangers, but that all came with Ottawa.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (23-19) at Wild (23-17)

Date: January 25, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Although they're one of the NHL's best defensive teams late in games, the Minnesota Wild stumbled in crunch time during their road swing.

That could be a concern back home against an Arizona Coyotes team that has produced third-period goals in each of its past three games.

As Zach Parise looks to continue his strong play versus Arizona, the Wild are focused on putting together a complete 60-minute performance and avoid their longest home losing streak in nearly three years Monday night.

Minnesota ranks among the league's leaders with only 34 third-period goals allowed, but it surrendered five in the final 20 minutes of its three losses on a four-game trip. The only time the Wild did not give up a late score was in their only victory, 3-0 over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Jarret Stoll came through with a third-period goal to even things up Saturday before the Wild (23-17-8) allowed Joe Pavelski's go-ahead tally with less than two minutes left in a 4-3 loss to San Jose. They've given up a winning goal with under seven minutes remaining in two of the past three games.

"That's not typical of us, too," coach Mike Yeo told the team's official website. "We have to find ways at those times. We know what we're capable of."

That could be easier said than done against the Coyotes, who have scored 36 goals in the first period, 39 in the second and 47 in the third. Mikkel Boedker and Shane Doan lead the team with five third-period goals apiece.

Arizona, though, hadn't scored the first goal of the game since Jan. 14 before Doan's team-high 17th goal put the club ahead Saturday. He later added an assist on Jordan Martinook's go-ahead tally in the third of a 3-2 win over the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings that ended a four-game slide.

Doan has recorded an assist in each of the last three games for the Coyotes, who ended an otherwise disappointing homestand on a positive note.

"It was big for us to stop what was going in the wrong direction," the captain said. "We finished the homestand 3-3-1, so it was a big (win) for us."

Arizona opens a two-game trip looking to build on that offensive performance after it had totaled two goals over its previous three. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson had a second-period power-play goal Saturday, leaving the team 9 for 20 with a man advantage in its last six victories.

The Coyotes have gone 1 for 12 in those situations over their last five losses, while Minnesota has killed 21 of 24 penalties over its past 12 contests.

Playing for the only time at home during an eight-game stretch, Minnesota will try to avoid losing five straight there for the first time since April 2013.

Parise finished with a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win at Arizona on Oct. 15 before Boedker came through with an overtime score in the Coyotes' 2-1 home win Dec. 11 that snapped a six-game losing streak in this series.

Parise has been a difficult matchup for Arizona (23-19-5), totaling nine goals over a 13-game point streak dating to his time with New Jersey.

The Wild have gone 8-1-1 over the last 10 meetings with the Coyotes, who seek their first three-game road winning streak since February.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (20-22) at Stars (28-14)

Date: January 25, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Despite their recent struggles, the Dallas Stars still remain in fine shape in the Western Conference playoff race. The same can't be said for scuffling Calgary.

The Flames will try to bolster their hopes with a fourth consecutive win over the Stars on Monday night.

Dallas (30-14-5) is 2-6-2 in its first 10 games in 2016 but has a 13-point lead over ninth-place Nashville in the West and is in second place in the Central Division. The Stars are one point ahead of St. Louis and five back of Chicago heading into their final game before the All-Star break.

They'll face a road-heavy stretch when they end that hiatus Feb. 2 and will attempt to end an eight-game skid away from home. That makes Monday's game crucial to pick up some points before that begins and to provide at least an emotional boost.

"It's going to be huge for us. It's a home game, too We need all those points now," defenseman John Klingberg told the team's official website. "Chicago is in front of us now, and we want to keep playing good here, so it's going to be a big game."

Dallas might need a big lift after losing 3-1 to Colorado on Saturday despite registering a whopping 43-15 advantage on shots. Despite having league scoring leaders Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, the Stars have averaged 1.9 goals in their last eight games and are 4 for 33 on the power play in their past 12.

