Sunday 12/11/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
Good luck on all your plays.

When not viewing the service plays.
Make sure to enjoy the rest of what the RX has to offer.

First time here at the RX.
Make sure to visit the Newbies Room
Click here to go there now

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 11:00

Eibar

v

Alaves

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SSR		17/20	13/5	10/3	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT EIBAR	RECENT FORM
H WA LH WH WA WA L​ Most recent​	1 - 0 1 - 0	H LA WH LA WA WH D​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Eibar have won five of their seven home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Eibar have a terrific home record this season and Jose Luis Mendilibar’s team should gain another three points when they host Alaves in this Basque derby. Alaves have enjoyed themselves since their return to Spain’s top-flight but a trip to Ipurua will not be easy.

RECOMMENDATION: Eibar
1

Italian Serie A TODAY 11:30

Cagliari

v

Napoli

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		5	10/3	8/15	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CAGLIARI	RECENT FORM
H WA LA LH WA LA D​ Most recent​	0 - 3 1 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 0	H DA WH DH DH WA W​ Most recent​

EXPERT VERDICT: Napoli produced a big performance to win 2-1 at Benfica on Tuesday – clinching first place in Champions League Group B – but may struggle to reach the same heights when facing Cagliari in Sardinia. Cagliari have dropped just five points in home matches this season and can pick up a point against the Partenopei.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

Premier League TODAY 12:00

Chelsea

v

West Brom

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		1/4	21/4	14	More markets

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

KEY STAT: West Brom have kept one clean sheet in their last ten league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Chelsea are in fine form. The Blues have won eight league games on the spin, keeping six clean sheets along the way. West Brom are unbeaten in four matches, but the Baggies have won only one of their last seven Premier League clashes against Chelsea.

RECOMMENDATION: Chelsea
3


REFEREE: Mike Dean STADIUM:

Italian Serie A TODAY 14:00

Torino

v

Juventus

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		15/4	5/2	4/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT TORINO	RECENT FORM
A DH WA WH WH D*A L​ Most recent​	1 - 4 2 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 2	A WH WA WA LH WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Juventus have won 14 of the last 15 Turin derbies

EXPERT VERDICT: Juventus have dominated the Turin derby for some time now at that looks unlikely to change at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino. Both sides average over two goals per game this season so it could pay to back Juve triumph in an open encounter.

RECOMMENDATION: Juventus to win 3-1
1

French Ligue 1 TODAY 14:00

Lyon

v

Rennes

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT3		1/2	16/5	6	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LYON	RECENT FORM
H WA WA WH LA WH D​ Most recent​	1 - 2 2 - 0 0 - 0 2 - 0	H WA LH DH WA LH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Rennes have picked up only four of their 27-point tally away from home

EXPERT VERDICT: In contrast to their scintillating home form, fourth-placed Rennes have picked up only four points on the road this term although they could test Lyon at the Stade Gerland. OL are on a good run of form but are prone to switching off at the back so backing both teams to score looks a sensible play.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

EPL Notebook - Week 15
By Chris David

Matchday 15 of the Premier League kicks off Saturday with six games and concludes Sunday with another four.

Fitness will be a major factor in December as plenty of clubs are still involved in other competitions and all teams will be playing five league games apiece in the final month and three in the next 10 days.

Saturday, Dec. 10
Watford vs. Everton (NBCSN, 7:30 a.m.)
Arsenal vs. Stoke City (NBCSN, 10:00 a.m.)
Burnley vs. Bournemouth (10:00 a.m.)
Hull City vs. Crystal Palace (10:00 a.m.)
Swansea City vs. Sunderland (CNBC, 10:00 a.m.)
Leicester City vs. Manchester City (NBC, 12:30 p.m.)

Sunday, Dec. 11
Chelsea vs. West Bromwich Albion (NBCSN, 7:00 a.m.)
Manchester United vs. Tottenham (NBCSN, 9:15 a.m.)
Southampton vs. Middlesbrough (9:15 a.m.)
Liverpool vs. West Ham United (NBCSN, 11:30 a.m.)

All times above are listed in Eastern Time Zone

Futures Market

Chelsea was listed as high as a 6/1 betting choice to win the 2016-17 Premier League prior to the season and after 14 games, the Blues are now 6/5 favorites.

Oddsmakers haven’t handled the title to them just yet with Manchester City (3/1), Liverpool (9/2) and Arsenal (11/2) all within striking distance of Chelsea. One advantage that the Blues have had over the other trio is their schedule since they didn’t earn appearances in this year’s Champions or Europa League competitions.

Trends to Watch – Matchday 15

Chelsea, winners in eight straight, lead the league with seven clean sheets this season.

Arsenal is unbeaten in its last 13 league games (9-4-0).

Stoke City has gone 5-3-1 in its last nine Premier League matches and have posted four clean sheets during this run. The Potters have seen two or less combined goals scored in eight of their last 10.

David Moyes (Sunderland) has never lost in the Premier League against Swansea City, going 5-1-0 in six matches.

Swansea City has seen at least three goals scored in nine of its 14 matches. The Swans have allowed a league-high 31 goals.

Liverpool, who is off a loss, has yet to lose successive Premier League contests under manager Jurgen Klopp. The Reds host West Ham United on Sunday.

Crystal Palace has watched the 'over' cash in six straight games, aided by a defense that's surrendered 16 goals over this span.

Game of the Week – Tottenham at Manchester United (Sunday, NBCSN, 9:15 a.m. ET)

This matchup features two teams that have failed to live up to expectations this season and based on the records of Tottenham (7-6-1) and Manchester United (5-6-3), anything but a draw would be a surprise this Sunday. The tie is offering a generous return (+230).

Manchester United has opened as a healthy favorite (+120) for this match and it has gone 2-1-1 in the last four encounters versus Tottenham, with the two victories coming at Old Trafford in clean sheet style (3-0, 1-0).

Making a case for United to win is troubling considering it hasn’t won a league game at home since Sept. 24 when it ripped Leicester City 4-1 at home. The club is 2-6-2 in its last 10 and that includes a run of three consecutive 1-1 draws.

The Red Devils are 2-4-1 in EPL action at Old Trafford this season, with the defense (6 goals) making up for the efforts of a struggling offense (10 goals). The ‘under’ is 5-2.

When it comes to earning or dropping points, Tottenham (+245) has been in better form with a 2-1 record over its last three games. The loss came to league-leader Chelsea on the road while the wins were both at home against bottom feeders West Ham United (3-2) and Swansea City (5-0).

Tottenham’s scoring defense (10 goals) is the tops in the EPL and it’s only allowed six away goals in seven games, which has helped produce a 2-4-1 record. The ‘under’ has gone 4-3 on the road for the Spurs and Sunday’s total is 2 ½ (-120).

Both clubs just finished Champions and Europa League group play action earlier this week. Tottenham has gone 3-1-1 this season in games following a CL matchup while United has struggled to a 1-2-2 record in those situations. The two teams are still active in the Europa League competition and they could meet in the Round of 32, which will be drawn on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

Road Chalk

Four teams are laying the wood as visitors this weekend and all of them play Saturday. Will the home underdogs step up and earn points?

Let’s answer that question with what we’ve seen through the first four months of the season.

