Sunday 1/31/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

English FA Cup TODAY 13:30

Carlisle

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Everton

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CARLISLE	RECENT FORM
HWHLHDADAD*HD​ Most recent​	3 - 0 0 - 2 2 - 4	HWHWADADHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: There have been 157 goals in a combined 48 league games for these two this term

EXPERT VERDICT: Everton’s visit to Cumbria is the Toffees’s third game in a week, so expect Roberto Martinez to shuffle his pack for this FA Cup tie as they look to recover from their League Cup heartbreak. Goals have been the order of the day for both of these teams this season and it looks wise to keep faith with that trend at Brunton Park.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
1


REFEREE: Lee Mason STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup TODAY 16:00

MK Dons

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Chelsea

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MK DONS	RECENT FORM
ADADHLHWHWAL​ Most recent​	Unknown	ADAWHWHDHDAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Chelsea have conceded 34 goals in 23 league games

EXPERT VERDICT: For all their setbacks this season, Chelsea are just 11-2 for the FA Cup and will be a warm order for their trip to Milton Keynes. While the Blues have improved under Guus Hiddink they have yet to fully resolve their defensive troubles, so a committed MK Dons side could at least get on the scoresheet.

RECOMMENDATION: Chelsea to win 3-1
1


REFEREE: Jonathan Moss STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 11:00

Seville

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Levante

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SEVILLE	RECENT FORM
HWHWHWHWADAW​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 3 0 - 0 1 - 1	ALHLALHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Seville have kept 11 clean sheets in their last 13 matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Seville have had a great two months – winning 12 of their last 16 games – and should register a comfortable victory over Levante, who are propping up the table. The break from European football has helped Seville, who are through to the Copa del Rey semi-finals and rising rapidly in La Liga.

RECOMMENDATION: Seville to win 2-0
1

 

[superbeets]

Dutch Eredivisie TODAY 11:30

Roda JC

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Ajax

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT RODA JC	RECENT FORM
HDADALHLAWHW​ Most recent​	1 - 2 1 - 2 0 - 4 2 - 2	HDALHWAWHWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Roda’s 11 home league games have produced just 21 goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Ajax went into the weekend top of the Eredivisie but they have not been wiping the floor with opponents since the winter break with 1-0 wins over ADO Den Haag and Vitesse and a 0-0 draw with Heracles last time out. Roda have notched just 16 times this term and a low-scoring match looks likely.

RECOMMENDATION: Ajax to win 1-0
1

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 11:30

Chievo

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Juventus

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CHIEVO	RECENT FORM
HWALHDAWHDAL​ Most recent​	0 - 1 1 - 2 1 - 2 0 - 0	HWAWAWAWHWNW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Juve have won 14 of their last 15 games in all competitions

EXPERT VERDICT: Juventus have looked unstoppable in recent weeks and they can hand out another beating to mid-table Chievo. The hosts were on the wrong end of a 4-1 drubbing against Lazio last week and they are likely to find it even tougher against the Old Lady, who are hunting a domestic double.

RECOMMENDATION: Juventus
3

 

[superbeets]

Dutch Eredivisie TODAY 13:30

Feyenoord

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Den Haag

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT FEYENOORD	RECENT FORM
HWADALHLALHL​ Most recent​	2 - 1 4 - 2 3 - 2 0 - 3	AWHDAWHLHWAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Den Haag have scored in nine of their ten away league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Feyenoord are not playing well enough to consider backing at short prices with the Rotterdam outfit collecting only one point from the last 15 available. Feyenoord have at least scored in 18 of their 20 Eredivisie matches this term, while visiting Den Haag have notched in all of their away games bar the trip to Ajax.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Books expect All-Star shootouts

The 2016 NHL All-Star Game is taking on a new format on Sunday, Jan. 31 from Nashville, Tennessee and bettors could be scratching their heads.

Instead of two teams squaring off for 60 minutes, the league has decided to divide the rosters into four teams and play two semifinal games in the first two periods and the championship in the third period between the two winners.

The teams were split up equally amongst the four divisions.

Another change is that the game will be played 3-on-3 hockey, which teams now play in the new NHL overtime format.

Goals are expected to be posted early and often and the oddsmakers have already made adjustments to the new format.

Listed below are the odds and rosters.

NHL All-Star Odds
Game 1 - Metropolitan (-130) vs. Atlantic (+120), Total 14
Game 2 - Central (-135) vs. Pacific (+125), Total 14
Game 3 - TBD vs. TBD

NHL All-Star Game Rosters

Metropolitan Division

Forwards
Nicklas Backstrom, Washington
Claude Giroux, Philadelphia
Evgeny Kuznetsov (Replacement), Washington
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh
Alex Ovechkin (Injured), Washington
Brandon Saad, Columbus
Captain John Tavares, N.Y. Islanders

Defensemen
Justin Faulk, Carolina
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh
Ryan McDonagh, N.Y. Rangers

