Monday 11/16/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Euro Championships TODAY 19:45

Ireland

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Bosnia-Hz.

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SS1		6/4	21/10	23/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN IRELAND	RECENT FORM
HDAWHWHWALAD​ Most recent​	1 - 0	HWALHWHWAWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Ireland have scored in ten of their 11 Euro 2016 qualifying campaign

EXPERT VERDICT: Ireland’s battling performance in the Bosnian mist on Friday has left them with a more than realistic chance of making the Euro 2016 finals but they may have to do it the hard way again. Bosnia will pile on the pressure and the Irish could struggle to keep them out in what could be a high-scoring second leg.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
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[superbeets]

Euro Championships Tu 17Nov 19:45

Denmark

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Sweden

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SS1		6/5	5/2	5/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN DENMARK	RECENT FORM
HWHDADALHLAL​ Most recent​	1 - 0 2 - 0 1 - 0 2 - 2	HWALHLAWHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Sweden have won just two of their last nine away fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: Everything seemed to be going wrong for Denmark in the away leg of their playoff with Sweden but Nicolai Jorgensen’s late goal reduced the deficit to 2-1 and gives them real hope of winning the tie. The Danes are likely to be much improved at home where they have lost just one of their last six competitive games.

RECOMMENDATION: Denmark
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[superbeets]

International Tu 17Nov 19:45

Germany

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Holland

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BTEU		8/13	3	4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN GERMANY	RECENT FORM
AWHWAWALHWAL​ Most recent​	3 - 0 1 - 1 1 - 3 1 - 1	AWHLALAWHLAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Holland have lost three of their five friendlies since the 2014 World Cup

EXPERT VERDICT: Germany lost against France on Friday but the World Cup winners should have too much class for Holland on home soil. The Dutch did beat Wales in Cardiff but their qualifying campaign was a disaster and Danny Blind’s team still have plenty of problems to address.

RECOMMENDATION: Germany
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[superbeets]

Euro Championships Tu 17Nov 19:45

Slovenia

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Ukraine

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SS4		19/10	11/5	17/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN SLOVENIA	RECENT FORM
HLALHWHDAWAL​ Most recent​	2 - 1	HWHWADAWHLHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Slovenia have lost 10 of their last 16 matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Ukraine were comfortably better than Slovenia during Saturday’s 2-0 success in Lviv and are the more likely winners of the return clash. Mykhaylo Fomenko’s side are well suited to playing on the counter-attack and can pick of the Slovenians, who have no option other than to go for broke.

RECOMMENDATION: Ukraine
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[superbeets]

International Tu 17Nov 20:00

England

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France

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ITV		6/4	9/4	9/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN ENGLAND	RECENT FORM
AWAWHWHWAWNL​ Most recent​	1 - 2 0 - 2 0 - 0 2 - 0	ALAWHWHWAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: France have won their last five friendlies

EXPERT VERDICT: France’s 2-0 win against Germany was understandingly overshadowed by the tragic events in Paris on Friday night and this match will be played in difficult circumstances. However, Les Bleus, who didn’t have to qualify by virtue of being Euro 2016 tournament hosts, have been taking their friendlies seriously and are capable of beating England.

RECOMMENDATION: France
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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Avs claim F Wagner on waivers
By The Sports Xchange

The Colorado Avalanche claimed forward Chris Wagner on waivers Sunday from the Anaheim Ducks.
Wagner, 24, has appeared in 11 games for the Ducks this season with no points, while also playing in three contests with Anaheim's American Hockey League affiliate in San Diego, recording one goal and one assist. Wagner was tied for second on the Ducks in hits (32) and ranked fourth in penalty minutes (17).
To make room for Wagner, the Avs placed goaltender Semyon Varlamov on injured reserve (retroactive to Nov. 10) with a groin issue. In 10 games this season, Varlamov has a 3-6-1 record.

---The Ducks recalled defenseman Korbinian Holzer from their AHL affiliate.
The 27-year-old Holzer has one assist with an even plus/minus rating in seven games with the Ducks this season. Holzer is scoreless in three games in San Diego this season.

---The Nashville Predators activated goaltender Carter Hutton from injured reserve and reassigned goalie Marek Mazanec to Milwaukee of the AHL.
Hutton, 29, was on IR with an upper-body injury. He has a 1-1-0 record with a 3.44 goals-against average and .899 save percentage in two appearances for the Predators this season.
Mazanec, 24, has played in five games for the Admirals this season, posting a 2-2-1 record with a 3.09 goals-against average and .900 save percentage.

---The Arizona Coyotes recalled forward Craig Cunningham from the Springfield Falcons of the AHL.
The 25-year-old native of Trail, British Columbia, has registered nine points (five goals, four assists) and six penalty minutes in 12 games with the Falcons this season. Cunningham has recorded seven points (three goals, four assists) and four penalty minutes in 53 career NHL games with the Coyotes and Boston Bruins.