"We're missing nets," coach Lindy Ruff said. "It's a lot of little things."

The Flames (21-22-3) dropped to 2-4-1 in their last seven with a 5-2 loss to Carolina on Sunday and fell to 1-2-1 on their season-high five-game trip. That stretch has them nine points out of a playoff spot.

"We were not ready. Plain and simple," coach Bob Hartley said. "We had a few days over here (in Raleigh), and we talked about it yesterday. We talked about it this morning. But we were just not there."

The Flames will try to bounce back by completing their first season sweep of the Stars since 2010-11. Calgary used its two wins over Dallas last month as bookends to a seven-game streak.

The Flames started with a 4-3 shootout victory in Calgary on Dec. 1 and posted a 3-1 road victory Dec. 17.

In the most recent matchup, Dougie Hamilton had one of his team's two goals in the final five minutes of the first period. He also tallied the tying goal in regulation in the win in Calgary and has scored in each of his last four matchups.

Johnny Gaudreau has three goals and two assists in his past four meetings. The Flames are also bringing in Sam Bennett, who has scored eight goals in his last six games.

Bennett, who didn't register any points Sunday, doesn't have one in two games against Dallas.

Benn and Seguin have also been kept off the scoresheet in those matchups. Klingberg, one of the league's top-scoring defensemen, has no points in five career contests against the Flames, one of three teams he's never scored against.

Calgary will head into the break after a home game against Nashville on Wednesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - January

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
1/1 2 10.5 9 UNDER
1/2 12 61.5 63 OVER
1/3 4 21 22 OVER
1/4 5 27 17 UNDER
1/5 8 43.5 46 OVER
1/6 5 26.5 23 UNDER
1/7 7 38.5 29 UNDER
1/8 6 31.5 34 OVER
1/9 10 53 47 UNDER
1/10 6 30 32 OVER
1/11 4 20.5 22 OVER
1/12 8 42.5 45 OVER
1/13 4 21.5 20 UNDER
1/14 8 42.5 37 UNDER
1/15 6 31 31 PUSH
1/16 10 52 48 UNDER
1/17 7 35 34 UNDER
1/18 5 26.5 26 UNDER
1/19 8 42.5 50 OVER
1/20 3 15.5 10 UNDER
1/21 10 53.5 49 UNDER
1/22 6 *PPD *PPD *PPD
1/23 11 *PPD *PPD *PPD
1/24 5 *PPD *PPD *PPD
1/25 6 - - -
1/26 9 - - -
1/27 4 - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 No games scheduled - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Bruins won four of their last five games.
-- Islanders won three of their last four games.
-- Rangers won three of their last four home games.

Cold teams
-- Canadiens lost five of their last six games. Columbus lost seven of its last nine.
-- Philly lost three of its last four games.
-- Red Wings lost three of last four games.
-- Buffalo lost its last two games, 2-1/3-0.
-- Coyotes lost four of their last five games. Minnesota lost six of its last seven.
-- Flames lost five of their last seven games. Dallas lost five of its last six.

Series records
-- Montreal won six of last seven games with Columbus.
-- Flyers won last two games with Boston 5-4ot/3-2.
-- Islanders won eight of last ten games with Detroit.
-- Rangers won their last seven games with Buffalo.
-- Minnesota won six of last seven games with Arizona.
-- Flames won their last three games with Dallas.

Totals
-- Four of last five Montreal-Columbus games stayed under.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Boston-Philly games.
-- Four of last five Detroit-Islander games stayed under.
-- Five of last six Ranger-Sabre games stayed under total.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Minnesota-Arizona games.
-- Eight of last ten Calgary-Dallas games went over.

Back-to-backs
-- Rangers are 4-2 at home if they played nite before; teams are 2-5 nite after playing Ottawa.
-- Calgary is 2-4 if it played the night before; teams are 4-5 night after playing Carolina.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (14-31) at Cavaliers (30-12)

Date: January 25, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Cleveland Cavaliers certainly didn't benefit from any bump in performance in their first game under Tyronn Lue, who says it might take some time to implement his vision for an up-tempo offense.