Goaltenders
Braden Holtby, Washington
Cory Schneider, New Jersey

Coach
Barry Trotz, Washington

Atlantic Division

Forwards
Patrice Bergeron, Boston
Captain Jaromir Jagr, Florida
Leo Komarov, Toronto
Dylan Larkin, Detroit
Ryan O'Reilly, Buffalo
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay

Defensemen
Aaron Ekblad, Florida
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa
P.K. Subban, Montreal

Goaltenders
Ben Bishop

Coach
Gerard Gallant, Florida

Pacific Division

Forwards
Johnny Gaudreau, Florida
Taylor Hall, Edmonton
Joe Pavelski, San Jose
Corey Perry, San Jose
Captain John Scott, Arizona
Daniel Sedin, Vancouver

Defensemen
Brent Burns, San Jose
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles
Mark Giordano, Calgary

Goaltenders
John Gibson, San Jose
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles

Coach
Darryl Sutter, Los Angeles

Central Division

Forwards
Jamie Benn, Dallas
Matt Duchene, Colorado
Captain Patrick Kane, Chicago
James Neal (Replacement), Nashville
Tyler Seguin, Dallas
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis
Jonathan Toews (Injured), Chicago

Defensemen
Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg
Roman Josi, Nashville
Shea Weber, Nashville

Goaltenders
Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota
Pekka Rinne, Nashville

Coach
Lindy Ruff, Dallas

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulls (26-19) at Clippers (31-16)

Date: January 31, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

While the Los Angeles Clippers keep insisting that Blake Griffin's absence will benefit them in the long run, the Chicago Bulls think a tweak to their lineup might help them now.

The Clippers look to keep rolling without Griffin on Sunday as the Bulls continue their longest road trip of the season seeking their first winning streak since early January.

Griffin has been out since late December, first with a quadriceps injury and now with a broken right shooting hand after punching a team staff member last weekend - an injury that may keep him out until mid-March. Los Angeles (31-16) has fared just fine, though, winning 14 of 17 games since he was injured Christmas Day.

Chris Paul finished with 27 points in Friday's 105-93 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, but it was a 56-25 bench advantage that lifted the Clippers.

Los Angeles' 43.1 bench points per game in Griffin's absence rank toward the top of the league, up from the 31.3 that previously ranked 23rd. Reserves Austin Rivers, Lance Stephenson and Jamal Crawford combined for 48 points Friday.

'There are a lot of guys that are playing more than they were with Blake, so when he comes back we're going to have that much deeper of a team,' Rivers said.

Los Angeles, though, did struggle to an average of 90 points in its previous three games. It's the defense that has impressed, holding opponents below 95 points in nine of the last 18 games. That previously happened only eight times in 29 games.

The Clippers, who have won 11 of 14 at home, have forced an average of 19.3 turnovers during their three-game winning streak while allowing 88.3 points per game.

The Bulls (26-19) haven't won two straight in more than three weeks, losing seven of 11, but seem to think they've found a short-term answer as they await the return of some key contributors.

E'Twaun Moore started in place of Tony Snell at small forward Thursday and helped speed up Chicago's pace in a 114-91 rout of the Lakers to open a seven-game trip. The Bulls averaged 93.8 points in their previous three games.

Moore made his first start since he was with Orlando in 2013, and though he scored just eight points, his quickness on defense led to fast-break opportunities. He had two steals and several pass deflections, and the Bulls finished with 21 fast-break points - their most since having 27 on Nov. 9.

"E'Twaun is huge at spacing the floor," guard Jimmy Butler told the team's official website. "He's guarding and plays incredibly hard. ... I like him in the spot he is in."

Butler, named an All-Star earlier in the day, made 11 of 17 shots for 26 points and matched a career high with 10 assists.

Chicago finished three off a season best with 29 assists on 47 made baskets. Pau Gasol had 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and Derrick Rose logged 16 points with assists on a behind-the-back pass to Moore and an alley-oop lob to Jimmy Butler on the break.

Rose feels Moore "should be out there" not just because of how he's playing but how the team plays.

"It's all about running," Rose said. "There's no way we should have three guards on the floor and not be running."

Moore played a season-high 36 minutes and may continue to see an expanded role with Nikola Mirotic (appendicitis) and Mike Dunleavy (back) sidelined. Mirotic will be out until after the All-Star break, and Dunleavy might see his first action later on this trip.

Moore didn't even play when the Bulls beat the Clippers 83-80 in Chicago on Dec. 10. While Gasol had a game-high 24 points, Paul and J.J. Redick combined to shoot 7 of 27. Butler has helped hold Redick to 9 of 35 in the last three meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (27-21) at Magic (20-25)

Date: January 31, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics got plenty of assistance from their reserves to extend their win streak to a season high and a remarkable string of scoring performances.

A chance to sweep the scuffling Orlando Magic in a home-and-home series Sunday night would only seem to aid their hopes of continuing both runs.

Boston (27-21) had seven players score in double figures in a 113-94 victory against Orlando on Friday, including four from its bench. Kelly Olynyk and Marcus Smart led the way with 16 points apiece as the Celtics' bench totaled 62, its second-highest output this season.