---The Dallas Stars reassigned forward Radek Faksa to the Texas Stars of the AHL.
Faksa, 21, appeared in 14 games for Dallas, including his NHL debut on Oct. 17. He had two points with Dallas, scoring his first career NHL goal on Nov. 6. Prior to his recall, he had two goals in one game with Texas.

---The Minnesota Wild reassigned forward Brett Bulmer to the Iowa Wild of the AHL.
Bulmer, 23, was recalled by Minnesota on Friday and did not appear in the Wild's 3-2 overtime loss at Dallas on Saturday night. He has recorded one goal, one assist and 17 penalty minutes in 14 games with Iowa this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (9-7) at Islanders (9-6)

Date: November 16, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

It took a trip to California for the New York Islanders to put the numbers on the scoreboard they were expecting during a home-heavy stretch prior to spending four days across the country.

The Arizona Coyotes began their trip by allowing their most goals in nearly three weeks.

New York looks to bring that scoring touch back to Brooklyn and win back-to-back games for the first time this month when it faces Arizona on Monday night.

The Islanders (9-6-3) scored two goals or fewer each time during a 1-3-2 stretch before leaving to face San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim last week. They beat the Sharks 4-2 on Tuesday and fell 2-1 to the Kings two nights later despite a 32-22 shot advantage before defeating the Ducks 4-1 on Friday.

Frans Nielsen scored twice for New York, which hadn't scored four since beating Calgary on Oct. 26, the last time they won a second straight contest.

The Islanders are 8-1-0 when scoring at least three goals.

"Goals have been hard to come by for everyone a little bit here. To put four on the board was good for us," said Anders Lee, who had two assists. "Especially on the road, far away from home at the end of the trip here against a good team."

The Islanders began the season scoring at least three in seven of their first nine before going into a bit of drought. They're still struggling with the man advantage, going 1 for 21 over their last seven.

'The important thing for us is to build toward playing that type of game consistently, like we did last year,' forward Cal Clutterbuck said. 'I think it's taken us a little bit longer this year. But these last three games have been a pretty good indication that we're starting to find it.'

New York has scored fewer than three in each game during a 1-2-1 stretch at home and look to bust out against Arizona (9-7-1), which began a four-game trip with a 5-2 loss to Columbus on Saturday.

The Coyotes had their three-game winning streak snapped and hadn't given up that many goals since losing 6-0 to Boston on Oct. 27. They had won four of their previous five on the road.

"We know we've done a good job on the road. (Saturday) wasn't one of those good jobs," coach Dave Tippett told the team's official website. "You learn a lot about your team in certain situations and that was one of them."

Anthony Duclair had a goal and an assist and Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored, giving him two goals and three assists during a five-game point streak.

"I'm feeling pretty good about my game," Ekman-Larsson said. "I'm playing with a lot of confidence and it feels good with the puck. I think me and 'Stoney' (Michael Stone) are playing better together as a unit."

Mike Smith had a rough game, though, allowing five goals on 21 shots after posting a 2.34 goals-against average during a 3-1-0 stretch. He's 1-3-0 with a 3.85 GAA against the Islanders since 2013 and lost the last meeting 5-1 on Feb. 24.

Nielsen had a goal and an assist and Lee also scored in that matchup for New York, which could counter with Jaroslav Halak in this contest. Halak, who rested Saturday, has lost three straight starts despite a 2.39 GAA in those games.

He has a 1.40 GAA during a 4-0-1 stretch against the Coyotes.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (4-8) at Hurricanes (6-9)

Date: November 16, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

While frustration is beginning to bubble among the Anaheim Ducks, it may reach a boiling point for the Carolina Hurricanes with another home loss.

The Ducks can end their struggles on the road and add to Carolina's heightening concern Monday night in a matchup between two scuffling teams.

Anaheim (5-8-4) opened November with four consecutive wins but is suddenly trying to avoid its third losing streak of at least four games.

The Ducks followed their win streak with three consecutive home losses last week in which they allowed at least four goals on fewer than 30 shots. They left some points on the table in back-to-back 4-3 overtime losses to Arizona and Edmonton before capping the slide with Friday's ugly 4-1 defeat to the New York Islanders.

"Any time you lose by three in your building, it's never a fun feeling," defenseman Cam Fowler told the team's official website. "We weren't even really satisfied with the couple of points we've gotten in the last couple of games.

"It's a disappointing feeling. Not much to be explained."

The answer will have to come on the road for the Ducks, who open this four-game trip with a 5-0-1 record against the Hurricanes since Feb. 8, 2012.

Anaheim, however, is 1-5-1 away from home this season, though its most recent win came 1-0 at San Jose on Nov. 7. The Ducks have been shut out three times away from home, a key reason for their league-low 1.65 goals per game.

With captain Ryan Getzlaf's goal drought at 13 games and Jakob Silfverberg's at 17, Anaheim hopes some youth can add energy.