Things are likely to come easier against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Looking to give Lue his first coaching victory, the Cavaliers hope to avoid dropping consecutive home games for the first time in a year Monday night while dealing the Timberwolves their ninth consecutive road defeat.

Not all that much changed one day following David Blatt's surprising dismissal after he had taken Cleveland to last year's NBA Finals and guided the team to the top of the Eastern Conference halfway through this season.

The Cavs came out flat and showed little punch in Saturday's 96-83 home loss to Chicago that marked their second defeat in three games at Quicken Loans Arena after a 15-1 start there. They scored a season-low total for a home game on 37.2 percent shooting in Lue's coaching debut.

LeBron James finished with 26 points but went 11 of 27 from the field. Kyrie Irving also struggled, missing 11 of 16 attempts on his way to 11 points.

Cleveland fans were so frustrated that they booed the players as they walked off. The Cavs haven't lost consecutive home games since a four-game skid from Dec. 28, 2014-Jan. 7, 2015.

"I think we have to play faster," Lue told the team's official website. "I think we have to utilize Kyrie and LeBron's one-on-one ability in transition to open the floor more and run in more drags. We just haven't been accustomed to playing that way. I have to do a better job of getting us in better shape."

Cleveland (30-12) ranks near the bottom of the league in terms of pace, averaging 94.9 possessions per 48 minutes after having just 88 on Saturday.

The Cavs could net better results against Minnesota, which has given up 109.8 points per game and 50.1 percent shooting during its eight-game road losing streak.

Cleveland has averaged 118.7 points on 51.2 percent shooting during a three-game winning streak in the series. They had 96 possessions on the way to a season-high point total in a 125-99 win at Minnesota on Jan. 8.

J.R. Smith led the way with a season-high 27 points, while Iman Shumpert scored a season-best 23 and former Wolves star Kevin Love added 20 points and nine rebounds in his second trip back to Minnesota (14-31).

Now the Wolves are trying to win back-to-back games for only the second time since Nov. 27 after Saturday's 106-101 home win over Memphis. Shabazz Muhammed had a season-high 25 points and Andrew Wiggins scored 19 as Minnesota beat a team with a winning record for the first time since Nov. 25.

'We've been learning," guard Ricky Rubio said. "After (a nine-game losing streak) that we had, I think the last four games we've been playing better.'

Wiggins, acquired in the Love trade, has done his best to torment the Cavs. He's averaged 31.7 points while hitting 9 of 14 from 3-point range in three meetings after scoring a career-high 35 earlier this month.

Karl-Anthony Towns, this year's No. 1 overall draft pick, had 22 points in that contest and Muhammad has totaled 40 in his last two meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (24-21) at Wizards (20-21)

Date: January 25, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics have had the Washington Wizards' number this season, and the last meeting featured an incident that could be revisited when these teams complete the season series.

Celtics forward Jae Crowder claimed that Wizards coach Randy Wittman cursed at him the last time these teams met heading into Monday night's matchup that is still in some doubt due to the massive snowstorm that blanketed the nation's capital.

Boston (24-21) can complete a four-game sweep of Washington after winning 119-117 on the road Jan. 16, in a game overshadowed by an incident between Crowder and Wittman.

The Celtics held a four-point lead with 22 seconds left and the Wizards' John Wall at the line for three free throws. Wall missed his first attempt before referee Tony Brothers whistled Crowder for a technical foul.

Crowder immediately pointed toward Wittman while arguing with Brothers, and later told reporters Wittman was on the other end of those remarks.

"I feel like he was getting away with a lot of curse words and inappropriate words to me, and I retaliated and I got hit," Crowder said. "Tony said he didn't hear anything from Wittman. I'm not going to outburst on a coach and say something like that for no reason."