Their reserves also scored 60 in a 116-91 victory in Washington on Monday.

"I think we're coming together well. This last little bit we've played pretty well together, I think, the first and second unit," Olynyk said. "We've had that continuity and just getting used to each other and playing together, and really carving out roles."

In addition to collecting its fifth consecutive win, Boston scored at least 100 points for an 11th straight game. That's the franchise's longest streak since a 12-game run in 1995-96.

"They're playing at a level like we were five to six weeks ago," Orlando coach Scott Skiles said. "They get up, they get into you, they try to make it difficult, and you try to run something (and) they just blow right through it."

The Celtics get another matchup with the Magic (20-25), who have allowed an average of 112.0 points in their last four games. Boston shot 50.0 percent and went 10 for 24 from 3-point range in sending Orlando to its eighth consecutive loss and 12th in 13 games.

"We've got to figure something out. We've got to do it fast or it's just going to keep going south," guard Victor Oladipo said. "We've said it all. We've been saying it all the past couple of weeks, and we've just got to do it. There's nothing more we can say."

Orlando has struggled at the other end of the floor for much of that miserable stretch, scoring 93.1 points per game. The Magic have averaged 101.5 in their four consecutive home wins over Boston while giving up 93.8 per contest.

Oladipo has totaled 41 points and 15 rebounds in the last two visits from the Celtics. He had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 110-91 victory Nov. 29.

Tobias Harris is averaging 19.0 points in his last five home matchups versus Boston. Harris was held to 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting in Friday's loss and has missed 17 of his last 24 attempts. Oladipo had 11 points and has totaled 34 in his last three games after scoring 29 in his return from a sprained knee Jan. 22.

The Celtics' Isaiah Thomas has averaged 21.3 points and 8.3 assists in his last three games in Orlando. He had 14 points Friday, his fewest in 12 contest, and was averaging 24.5 in his previous 11.

Avery Bradley was held to six points on 3-of-9 shooting against the Magic after averaging 19.3 while shooting 52.3 percent in his previous six contests.

Orlando's longest skid last season was 10 games from Jan. 16-Feb. 4. The Celtics won their final six in 2014-15 for their longest win streak.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (27-21) at Heat (26-21)

Date: January 31, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

An offense revived by a healthy backcourt has the Miami Heat back on track and close to the top of the Southeast Division.

They'll head home with a chance to overtake the slumping Atlanta Hawks for first place as the teams meet Sunday night.

In the midst of a grueling stretch in which it's playing 14 of 16 on the road, Miami (26-21) lost seven of eight from Jan. 9-22 as it dealt with several injuries to relinquish the division lead to the Hawks. The Heat have since regrouped to win the final three of a five-game trip, all by four points or less, and move within one-half game of Atlanta (27-21).

"Probably the biggest area we've shown some improvement is (our) grit and some toughness to be able to win some tough games on the road," coach Erik Spoelstra said after Friday's 107-103 victory at Milwaukee. "It's never easy, and it's certainly not easy in the Eastern Conference. These are tough places to play ... you have to earn these games."

Miami enters just its second game at AmericanAirlines Arena since Jan. 6 in better shape physically as well. Goran Dragic and Josh McRoberts returned from extended absences on Friday, and Dwyane Wade has averaged 25.3 points in four games after missing one with a shoulder injury.

Wade scored 24 points and had the game's final six against the Bucks, breaking a 101-all tie with a jumper with 44.5 seconds remaining. Dragic added 12 with eight assists after missing eight games with a strained calf.

"Look, we're a no excuses team, but we look a lot different with (Dragic and McRoberts)," Spoelstra said.

Miami's still isn't quite at full strength, as center Hassan Whiteside could miss a fifth consecutive game with a hip strain and reserve guard Tyler Johnson is out with a shoulder injury.

The Heat are certainly making strides offensively, however, having shot 52.2 percent while topping 100 points in their last two wins. They averaged 80.3 over a season-high four-game skid that preceded Monday's 89-84 victory at Chicago.

Atlanta has struggled to score during a 1-4 stretch, failing to top 95 points in each of those defeats. It's shot 40.9 percent and averaged 18 turnovers in the losses.

Those problems were most evident during the late stages of Thursday's game at Indiana, where the Hawks were outscored 23-2 over the final 5:34 of a 111-92 setback.

"We didn't do anything right that last few minutes of the game," guard Kyle Korver said. "We missed some defensive assignments. They hit some shots. We had turnovers on the other end. Missed some shots. The thing just snowballed on us. We have to be better at the end of the game."

Atlanta, 2-18 when held under 97 points, was further hindered with leading scorer Paul Millsap sidelined the entire second half by a sprained left ankle. The All-Star forward is probable for Sunday's game.

Though Wade has carried the Heat of late, Chris Bosh's performance may have a greater impact on Sunday's outcome. The veteran forward had 24 points and went 4 of 6 from 3-point range as Miami halted a seven-game series losing streak with a 100-88 victory at Atlanta on Dec. 14, a game Wade finished 3 of 16 for seven points.