The Ducks recalled top prospect Nick Ritchie and center Michael Sgarbossa from the AHL on Saturday among a series of moves. The 19-year-old Ritchie, the 10th overall pick in the 2014 draft, has nine goals in 12 games in his first pro season with San Diego.

Ritchie could make his NHL debut against Hurricanes backup goaltender Eddie Lack, who will make his first start since Nov. 6. Lack has struggled in four appearances in place of Cam Ward, but he went 2-0-1 with a 1.58 goals-against average and .941 save percentage in three starts against Anaheim last season.

Carolina (6-9-2) has lost five of six, going 1-2-2 at home in that span. The latest two losses both came 3-2 in overtime against Minnesota and Philadelphia. The Hurricanes coughed up an early 2-0 lead against the Flyers on Saturday to fall to 2-4-2 at PNC Arena.

"It's frustrating," center Eric Staal told the team's official website. "We're trying to come away with a W in the third period, and it felt like we were hanging on a little bit instead of making plays."

The Hurricanes, playing their third on a five-game homestand, have scored just eight goals in their last five overall and have averaged 2.25 per game in eight at home.

They will likely play without defenseman Ryan Murphy after he suffered a concussion Saturday. Murphy was hurt when he was illegally boarded by Ryan White, who was penalized. Murphy will go through the league's concussion protocol and is considered day to day.

Frederik Andersen, who surrendered all four goals in Anaheim's last two overtime losses, has two career wins against Carolina despite allowing seven combined goals in those games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (8-8) at Panthers (6-7)

Date: November 16, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers were ecstatic after stealing a victory away from the rival Tampa Bay Lightning, who were deflated by the defeat.

These teams are in completely opposite moods heading into Monday night's rematch in Sunrise following a thriller which featured four lead changes and two penalty shots.

Tampa Bay (8-8-3) snapped a third-period tie on Vladislav Namestnikov's second goal of the game and seemed headed for victory Saturday at home, but winger Ryan Callahan was penalized for a delay of game after firing the puck over the glass, and Florida capitalized on Aaron Ekblad's tying goal with 38 seconds left.

Brandon Pirri scored the lone shootout goal to cap the Panthers' 5-4 victory.

"Guys are excited after a win like that," Ekblad said. "Confidence is what it's all about. It's a good rivalry, the Battle of Florida. Sometimes that gets overlooked."

Pirri converted a penalty shot in the second period, while Steven Stamkos had an attempt in overtime stopped by Roberto Luongo, who recorded his 406th victory to move one shy of tying Glenn Hall for eighth place on the all-time list.

"It's a good character win for the boys," Luongo said. "I really wanted to make sure that I made the saves when I had to."

The Lightning missed a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time since a 3-0-0 start. They are 3-6-2 in their last 11.

"We did a lot of good things," coach Jon Cooper said. "We had the lead right to the bitter end. It's tough. Guys are battling. We just don't have a ton to show for it."

Tampa Bay fell to 14-2-2 in the last 18 overall meetings. Florida (7-7-3) now seeks only its second win in the previous nine matchups at home.

"We beat a real good team in their building," coach Gerard Gallant said. "We play them again Monday night, but we've got to be better so we need to keep getting better and getting points."

The physical contest saw the Panthers' Shawn Thornton and Lightning's J.T. Brown both draw misconduct penalties for an altercation in the third period.

Namestnikov ended a 10-game goal drought in his second straight contest alongside Stamkos and Callahan on the top line. Stamkos assisted on both of Namestnikov's goals to give him seven points in seven games.

Tampa Bay has one of the league's worst offenses with 2.4 goals per game.

"We can't give up that many goals obviously," Stamkos said. "Hopefully the offense can build some confidence on this one."

Florida's attack may be bolstered Monday since center Aleksander Barkov could return from missing 10 games with a hand injury.

Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is expected to miss his first game after he exited Saturday with a lower-body injury.

Lightning goalie Ben Bishop made 19 saves Saturday to drop to 6-1-1 with a 2.17 goals-against average in eight starts against the Panthers. He is 1-5-1 with a 1.86 GAA in his last seven starts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canucks (6-6) at Canadiens (13-3)

Date: November 16, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Having shown plenty of resiliency during Carey Price's absence, the Montreal Canadiens now must bounce back from their worst loss of the season.

The Canadiens return to the ice Monday night against the visiting Vancouver Canucks in a matchup of teams that have each received shaky goaltending during two-game losing streaks.

Montreal (13-3-2) continued to thrive with Price first sidelined by a lower-body injury, going 4-0-1 while yielding eight goals in its first five games since the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner's last outing on Oct. 29. The Canadiens have allowed nine in their last two after being routed 6-1 by surging Colorado on Saturday for their first regulation home loss.

Mike Condon was pulled after two periods upon permitting four goals on 11 shots. The rookie posted a 1.60 goals-against average while starting five straight times following Price's injury, then made 31 saves in a 4-3 shootout defeat Wednesday at Pittsburgh.

'We're not going to start blaming anyone,' Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said. 'Condon's been very good for us since the start of the season."