Wittman had already spoken to the media that night and said in subsequent days that he yelled at Crowder, but denied using curse words. Crowder said that he was arguing with Washington's Nene before he got involved with Wittman.

"He (Wittman) was saying something about me being soft and bleep, bleep, bleep hitting me on the John Wall foul," Crowder said. "It's new to me. I understand we play them next week. I honestly don't know where it was coming from."

Crowder had 22 points on a night that the star for Boston was Isaiah Thomas, who scored 32 after totaling 37 in the first two meetings as the Celtics won by an average of 26.5 points.

The last matchup was much closer thanks to Wall, who had a season-high 36 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. Wall has a team-high six technical fouls.

"I think there was a lot of woofing going on throughout the whole game," Wall said. "I'm just trying to compete and I didn't want to get another technical. I got enough this year."

Washington (20-21) may be disadvantaged since it hasn't played since a 106-87 win over Miami on Wednesday. The club practiced Friday before its game the next day against Utah was postponed due to the storm.

Boston may be sharper after crushing Philadelphia 112-92 on Sunday in a game pushed back one day because of the weather. Thomas and Crowder each scored 20 points as the Celtics led by as many as 29.

'I thought our guys were pretty locked in today,' coach Brad Stevens said. 'We talked about playing with force all day, and I thought we did a pretty good job of that.'

The Celtics arrived at Philadelphia on Sunday morning after the city's airport was closed the previous day.

'Obviously, that wasn't ideal but I thought our guys were businesslike in our approach,' Stevens said.

The Wizards' Otto Porter could return from a four-game absence due to a hip injury while fellow forward Drew Gooden might play for the first time in four games after being out with a calf issue.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (20-22) at Grizzlies (25-20)

Date: January 25, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Memphis Grizzlies fell short of a season-high win streak, but a three-game homestand could help put that defeat quickly behind them.

The Grizzlies seek a 10th win in the last 11 games on their own floor Monday night while trying to extend their dominance over the scuffling Orlando Magic.

Memphis (25-20) fell 106-101 to Minnesota on Saturday in its attempt at a fifth consecutive victory. Mike Conley and Zach Randolph were limited to a combined 16 points on 5-of-18 shooting.

Marc Gasol had 17 points and matched a season low with two rebounds after being questionable with a bruised left knee. Tony Allen missed his second straight game because of knee and hamstring issues.

The banged-up Grizzlies didn't help matters by committing 23 fouls and the Timberwolves took advantage, going 33 of 36 from the free-throw line.

"They shot 23 free throws in the first half. That's incredible. They average 26 per game. That's pretty hard to guard," Memphis coach Dave Joerger said. "We have to play better without fouling."

The Grizzlies will try to bounce back by sending Orlando to a 10th loss in 11 games. The Magic (20-22) have gone to overtime twice during a season-worst five-game losing streak, against Toronto on Jan. 14 in London and a 120-116 loss to Charlotte on Friday.

Orlando had a 15-point lead with 7:15 to go in regulation but let the Hornets go on a 21-3 run. The Magic only forced an extra period when Victor Oladipo banked in a 3-pointer in the final seconds.

Oladipo scored a season-high 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting and went 5 of 8 from beyond the arc after missing the previous two games because of a sprained right knee.

"In difficult times you have to fight your way through and you've got to come with a positive attitude every single day,'" forward Tobias Harris said. "If we just sit around and mope and pout, that's going to affect us in the next game. We have to have a clear mindset and get back to where we want to be."

The Magic have lost four of five on the road heading into the opener to a three-game trip, and they've fared even worse in recent visits to Memphis, dropping 12 of their last 13.

Orlando has lost seven straight in Memphis and eight in a row overall in the series since an 89-72 victory Nov. 15, 2010.

