Sunday 12/20/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 11:30

Carpi

v

Juventus

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		10	7/2	4/11	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CARPI	RECENT FORM
HLAWHWHDALAW​ Most recent​	Unknown	HWAWAWALHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Carpi’s eight home league games have produced just 13 goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Juventus are on the rampage after winning their last seven domestic matches and only one goal has been conceded in the last five of those. The Old Lady are back in the title hunt and should make no mistake against a lowly Carpi side who are struggling in Serie A following last season’s surprise promotion.

RECOMMENDATION: Juventus to win 2-0
1

 

[superbeets]

French Ligue 1 TODAY 13:00

St-Etienne

v

Angers

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		10/11	23/10	7/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ST-ETIENNE	RECENT FORM
HWALHDHDALAL​ Most recent​	0 - 0	HLADHWHDAWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: St-Etienne have won one of their last eight games in all competitions

EXPERT VERDICT: St-Etienne are struggling for goals and they look too short for victory. The visitors are unbeaten in their last five and represent the value. That run included wins against both Lille and Lyon and they showed their defensive steel when holding runaway leaders PSG to a goalless draw.

RECOMMENDATION: Angers
1

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 13:30

Watford

v

Liverpool

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		3	13/5	Evs	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WATFORD	RECENT FORM
HWALHLAWHWAW​ Most recent​	0 - 3 0 - 1 2 - 3 1 - 4	HWHWAWALADHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Watford have kept five clean sheets in their eight league home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: With Bournemouth and Norwich caught up in a Premier League relegation scrap, Watford should take the honour of being the best promoted team this season. The ambitions at Vicarage Road are unlikely to end there as they have the potential to claim at least a place in the top ten and could stun Liverpool.

RECOMMENDATION: Watford
1


REFEREE: Mark Clattenburg STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 14:00

Roma

v

Genoa

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		1/2	10/3	11/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ROMA	RECENT FORM
ALHLADHDADHD*​ Most recent​	2 - 0 4 - 0 3 - 1 1 - 0	ADHWHLALHLHD*​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Roma have scored once in their last five matches

EXPERT VERDICT: These are troubled times for Roma, who were knocked out of the Italian Cup by second division Spezia on Wednesday. However, Genoa also suffered a giantkilling at the hands of Alessandria to make it one win in nine and this could be a dour battle between two teams bang out of form.

RECOMMENDATION: Roma to win 1-0
1

 

[superbeets]

German Bundesliga TODAY 14:30

Hertha Berlin

v

Mainz

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		21/20	5/2	13/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT HERTHA BERLIN	RECENT FORM
AWHWALHWAWAW*​ Most recent​	1 - 3 3 - 1 0 - 0 1 - 1	ADHWADHWAWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Mainz are unbeaten in six matches

EXPERT VERDICT: The Berlin boys are loving life at the moment but Hertha’s rise up the standings has been helped by enormous good fortune which could run out against Mainz. In Hertha’s last five matches they have had 14 attempts on target and scored ten goals to win four times but that is unsustainable over a long period.

RECOMMENDATION: Mainz
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[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 15:00

Real Madrid

v

R. Vallecano

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS2		1/12	11	22	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT REAL MADRID	RECENT FORM
AWAWAWHWHWAL​ Most recent​	5 - 1 5 - 0 2 - 0 6 - 2	ADHLHWALHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Rayo have conceded at least two goals in four of their last five fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: Real Madrid cannot afford many more slip ups if they are to stay in La Liga title contention and are unlikely to drop any points from their derby clash with Rayo Valleacno at the Bernabeu. Losing 1-0 at Villarreal last week was a major blow but Real should brush aside Rayo, who are on a three-match losing sequence.