Vancouver (7-6-5) continues a season-high seven-game road trip with Ryan Miller in a more prolonged slump. The veteran netminder is 0-4-1 with a 3.46 GAA over a five-game stretch in which he's surrendered three goals or more each time.

Miller had 36 saves during Saturday's 4-2 setback at Toronto that dropped the Canucks to 1-3-1 on the trek.

He was quite sharp in the Canadiens' Oct. 27 visit to Vancouver, however, stopping 25 shots in a 5-1 victory. Price allowed all five goals, including two from rookie Jared McCann.

The Canucks also held Montreal's dangerous top line of Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec and Brendan Gallagher without a point. The trio enters Monday each owning four-game point streaks, with Gallagher totaling three goals and three assists and Plekanec two goals and three assists.

All three had goals in a 3-1 home win over Vancouver on Dec. 9, 2014, the Canucks' fifth loss in their last six visits to Montreal.

Vancouver's Jannik Hansen has four goals and three assists over his last seven after scoring Saturday. He had a second goal disallowed early in the third period after being ruled to have deliberately kicked the puck, one of several near-misses on a night when the Canucks recorded a season-high 45 shots.

"We made way too many mistakes," captain Henrik Sedin told the NHL's official website. "We were sloppy. We didn't get anything going. We're still making way too many mistakes, and we've got to stop talking about that we're a young team. We have to simplify things. Five-on-5 we have to get away from those turnovers and easy goals for the opponent."

Montreal outshot the Avalanche 40-24 and its 3.50 goals per game ranks second in the NHL. The Canadiens own the league's third-best power play as well at 25.4 percent and had scored at least once in those situations in seven straight prior to Saturday.

The Canucks have allowed one or more power-play goals in six straight but were 2 for 2 on the penalty kill in last month's meeting. They've played the last two without top defensive center Brandon Sutter, who's questionable with an undisclosed injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (8-8) at Senators (5-5)

Date: November 16, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Aside from their win in Ottawa last month, the Detroit Red Wings have often looked anything but dynamic offensively. Even the return of one of their stars hasn't given them much of a boost.

The Red Wings look to avoid a third consecutive loss since getting Pavel Datsyuk back when they face the Senators in Monday night's rematch.

Detroit (8-8-1) has scored two or fewer goals in 11 of 13 games and been limited to one in seven contests. Justin Abdelkader scored for the Red Wings in a 3-1 loss at Boston on Saturday on a third-period power play.

Datsyuk was held without a point for the second straight game since his return from offseason ankle surgery. He is two goals shy of 300 for his career.

"We've just got to get more on the inside, play with a little more grit. We've got to bear down in practice, and bear down in games when we get our chances," captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "We're creating chances but we're not finding the back of the net."

Detroit had its highest offensive output of the season in a 5-3 win over the Senators on Oct. 31. Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist scored power-play goals to give the Red Wings a 2-0 lead, and Detroit wouldn't trail in the game.

The Senators (8-5-4) also struggled mightily to contain Nashville in a 7-5 loss Nov. 10 but have done a mostly solid job defensively in their other six games this month.

Ottawa has allowed two or fewer goals in four contests while going 3-1-2 in November but couldn't get enough scoring Saturday in a 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers.

"We're playing a much better team game now," defenseman Cody Ceci said. "It was a pretty devastating shootout loss, but we were in the game the whole time. It was a really good hockey game so we just need to play the same way."

Captain Erik Karlsson scored his third goal in as many games. He also has two assists in that stretch after going goalless for the first 14 games.

Kyle Turris has scored in both meetings with Detroit this season, the first being a 3-1 road win Oct. 30, but his status is uncertain for this one because of an undisclosed injury. Turris, Ottawa's leader with eight goals, has played in every game in each of the past two seasons.

Senators defenseman Jared Cowen is considered doubtful because of an undisclosed injury.

Bobby Ryan has also scored in both matchups with the Wings. Karlsson has no goals and three assists in his last three games against Detroit.

Ottawa has gone 6 for 12 on the power play in its last four contests but has given up a short-handed goal in each. The Senators have one of the league's worst penalty killing percentages at 73.8 and have given up three goals on Detroit's eight power plays.

One of those power-play scorers, Nyquist, has four goals and two assists in a five-game point streak against Ottawa. Zetterberg has three goals and four assists in his last six matchups, including two assists Oct. 31.

Detroit has recorded six wins in its past seven visits to Ottawa.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (8-8) at Blues (11-5)

Date: November 16, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The St. Louis Blues might be experiencing their worst stretch thus far this season, though it's nowhere near what's going on with the Winnipeg Jets.

The Central Division foes will try to recover Monday night in St. Louis, and both need to get things right in their own zone.

The Blues (11-5-1) have dropped two straight in regulation for the first time this season, but the Jets (8-8-2) are on a 0-4-1 skid. After Saturday's 7-0 loss in Nashville, Winnipeg has given up 18 goals in the first three of a four-game trip and is tied for 27th in the NHL with 3.22 goals allowed per game.