Manchester City (-145) at Leicester City (+410): The defending champions were expected to drop off this season but 13 out of a possible 42 points has been quite humbling for Leicester City. All three of the wins for the Foxes (3-4-7) have come at home and they’ve been better defensively (six goals) there as well. Still, Man City has been the best team on the road this season (6-0-1) and its outscored opponents 17-7 over this span. After only earning one point versus the Foxes last season, revenge should be in the mind of the Citizens this week.

Crystal Palace (+125) at Hull City (+235): It’s hard to make a case backing Crystal Palace in this spot, especially based on its road mark (2-1-4). However, this number is attributed to Hull City (3-2-9) and its inability to score (11 goals). Hull is 1-8-1 in its last 10 games and it’s been held to one goal or less in nine of those games. Before you back the ‘under’ here, make a note that Hull hasn’t kept a clean sheet in its last 12 matches and Palace hasn’t had a clean sheet on the road in 17 successive away games.

Bournemouth (+120) at Burnley (+245): Similar to the Palace-Hull matchup, this number is based on Burnley and its inability to hit the net (12 goals). All four of the Clarets’ wins have come at home and practically all of their offensive production (11 goals) have taken place at Turf Moor. For what it’s worth, Burnley hasn’t dropped two straight at home this season and they’re off a loss. Meanwhile, Bournemouth has been outscored 13-5 as a visitor and that’s resulted in a dismal 1-2-4 mark.

Everton (+140) at Watford (+200): If you’re handicapping weighs heavily on head-to-head history, then you’d lean to the Toffees in this matchup knowing they’re 9-2-0 in their last 11 encounters against Watford. However, Everton has earned one point (0-1-4) in its last five road games and only scored two goals over this span. Plus, Watford is on a 3-1-1 run at Vicarage Road Stadium. Both clubs have had defensive issues this season and clean sheets are tough to come by which could have you leaning to the ‘over’ (2 ½) in this spot.

Earning Draws

As mentioned above, Tottenham and Manchester United are tied for the most draws (6) in the league. Another club that joins that group is Middlesbrough, who also seen six ties in 14 games. The club visits Southampton on Sunday and both teams have exactly the same goals for (13) and against (15) this season. The Boro is ranked last in shots (36) on target this season and scoring at Southampton (5 goals) has been next to impossible this season. The total on this game (2, Under -140) is the lowest number on the board in Matchday 15.

On the other side of the spectrum from the above trio is Chelsea, who has only seen one of its 14 results end in a draw this season. That result occurred on Sept. 9 and was followed by two losses for the Blues. Since that three-game drought, Chelsea has captured eight straight games in league play and posted clean sheets in five of them. West Bromwich Albion visits Stamford Bridge on Sunday as a heavy road underdog (+1250). The Baggies, while a longshot, have been in great form recently (3-1-0) while outscoring teams 10-3 during this four-game run. If you’re will to take a shot on the upset, you should be confident knowing the Blues are just 3-3-3 in the last nine league meetings versus West Brom.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Canadiens bury Avalanche 10-1
By The Sports Xchange

MONTREAL -- Max Pacioretty scored four goals and added an assist as the Montreal Canadiens buried the Colorado Avalanche 10-1 on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
Tomas Plekanec record four assists for Montreal, which also got goals from Brian Flynn (two), Artturi Lehkonen, Paul Byron, Alexander Radulov and Jeff Petry.
Blake Comeau scored for Colorado (10-15-1), which trailed 6-1 after one period.
The Canadiens led 6-0 at 13:47 - the second-fastest they've reached six goals to start a game in franchise history behind the record of 10:35 set March 10, 1951 against Chicago.
Carey Price made 15 saves for the Canadiens (19-6-3), who are 14-1-1 on home ice this season. Calvin Pickard allowed four goals on 20 shots while Semyon Varlamov stopped 10 of 16 faced in a period and a half of relief.

Flyers 4, Stars 2
PHILADELPHIA -- Brayden Schenn scored three power-play goals for his second career hat trick to lead Philadelphia past Dallas for its eighth straight victory.
Schenn tied the game with 3:48 left and and completed his second career hat trick with 2:15 remaining before Jakub Voracek capped his second consecutive four-point game with an empty-net goal.
Schenn became the fourth player in Flyers' history to score three power-play goals in the same game, joining Tim Kerr (twice), Brian Propp and Scott Hartnell. His only other hat trick came on Feb. 29 in a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames.
The Flyers' winning streak is their longest since Jan. 6-19, 2002.
Fourth-line center Devin Shore scored both goals for the Stars, who are 2-4-1 in their last seven games.

Flames 6, Jets 2
CALGARY, Alberta -- Dougie Hamilton scored twice and had an assist during a four-goal second period as Calgary dumped Winnipeg for its sixth straight victory.
Sam Bennett, Mikael Backlund, Lance Bouma and Sean Monahan also scored for the Flames. Joining Hamilton with three points was Backlund, who added two assists, and rookie Matthew Tkachuk, who contributed three assists.
Chad Johnson made 26 saves for Calgary and has been in goal for the entirety of the Flames streak, which began with his 39-save 3-0 shutout of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 30. He is 9-1 in his last 10 starts.

Blue Jackets 6, Islanders 2
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Josh Anderson scored to break a third-period tie as red-hot Columbus defeated the New York Islanders.
Brandon Saad, Lukas Sedlak and Seth Jones scored in a five-minute span of the third period to help the Blue Jackets improve to 7-0-1 in their last eight games.
Josh Bailey and John Tavares scored for New York, which is 5-1-1 in his last seven contests.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves for Columbus.

Penguins 4, Lightning 3
TAMPA, Fla. -- Pittsburgh rallied from a two-goal deficit late in the second period with three power-play goals to defeat Tampa Bay.
Evgeni Malkin scored two goals for the Penguins, who were mired in a 1 for 31 power-play slump until breaking out in a big way. Sidney Crosby added his 20th of the season for Pittsburgh, which won its fifth straight and scored 29 goals during that span.
Jonathan Drouin scored twice for the Lightning, who are 1-6-1 stretch in their last eight games and headed on the road for three straight.
Matthew Murray had 19 saves for Pittsburgh, which outshot Tampa Bay 37-23.

Sharks 4, Hurricanes 3
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- They lost the special teams' battle and were outshot badly, but San Jose somehow survived to beat Carolina.
Four different goal-scorers contributed as the Sharks snapped a two-game losing streak before heading out for a four-game road trip that starts Tuesday in Toronto.
The Hurricanes went 2 for 2 on the power play and scored short-handed to give the Sharks fits. In addition, Carolina piled up a 33-20 advantage in shots to lose for the second time in four games.

Kings 4, Senators 1
LOS ANGELES -- Jeff Carter and Alec Martinez scored on the same power play in the first period to help Los Angeles end a four-game losing streak to Ottawa.
The Senators' Mark Borowiecki recevied a five-minute major for boading Tyler Toffoli and shortly after the penalty expired, he was back in the penalty box after fighting Matt Greene. Borowiecki was soon joined by teammate Chris Neil, who fought Jordan Nolan in his 1,000th career game -- all with Ottawa.
Trevor Lewis scored with two seconds left in the second period and Marian Gaborik added a power-play goal in the third period for Los Angeles.

Panthers 4, Canucks 2
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Aleksander Barkov and Derek MacKenzie each produced a goal and an assist to lead Florida over Vancouver.
The Panthers also got goals from Aaron Ekblad and an empty-netter by Vincent Trocheck. Goaltender Roberto Luongo earned the win against his former team.
The Canucks fell behind 3-0 but got third-period goals from ex-Panther Jack Skille and Daniel Sedin. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom, another former Panther, took the loss.
The Panthers are 2-2-3 in the seven games since ownership fired coach Gerard Gallant, putting general manager Tom Rowe behind the bench. This was Rowe's first home win since the change.