RECOMMENDATION: Real Madrid to win 3-0
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Canadiens great Moore dies
By The Sports Xchange

Former Montreal Canadiens great Dickie Moore died Saturday. He was 84.
Moore, a noted playmaker in the 1950s, won six Stanley Cup titles with the Canadiens. That included five in consecutive years.
Moore also won the Art Ross Trophy twice from 1956-60.
"Dickie Moore was a player of great skill and even-greater heart, someone admired on the ice for his will to win and adored in the community for his commitment to good deeds," commissioner Garry Bettman said in a statement. "A six-time Stanley Cup winner and two-time scoring champion, Dickie Moore refused to let injuries stop him from reaching remarkable heights of success.
"As we mourn his passing, the National Hockey League family sends our deepest condolences to his family and his many friends inside and outside of the game."
Moore established an NHL mark with 96 points in 70 games in the 1958-59 season. He also led the league with 84 points in 1957-58. He accumulated 594 points in 12 seasons with Montreal. He is third among left wingers on the team's all-time list in goals (254) and points.
Moore was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974.

---The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled forward Scott Wilson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.
The Penguins also assigned 18-year-old forward Daniel Sprong to the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Wilson, 23, is tied for the AHL lead with 15 goals in 23 games, and also has nine assists.
Sprong skated in 18 NHL games with Pittsburgh, scoring a pair of goals. The 6-0, 180-pound Sprong was Pittsburgh's top draft pick in 2015, chosen in the second round with the 46th overall selection.

---The Los Angeles Kings activated forward Trevor Lewis from injured reserve.
Lewis, 28, has appeared in 24 games this season, with two goals, four assists and four penalty minutes before sustaining an upper-body injury which caused him to miss seven games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canucks (10-14) at Panthers (14-12)

Date: December 20, 2015 4:00 PM EDT

The Vancouver Canucks managed to end their longest road skid in two seasons without Henrik Sedin on the ice.

It's uncertain if the captain will be available to help the visiting Canucks build on their most recent victory and prevent the Florida Panthers from a fourth straight win Sunday.

Vancouver (12-14-8) was shut out twice and outscored 12-2 while opening its six-game trip with three straight losses. Sedin, second on the team to his brother Daniel with 31 points, suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday's 2-0 defeat at Philadelphia and sat out Friday in Detroit.

However, Radim Vrbata and Sven Baertschi each had a goal with an assist and recently called up Linden Vey scored in the seventh round of the shootout to give the Canucks a 4-3 victory that ended their 0-4-2 road slide.

"Guys believe a little bit more if we play the right way," coach Willie Desjardins said. "It doesn't matter who is in the lineup. That's the key. You have to have some belief. Without Hank in the lineup ... it was good for us."

Desjardins did not shed on any light if Henrik Sedin would be available for this contest or Tuesday at Tampa Bay. The Canucks are 7-8-5 away from home and haven't won consecutive road contests since starting 3-0-0, but Friday's victory lifted a weight off their collective shoulders.

"We feel confident going into the next game," said rookie forward Jared McCann, who snapped a 14-game goal drought with his seventh to open the scoring versus Detroit. "We're going to take that confidence and continue to work."

Despite the victory, Vancouver failed to convert both its power-play chances and is 3 for 31 while winning three times in the last 10 games.

"We haven't been executing on the power play very well but we're going to continue working on it," McCann said.

Florida (17-12-14) killed eight of nine penalties while amassing a 12-2 goal advantage to win three straight after opening its four-game trip with a 3-1 loss at Boston.

"The goalies are playing huge for us, and the defense is doing a great job," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant told the NHL's official website. "The forwards have to chip in and work hard defensively too, so I think we're playing a good defensive game right now and obviously not giving up a whole lot."

Ex-Canuck Roberto Luongo stopped 34 shots during a 5-1 win over New York Islanders on Tuesday and made 24 saves to record his 70th shutout in Friday's 2-0 victory at Carolina. Luongo is 1-1-1 with a 1.96 goals-against average against the Canucks since they dealt him to the Panthers in March 2014.

Winners in nine of 12, the Panthers are opening a six-game homestand. They've haven't won two in a row there since opening with back-to-back victories.

Florida forward Reilly Smith has a goal in a career-high four straight games and five in the last six.

Vrbata has a goal in each of his last four at Florida while playing for Arizona and Vancouver.