Bosh was held to nine of 4-of-14 shooting in the Hawks' 98-92 win in Miami on Nov. 3, with Atlanta's Jeff Teague recording a season-high 26 points and nine assists. Teague had just seven on a 2-of-12 effort in last month's loss.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Suns (14-34) at Mavericks (27-22)

Date: January 31, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

If the Dallas Mavericks are to improve their position in the Western Conference, they know they'll need to take advantage of an upcoming glut of home games.

They draw another favorable matchup in Sunday night's meeting with a decimated Phoenix Suns team that's yet to win on the road in 2016.

Currently 1 1/2 games behind fifth-place Memphis and five back of the Los Angeles Clippers for fourth, Dallas (27-22) has a chance to gain some ground during an 18-game stretch in which it plays 14 times at American Airlines Center, where it's won nine of 12.

"It's an important stand for us," guard Deron Williams said. "We've only got a couple one-game trips in the next month or so. We've got to make the most of this opportunity."

The Mavericks got the stretch off to a good start with Friday's 91-79 win over lowly Brooklyn, continuing their recent trend of beating the weaker opponents on the schedule. In having split its last six games, Dallas owns victories over the Nets, Minnesota and the Los Angeles Lakers - teams that are a combined 35-110 - while losing to contenders Oklahoma City, Houston and Golden State.

Phoenix (14-34) qualifies as a soft spot - it's a league-worst 2-18 since Dec. 20 and 4-21 on the road. The Suns have lost 13 straight outside Arizona, 12 by double-digits.

While defending teams has been a season-long problem, injuries to Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight have led to issues on the offensive end as well. The Suns are averaging 92.6 points over their last seven games and 18.3 turnovers over the past six.

After committing 23 giveaways in Wednesday's 113-95 loss at Cleveland, Phoenix had 16 in Friday's 102-84 defeat to New York to fall to 0-3 on its four-game trip.

'You've got no chance when you turn the ball over,' coach Jeff Hornacek said. 'I don't know, when I look at the turnovers they seem like basic plays we don't even complete. If you can't complete the basic plays, you're in for some long nights.'

Bledsoe underwent season-ending knee surgery Dec. 29 and Knight will miss a sixth straight with a groin strain, leaving the backcourt in the hands of youngsters Devin Booker and Archie Goodwin, who have provided mixed results.

Booker is averaging 20.0 points over his last six games after recording 21 against the Knicks. Goodwin averaged 23.3 over a three-game stretch capped by an 11-of-15, 26-point effort Tuesday in Philadelphia, but he's gone 6 of 25 from the field while totaling 18 points in the past two.

With Williams, shooting 27.9 percent over his last four, and Wesley Matthews - averaging 6.7 points in his last three - both slumping, Chandler Parsons has carried Dallas' offense of late. The forward is averaging 24.3 points over a six-game span and gone 26 of 44 from 3-point range in his last eight.

Parsons posted his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds against Brooklyn, while Zaza Pachulia had 16 points and 12 rebounds after missing the previous three games with a sore Achilles.

'He's a walking double-double,' Parsons said. 'It's definitely good to have him back and get our normal starting lineup again.'

Raymond Felton has totaled 35 points in Dallas' two wins over Phoenix this season, the last a 104-94 victory Dec. 14 that began the Suns' road skid. The Mavericks recorded a 111-95 win in Phoenix in the Oct. 28 opener.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (43-4) at Knicks (23-26)

Date: January 31, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Golden State Warriors are well aware that even the lowliest opponents are salivating at the chance to knock them off, and they got another reminder in the opener to a three-game trip.

After Harrison Barnes bailed them out, the Warriors will try for a better performance Sunday night against the New York Knicks.

Golden State (43-4) blew a 24-point lead in the second half Saturday against league-worst Philadelphia and looked like it might head to overtime until Barnes hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 0.2 seconds left in a 108-105 victory.

"We know every night we play is going to be the other team's best game most likely," guard Stephen Curry said. "We're disappointed in how we played but we got a win. There are going to be a lot of different situations to go through to keep winning."

The Warriors committed 23 turnovers - their most since Nov. 27 and tied for their second-most this season - but had 37 assists. They've had at least 30 assists in six consecutive games, the first team to pull off that feat since Golden State had a run of seven straight in April 1994.

"We kept our composure. We've got to learn a lesson to keep playing for 48 minutes. We only played 24 tonight," Curry said.

With Barnes' shot, the Warriors matched the 1966-67 76ers' league-best start after 47 games. That Philadelphia team won 46 of its first 50.

Golden State also remains ahead of pace on the Chicago Bulls' 72-win team in 1995-96. They were 43-5 after 48 games.

To stay ahead, the Warriors will try to improve to 11-1 in the second half of back-to-back contests. Their only loss was their first defeat this season Dec. 12 in Milwaukee, and only San Antonio's 8-0 mark is better.