"I don't think that you are going to find a guy in here who is happy about the way anything went tonight," captain Andrew Ladd said. "We'll stick together and find a way to get out of this little funk that we are in, and at the end of it, we will be a better team because of it."

The Jets have given up four power-play goals on nine chances in the last two games, while their own power play is 1 for 22 in seven games this month.

"We've got to build some confidence back," coach Paul Maurice told the team's official website. "Confidence is earned first. ... Get some simple parts to our game and we can grab some confidence and build from there."

St. Louis is probably the wrong team to try to start that against. The Blues opened the season series with a 4-2 win at Winnipeg on Oct. 18, giving them eight wins in the last 10 meetings while limiting the Jets to 1.80 goals per game. Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and has three goals and an assist in the last three matchups.

Tarasenko also scored twice in Saturday's 4-2 home loss to Chicago, giving him three goals in two games, but the Blues have lost those contests by a 10-5 total. Even so, coach Ken Hitchcock isn't entirely down on how his team is playing.

"We were really playing well and we made some critical errors," Hitchcock told the team's official website. "We didn't get a clear once, we took a penalty on the backcheck and then we made a couple mistakes on the penalty kill, didn't get to a loose puck and then we jumped into a pile ... (it's) disappointing.

"If we expect to win, we're going to have to make big plays at the right time. That's what that team's done we played today. They make big plays at the right time. That's why they win championships. If we want a piece of the pie in this division, in this conference, we're going to have to have more people make big plays at the right time."

All the scoring against the Blues and Jets has made for some ugly numbers from their goaltenders.

Jake Allen starts his fifth straight for the Blues after allowing six goals on 31 shots in the last two, though he had two shutouts before that. He didn't face the Jets last month but is 1-1-0 against them with a 1.52 goals-against average and .951 save percentage.

Winnipeg's Ondrej Pavelec has given up four goals in each of his last three games with a 5.27 GAA and .831 save percentage. He also allowed four against the Blues in the first meeting, though he's 2-1-0 with a 1.63 GAA and .952 save percentage against them.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Coyotes won four of their last six games.

Cold teams
-- Islanders lost six of their last nine games.
-- Ducks lost last three games, scoring seven goals. Carolina lost five of last six games.
-- Lightning lost seven of last ten games; Florida lost six of last eight.
-- Canucks lost five of last six games; Montreal lost three of last five.
-- Detroit, Ottawa both lost three of their last four games.
-- Winnipeg lost last five games, scoring eight goals. Blues lost last two games, 4-2/6-3.

Series records
-- Islanders won three of last four games with Arizona.
-- Ducks won seven of last nine games with Carolina.
-- Lightning won seven of last nine games with Florida.
-- Canadiens won seven of last ten games with Vancouver.
-- Road team won last eight Detroit-Ottawa games.
-- Blues won eight of last ten games with Winnipeg.

Totals
-- Five of last six Arizona-Islander games went over.
-- Seven of last ten Anaheim-Carolina games stayed under.
-- Eight of last ten Tampa Bay-Florida games went over.
-- Eight of last ten Montreal games went over total.
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Detroit games.
-- Five of last seven Winnipeg games went over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mavericks (6-4) at 76ers (0-10)

Date: November 16, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Dallas Mavericks delivered perhaps their most impressive performance of the season without Dirk Nowitzki and two other starters last time out.

They may not need them again to continue their success.

Winners of three straight, the Mavericks resume their road trip Monday night against a Philadelphia 76ers team that hasn't won in nearly eight months.

Nowitzki was rested along with Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons on Saturday with Dallas (6-4) playing for the second time in two nights, but the Mavericks hardly looked short-handed in a 110-98 victory at Houston in which they never trailed and led by as many as 26.

Raymond Felton scored 23 points in Matthews' place and Charlie Villanueva added 19 filling in for Nowitzki, who was held to nine points in Friday's win over the Lakers after amassing a season-high 31 on 11-of-14 shooting in a 118-108 decision over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

"Any time you can come in someone else's building and get a win missing three of your starters, you know, that's big," Felton told the Mavericks' official website. "That shows what type of team that we have. Guys were able to step up, make plays and step in when guys need to rest up."

Dwight Powell also has been among those to raise his play, totaling 23 points and 21 rebounds over the last two wins. Along with Felton and Villanueva, the young forward has seen an increased role on a revamped bench corps that lost rotation members Al-Farouq Aminu, Richard Jefferson and Amar'e Stoudemire during the offseason.

With all of the regulars expected to be available Monday, motivation may be the biggest concern coming off a big win over the team that eliminated the Mavericks in the first round of last season's playoffs.

The ever-rebuilding 76ers don't pose much of a threat on paper, having lost 20 consecutive games - including an 0-10 start to this season - and ranking near the bottom of the NBA in scoring (91.1 ppg) and field-goal percentage.

Philadelphia, which last won March 25 at Denver, dropped a franchise-record 17 straight to begin 2014-15.