The Panthers and Canucks have split their four meetings over the past two seasons, with each earning both victories on the road.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (14-13) at Bruins (17-9)

Date: December 20, 2015 5:00 PM EDT

Enjoying their best stretch of the season, the Boston Bruins have a chance to move within a point of the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

The Bruins look to continue getting production from throughout the lineup and maintain their success against the visiting New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.

After missing the playoffs last season, Boston (18-9-4) was middling at 8-8-1 following a 5-4 home loss to San Jose on Nov. 17. The Bruins have since turned their season around, going 10-1-3 to climb into second place in the division, three points back of struggling Montreal.

"We kinda look at our game and how we need to play. If we worry about that, as you can see the standings is taking care of itself," coach Claude Julien said. "We're back in the mix, and we know that. We're three points behind them. It's not like we're oblivious to it or we don't pay attention to it.

"The things you can control is what you should be focusing on and that's our play."

The Bruins' play - particularly their scoring - has been outstanding. They've had 17 players score at least one of their 45 goals over the past 14 games with Brad Marchand leading the way with nine.

"To have the scoring from the third and fourth lines is important," center Ryan Spooner said. "I think it takes a team from being good to being great. It's been good to see."

Spooner has collected half of his career-high 22 points over the past 14 games. He had a personal-best four assists, getting one on each goal of rookie Frank Vatrano's hat trick in Friday's 6-2 win at Pittsburgh.

Spooner scored in overtime to deliver a 3-2 win at New Jersey on Feb. 27 in his only career meeting with the Devils (16-13-4).

Boston has won 15 of the past 18 matchups, including eight of nine at home.

Patrice Bergeron has 16 points in his last 15 home meetings with New Jersey. He has nine points over his past seven games overall after scoring twice Friday.

Tuukka Rask has been a major contributor during Boston's surge, going 8-0-2 with a 1.42 goals-against average and three shutouts in his last 10 appearances. He's posted a .972 save percentage during five straight home wins.

He'll be facing a New Jersey team that has been outscored 11-4 in a 1-3-0 stretch. The Devils fell 2-1 to Anaheim on Saturday, two days after losing 5-1 to Florida while managing just 38 shots combined over both.

"Our execution on offense needs to be better," coach John Hynes told the team's official website. "Our passing, our receiving, those things need to be better when we're on the attack, coming out of our zone.

"We believe in what we're doing and we just continue to go through the process. Every team has to go a process of adversity. How you deal with that and come out of that, if you do it the right way, it makes you a stronger team."

Corey Schneider figures to be in net for the Devils after backup Keith Kinkaid started Saturday. Schneider, a Boston native, is 0-2-1 with a 3.03 GAA in his last three starts against the Bruins.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Senators (14-11) at Lightning (15-14)

Date: December 20, 2015 5:00 PM EDT

The Ottawa Senators have played very well at home over the last month. It's the road where they need to improve their game.

Their current three-game slide away from home began with a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, whom they will visit again Sunday evening.

Bobby Ryan had a goal and an assist as Ottawa (17-11-5) scored three times in the third period to extend its season-high home winning streak to four games with Friday's 4-2 victory over San Jose.

"It's a huge win," said defenseman Chris Wideman, who scored his fourth of the season. "Going down to Florida before the (Christmas break). We want to hit that break on all cylinders."

While the Senators have averaged 3.6 goals in winning six of seven at home, they've dropped five of six on the road and been held to a single goal in four of them - including each of the last three. This is the first time they've suffered three straight regulation losses on the road since April 2013.

Craig Anderson has a 1.86 goals-against average in the club's last seven home games but a 3.43 GAA while losing four of his last five on the road.

Despite those road issues, the Senators appear eager to tackle this two-game Florida swing against the Lighting (16-14-3) and Panthers before getting four days off. The trip offers them a chance to build some momentum by turning things around away from home and taking care of the two clubs right behind them in the Atlantic Division standings.

"When you're at home you hope to take care of your points and hope the rest falls into place," said Ryan, who has a 14-game point streak at home but has one goal and three assists in his last seven on the road.

"It's early to be scoreboard watching. ... (But) now we play two very important divisional games before the break. You try not to look too far ahead and just go back to work."