Maple Leafs 4, Bruins 1
BOSTON -- Frederik Andersen continued his career dominance of Boston and rookie Auston Matthews scored a goal to help Toronto snap a three-game slide.
Andersen turned aside 32 shots in improving to 6-0-0 lifetime against the Bruins, including 2-0-0 this season. The other four wins came with Andersen playing for the Anaheim Ducks.
Anderson was beaten only by Brad Marchand's goal as the Boston forward stuffed home the rebound of his own wraparound try late in the second period.
Matthews scored his 12th NHL goal to open the scoring, Zach Hyman made it 2-0 and James van Riemsdyk tipped home a nifty backhand pass from Tyler Bozak for his 12th of the season to make it 3-1 with 10:08 left. Connor Brown flipped a backhander into an empty net with the 1:33 remaining, his first goal in nine games.

Coyotes 4, Predators 1
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Brendan Perlini scored his first NHL goal in his fourth NHL game and Laurent Dauphin scored on the same day he was recalled from the American Hockey League as Arizona defeated Nashville.
First- or second-year players accounted for six of the Coyotes' 12 points as they scored at least four goals for the first time since Nov. 8 at Colorado.
Mike Smith made 42 saves for Arizona, which ended a season-high six-game losing streak. It was the fifth time in the last 10 games Smith has made at least 40 saves.
Pekka Rinne had 30 saves for Nashville, which got a goal from Roman Josi but lost for the fourth time in five December games (1-3-1).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Senators (16-9) at Ducks (14-9)

Date: December 11, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- All four principals in one of the most significant trades in both teams' history likely will take the ice in the same game for the first time when the Anaheim Ducks meet the Ottawa Senators on Sunday at the Honda Center.

Senators winger Bobby Ryan returns to the city where he began his NHL career to face fellow wingers Jakob Silfverberg, Nick Ritchie and Stefan Noesen, now property of the Ducks.

Ryan was Anaheim's first selection and the second overall in the 2005 NHL draft. The native of Cherry Hill, N.J., joined the Ducks in 2007 and scored at least 30 goals in four consecutive seasons between 2008 and 2012. But managing the salary cap meant trading Ryan in July 2013 for Silfverberg, Noesen and Ottawa's first draft choice in the 2014 draft, the 10th overall selection, which Anaheim used on Ritchie.

Since arriving in Canada's capital, Ryan has yet to have the kind of offensive success he enjoyed playing on the same line as center Ryan Getzlaf and right winger Corey Perry. Now 29, Ryan accumulated as many as 23 goals for the Senators in 2013-14 and 56 points last season. Both totals fall short of his highs with the Ducks.

This season, Ryan has only three goals and eight points after 23 games. He sustained a bone bruise on one of his fingers Nov. 17 against the Nashville Predators. He missed five of the ensuing nine games and before returning to the lineup Wednesday night in San Jose.

Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion considered making a trade if Ryan were unavailable for an extended period.

"It does take pressure off, because when Bobby first got hurt, we didn't know the extent of it," Dorion told the Ottawa Citizen. "For awhile there, we thought it could be long-term. I made a few calls, but we're very happy with our depth and the guys we've called up have done a good job, whether it's up front or on defense. I'm still making calls, but with Bobby back, there might not be as much need immediately."

Meanwhile, Silfverberg found a home on the right side of the Ducks' most consistent line, which includes center Ryan Kesler and left winger Andrew Cogliano. Silfverberg owns a reputation as a solid two-way forward as the 26-year-old Swede ranks third on the team with eight goals and leads Anaheim with a plus-9 rating.

Ritchie, who turned 21 on Monday, is on pace to finish with 18 goals as a left winger after being shuttled between the Ducks and their AHL affiliate in San Diego last season. Ritchie has played with Getzlaf and Perry on the first line and on the third line as a physical presence with skill.

Noesen, promoted from San Diego on Wednesday, made his season debut that night against the Carolina Hurricanes and scored his first NHL goal in his third career appearance. In San Diego the previous night, Noesen scored the tying goal with 9.3 seconds left in regulation, as the Gulls earned a 4-3 overtime victory against Bakersfield.

"It's definitely surreal," Noesen said of the timing. "I'm happy to be here."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flyers (16-10) at Red Wings (13-12)

Date: December 11, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

DETROIT -- The Philadelphia Flyers are on an eight-game winning streak going into Sunday's game against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.

The Flyers are 17-10-3 after beating the Dallas Stars 4-2 at home on Saturday afternoon. The Red Wings are 13-12-3 after a 4-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday night at Joe Louis Arena.

Brayden Schenn recorded his second career hat trick - all on the power play - for Philadelphia on Saturday.

"Look who's up top," Schenn said, crediting Jakub Voracek, captain Claude Giroux and defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Mark Streit for setting up his goals. "Those (guys) make it happen up top and me and (Wayne Simmonds) find the garbage or the rebounds or the tips."

Steve Mason made 21 saves for Philadelphia, which has won eight straight for the first time since Jan. 6-19, 2002.

Voracek added an empty-net goal. He has four goals and 15 points during the eight-game winning streak.

Schenn talked about his performance as it relates to the team's winning streak.

"It's always nice scoring goals and stuff like that," he said. "When it comes in a winning effort, coming from behind again, it's nice and helped keep the streak going."

Gostisbehere said his right hand was OK after getting hit by defenseman Jordie Benn's shot at 7:58 of the second period. He didn't play in the final 4:54 of the third period and said he had X-rays, which were precautionary.

Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said his team has to create more traffic around the opponent's net.

"We have to be a team that plays up the ice as fast as we can," Blashill told www.mlive.com. "We're becoming a better O-zone team, so if we get pucks behind people and play in the other team's end we have a better chance to produce more offense.

"We have to be more determined to get to the net and put pucks to the net. I still think we pass up shots to try to make plays and we just have to understand that it's going to be lots of shots."

Gustav Nyquist and Riley Sheahan, in particular, have been struggling around the net. Nyquist has just one goal in the past 22 games and Sheahan hasn't scored a goal this season in 28 contests.

The Red Wings and Flyers split a pair of games in Philadelphia six days apart in early November - the Flyers won 4-3 in overtime on Nov. 2, and the Red Wings won 3-2 in a shootout, snapping a 12-game regular-season losing streak in Philadelphia that dated back to 1997.

This will be the second of a season-long five game homestand for Detroit.

The Red Wings are 2-7-2 in their past 11 at Joe Louis Arena and 6-7-2 for the season.

"We've got to establish a little better home ice here," Thomas Vanek said. "We're struggling on home ice. We've just got to get some momentum early, get the fans behind us and keep that momentum going."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canucks (12-13) at Capitals (16-7)

Date: December 11, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

The road has not been kind to the Vancouver Canucks, and amid a five-game swing along the East Coast, they are hoping that an early start to the second game of a back-to-back against the Washington Capitals won't leave them a step behind.

Coming off a 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday night, Vancouver will hustle to Washington for a rare start at 5 p.m. EST, further compressing the Canucks' third game in four nights. Vancouver has only won four contests away from home this season.

"You can't get down three goals to a team like that and expect to come back. We weren't good enough tonight, especially early on," Canucks winger Daniel Sedin said.