The last time it visited New York, Golden State was facing a team that finished 10-31 at home. The Knicks (23-26) have already surpassed last season's win total by going 14-10 and snapped a four-game overall slide by beating Phoenix 102-84 at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

Carmelo Anthony had team highs of 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in his return from a two-game absence due to a sore knee.

Anthony sat out each of the two matchups with the Warriors last season. He was rested for a 106-92 defeat at the Garden on Feb. 7 and had suffered a season-ending knee injury before a 125-94 road loss March 14.

Golden State has won in four of its last five visits to New York, and Curry scored a career-best 54 points in the 2013 defeat. He had a more pedestrian 22 in the latest visit and 25 points and 11 assists in nearly 27 minutes in the most recent matchup.

Klay Thompson had a team-leading 27 points in 25-plus minutes in that home victory, and has a combined 77 points in his last two games. He had a season-high 45 in a 127-107 win over Dallas on Wednesday.

"They're a championship team, they really are," said Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis, who had seven points and seven rebounds in his return Friday after missing his first game of the season Thursday with an upper respiratory illness. "They're playing at an amazing level right now so it definitely won't be an easy game for us, but it's an opportunity."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Festus Ezeli might return Sunday following a two-game absence due to an injured left knee. Andre Iguodala was rested for the first time this season Saturday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (14-34) at Trail Blazers (22-26)

Date: January 31, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Timberwolves' headache is intensifying, and Portland likely isn't the place to bring the swelling down - especially the way the Trail Blazers are playing lately.

The Blazers seek their first four-game winning streak since March and look to continue their home dominance over the sinking Timberwolves on Sunday night.

Portland (22-26) is enjoying its best stretch of the season with seven wins in nine games, and things figure to continue trending upward with eight of the next 10 coming at the Moda Center. The Blazers have won five of six there, including a 3-1 start to a season-high seven-game homestand.

They have won seven consecutive home games against the last-place Timberwolves (14-34) and hold an 18-1 record in Portland versus their Northwest Division foe over the past decade.

After opening its homestand with a 104-98 loss to Southeast-leading Atlanta, Portland has logged three wins of at least 15 points over the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento and Charlotte. The Blazers have averaged 114.0 points in those games.

'Our team is growing closer,' Damian Lillard said after scoring a game-high 22 in Friday's 109-91 victory over the Hornets. 'We're trusting each other more.'

Lillard averaged 27.5 points as the Blazers won the first two meetings with the Timberwolves this season in Minnesota, giving them three straight victories in this series and a 28-5 record since the start of 2007-08. The two wins this season were tight ones, 106-101 on Nov. 2 and 109-103 on Dec. 5.

Minnesota rookie Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 12 rebounds in the last matchup and enters this one on a roll, averaging 23.0 points and 12.5 boards in the past six games while shooting 63.3 percent. However, the Timberwolves are 1-5 in that span and have lost three straight despite Towns having double-doubles in each game.

Minnesota has lost 14 of 16 overall and 10 in a row on the road, equaling its longest skid away from home since dropping 11 straight to close the 2010-11 season.

Towns, 20, finished with a season-high 32 points and 12 rebounds in Friday's 103-90 loss at Utah, becoming the youngest player since Kevin Durant in 2008 to have a 30-point, 10-rebound game.

Even after making 13 of 17 shots, Towns was hard on himself - particularly for his defensive work. The Jazz are one of the lower-scoring teams in the NBA but shot 52.6 percent. Opponents are averaging 110.7 points on 49.3 percent shooting in Minnesota's last six games.

"I played terrible, so they were scoring," the 6-foot-11 Towns said. "I couldn't do nothing. I was like a brick out there for my team (Friday night)... I played like crap. I didn't play well at all defensively. My teammates were the ones that got me points, I didn't get myself points."

Zach LaVine combined for just 22 points while making 7 of 21 shots in the first two matchups against the Trail Blazers, but the second-year point guard has averaged 25.0 points in the last three games while shooting 70.5 percent.

Andrew Wiggins had a season-low five points on 2-of-11 shooting Friday. He's shot a combined 11 of 32 from the field in this season series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (22-25) at Lakers (9-40)

Date: January 31, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

In a matchup with a young team on the rise, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's return wasn't enough to get the banged-up Charlotte Hornets back in the win column.

A meeting with the Western Conference's worst team that is in the midst of a nine-game losing streak appears more favorable.

The Hornets try to send the Los Angeles Lakers into a tie for their longest losing streak in franchise history Sunday night at Staples Center.

Kidd-Gilchrist played for the first time since his shoulder surgery in October on Friday against Portland. He registered 13 points and seven rebounds in 33-plus minutes in a 109-91 loss as the Trail Blazers won their third straight and seventh in nine games.

"Being on the floor for the first time was really fun, but it's not about me, it's about the team and finding some wins," he said. "I'm happy to be back to say the least."

While they got Kidd-Gilchrist back, the Hornets might have some missing players for the finale of their four-game Western trip. Nicolas Batum is expected to sit out because of more trouble with a sprained right toe.