The Senators have been held to six goals while losing three of four to Tampa Bay, which has earned at least one point in seven straight against them after a 4-1 home win in the season's first meeting Dec. 10. Ben Bishop made 30 saves to improve to 7-0-3 against Ottawa with a 2.13 GAA.

Tampa Bay didn't allow the Senators to score on the power play in that contest, part of a four-game stretch where the Lightning's much-maligned unit killed all 10 penalties. However, they've since allowed Toronto and Washington to go 4 of 7.

Two of the Capitals' three goals with the man advantage came during a third period where they scored four times to erase a 3-0 deficit and hand Tampa Bay a 5-3 defeat. The Lightning are last in the Eastern Conference in penalty killing at 76.0 percent.

"That one is a tough one to swallow, because for the most part, I thought 5-on-5 we played extremely well in the first and second periods," forward Steven Stamkos said after the Lightning fell to 5-3-0 in December.

On a positive note, Stamkos snapped a 10-game goal drought with his 12th to tie Nikita Kucherov for the team lead. Stamkos has a point in seven straight home games against Ottawa.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (21-6) at Rangers (18-11)

Date: December 20, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Despite differing perspectives on a lopsided loss to the New York Rangers last month, the Washington Capitals know they must play better to claim a win Sunday night in a clash between two of the Eastern Conference's top teams.

The Rangers made the most of their limited opportunities in a 5-2 home win Nov. 3 over the Capitals, scoring on two of their three second-period shots and beating Braden Holtby four times on 11 shots in the opening 27 minutes. Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves for his fourth straight win overall against Washington, having backstopped New York from a 3-1 series deficit in last season's conference semifinals.

Depending on who you talked to following Saturday's practice, the Rangers either got very lucky last month or the Capitals were very sloppy.

"We played good, we got a little unlucky and they buried their chances," Washington defenseman Karl Alzner said. "I think things have been clicking better for us at this point. Last game against them was a weird one I think, so we want to see how we match up now.

"It'll be a fun game but obviously we need to try and get some separation and a little bit of confidence against them."

Holtby, coming off a rare poor game Friday against Tampa Bay in which he was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots, had a different view of that November loss from the crease.

"I thought that was one of our worst games, we let their strengths overpower ours in that game, they got a lot of off-rush chances, which is what they thrive on," said Holtby, who has an NHL-best 1.92 goals-against average this season but a 3.45 GAA in losing four of his last five regular-season starts versus the Rangers.

"We learned in the playoffs last year how you stop that is with your forecheck and if they don't get much off the rush, they don't get much."

The Capitals (23-6-2) picked up Holtby on Friday night, rallying for four third-period goals to beat the Lightning 5-3 and open a six-point lead on the Rangers. Washington's power play clicked for a season-high three goals, with Alexander Ovechkin and Marcus Johansson connecting on the man advantage for the tying and go-ahead tallies.

Washington has won four straight and is 13-1-1 in its last 15, converting 28.9 percent (13 for 45) of its power-play chances.

The Rangers (19-11-4) are trending in the opposite direction, limping back home after lopsided 5-2 losses at Minnesota and Winnipeg. New York had all sorts of trouble containing the Jets' top line of Bryan Little, Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler on Friday - the trio accounted for three goals and six assists - and must now contend with Ovechkin coming off a season-best four-point effort that included his first multigoal game of 2015-16.

"There's a lot of frustration," captain Ryan McDonagh said after the Rangers fell to 1-5-1 in their last seven. "A lot of mind racing as far as what you can do better and that's not a good situation to be in."

Lundqvist has a dreadful 4.35 GAA in his last four games and enters this one with some urgency to get New York into the holiday break with momentum.

"We have two more games ... We have to do everything we can to win those two games and go into the break and come back energized," he told the Rangers' official website.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (14-15) at Red Wings (15-9)

Date: December 20, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Detroit Red Wings have cooled off following a hot stretch - a fate the Calgary Flames are looking to avoid.

After coach Jeff Blashill declared himself "embarrassed" following the Red Wings' latest performance, they may need to overcome a pair of absences in an effort to end a three-game slide Sunday night against the Flames.