Vancouver is battling injuries between the pipes, as goaltender Ryan Miller is sidelined with a lower-body ailment suffered in Thursday's victory at Tampa Bay. Backup Jacob Markstrom started against the Panthers, but prospect Thatcher Demko, who was called up from Utica of the American Hockey League on Saturday, could get the nod against the Capitals.

"It's been something I've really been looking forward to; you're just not sure when it's going to happen," Demko said. "I'm just excited to be here."

The Canucks will get one member of their lineup back on the ice as right winger Jannik Hansen will return to the lineup after missing more than a month with a rib injury. Hansen practiced with the team Saturday and is preparing to play for the first time since Nov. 5.

"It (stinks) sitting out," Hansen said. "It's boring. You don't feel like you're a part of the team. It's definitely not fun."

Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen got to experience Hansen's pain for the first time since joining Washington before the 2014 season. Niskanen missed Friday's win against Buffalo with an upper-body injury after being on the receiving end of a boarding penalty from Boston's Patrice Bergeron on Wednesday.

"I don't think it was that bad of a hit," Niskanen said after practice Saturday. "I didn't think it was live, and even after watching it, I can see where that can happen. It was one of those where I lost my balance the wrong distance from boards. If I'm two feet closer to the boards, nothing happens. If I'm two feet further away, nothing happens."

Niskanen hopes to return to the lineup against Vancouver, but is in the NHL's concussion protocol.

"He practiced well and said he felt pretty good, so we'll what his status is (Sunday) morning," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said after practice Saturday. "There's a protocol the NHL has for injuries and we'll follow that protocol to a T. And that's why we can't give you an answer right now."

The Capitals beat Vancouver 5-2 on Oct. 29 with Philipp Grubauer picking up the road victory.

No. 1 netminder Braden Holtby figures to get the start Sunday, with each game critical for Washington thanks to its position in the red-hot Metropolitan Division. Even with 35 points, the Capitals sit in fifth place.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (16-8) at Wild (14-8)

Date: December 11, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- If there's kryptonite that affects Minnesota Wild star goaltender Devan Dubnyk, it might be in the form of the St. Louis Blues.

On Sunday afternoon, Dubnyk and the Wild get their third crack at the Blues this season and are still looking for their first win. Dubnyk is the hottest goalie in the league of late, leading the NHL in all major statistical categories. But in 17 career starts against the Blues, he is 4-11-2 with a 3.58 goals-against average and .883 save percentage.

The Blues come to Minnesota with a 3-1-1 record in December and in the midst of a four-game road trip. They are coming off a 4-1 victory in New Jersey on Friday night which saw defenseman Brad Hunt make his season debut for St. Louis.

Hunt was leading the AHL offensively with 29 points in 23 games. He's likely to stick with the Blues until they get healthier, with defensemen Carl Gunnarson missing the last game with a lower-body injury, and Robert Bortuzzo expected to miss the next six weeks with the same ailment.

The knock on Hunt is his size, but at 5-9, 185 pounds, the Blues hierarchy said he compares favorably to one of the Minnesota blueliners he will face on Sunday.

"He's taller than (Minnesota's Jared) Spurgeon, and everybody in our league would like Jared," Blue coach Ken Hitchcock said after the New Jersey game, praising his team for their physical play. "We played the game that we're capable of and we had everybody dug in, playing the same way and we scored goals. The harder we check as a team, the more we score."

The Blues' three-goal final margin versus the Devils would be a noteworthy cushion for the Wild, who have played six consecutive one-goal games.

"All the games are like this. How many times have we had more than a one-goal game? I don't remember," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said after his team eked out a 3-2 shootout victory over Edmonton on Friday.

While he'd certainly like his team to find more breathing room, Boudreau likes the demeanor in stressful situations that his team is learning in his first season in Minnesota.

"But if anything, it teaches you how to be calm in a one-goal game, whether you're up a goal or down a goal, whether you're pushing or protecting,' Boudreau said. "So, I mean, I think it's good experience and good help for everyone."

While the Blues are dealing with a banged-up blue line, Minnesota looks to be getting healthier. They've played six games without Christian Folin, who is dealing with a lower-body injury. Folin, though, began skating in practice and participated in warm-ups prior to the Edmonton game. It's a good bet he will be back on the ice to face the Blues.

It will also mark Mike Yeo's return to Xcel Energy Center for the first time since the Wild fired him last February. Yeo was Minnesota's coach for four full seasons, and is now Hitchcock's top assistant in St. Louis.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (11-11) at Blackhawks (17-8)

Date: December 11, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks struggled badly against the Dallas Stars last season as they lost four out of five games.

This season has been a different story. The Blackhawks have won each of their first two contests against the Stars, and they will try to make it three for three on Sunday night.

However, Chicago (17-8-4) will not be at full strength this time around when it hosts Dallas (11-12-6). The Blackhawks will play without top goaltender Corey Crawford (emergency appendectomy) and captain Jonathan Toews (upper-body injury), and the status of defenseman Brent Seabrook is uncertain because of an upper-body injury.

The Stars also have been plagued by injuries this season, but they could welcome back forward Jiri Hudler (illness) and defenseman Johnny Oduya (lower-body injury) against Chicago. Hudler has not played since Nov. 1, and Oduya has been sidelined since Nov. 19.

Hudler scored 47 goals over the past two seasons but has appeared in only four games since signing a free agent contract with Dallas during the offseason.

"We know what Jiri brings," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "He's creative. He can make plays."

Ruff's squad could use another playmaker. The Stars are 2-4-1 in their past seven games, including a 4-2 loss against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon.

A tough task awaits the Stars as they prepare for the second game of a back-to-back set. Chicago is 11-2-3 on home ice, while Dallas is 4-8-4 on the road.

Both of the Blackhawks' wins against Dallas this season have been decided by one goal. Chicago earned a 3-2 win Nov. 5 in Dallas and a 4-3 overtime win the next night in Chicago. On the season, the Blackhawks are 11-4-4 in one-goal games.

Goaltender Scott Darling is set to make his fifth straight start in place of Crawford for the Blackhawks. Darling is 5-2-2 with a 2.23 goals-against average this season, and he has posted a stellar .950 save percentage (115 saves on 121 shots on goal) in his last four starts.

The Stars have not announced whether Kari Lehtonen or Antti Niemi will start in net. Lehtonen allowed three goals on 21 shots on Saturday against the Flyers.

Both goaltenders have started once against Chicago this season. Niemi gave up three goals on 32 shots Nov. 5, and Lehtonen surrendered four goals on 33 shots the following day.

Chicago is looking to break out of a slump on offense. The team led by Hart Trophy winner Patrick Kane has been limited to zero or one goals in three of the past four games.

Seabrook is not known as a goal scorer, but his possible return could steady the blue line. The 31-year-old took part in practice on Saturday afternoon for the first time since his injury, which happened Tuesday night when he fell into the boards and appeared to hit his head.

"(Seabrook) skating today was a good sign, and he felt pretty good," said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, who did not say whether the defenseman would face Dallas.

During a post-practice interview with reporters, Seabrook tried to steady his breathing.

"I felt really good in practice," Seabrook said. "The lungs at the end burn a little bit (working with assistant coach Mike Kitchen), but I'm just trying to get ready to roll. ... It was weird not practicing and sitting in the rink watching the guys play. That's something I don't want to make a habit of, for sure."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (10-14) at Maple Leafs (10-10)

Date: December 11, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Colorado Avalanche can only improve after they lost 10-1 Saturday night to the Montreal Canadiens.