"This could be a big road trip for us because it could change all the momentum, and probably change the whole season," guard Evan Fournier said. "Hopefully we'll just have a great game. Even if we lose the game (Monday night), having a great game would be huge for us."

Randolph has averaged 20.3 points and 9.8 rebounds in the last four matchups, but he's put up 10.8 points per game in his last six contests.

Orlando's Nikola Vucevic has a season-high streak of four double-doubles. He averaged 18.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in last season's two matchups.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Heat (23-21) at Bulls (25-18)

Date: January 25, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

With a daunting road stretch having tripped up the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls have a good opportunity to build momentum prior to their longest trip of the season.

The Bulls will try to win consecutive games for the first time in nearly three weeks when the Heat limp into United Center on Monday night hoping to find some offense.

Chicago (25-18) has gone 3-6 without back-to-back wins since Jan. 9 and will be playing its only home game in a stretch of 10. Looming is a seven-game trip that opens against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

The Bulls entered Saturday's road contest versus Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland with two straight losses, but they dominated the Cavaliers from start to finish in a 96-83 victory that extended a strange trend.

They're 8-2 against the NBA's top six teams - the only two losses coming against Golden State - but have dropped three at home against teams in the bottom five of the league. After winning five in a row at home, Chicago has lost three straight there.

"The talent of our team and the will of our team allows us to beat some of the best, the top teams in the league, and sometimes our lack of a sense of urgency and mental preparation for some games makes us lose to teams we shouldn't," Pau Gasol told the team's official website. "Especially at home. It's something we need to change right away starting the next game against Miami."

The Heat (23-21) have been playing like one of the league's bottom feeders, losing four in a row and seven of eight. Miami, which 2-7 so far on a stretch in which 14 of 16 come away from home, hasn't dropped five in a row since Feb. 27-March 8, 2011.

The Heat are one of three NBA teams averaging fewer than 96 points at 95.5, and their offensive struggles have been even more pronounced during the skid with an average of 80.3 on 41.7 percent shooting.

Offense is typically at a premium in this series, which has resulted in three wins for Chicago in the previous four matchups. The Bulls have averaged 88 points to Miami's 86 in the last five and neither team has reached 100 in any of those contests.

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh combined to shoot 19 of 39 for 48 points during Friday's 101-81 loss at Toronto, but Miami's other seven available players shot just 33.3 percent for 33 points.

Wade has missed two of the last five with shoulder soreness and had to test it in warmups before declaring himself ready against the Raptors, while Hassan Whiteside (strained left hip), Goran Dragic (calf) and Luol Deng (eye) sat out. Whiteside and Deng are questionable against the Bulls, and Dragic is targeting a return on Friday at Milwaukee - meaning he would also miss Tuesday's game at Brooklyn.

"At this point I don't think I've got time to wait around to feel great," Wade said. "We've got so many bodies down, you want to get out there and help our team when you can."

Exactly one year ago Monday, Whiteside notched a triple-double in a 96-84 win in Chicago with 14 points, 13 rebounds and a career-best 12 blocks. He had 19 points and 16 boards in an 89-78 loss on April 9 that marks his only other game against Chicago.

After averaging 25.3 points in his previous three games, Derrick Rose made just 5 of 21 shots and scored 12 against Cleveland. He has averaged 11.8 while shooting 31.1 percent in his last five against Miami.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockets (24-22) at Pelicans (16-27)

Date: January 25, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The New Orleans Pelicans are well aware that they need to rack up wins on this seven-game homestand to have a decent shot at returning to the postseason.

One of the teams they are hoping to catch is the Houston Rockets, who may be without Dwight Howard as they open what they expect to be a difficult three-game trip Monday night.

New Orleans (16-27) has won a season-high four straight at home and is 3-0 on this homestand after Saturday's 116-99 win over Milwaukee. The Pelicans are shooting 49.8 percent overall on this homestand, including 48.5 percent on 3-pointers after making a franchise-record 17 from beyond the arc against the Bucks.