Detroit (16-9-7) has followed an 8-0-4 stretch by going 0-1-2 - each game decided by one goal - after falling 4-3 to Vancouver in a seven-round shootout Friday. However, the scoreline was rather flattering since the Red wings were outshot 27-10 through the first two periods and 40-28 overall.

"I was embarrassed at the job I did to get our team ready to go out and play. It's unacceptable," Blashill told the team's official website. "There's no question about it. Now with that said, I have unbelievable belief in this group as people and as winners. So I believe that we're going to be totally ready to play (Sunday)."

That may not be the case for center Henrik Zetterberg (lower body) and defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (upper body), who were injured against the Canucks. Zetterberg was reportedly limited at practice Saturday, while Ericsson didn't participate.

"He might be out," Blashill said of Ericsson. "Right now it's day to day but it might change. I think those things change depending on how he reacts."

Zetterberg leads the Wings with 25 points and has recorded six in the last four meetings with the Flames (15-15-2).

Justin Abdelkader has four goals and two assists over his last four versus Calgary after getting two points over his first 12. The left wing has no points in the last three overall after collecting five goals and one assist in the previous five.

The Flames ended a season-high seven-game winning streak Saturday, giving up the first three goals in a 3-2 defeat at St. Louis.

"The positive is we've won seven in a row before and lost one game," said captain Mark Giordano, who netted his seventh goal. "Now we have an opportunity (Sunday) to finish three-and-one on this road trip, which is a big road trip for us. We've got to come out ready to play, better off the hop. It starts with me."

Calgary's power play has been a problem all season, ranking last in the NHL with a 10.3 percent success rate. The unit has failed to score on 49 of 51 chances over the last 15 games, including all 16 over the past five.

"We're going to keep working at it," coach Bob Hartley said. "The power play is a big part of the team success. The guys are trying their best, but right now it's just not working. We're getting chances. I'd like to see a little bit more net-front presence. I think we're moving the puck better."

Sean Monahan is tied with Johnny Gaudreau for the team lead with 12 goals after finding the net once in each of the last two games. Monahan has 10 points in the last eight games, while Gaudreau has seven goals and five assists over that span despite being held off the score sheet Saturday.

They've combined for six assists while the Flames have won the last two matchups with Detroit. Two of those came when they set up Giordano's overtime goal in a 3-2 win Oct. 23.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (15-15) at Blackhawks (18-11)

Date: December 20, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Amid the boos of his hometown crowd, Patrick Kane steadily went about the business of extending his new baby streak.

Back on home ice, the Chicago Blackhawks hope to extend their mini-run when the San Jose Sharks visit United Center on Sunday night.

Chicago (19-11-4) opened its back-to-back set Saturday night with a 3-2 shootout win at Buffalo, the Blackhawks' second straight victory and sixth in the last eight games. The latest win was keyed by Kane's tying goal with 34 seconds left in regulation and his shootout winner - both drowned out by the boos of the Buffalo crowd.

It was Kane's first trip to his hometown since an August investigation into a rape allegation for which he was never charged.

Four days after his two-month point streak ended at 26 games, Kane logged points in his second consecutive contest this week. His 20th goal gave him at least that many in all nine seasons of his career.

"What he was going through, it's very remarkable," coach Joel Quenneville said before the game of Kane's focus. "I commend him on how he's handled the whole situation coming into the season. His mind was in the right place, focused, game in, game out."

While Kane has continued his hot play after the streak ended, Corey Crawford has been lights out in net, winning six times with a 0.85 goals-against average and three shutouts in his last seven starts. As has been the case in each of Chicago's other seven back-to-back sets, however, backup Scott Darling is in line to make Sunday's start.

Darling is 0-1-1 in his last two outings, allowing seven goals with a 3.51 GAA and .899 save percentage. The Blackhawks are 3-3-1 in the second of back-to-backs this season and 2-2-1 with Darling in net.

Chicago, which is 13-4-1 at home, has won the last two in this series and three of the last four. The most recent victory was a 5-2 win Nov. 25 at San Jose in which Kane had two assists and five different Chicago players scored.