They will not have long to linger on the humiliation. They play the Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday night at the Air Canada Centre.

The Maple Leafs come home on a high after defeating the Bruins in Boston 4-1 on Saturday night.

It was only the third win on the road this season (3-6-5) for the Maple Leafs. They also ended a three-game losing streak.

"I never thought much about that, it was just winning the game and we feel we've been getting better," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said about improving on the road. "The last three games the first period kind of did us in, we didn't start on time and it was nice to see that we started, we were able to hold on. It wasn't the start we wanted but we didn't give up the goals, not because we had any, but because the guys battled. And then we were able to execute a little bit."

The Avalanche were down 5-0 only 8:41 into the game in Montreal.

"Tough to describe," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "I'm going to take the blame for that one because we weren't prepared to start the game. They're the best team in the league with the best record at home and we're all the way down in the standings and we weren't prepared to play. So that one's on me. ... If you have one or two players who don't show up, then that's on them. When you don't have the whole team show up, then that's on me."

The Avalanche (10-15-1) are 1-2-0 on a four-game road trip that ends Sunday in Toronto. They are 1-6-1 in their past eight games. Colorado defeated the Bruins on Thursday.

Colorado's starting goaltender Calvin Pickard three goals on 10 shots Saturday before being replaced by Semyon Varlamov, who allowed six goals on 16 shots through the end of the second period.

"If you look at the mistakes we made the way we were playing, it was inevitable," Bednar said. "We pulled Pick to maybe try to spark our team. That didn't work. So we put him back in. He had a good third."

The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, had good goaltending again Saturday from Frederik Anderson.

"Our first period, we didn't do anything," Babcock said. "We didn't win any battles, we didn't skate. I thought we were way better in the second -- we skated and had much more of the play. In the third period obviously it was great to get the win. (Andersen) played real well, especially early in the game, for us. He gave them the one there at the end of the second but was able to battle hard in the third."

The Maple Leafs (11-10-5), who were outshot 33-20, escaped the first period with a 0-0 tie and outscored the Bruins 2-1 in the second period.

"Freddy made some big saves in the first to keep it a game and we kind of picked up our game as the game went on," said James van Riemsdyk ,who scored his 12th goal of the season. "I thought the third period was our best period. I think we moved the puck around and tried to make plays towards the net and get them compressed towards the net to get those second chances."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (12-9) at Rangers (19-9)

Date: December 11, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils pick up their Hudson River rivalry Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, meeting for the first time since Feb. 23.

These Metropolitan Division foes are headed in opposite directions.

The first-place Rangers won two straight, three of four and already have 19 victories and 39 points through the first 29 games this season.

The Devils, on the other hand, are struggling mightily in all facets of their game the past few weeks. After a surprising 9-3-3 start, New Jersey won three times since Nov. 17, posting a 3-6-3 record. The Devils are in the bottom three in the division with 30 points.

Facing a rival like the Rangers just might be the tonic New Jersey needs at this point to cure some of its ills. It has almost always been the case that the Rangers bring out the best in the Devils, who won three of four games against New York a year ago.

"When you play the Rangers, obviously with the rivalry, it's always a motivational game," Devils coach John Hynes said. "We're going through a tough time right now, but we'll look to be a better team against the Rangers (Sunday)."

New Jersey struggles on the road, posting a 4-8-4 record away from the Prudential Center. Sunday's contest is the start of a four-game road trip for the Devils, and part of a stretch in which they play six of nine on the road.

In their most recent road outing, the Devils allowed a season-high 49 shots in a 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. They followed that up on Friday with their first regulation home-ice defeat this season, 4-1 at the hands of the St. Louis Blues.

"We have to acknowledge why we haven't played well and make sure we turn this around as quick as possible," said veteran Devils forward Michael Cammalleri, who appeared in his 800th NHL contest on Friday.

While the Devils lost their last two games, the Rangers earned back to back road victories, 2-1 over the Jets in Winnipeg on Thursday and 1-0 in overtime over the Chicago Blackhawks 24 hours later.

Backup goaltender Antti Raanta started both those games and earned his fifth career shutout Friday in Chicago against his former team. Raanta has been terrific for New York this season, winning seven of his eight starts while posting a 1.83 goals-against average and .939 save percentage in 10 appearances.

However, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault did not commit to a third consecutive start for Raanta on Sunday, nor did he reveal if Henrik Lundqvist would return between the pipes. Lundqvist's play has been inconsistent as his 2.55 goals-against average and .912 save percentage attest.

"In this league, the way things are now, every team needs two goaltenders to have success," Vigneault told reporters Friday night. "We're very fortunate that we have two goaltenders that can do a good job for us."

The Rangers will again play without three injured forwards Sunday. Mika Zibanejad is out with a fractured fibula, while rookie Pavel Buchnevich has a back problem and Rick Nash suffered a groin strain earlier in the week.

Missing so many important players means the Rangers need others to step up, and that is a key to the Rangers' success. The latest examples came in the last two games when the struggling Kevin Hayes, who has one point in his last seven games, scored the game-winning goal late in the third period against Winnipeg and defenseman Nick Holden netted the overtime winner the next night in Chicago.

"I like the fact that everybody's been contributing," captain Ryan McDonagh said. "For us, it's about being gutsy, too, competing hard for pucks, and coming out with the two points. And we've been doing that pretty consistently all year."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (13-14) at Oilers (14-11)

Date: December 11, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Oilers' four-game losing streak is an example of how fine the lines in hockey truly are.

Three of the four losses came in either overtime or the shootout; the one regulation loss of the four saw the Oilers establish 2-0 and 5-3 leads at Philadelphia before giving up a late goal to lose, 6-5.

So, you could argue that the Oilers were only a few breaks away from collecting eight out of a possible eight points out of those four games. They ended up with only three.

They will try to change the pattern when they host the Winnipeg Jets Sunday night at Rogers Place. The Jets will come in with tired legs, having lost 6-2 at Calgary Saturday night. It was the Jets' third loss in a row.

"We've got to get the (Calgary loss) out of our mind and focus on tomorrow, and have that fire in our belly," said Jets center Mark Scheifele, who has 27 points in 27 games this season. "(The Oilers) are a good team, they're quick, they're skilled and we've got to be ready for them."

The hottest Oiler is center Leon Draisaitl; he has scored in five of the last six Oilers games, and has nine points over that span. He scored in Friday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild.

"I think I'm pretty confident right now," said Draisaitl. "The puck seems to bounce my way a little bit, which didn't happen in the first couple of games."

But what's been troubling for the Oilers is they held leads in each of the four straight losses. If the Oilers want to shake the decade-long pattern of missing the playoffs, the team will have to develop the mental toughness needed when it comes to getting up in a game -- and seeing it through to the final buzzer.

"It's been tough on us of late," said Oilers coach Todd McLellan. "The schedule, the way we've lost some games, the frustration level goes up and, often, when it happens it sucks a lot of energy out of you."

But he added that he thought the Oilers' 3-2 shootout loss in Minnesota on Friday night saw all of his players come out with strong efforts.

Now, the challenge is to turn a strong effort into a winning effort.

The Oilers will face a Jets team that's already playing back-to-back games for the sixth time this season. By contrast, the Oilers have played just three back-to-backs this year. The game will be the Jets' fifth in seven games.