The Sixers also haven't fared well in this series, with Dallas winning eight of the last nine meetings and five straight since a 100-98 road loss on Nov. 27, 2012.

Jahlil Okafor remains a bright spot in what's shaping up as another dismal campaign for Philadelphia. The rookie center is averaging 19.2 points and had 21 with 12 rebounds in Saturday's 92-83 loss at San Antonio, scoring seven points during a 14-2 run that brought the 76ers within four with three minutes left.

'You have to give them credit, they made it hard until the end,' Spurs guard Tony Parker said. 'That's just (coach) Brett Brown's team, they're always in games.'

Philadelphia's struggling offense could get a boost in the expected return of Robert Covington from a sprained knee that's limited him to just 22 minutes this season. The third-year small forward averaged 13.5 points and shot 37.4 percent from 3-point range in 2014-15.

Matthews compiled 42 points in two matchups with Philadelphia while with Portland last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (6-4) at Bulls (6-3)

Date: November 16, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Paul George's serious injury is a thing of the past, but Derrick Rose is still dealing with the lingering effects of his latest.

George looks to continue powering the red-hot Indiana Pacers against Rose and the Bulls on Monday night in the first of two meetings in 12 days.

The two-time All-Star missed all but the final six games last season after breaking his leg in a scrimmage while with Team USA in August 2014.

George has put the injury behind him and again looks every bit like the cornerstone of the Pacers (6-4), averaging 24.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. He's been even better over the past six, scoring 29.3 per game with 9.3 boards while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor, including 19 of 40 from 3-point range.

He was terrific again Friday with 29 points in a 107-103 win over Minnesota that marked Indiana's sixth in seven games since starting the season 0-3.

"Since training camp, this is the Paul George I expected to see coming back," coach Frank Vogel said. "It's my job to put him in position to have his best season ever and he's started off (looking) to have that type of year."

Things aren't going quite as well for Rose, who is averaging 12.6 points and 6.0 assists while still feeling the effects of a broken orbital bone suffered during training camp - his latest in a slew of injuries over the past four years.

The 2011 MVP and three-time All-Star is wearing a protective mask, but he's reportedly dealing with blurred vision that's prevented him from taking on more of the scoring load. The issue could linger for as long as three more months.

With Rose hampered, Jimmy Butler is picking up the slack and leads the Bulls (6-3) with 19.4 points per game. The guard scored a season-high 27 to help Chicago overcome Rose's 4-of-14 shooting performance in Friday's 102-97 win against Charlotte. Rose finished with 10 points and eight assists.

"We're a team with a lot of talent," said center Pau Gasol, who had 19 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. "When we play well and play hard and play together, we are tough to beat. We try to play up-tempo, try to play with pace, good offensively but I'm not sure there is identity per se."

Gasol at least gives the team a presence under the basket and is averaging 18.7 points, 12.0 boards and 3.0 blocks over the last three games. He's scored 19.0 points per contest while adding 9.3 rebounds over the past three matchups with Indiana.

Butler missed the previous two meetings with an elbow injury after totaling 59 points and sinking 18 of 37 shots in the two prior to that.

George was out for all four meetings between the Central Division rivals last season, which they split. He's averaged 22.2 points in his last five visits to Chicago.

Monta Ellis has scored 22.6 per game over his past seven at United Center after pouring in 38 in a double-overtime win with Dallas on Dec. 2. The guard had 24 points while hitting 11 of 17 from the field Friday.

The Bulls visit the Pacers on Nov. 27 to close a four-game trip that begins after this contest.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (5-4) at Rockets (4-6)

Date: November 16, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Houston Rockets are among the worst defensive teams in the NBA, and coach Kevin McHale doesn't think talking is a solution.

Having Dwight Howard back in the lineup should help.

After McHale called out the Rockets for talking too much, they'll try to avoid their longest losing streak of the season Monday night against the visiting Boston Celtics.

Houston (4-6) is surrendering an average of 108.3 points while allowing opponents to shoot 47.0 percent from the floor and 36.9 from 3-point range.

"We gotta get on the same page," McHale said. "We got a lot of mistakes going on defensively. At some point we have to individually defend, too."

The Rockets had issues all over the floor in Saturday's 110-98 loss to Dallas, making just 38.1 percent of their field goals, including 9 of 34 from long range in a third straight loss.

A frustrated McHale said his team doesn't need a meeting to avoid their longest slide since dropping seven straight from Jan. 9-19, 2013.

"We've had a lot of heart to hearts. As a matter of fact, we talk too much," he said. "Talking doesn't win basketball games ... but this isn't a debate thing. If this was a debate team, we'd be in good shape because we talk about a lot of stuff. You gotta go play.

"I've never seen talking yet win anything. Unless you're talking on defense. In this league, you're either making excuses and that means talking or you're making plays and that means you're probably not talking."

McHale thinks having Howard back can at least help defensively. The center was rested against the Mavericks, who capitalized by scoring 54 points in the paint.