Batum has missed seven games because of that injury in 2016 and sat out three straight until a 102-73 drubbing to Utah on Wednesday. He had three points on 1-of-11 shooting and eight assists in nearly 40 minutes Friday against his former team.

Cody Zeller (shoulder) and Al Jefferson (knee) are also expected to sit out. Jeremy Lin (ankle) and Jeremy Lamb (toe), who has missed the last four games, are considered questionable.

"We're just trying to come in here and do what we can to win," forward Tyler Hansbrough said. "That's our only focus. I know we have a lot of guys out and our team is hurting in ways. We're just trying to step up and do what we can to win."

Even being short-handed, the Hornets (22-25) might have enough to get past the Lakers (9-40), who have been outscored by an average of 16.6 points during their nine-game slide.

Los Angeles has experienced only one skid that's gone longer, when it dropped its final 10 games in 1993-94. The Lakers couldn't take advantage of a Los Angeles Clippers team that was missing star Blake Griffin in a 105-93 loss Friday.

"We put a lot of work in and losing isn't fun," guard Jordan Clarkson said.

While Kobe Bryant sat out with an ailing right shoulder and Achilles, Julius Randle had a career-high 23 points and 14 rebounds. Bryant is considered questionable and second-leading scorer Lou Williams (illness) is listed as probable.

Bryant scored a team-best 20 points despite missing 15 of 20 shots in a 108-98 loss in Charlotte on Dec. 28. The 18-time All-Star, who is averaging 8.1 points in his last eight games, hasn't been held below 20 in his last nine matchups with the Hornets, the franchise that drafted him 13th overall in 1996.

Kemba Walker had 38 points for Charlotte, which is 2-12 on the road since Dec. 16, with both victories coming in overtime.

Charlotte has suffered back-to-back defeats since opening its trip Monday with a double-overtime win against Sacramento.

Walker has a combined 29 points in the past two games after averaging 32.6 in his previous five. He had a career-best 52 in a double-overtime victory over Utah on Jan. 18.

The Hornets have won back-to-back games against the Lakers after losing six of seven but have dropped five of six road contests in the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers

Celtics at Magic – 6:05 PM EST

These two teams wrap up a home-and-home set in Orlando after the Celtics crushed the Magic at TD Garden on Friday, 113-94 to cash as eight-point favorites. The home team has won nine consecutive matchups since 2013, including Orlando’s 110-91 rout of Boston in late November, the fourth straight home win by the Magic in the series.

Brad Stevens’ team has won five straight games, including two road blowouts of over 20 points at Philadelphia and Washington. The Celtics’ (27-21 SU, 26-21-1 ATS) offense is rolling of late, eclipsing the 100-point mark in 11 straight games, resulting in seven ‘overs.’ Since losing at Orlando in November, Boston owns a solid 6-3 SU/ATS record as a road favorite, but the Celtics are 1-4 SU/ATS the last five away games when playing with rest.

It’s been a rough month for Orlando (20-25 SU, 23-21-1 ATS), losing 12 of 13 games including eight straight defeats. During this current cold skid, the Magic has dropped three games in overtime, while posting a dreadful 1-7 ATS record the past eight contests. Orlando last won at Amway Arena on December 30 against Brooklyn, while going 1-3 SU/ATS as a home underdog in the last four opportunities since December.

Hawks at Heat – 6:05 PM EST

Miami (26-21 SU, 23-23-1 ATS) has racked up the frequent flyer miles this month, playing 11 of the last 12 games away from South Florida. Following Sunday’s contest against Atlanta, the Heat hit the highway again for three more games starting Tuesday at Houston. Miami has rebounded from a four-game losing streak to win their last three contests, capped off by Friday’s 107-103 victory at Milwaukee as one-point favorites.

Erik Spoelstra’s squad has lost each of their last two home games against the Knicks and Bucks, averaging a mere 84.5 points per game. The road team has won each of the first two matchups between the Heat and Hawks this season, as Miami knocked off Atlanta at Philips Arena in their most recent meeting in mid-December as six-point underdogs. Atlanta has captured each of the past three matchups at American Airlines Arena, including a 98-92 triumph in November.

The Hawks (27-21 SU, 23-24-1 ATS) are seeing their lead atop the Southeast division slip by the day after losing four of their last five games. The most recent defeat came at Indiana on Thursday, their fourth loss in five tries this season with no rest on the road. Rest won’t be a problem for the Hawks, but Atlanta has posted a 2-5 SU/ATS the last seven games away from Philips Arena, while scoring 95 points or less in four of those losses.

Suns at Mavericks – 7:05 PM EST

Things fell apart fast for Phoenix (14-34 SU, 18-30 ATS) when its starting backcourt of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight were sidelined due to injuries. The Suns have lost 21 of 25 games away from the Valley this season, including 13 straight since upsetting Chicago in early December. Each of the last eight road losses for Jeff Hornacek’s club have come by double-digits, including Friday’s 102-84 rout at the hands of New York.