The diabolical schedule has not pleased Jets coach Paul Maurice.

"I don't like our schedule at all. I've never seen one like it," Maurice said. "It may be the new NHL, we just have to get used to it and deal with it."

Maurice said his team will make full use of two days off at home after they head home from Edmonton.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - December

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

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

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

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
12/1 12 64.5 70 OVER
12/2 2 10 8 UNDER
12/3 12 63 58 UNDER
12/4 7 36 40 OVER
12/5 4 21 30 OVER
12/6 9 49.5 49 UNDER
12/7 4 20.5 29 OVER
12/8 10 54.5 58 OVER
12/9 6 30.5 26 UNDER
12/10 10 53 68 OVER
12/11 8 - - -
12/12 2 - - -
12/13 10 - - -
12/14 4 - - -
12/15 8 - - -
12/16 7 - - -
12/17 10 - - -
12/18 6 - - -
12/19 5 - - -
12/20 12 - - -
12/21 2 - - -
12/22 10 - - -
12/23 12 - - -
12/24 No games scheduled - - -
12/25 No games scheduled - - -
12/26 No games scheduled - - -
12/27 10 - - -
12/28 5 - - -
12/29 12 - - -
12/30 4 - - -
12/31 11 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Sunday’s games

Ducks won six of last eight games with Ottawa, winning three of last four series games in this building. Under is 5-2-1 in last eight series games. Senators lost four of last six games but are 3-2 in last five on road; they’re 3-0 if they played day before. Teams are 0-4 the night after playing LA. Over is 3-1 in last four Ottawa road games. Anaheim won five of its last seven games; over is 2-0-1 in its last three.

Flyers won seven of last ten games with Detroit; teams split last four meetings in Motor City. Over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Philly won its last eight games; over is 3-0-1 in their last four- they’re 5-2 if they played day before; teams are 3-0 the night after playing Dallas. Detroit lost three of its last four home games; six of their last nine games overall went OT. over is 3-0-1 in Red Wings’ last four games.

Washington won its last three games with Vancouver; over is 4-1-1 in last six series games. Teams split last four series games played here. Canucks are 4-0 in game following their last four losses; they’re 3-3 if they played night before- teams are 1-2 night after playing Florida. Caps won their last three games, two in OT; they’ve won four of last five at home. Under is 2-1-2 in last five Washington games.

Blues won their last four games with Minnesota; over is 2-0-1 in last three series games. Teams split last four series games played here. St Louis won five of last seven games but split last four on road; over is 5-1-3 in their last nine games. Minnesota won its last three games, allowing five goals; they also won last three at home. Under is 2-0-1 in their last four games.

Dallas Stars won six of last nine games with Chicago but lost last two; Stars won three of last four visits to Windy City. Five of last six series games went over total. Dallas lost five of last seven games; they’re 1-2 if they played day before. Teams are 1-3 night after playing Philly. Over is 3-2 in last five Dallas road games. Chicago lost three of its last four games, scoring six goals- all four of those games stayed under the total.

Maple Leafs won four of last five games with Colorado (over 4-1); Avalanche lost 5-1/3-2 in last two visits here. Colorado lost 10-1 in Montreal last night; they’re 1-2 if they played night before. Teams are 1-6 the night after playing Canadiens. Over is 4-1-1 in last six Avalanche games. Toronto lost three of its last four games (under 4-0); they’re 0-5 if they played night before. Teams are 2-4 the night after playing Boston.

Devils won three of last four games with the Rangers; they lost three of last four visits into Manhattan (under 3-1). New Jersey lost six of its last eight games, five of last six on road; over is 6-0-3 in their last nine games. Rangers won three of last four games overall, split their last four home games. New York scored five runs in their last three home games. Under is 4-3-1 in last eight Ranger games.

Oilers won four of last five games with Winnipeg; road team won last four series games. Teams split last four meetings in this building. Under is 7-2 in last nine series games. Winnipeg lost its last three games; they’re 3-2 if they played night before. Over is 3-2-1 in their last six games. Teams are 4-1 the night after playing Calgary. Oilers lost last four games (three in OT/SO); over is 4-2-1 in their last seven games. Edmonton lost three of last four home games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Another milestone for Cavs' James
By The Sports Xchange

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James scored a season-high 44 points and became the first frontcourt player to pass for 7,000 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers recorded a 116-105 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
The milestone pass was vintage James, a skip pass down the lane to a streaking Tristan Thompson that few other players could even see, let alone complete. It was his highest scoring regular-season effort since returning to Cleveland and matched the 44 points he scored in a Game 1 overtime loss against the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the Finals in 2015.
Kemba Walker scored 24 points and Cody Zeller had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. This was the first stop in a five-game road trip for Charlotte.

Grizzlies 110, Warriors 89
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Memphis stunned Golden State at FedExForum for its sixth straight win, holding the Warriors to a season low for points.
The Memphis defense dominated from the start and the Grizzlies scored 30 points off 23 Golden State turnovers. It was only the second time this season that the Warriors failed to score 100 points. Their previous low was 97 in a 20-point setback to the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 4.
Playing without starting point guard Mike Conley (lower back), Memphis leaned on center Marc Gasol for 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal. Swingman Tony Allen also had 19 points and forward JaMychal Green had 14 and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Clippers 133, Pelicans 105
LOS ANGELES -- Chris Paul scored 20 points and dished out a season-high 20 assists, and Los Angeles extended the woes of New Orleans with a rout at Staples Center.
Both clubs were without their main stars. Clippers forward Blake Griffin missed the contest with a sore right knee, while the Pelicans were without center-forward Anthony Davis (rest) and guard Jrue Holiday (toe injury). Davis will return Sunday when the Pelicans visit the Phoenix Suns.
Paul fell one assist shy of his career high of 21, which he recorded on Nov. 6, 2007, against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rockets 109, Mavericks 87
HOUSTON -- Trevor Ariza keyed an offensive awakening with four consecutive 3-pointers and Houston shot its way to a win over Dallas at Toyota Center.
The Rockets extended their winning streak to six games and added to their NBA record of games with at least 10 3-pointers. Houston finished 19 of 37 from behind the arc, with Ariza igniting a third-quarter run to clinch momentum.
Rockets guard James Harden had 18 points, nine rebounds and 16 assists, finishing one rebound shy of a triple-double for a second consecutive game.

Bulls 105, Heat 100
CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler scored 31 points, Dwyane Wade finished with 28 and Taj Gibson added 13 as Chicago beat Miami at the United Center.
The Bulls held on for the win after leading by as many as 13 points in the third quarter. But the Heat cut the deficit to 101-100 with less than a minute to play on a Hassan Whiteside basket. But Chicago never relinquished the lead after Butler hit a pair of free throws to again extend Chicago's lead back to three points.
The Heat played for the last shot in trying to set up a game-tying three-point field goal, but turned the ball over. Butler hit capped the win with two free throws with less than a second to play.

Spurs 130, Nets 101
SAN ANTONIO -- Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points in 27 minutes and the San Antonio Spurs posted season highs for points in a quarter and in a game and total assists while rolling past hapless Brooklyn at the AT&T Center.
It was the 19th time this season and fifth straight game that Leonard led the Spurs in scoring.
The Spurs, who had won just five of their nine games at home, righted their ship in a major way, thanks mostly to a torrid start, continued hot shooting from the field throughout the game (53.2 percent) and unselfish play.