The Blackhawks are 7-0-1 against the Sharks in Chicago since March 14, 2011.

San Jose (16-15-1) is one of six NHL teams with double-digit wins on the road at 12-6-1, but is just 2-3-1 away from home since Dec. 4.

The Sharks opened a five-game trip with a pair of wins but lost 4-2 at Ottawa on Friday. One day after matching a season high in goals with a 5-4 win at Toronto, San Jose didn't manage much on 33 shots.

The first three games of the road swing, which opened with Tuesday's 3-1 win at Montreal, were played in four days and followed a 1-6-1 skid.

"I thought considering the circumstances, traveling, three in four nights and back-to-back, we came out and gave a pretty good effort," coach Pete DeBoer told the team's official website.

Alex Stalock made 31 saves, but starter Martin Jones will be back in net for this one. Jones lost while making 21 saves in the first matchup against Chicago, and he dropped his only other start versus the Blackhawks in 2013 despite allowing just one goal on 30 shots.

 

[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 10 53.5 51 UNDER
12/2 4 22.5 18 UNDER
12/3 8 41.5 37 UNDER
12/4 7 36 33 UNDER
12/5 10 52 54 OVER
12/6 7 36 37 OVER
12/7 3 16 15 UNDER
12/8 9 48.5 55 OVER
12/9 4 21.5 20 UNDER
12/10 7 37 44 OVER
12/11 7 36 37 OVER
12/12 10 52 47 UNDER
12/13 3 15 12 UNDER
12/14 5 25.5 24 UNDER
12/15 11 58.5 61 OVER
12/16 2 10.5 6 UNDER
12/17 11 59.5 56 UNDER
12/18 6 30.5 38 OVER
12/19 10 52 46 UNDER
12/20 6 - - -
12/21 8 - - -
12/22 10 - - -
12/23 No games scheduled - - -
12/24 No games scheduled - - -
12/25 No games scheduled - - -
12/26 9 - - -
12/27 9 - - -
12/28 6 - - -
12/29 10 - - -
12/30 5 - - -
12/31 9 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Florida won four of its last five games.
-- Bruins won four of their last five games.
-- Tampa Bay won five of its last eight games.
-- Washington won five of its last six games.
-- Calgary won seven of its last eight games.
-- Chicago won four of its last five games.

Cold teams
-- Vancouver lost three of its last four games.
-- New Jersey lost three of its last four games.
-- Senators lost four of their last five road games.
-- Rangers lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Detroit lost four of its last five games.
-- Sharks lost seven of their last nine games.

Series records
-- Canucks won five of their last eight games with Florida.
-- Devils lost eight of last ten games with Boston.
-- Lightning won three of last four games with Ottawa.
-- Rangers won their last four games with Washington.
-- Flames are 5-3 in their last eight games with Detroit.
-- Blackhawks won three of last four games with San Jose.

Totals
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Canuck-Panther games.
-- Six of last seven Boston games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Ottawa-Tampa Bay games stayed under.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Ranger-Washington games.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Calgary games.
-- Seven of last ten San Jose games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- New Jersey is 1-2 if it played the night before.
-- Calgary is 2-3 if it played the night before.
-- Chicago is 3-0 at home if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Cavs' Irving to make debut Sunday
By The Sports Xchange

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving will make his season debut Sunday against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers.
Irving has been recovering from a fractured leg kneecap. He was injured during the NBA Finals last June.
"I'm pretty ... excited," Irving said Saturday. "There were a few things I had to clear, but there was no rush on it. ... I've been ready to play, but biomechanically we just wanted to make sure everything was good so I wouldn't put myself at risk."
Cavaliers coach David Blatt said Irving's minutes will be watched carefully for now, but he is expected to start. Backup point guard Mo Williams will not play because of a sprained wrist. Guard Iman Shumpert is listed as questionable because of a groin strain.
The Cavaliers also assigned guard Joe Harris to the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League.