Houston is 1-3 without Howard. The Rockets are allowing an average 57.3 points in the paint the last three times he's been out compared to 48.7 in the six games he's played.

"If Dwight goes out, our communication on our back line is terrible," McHale said.

Howard is doing more than clogging the lane, averaging 16.7 points and 12.7 rebounds.

James Harden is second in the NBA with 28.4 points per game. However, he's coming off one of his worst shooting efforts of the season, making 5 of 21 from the floor and needing to make all 14 free throws to finish with 25 points Saturday.

"We just gotta find it. All aspects of our game; defense, offense, just everything," Harden said. "You just gotta keep fighting. We gotta press the issue and be a little bit more aggressive and vocal."

Harden is averaging 17.8 points on 32.8 percent shooting over his last four meetings with Boston (5-4), but they've all been wins for the Rockets, who have allowed an average of 88.5 points in those games.

Houston has taken eight of the last 10 matchups, including four straight at home.

The Celtics have had no issues defensively during a 4-1 stretch, yielding 92.2 points per game and holding opponents to 42.7 percent shooting.

They stifled one of the best offensive teams in the NBA on Sunday, winning 100-85 at Oklahoma City.

Marcus Smart had a career-high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. The second-year guard has six total points while missing 12 of 13 from the field in two meetings with Houston.

Since scoring a season-low 14 points with four assists in a loss to Indiana on Wednesday, Isaiah Thomas has totaled 43 points and 18 assists over the past two games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Thunder (6-4) at Grizzlies (5-6)

Date: November 16, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Russell Westbrook nearly carried the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs last season with Kevin Durant sitting out injured for the last two months.

Durant isn't expected to be gone that long this time around, but Westbrook's teammates are going to need to step up for however long Durant is out.

Everyone - including Westbrook - struggled as the Thunder had their winning streak snapped, and they'll look to bounce back Monday night when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies.

Oklahoma City lost a tiebreaker for a postseason berth in 2014-15 despite Durant missing 55 games with broken bone in his foot, as Westbrook recorded 11 triple-doubles and won the scoring title.

Durant has been out the last two with a strained left hamstring and will miss at least two more despite him saying he feels much better. The Thunder (6-4) beat Philadelphia on Friday but had their three-game winning streak end with Sunday's 100-85 loss to visiting Boston.

Westbrook had a triple-double in each of his previous two, but he finished 5 of 20 from the field with four rebounds and five assists. He scored 27 points, with 15 coming at the free-throw line.

Serge Ibaka was the only other player in double figures with 16 for Oklahoma City, which shot a season-worst 36.4 percent.

"We just have to lock in and do what we're supposed to do, and do it for 48 minutes," Westbrook said.

Facing the Grizzlies could be even more of a challenge with Durant out, as they've had some success defending Westbrook. He's shooting 27.5 percent from the floor while averaging 18.7 points over his last three against them.

Memphis (5-6) has won three of the last four meetings but hasn't been as strong defensively as in previous years, allowing an average of 101.1 points per game. It is on the verge of allowing at least 100 in four straight for the first time since March 6-12, 2011.

The Grizzlies had enough offense to overcome their defensive issues in the last two, though. They beat Portland 101-100 on Friday before shooting a season-best 56.3 percent in Sunday's 114-106 win at Minnesota after entering the contest shooting a league-worst 40.1 percent.

Jeff Green, replacing struggling guard Courtney Lee in the starting lineup, scored 21 points and Mike Conley added 20. Conley hit 7 of 14 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3-point range after shooting 34.7 percent from the floor over his first 10.

'We know we're shooters,' Conley said. 'We've been in this league a long time and we've made our names with what we do, so we just have to stay aggressive, stay confident and tonight we finally saw some go in.'

Memphis also has been encouraged by the play of Mario Chalmers, who was acquired in a trade with Miami on Tuesday. Chalmers had 11 points in his team debut against Portland before scoring 16 against the Timberwolves.

'Long arms, good athlete, defender and he does a good job of getting after people with ball pressure defensively,' coach Dave Joerger said. 'He's a good shooter, stand still. Has a real moxie about him and the way he plays in pick-and-roll, just takes his time to find guys like a quarterback would.'

Marc Gasol has struggled in his last four against the Thunder, shooting 38.8 percent while averaging 12.5 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Trail Blazers (4-7) at Spurs (7-2)

Date: November 16, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

After LaMarcus Aldridge said his return to Portland last week was difficult, his second look at his former team should be a bit easier in front of his new fans.

It also helps that the San Antonio Spurs are rolling and the Trail Blazers reeling.

Aldridge will get a chance to extend both trends Monday night when Portland visits the Spurs for the second meeting between the two in six days.

Inserting Aldridge into an already balanced offense has led to a strong start for the Spurs (7-2), whose 92-83 home victory over winless Philadelphia on Saturday was their fourth straight overall and third in as many chances at AT&T Center.