Pacers 118, Trail Blazers 111
INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George scored a season-high 37 points, and Indiana Pacers overcame a 20-point deficit to defeat Portland.
The Pacers outscored Portland 28-13 in the fourth quarter, including 19-6 after the Trail Blazers took a 105-99 lead with 7:14 remaining.
George scored 15 consecutive team points to give the Pacers a 116-109 lead with 27.9 seconds to play. Thaddeus Young added 24 points for Indiana, including 6 of 8 from 3-point range. Myles Turner had 14 points and eight rebounds.
C.J. McCollum led Portland with 34 points, and Damian Lillard added 33, but no other Portland player reached double figures.

Wizards 110, Bucks 105
WASHINGTON -- John Wall had 24 points and 11 assists as Washington outscored Milwaukee 15-5 over the final 4:15 to pull out the win.
Bradley Beal had 20 points for the Wizards, who matched their season high with two straight wins. Kelly Oubre scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks one night after Milwaukee blew a 20-point halftime lead in a losing effort against the Atlanta Hawks. Mirza Teletovic scored a season-high 25 points and sank five of Milwaukee's 13 3-pointers.

Nuggets 121, Magic 113
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Danilo Gallinari scored 21 points and Kenneth Faried had 19 points and 10 rebounds, leading Denver to a victory over Orlando.
The Nuggets snapped a two-game losing streak and handed the Magic their third consecutive loss.
Denver's Will Barton scored nine points in the last two minutes to seal the victory. He finished with 16 points.

Jazz 104, Kings 84
SALT LAKE CITY -- Gordon Hayward scored 26 points and Rudy Gobert added 17 points, 14 rebounds and a season-high six blocks to help Utah pull away for a victory over Sacramento.
Trey Lyles added 14 points and five rebounds off the bench for the Jazz. Utah overcame a mountain of turnovers to win for the eighth time in its last 10 games.
Rudy Gay scored 20 points and DeMarcus Cousins added 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Sacramento. Darren Collison added 17 points and Omri Casspi chipped in 12 for the Kings, who lost for the fifth time in six games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: 76ers (5-18) at Pistons (13-12)

Date: December 11, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

Just when the Philadelphia 76ers thought they would finally have all of their top big men available, another injury cropped up.

Nerlens Noel is expected to make his season debut when the Sixers play at Detroit on Sunday.

Noel, who averaged 11.1 points and 8.1 rebounds last season, underwent surgery on his left knee in October. Jahlil Okafor, out the last three games because of gastroenteritis, also made the trip.

Now for the bad news: Joel Embiid, who has quickly emerged as one of the league's most productive centers, stayed home because of right elbow inflammation.

Embiid is averaging a team-high 18.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots after missing two seasons because of foot injuries. He will be sitting out his eighth game this season.

Noel is eager and ready to get his season started after the prolonged absence.

"I'm in better shape and in a better mental place to come back and play basketball at a high level," Noel told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "There's always excitement to be able to play basketball after this amount of time, including the summer, not be able to play organized basketball at a competitive level.

"I've been looking forward to this. I think I've gained some momentum coming back from this. I'm feeling good with my body, and everything is on point."

The Sixers (5-18) snapped an eight-game losing streak and 23-game road losing streak by defeating New Orleans 99-88 on Thursday. They held the Pelicans to 31 second-half points.

"I think our defense has been trending that way," coach Brett Brown told the Inquirer. "We just haven't had a win to validate it. I feel like our defense was physical."

The Pistons (13-12) also collected a road victory in their last outing, overwhelming Minnesota 117-90 on Friday. Center Andre Drummond controlled the paint, notching his second consecutive 20-20 game with 22 points and 22 rebounds.

"His energy was great," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "He was dominant and he was all over the boards and you can see as we start to get more penetration, he gets better opportunities on the offensive boards. So, that's really helped him, too.

"I think the real positive thing is that's three games in a row -- three games in four days -- where he's played really well and that's what we're looking for from him, that consistent energy."

Power forward Joe Leuer also provided another big boost off the bench, tying his season high with 17 points. He's been the team's most consistent reserve, averaging 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds.

Leuer signed a four-year contract as a free agent over the summer and is flourishing as the primary backup to both starting forwards, Marcus Morris and Tobias Harris.

"That's why I wanted to come here," Leuer said. "I knew Stan's system was a good fit for me. I knew it was a great opportunity to play and be a part of something special and build something here.

"That's what I think we are doing. It's a process, but every day we're just going to come in and work hard. I feel like I fit in well with what we're doing here."

This will be the first meeting between the teams this season. Detroit swept the four-game series last season, averaging 113.3 points in those games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (13-10) at Thunder (14-9)

Date: December 11, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The biggest addition in the offseason for the Boston Celtics was Al Horford. When they swiped him from the Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics quickly gained the high expectations of competing with the top teams in the East.

However, whenever the Celtics take on squads considered to be potential title contenders this season, they came up short in games against the likes of Golden State, Cleveland, San Antonio and Houston.

That steak was extended to 0-6 on Friday after a 101-94 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

While the Celtics (13-10) refuse to make excuses for the defeats, except pointing fingers at their own play, there are reasons why they haven't been at their best against the best. Injuries to key players early in the season played a role.

Horford missed games against the Cavaliers and Warriors. Jae Crowder was on the bench in street clothes right next to him. Against the Raptors, guard Isiah Thomas sat out as he nurses a groin pull.

Publicly, Boston coach Brad Stevens is trying to convey the positives of having his best players miss games in that it gives role players an opportunity to play big minutes.

"It's always tough because you're kind of always managing a curveball here or there," Stevens told reporters. "But I look at it as a good thing in the long run with regard to more people are getting opportunities. And maybe this expedites Jaylen Brown's learning curve, expedites Terry Rozier's learning curve. They're getting to see things and go through things and do things that maybe they don't get as much when we're fully healthy. It is what it is. You prepare with who you have available and you move forward."

Thomas has already been ruled out of Boston's game with the Oklahoma City Thunder (14-9) on Sunday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. But, while the Thunder may not be considered one of the best teams in the NBA, they have a player who is making a claim to be considered the best in the league in Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook has a streak of seven consecutive triples-doubles, which ties him with the modern record of Michael Jordan in the 1988-89 season.

However, with his last triple-double coming in a loss, Westbrook had no interest in talking about tying Jordan. His opponents had no problem discussing the feat.

"You could just make a whole documentary about him," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "With his energy level and the way he's playing and what he's doing for this team, it's remarkable. When I'm not coaching against him, it's fun to watch, but it wasn't much fun tonight."

The Celtics lay claim to having the longest streak in the NBA of not allowing a triple-double. The last player to earn a triple-double against Boston was John Wall in 2014.

"He's an animal. Everybody in this league knows Russ is an animal," Boston's Marcus Smart told ESPN.com. "He deserves the respect he gets. He earns it. With a guy like that, you just have to go out and play your best and hope to contain him. You know he's going to get his. You just have to stop those other guys."

If Boston is able to slow down Westbrook, the Thunder needs to see more of the Steven Adams that they saw Friday. He set a career high with 24 points, yet didn't play down the stretch because coach Billy Donovan wanted to use Jerami Grant.

Adams said a lot of his points were due to the attention given to Westbrook.