"I think that we've become very acceptant of our roles," coach Alvin Gentry said. "I think that we're competing at a real high level. I think that they're feeling comfortable."

The Pelicans are looking up at the Rockets, who have won eight of 11 after beating Dallas 115-104 on Sunday. Houston is seventh in the Western Conference ahead of a challenging trip that includes visits to San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

"A really good test for us," star guard James Harden said. "We've been playing relatively well the last few games. We've got another game tomorrow, we've gotta be ready to go, (then) San Antonio obviously and OKC."

Howard missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle, with Clint Capela shifting to center and Corey Brewer moving into the starting lineup. It's not clear if Howard will travel on this trip.

'You don't want to put a timetable on it, but obviously you want him to be healthy so we'll take our time with him,' interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. 'Every day he gets better. Every day he's doing more and more. So we'll just wait and see. He's heading in the right direction. He hasn't had any setbacks.'

Houston (24-22) has won both games since acquiring Josh Smith from the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. Smith, who played 55 games for the Rockets a season ago, scored a season-high 16 points Sunday.

"He's a guy again because of his ability again to pass the ball, he's a guy that brings everybody together because he can do that because he can make all the passes, he can make all the plays," Bickerstaff said.

Harden notched his second triple-double of the season with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Trevor Ariza scored a season-high 29 on 11-of-15 shooting. Ariza is 11 for 20 from long range the past two contests following a six-game stretch where he made nine 3-pointers combined.

'He finally found a rhythm,' Harden said. 'We knew it was going to come.'

Anthony Davis is averaging 26.0 points over a 5-1 stretch for the Pelicans that includes this home win streak.

It's unclear if Dante Cunningham will return Monday after missing one game with a stomach illness. Alonzo Gee started Saturday, giving the Pelicans their 20th different lineup.

That kind of lack of continuity due to injuries is something New Orleans has had to overcome.

"We've gone through some tough stretches as you know," Gentry said. "But they've kind of hung in and believed in what we're doing and just have gotten better."

Davis averaged 26.5 points and 13.0 rebounds in two meetings with the Rockets that these teams split in December. Harden averaged 24.5 points on 36.6 percent shooting.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pistons (23-21) at Jazz (19-24)

Date: January 25, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

For a group that just knocked off the best team in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons appear to be lacking confidence lately.

Although coach Stan Van Gundy has voiced his displeasure with the team's defense, it hasn't changed much on the court yet, leaving the Pistons still in search of answers entering the finale of a four-game trip against the Utah Jazz on Monday night.

Van Gundy called Detroit's defense in Thursday's 115-99 loss at New Orleans "deplorable" after it tied a franchise record by allowing 72 points in the first half.

Two days later he said his team "didn't want to make an effort" in the third quarter of a 104-101 defeat at Denver after they matched another team mark by surrendering 39 points in the period. The Pistons (23-21) have allowed at least 35 in four quarters over the last three games - something that happened only five times previously.

The last two weeks included wins over Golden State and Houston, but Detroit lost its other five games - including two of three on this trip to drop to 9-14 away from home.

"Stan is saying exactly what we need to do and we aren't going on the court and applying it right away so he is overly frustrated at this point and I see it," Stanley Johnson told the team's website following Saturday's loss to the Nuggets. "I don't blame him for being overly frustrated because we aren't doing our job as professionals."

Detroit's previous four opponents combined to shoot 49.3 percent, and the first three - Chicago, the Rockets and Pelicans - scored at least 111 points to mark the first time the Pistons have allowed 110 or more in three straight games since December 2014.

Things looked far different when Detroit beat Utah 92-87 on Oct. 28 - part of a five-game stretch of holding opponents to fewer than 95 to open the season.