Dating to last season, San Antonio has won 12 straight regular-season home games. The Spurs are allowing 91.8 points per game this season and an NBA-low 84.0 at home.

Aldridge was the key against the 76ers with 17 points and a season-high 19 rebounds, helping San Antonio win without Kawhi Leonard (upper respiratory infection) and Manu Ginobili (adductor strain), who are each probable to return against the Trail Blazers.

Tony Parker added 16 points and Tim Duncan had 15 in the absence of Leonard, who is the club's leading scorer with 21.9 points per game.

A 113-101 win in Portland on Wednesday offered a glimpse of what the Blazers lost and the Spurs gained when Aldridge signed with them as a free agent this summer. Aldridge, who spent his first nine seasons with Portland, scored 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting. However, he downplayed this next meeting after San Antonio's win over Philadelphia.

"It's just another game now," he said. "Going up there meant more, and it was blown up. Them coming here doesn't mean anything, it's just another game now."

The Blazers (4-7) are hoping it's nothing like their recent contests after losing five straight for just the second time since November 2013. They've surrendered 109.6 points per game on the skid while allowing the opposition to shoot 49.5 percent from the field.

Damian Lillard has cooled a bit with a combined 34 points on 14-of-40 shooting in his last two, but he's still averaging 25.1 per game this season.

"I'm just happy that we won four games early, because instead of us being 1-9, we're 4-7," Lillard told the team's official website. "Which is obviously not where we want to be, but it's something to work with. It could be a lot uglier than it is. A lot of the games that we've lost, we were in position to win them."

That includes a 101-100 loss in Memphis on Friday that ended on Zach Randolph's put-back with less than a second left.

Portland has lost three straight on the road to fall to 2-4 this season and is 1-5 in its last six at San Antonio, including playoffs.

The Blazers' latest road loss came with the help of another former teammate when Nicolas Batum scored 33 to lead Charlotte to a 106-94 win Sunday. Portland shot just 39.3 percent and hit only five of its 21 attempts from 3-point range.

The Blazers have been held below 40 percent from the field three times already after it happened nine times all of last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (2-8) at Suns (5-4)

Date: November 16, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Eric Bledsoe has been a starter since arriving in Phoenix, but the backcourt in his first two seasons wasn't exactly his with Goran Dragic leading all Suns players in minutes and shots per game.

With Dragic long gone after a February trade, Bledsoe's first full season as Phoenix's longest tenured guard is already shaping up to be a career year, and keeping it going Monday night against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers might not take much.

After scoring 30 in Saturday's 105-81 home win over Denver, Bledsoe is averaging 23.2 points after putting up 17.3 with the Suns (5-4) from 2013-15. He's also gone from 13.1 shots per game on 45.8 percent shooting in those years to 16.8 and 49.7 this season.

"I'm just playing, having fun and playing with my teammates and being aggressive," said Bledsoe, who's averaging 28.0 points and shooting 68.2 percent in his last three games. "It's definitely with a better flow. Everybody is getting easy looks, creating for others as well. We're just playing team basketball at the end of the day."

He's also shooting 40.0 percent from 3-point range, and the team has followed suit with a 45.5 mark in the last five games. The Suns have won their last two, and Bledsoe's latest effort came in 30 minutes without taking the floor in the fourth quarter.

"When he comes down and comes at you and pulls up for that jump shot, now these guys are going to have to come pick him up a little higher and he's just going to drive right by them," coach Jeff Hornacek said of Bledsoe. "So he's just playing great right now."

The Suns have won eight in a row at home over the Lakers and swept the four-game series last season while averaging 115.5 points and shooting 50.0 percent.

Los Angeles (2-8) will be trying to win consecutive games for the first time since a three-game winning streak to end February, but it'll have to come in a back-to-back set after Sunday's 97-85 home win over Detroit.

Kobe Bryant and Jordan Clarkson each had 17 points, but Bryant continued to struggle with his shot. The 37-year-old was 6 of 19 from the field and is hitting 33.6 percent for the season, but he also had nine assists and eight rebounds.

Clarkson has averaged 19.0 points and shot 50.0 percent in his last two games. The guard is taking a step forward in the team's offense this season, averaging 15.1 points and 13.3 shots while connecting on 46.7 percent.

They may need more from him if Bryant doesn't play the second of the set, which hasn't been determined after he logged a season-high 36 minutes Sunday.

"We've got to get this win here at home," Bryant said. "(But) right now, I'm barely standing up. My back and my legs, it's killing me. I go home, and I'm looking forward to that ice bath and the stretch, and a full day of recovery tomorrow.

"I'm not looking forward to walking to the car. Seriously."

While the Lakers continue to struggle offensively - they've averaged 92.2 points over the last five games - they've been able to hang around by allowing 39.5 percent shooting.

It's been nearly a year since the Lakers swept a back-to-back, going 2-11 in the second games since winning in Houston on Nov. 19.

Phoenix forward Markieff Morris was sidelined against the Nuggets because of a left knee sprain.