"They always do send two guys. They always try and put two guys on Russ, three guys, whatever," Adams said. "The reason I got open was that their weakside wasn't actually pulling across like other teams would do. That allowed me to roll down the lane without being touched at all. I was getting free runs."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (20-3) at Timberwolves (6-17)

Date: December 11, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

At 6-17 this season, the Minnesota Timberwolves are reeling.

Their latest bump in the road came via a 27-point loss Friday to Detroit. Tom Thibodeau's team, lined with young and inexperienced players, could use a few wins to build a bit of confidence.

Hosting the team with the NBA's best record may not be the ideal way to do that.

On Sunday, Minnesota welcomes the Golden State Warriors, who even despite a loss Saturday to Memphis still boasts a 20-4 mark.

Things seemingly hit a low point in Minneapolis following Friday's blowout. After the Wolves' 117-90 loss, players had some pretty strong words about their latest performance.

"We didn't play with heart," point guard Ricky Rubio told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "It was a two-point game and suddenly it was a 25-point game. And it seems like we didn't care."

Guard Zach LaVine echoed Rubio's sentiment following Minnesota's 17th loss.

"We got blown out at home, and it's unacceptable," LaVine told the Star Tribune. "We've got to play as a team. We have to come out and give it all we've got. Because we have to get out of this hole. This is our job. Our passion. It's about us."

Golden State reeled off four straight wins before suffering a 110-89 loss Saturday to the Memphis Grizzlies. That loss was only the fourth of the year -- and the third by at least 20 points -- for the reigning Western Conference champion. Steve Kerr's team has still looked like the team to beat in the NBA through the first few months of the 2016-17 season.

In Saturday's loss, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were each 4-for-14 from the floor. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 21 points, while Curry was held to 17 points -- including an uncharacteristic 3-for-11 from 3-point range.

"I think (Curry's) set the bar so high the last couple years," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told the San Jose Mercury News after Saturday's loss. "He's got high standards. He'll find his stroke."

Defense has been one of the weakest parts of Minnesota's game this year. The young Timberwolves rank near the bottom of the league in many defensive categories, including points against and opponent field goal percentage. They haven't held an opponent to fewer than 100 points in eight straight games.

That doesn't necessarily bode well for Minnesota on Sunday, considering Golden State is the highest-scoring team in the NBA. However, Saturday's 89-point performance was the lowest output of the year for the Warriors.

"Tonight was just about our overall effort," Kerr told the Mercury News on Saturday. "It didn't matter who was doing what offensively."

It's the second meeting of the year between the Timberwolves and Warriors. Golden State won at home against Minnesota 115-102 on Nov. 26 despite forward Draymond Green not playing because of an ankle injury. Curry scored 34 points in that one.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (7-16) at Suns (7-16)

Date: December 11, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The New Orleans Pelicans get their depth checked Sunday night when they duel one of the deepest teams in the league, the Phoenix Suns, in a clash of struggling Western Conference squads.

The Pelicans were without five injured players when they suffered a 133-105 drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on Saturday night.

With no rest for the weary, the club completes its seventh back-to-back of the season Sunday at Phoenix.

Despite a poor overall record (7-17), the Pelicans have held their own recently in dealing with the rugged schedule. They've won two of their last three when playing on the second night of a back-to-back, with the loss -- 110-108 against Memphis on Monday -- going two overtimes.

To add insult to injury, the Pelicans already have played a total of five overtimes this season, one in which they've yet to get Tyreke Evans (knee surgeries) and Quincy Pondexter (knee surgery) on the court.

The Pelicans also were without Jrue Holiday (turf toe), E'Twaun Moore (bruised toe) and Dante Cunningham (broken right leg) in Saturday's game, and chose to give their best player, Anthony Davis, the night off to rest.

Davis is expected to play Sunday against the Suns, and it's possible Holiday and Moore will return as well. Holiday has played only nine games this season, having been excused for the first 12 to be with his wife during and immediately following brain surgery.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry broke the news to Davis before Saturday's game. The rationale: The standout had played 132 minutes (44 per game) in three contests over the previous six days.

"He's not real happy about it," Gentry noted to reporters of Davis' reaction to the plan. "Believe me."

The Suns have a health concern of their own, but received good news over the weekend when T.J. Warren, who has missed the last 10 games with a concussion, was cleared to return to practice.

He won't play Sunday, but he could be back in action by the end of the week.

Even with P.J. Tucker often promoted from the bench to replace Warren, the Suns counted heavily on their reserve crew this season. They are coming off a 119-115 road win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night in which three backups scored in double figures, led by Leandro Barbosa with 21.

For the 34-year-old Barbosa, the point total equalled his highest in almost five years (22 at Atlanta on Jan. 16, 2012), and his five 3-pointers equalled his most in nearly nine years (six at Toronto on Dec. 22, 2007).

"I was tired," Barbosa admitted to reporters after his 29-minute effort. "We were passing the ball to each other. That got open shots for everyone. If we keep doing what we did tonight, we're going to surprise people."

Even on the second night of a back-to-back, being tired shouldn't be an issue for the Pelicans on Sunday night. Only two guys played more than 31 minutes in the blowout loss to the Clippers -- and those guys (Buddy Hield and Tim Frazier) are 22 and 26 years old, respectively.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (13-10) at Lakers (10-15)

Date: December 11, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

The New York Knicks (13-10) are off to their best start since a 54-win campaign in 2012-13 -- the last season they made the playoffs. Coach Jeff Hornacek's team will look to continue that momentum on Sunday when they take on the Lakers in Los Angeles in the second game of a five-game road trip.

The Knicks knocked off the Sacramento Kings 103-100 on Friday when forward Carmelo Anthony scored 33 points, including two key free throws with 14.8 seconds left. Anthony topped 30 points for the fifth time this season and became the 29th player to reach 23,000 points. With 23,022, he's 127 shy of Hall of Fame forward Elgin Baylor on the career list.

It's been a tough week for Anthony off the court. Knicks President Phil Jackson criticized Anthony for holding onto the ball too long after New York's 126-94 loss to Cleveland at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

Anthony wisely took the high road in responding.

"At the end of the day, we're playing good basketball," Anthony said. "That's the only thing that matters at this point. So, any negativity that's coming towards me or towards the team, I don't think we need it at this point."

In 34 games against the Lakers, Anthony is averaging 24 points and six rebounds. The Lakers are 24-15 against the Knicks over the past 20 seasons.

New York hopes to have point guard Derrick Rose back. He's been out the past two games with back spasms, but is traveling with the team.

The Lakers dropped a 119-115 decision to the Phoenix Suns at home on Friday. Lou Williams led the Lakers (10-15) with 35 points off the bench as Los Angeles dropped its fifth straight contest. Julius Randle added 14 points and nine rebounds, while Jordan Clarkson also scored 14. Marcelo Huertas chipped in 12 points for the Lakers.

"Just playing hard and trying to lead by example," said Williams, who made 10 of 19 shots and 6 of 12 3-pointers in the loss. "Just play as hard as I can and see whatever comes out of it. Usually, you score a lot of points and probably get some wins out of it. We have not gotten any wins out it, so there is not a lot to take from it."

Los Angeles is missing its starting backcourt of second-year point guard D'Angelo Russell (knee) and veteran shooting guard Nick Young (calf). The Lakers were also without backup guard and ex-Knick Jose Calderon (right hamstring strain) and center-forward Tarik Black (sprained right ankle) in the loss to the Suns.

The Lakers' have the top scoring bench in the NBA, averaging 54 points per game. The reserves contributed 62 points in the setback to the Suns.