Phoenix has lost each of its two matchups with Dallas this season, as the Mavericks ran out the Suns on opening night, 111-95 as six-point underdogs. The Mavs took care of business the second time around at the American Airlines Center for Dallas, holding off Phoenix, 104-94 as four-point favorites, while taking a 19-point advantage into the fourth quarter. Prior to that ATS loss in December, the Suns had covered in its previous four visits to Dallas since 2013.

Dallas (27-22 SU, 28-20-1 ATS) has struggled on the front-end of back-to-back sets, as Rick Carlisle’s team heads to Atlanta on Monday. The Mavericks are 5-7 SU/ATS in this situation, as Dallas is fresh off a 91-79 victory over Brooklyn on Friday as eight-point favorites. This pointspread area is brand-new for the Mavs, who haven’t been listed as a favorite of nine points or more this season, while the Suns own a 2-6 ATS record as double-digit ‘dogs.

Warriors at Knicks – 7:35 PM EST

The runaway train known as Golden State (43-4 SU, 28-18-1 ATS) pulls into Grand Central Station on Sunday as the Warriors play with no rest. Steve Kerr’s team heads to Madison Square Garden following Saturday’s three-point victory at Philadelphia, going for their 22nd road win in 26 tries this season. This Golden State offense continues to scorch the scoreboard on the road, topping the 109-point mark in seven of the past nine away contests, while going 6-3 to the ‘over.’

The Knicks (23-26 SU, 29-20 ATS) were running out of healthy bodies on Thursday at Toronto, as Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jose Calderon all sat out due to various injuries. New York managed a cover as 12-point underdogs, 103-93 to suffer its fourth straight loss. Derek Fisher’s team snapped that skid in Friday’s 102-84 home blowout of the Suns as Anthony and Porzingis combined to score only 26 points on 8-of-22 shooting.

New York continues to play well at Madison Square Garden, winning seven of its last nine home games with the two losses coming to a pair of Western powers, the Thunder and Clippers. The Knicks lost both meetings with the Warriors last season, including a 106-92 home defeat to Golden State in February as Anthony didn’t suit up due to a knee injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Sunday's hot teams
-- Clippers won four of last five games (7-5 last 12HF).
-- Celtics won their last five games (5-1 last 6AF).
-- Miami won its last three games, all on road (10-11HF).
-- Dallas won three of last four home games (6-2 last 8HF).
-- Warriors won their last six games (4-5 last 9AF).
-- Portland won seven of its last nine games (6-0 last 6HF).

Cold teams
-- Bulls are 4-6 in their last ten games (6-8AU).
-- Orlando lost its last eight games (1-7 vs spread).
-- Hawks lost four of their last five games (1-3 last 4AU).
-- Suns lost nine of last ten games (1-12 last 13AU).
-- Knicks lost four of last five games (3-1 last 4HU).
-- Minnesota lost five of its last six games (3-8 last 11AU).
-- Charlotte lost last two games, by 29-18 points (1-5AF).
-- Lakers lost their last nine games (8-10HU).

Series records
-- Clippers won five of last seven games with Chicago.
-- Home side won last nine Boston-Orlando games.
-- Hawks won seven of last eight games with Miami.
-- Mavericks won their last three games with Phoenix.
-- Warriors won four of last five games with New York.
-- Portland won its last three games with Minnesota.
-- Lakers lost three of last four games with Charlotte.

Totals
-- Seven of last ten Chicago games went over the total.
-- Last four Orlando games went over the total.
-- Last four Atlanta-Miami games stayed under.
-- Over is 6-3 in last nine Dallas-Phoenix games.
-- Four of last five New York games stayed under.
-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Minnesota games.
-- Four of last six Charlotte games stayed under.

Back/backs
-- Golden State is 9-2 vs spread if it played night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College basketball betting TV guide: Must-watch, must-wager games
By STEVE MERRIL

College basketball is in full swing with conference play shaping the field for the NCAA tournament. Steve Merril has scoured the schedule for the must-watch, must-wager games for each day on the college hoops calendar so that you don’t miss any of the action.

Sunday - Wichita State at Evansville

Where to watch: FS1

Wichita State is playing like the team they projected to be before the season began. The Shockers will go into their Wednesday night game on a 9-game winning streak, and winners of 12 of their last 13 games overall. Evansville gave the Shockers all they wanted in a 67-64 loss back on January 6th. The Purple Aces are a perfect 11-0 SU at home this season, so they’ll be a tough out for Wichita State once again.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wildcats (17-3) at Red Storm (7-14)

Date: January 31, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Villanova has had a full week to deal with losing a Big East game for the first time in over a year. For St. John's, the wait between wins is beginning to feel like an eternity.

The sixth-ranked Wildcats look to start a new streak and extend the Red Storm's longest skid in school history when the longtime conference rivals meet Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

Villanova (17-3, 7-1) survived close calls at Georgetown and Seton Hall to lengthen its unbeaten run over league opponents to 22 games, but Providence's combo of Ben Bentil and Kris Dunn proved too much in last Sunday's 82-76 overtime loss to the then-No. 16 Friars in Philadelphia. Bentil scored 10 of his 31 points in OT and Dunn added 13 points and 14 assists to help hand the Wildcats their first conference defeat since at Georgetown on Jan. 19, 2015.