Reggie Jackson scored 19 points - his combined total while making 8 of 26 shots in the last two games - and Andre Drummond added 18 and 10 rebounds in only Detroit's fourth win in the last 23 meetings. The Pistons can win back-to-back matchups for the first time since December 2003, a stretch in which they are 1-11 in Salt Lake City.

Utah (19-24) is one of the league's weaker offensive teams, averaging 97.7 points, but has eclipsed 100 in its last five - its longest such streak since January 2014.

The Jazz have played since late December without Derrick Favors (back) and Alec Burks (ankle), their second- and third-leading scorers behind Gordon Hayward. The pair combined for 44 points against Detroit in October, but Burks won't return from surgery until after the All-Star break and it remains unclear when Favors will be back.

Hayward has carried the load without them, averaging 22.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists since Dec. 26. He had 21 points and nine assists in Friday's 108-86 win at Brooklyn that was only Utah's second victory in six games. Hayward has nine assists in three of the last six contests and has averaged 28 points over the last three.

"He's not just scoring in pick-and-roll, he's finding other people," coach Quin Snyder said. "I think more than anything, there's a sense that he's growing and he feels like he belongs on a high level."

The Jazz, one of the NBA's best defensive teams with an average of 97.4 points allowed, are opening a season-high six-game homestand. They're 12-9 in Salt Lake City.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (26-19) at Nuggets (17-27)

Date: January 25, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Atlanta Hawks set a franchise record for road victories on their way to winning the Southeast Division last season.

Their current position atop the division comes despite a losing road record, and a visit to Denver doesn't bode well on that improving.

With Paul Millsap expected back, the Hawks attempt to beat the Nuggets on the road for the first time in over nine years Monday night.

Atlanta (26-19) had a team-record 60 wins last season with 25 coming on the road. The Hawks haven't been nearly that effective away from Atlanta in 2015-16, going 11-12 while losing four of their last five games.

Subpar shooting has proved costly for the Hawks in the last two games. They connected on 41.7 percent from the floor - 8 of 33 from 3-point range - while falling 91-88 at Sacramento on Thursday. Atlanta shot 40.5 percent before giving up a 3 with 0.1 seconds remaining sealed a 98-95 loss at Phoenix two days later.

"We aren't making enough plays from the start of the game to the end of the game and understanding what's important," coach Mike Budenholzer said. "We constantly have to dig ourselves out and come back."

Having Millsap back should provide a lift. The forward missed one game to attend his grandfather's funeral, according to reports.

Millsap leads the team with averages of 18.4 points and 8.8 rebounds, but he's scoring 20.4 while connecting on 53.5 percent from the field over the last eight road games.

If Millsap's return is delayed, the Hawks could move Al Horford from center to forward again while inserting Tiago Splitter at the pivot. Those two combined for 11 points Saturday, while Horford grabbed a season-high 16 boards.

Horford had six points and three rebounds while Millsap had 12 and five in a 115-102 loss at Denver on March 11. The Hawks have surrendered an average of 110.9 points while losing eight straight there since winning in December 2006.

The Nuggets (17-27) are 9-14 in Denver but are trying to conclude an eight-game homestand above .500.

Danilo Gallinari had 30 points and hit a long jumper under pressure to put Denver up for good with 23.8 seconds left in Saturday's 104-101 win over Detroit.

"When I caught the ball I saw there were about 4 seconds on the (shot) clock, so I thought I had to make a move," Gallinari said. "It was not easy. I was in a tough spot but it went in."

The forward is averaging 24.1 points - 4.8 better than his season average - over the last 11 games. He had 23 while hitting 8 of 12 from the field against Atlanta last March.

Emmanuel Mudiay is putting up 15.0 points and 7.0 assists per game over the last three contests. The rookie guard scored 18 against the Pistons.

It's unknown if Jameer Nelson (wrist) and Kenneth Faried (groin) will be available. Nelson is listed as doubtful after sitting out four games, while Faried has missed one.

They combined for 27 points and 11-of-14 shooting against the Hawks in March.