"We've won a few games on the road where we didn't play our best and found a way to win. (Sunday) we didn't play our best but a lot of it was because they did," Wildcats coach Jay Wright said. "Two outstanding players made big plays but they also made the players around them better."

The Friars went 46.2 percent from the field to drop Villanova, the Big East's leader in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense, to 0-3 when opponents shoot 46 percent or better. The Wildcats have been outrebounded in all three losses as well.

Accomplishing both goals seems like a monumental challenge for rebuilding St. John's (7-14, 0-8), still in search of its first Big East win under legendary former player Chris Mullin. In Big East play, the Red Storm rank last in shooting at 36.6 percent and last in rebounding margin (-6.3) while permitting 80.8 points per game.

Mullin inherited a program that lost its top six scorers from a 21-win NCAA Tournament 2014-15 season, and those defections have been felt most during a school-record 11-game losing streak.

"In reality it makes perfect sense what's going on," he said. "It doesn't make it easier or harder, but this is what resetting and rebuilding is."

Three of the Red Storm's last four losses have come by 19 or more points, including Wednesday's 79-60 defeat at Seton Hall in which they shot 29.2 percent - their worst showing since January 2012.

A return to Madison Square Garden could provide a boost. St. John's is 2-1 at the venue this season and recorded its last win there with an 84-72 upset of Syracuse on Dec. 13.

Home court, however, hasn't been an advantage in recent games with Villanova, which earned its seventh straight road win in the series with a 90-72 victory last January. The Wildcats also routed the Red Storm 105-68 in Philadelphia on March 7 for its seventh consecutive win and 13th in the past 14 matchups.

St. John's couldn't stop Daniel Ochefu last season, with the senior center totaling 34 points on 14-of-16 shooting and 22 rebounds.

"They've got the combination of really good guard play and rebounding with a big man," Mullin said. "It's a big challenge."

However, Ochefu is averaging just 5.8 points in five games since posting season highs of 20 points and 18 rebounds against Seton Hall on Jan. 6.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Terrapins (18-3) at Buckeyes (14-8)

Date: January 31, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon have enjoyed plenty of success in their brief time at Maryland, but never more than they experienced two weeks ago against Ohio State.

The pair of transfers hope for a similar result from the eighth-ranked Terrapins' largest blowout victory of the Big Ten season when they travel to Columbus for a rematch against the Buckeyes on Sunday.

Carter and Sulaimon are playing their first seasons for Maryland since transferring from Georgia Tech and Duke, respectively, and they are part of a balanced attack that has the Terrapins (18-3, 7-2) in the thick of the conference race.

Maryland is the only Big Ten team with five players averaging double-digit points - Carter (13.4) and Sulaimon (10.6) along with Melo Trimble (14.3), Diamond Stone (13.0) and Jake Layman (10.7).

Carter and Sulaimon had 17 apiece in Thursday's 74-68 victory over No. 3 Iowa, providing Maryland relief after losses in two of its previous four games.

Still, it was a distant second to the duo's most combined points as they totaled 47 in a 100-65 win over Ohio State on Jan. 16. Carter made 10 of 13 shots for a career-high 25 points and Sulaimon finished 9 of 10 for a season-high 22. It was the Terrapins' first 100-point game since December 2012 and first against a conference opponent since their 2001-02 national championship season.

However, Maryland needed overtime to beat Northwestern 62-56 three days later and dropped its second straight road game with a 74-65 loss at then-No. 11 Michigan State last weekend - with Carter and Sulaimon combining for just 33 points between the two games.

Hence the sigh of relief after Thursday's win over the Hawkeyes - albeit following an ugly performance after the Terrapins shot 9 for 27 and 0 for 10 from 3-point range in the second half.

'It wasn't always pretty, but we played hard and we competed,' coach Mark Turgeon said. 'Everybody that cares about Maryland basketball was in a panic, but we weren't. We didn't overreact. You could tell our guys were really ready to compete.'

Ohio State (14-8, 6-3) allows only 65.8 points per game, but the 100 it surrendered to Maryland earlier this month was its most in regulation since a 107-75 loss to Purdue on Feb. 7, 1998.

They followed with a 75-64 loss at then-No. 22 Purdue on Jan. 21, but have righted the ship since, holding Penn State and Illinois to 109 combined points in consecutive victories.

Ohio State shot just 39.1 percent in Thursday's 68-63 overtime win in Champaign, but held the Illini to 32.1.

"I feel like we grew up a lot (Thursday night)," said Trevor Thompson, who led the Buckeyes with 16 points off the bench. "Our past road games haven't gone as well, and in certain situations we would have folded. But in this situation we came together, and we just executed the game plan."

Now the Buckeyes return to Value City Arena, where they have won nine straight and all four of their conference matchups.

Sulaimon has averaged 19.5 points in two games against Ohio State, the first in 2012 as a freshman with Duke. Maryland is 10-1 this season when he scores in double figures.