---Indiana Pacers forward Paul George has been fined $35,000 for public criticism of officiating and using profanity in a live television interview, the NBA announced Saturday.
George made his comments following the Pacers' 104-97 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
"The stripes (were) terrible," George told the team's local TV station, FOX Sports Indiana. "We (had to) go out and just play. The way this game was going and how they (were) calling it, we had to play. ... It's frustrating, but hopefully the league does a better job of looking at (expletive) like this."
George finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds but also committed seven turnovers.

---The Detroit Pistons assigned guard Darrun Hilliard and forward Reggie Bullock to the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA D-League.
Hilliard has appeared in seven games for the Pistons this season, averaging 3.0 points in 6.5 minutes per game. Bullock has appeared in 14 games, averaging 5.6 minutes a game.

---The Toronto Raptors assigned guard Norman Powell to the Raptors 905 of the NBA D-League.
Powell has appeared in 12 games this season with the Raptors, averaging 1.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 5.9 minutes per game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (10-16) at Nets (7-19)

Date: December 20, 2015 1:00 PM EDT

(AP) - Minnesota Timberwolves coach Sam Mitchell had to catch himself on more than one occasion during games this season with a youthful team.

When the game was getting tight, one of his young players would make a mistake. Zach LaVine might rush a pump fake on his way to the basket and get called for traveling. Andrew Wiggins might force a shot in traffic. Shabazz Muhammad might lose track of his man on the weak side and get beat for a layup.

Sometimes the hard-nosed interim coach will lose it, letting them have it in frustrated postgame addresses. More often, he tries to take a deep breath and remind himself about the youthful inexperience of his team. The lumps they're taking now are part of a painful but necessary process, one which continues Sunday night on the road against the Brooklyn Nets.

'I have to rein myself in sometimes,' Mitchell said. 'Sometimes I get a little overzealous or excited when we beat Atlanta, beat Chicago, beat some of these teams. I have to remind myself that Andrew Wiggins is 20. Zach LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns, guys we're leaning on are 20 years old. But I'm pleased that we're getting better. I think everyone can see that.'

The Timberwolves were one of the surprise teams of the league early in the season after getting off to an 8-8 start that included impressive road wins at Atlanta, Chicago and Miami. The flurry had their long-suffering fans - who haven't watched their team play in a playoff game since 2004 - hopeful that the longest-running postseason drought in the league was coming to an end.

They have lost eight of 10 games since then, dropping down to 10-16 and 12th place in the muddled Western Conference with home losses to Denver, Portland and Orlando in that stretch.

The Timberwolves, and many executives and coaches around the league, believe the end of those struggles is near. Wiggins and Towns - the last two No. 1 overall picks - look like future stars. LaVine has made huge strides as a combo guard. Add in Muhammad, Gorgui Dieng and Ricky Rubio and the Wolves have one of the most promising young cores in the league.

Their top three scorers - Wiggins (21.3 points per game), Towns (15.4) and LaVine (14.8) - have a chance to become the first trio of teammates in league history to average 15 points in a season they started as 19 or 20-year-olds.

Oklahoma City in 2008-09 with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and the 1996-97 Timberwolves with Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury are the only teams with two players hitting that mark.

Garnett, Tayshaun Prince and Andre Miller are here to help the kids through the adversity.

Among the concerns to address is the youngsters' play on defense, which had gotten so bad recently that Mitchell was forced to return the veteran Prince to the starting lineup for stability.

'At some point they're going to get it, but they're not going to get it overnight,' Mitchell said. 'If they did, we'd be the first team in history with a bunch of 20-year-olds that would have gotten it before anybody else. I'd like to think I can coach, but I realize I'm not that good. Some things are going to take time.'

And as hard as it is for fans to remain patient, it's even more difficult for the players.

'We're fed up with it,' LaVine said. 'It's not like we like losing. We won 16 games last year. It's really annoying. We're going out there to win. We just need to learn how to put it together.'

The Nets (7-19) aren't doing any better. They've lost four straight overall and eight in a row on the road.

Their road record fell to 1-12 with Friday's 104-97 defeat at Indiana despite Jarrett Jack's 26 points, two off his season high. Jack was 3 of 6 from 3-point range following a 4-of-18 slump.

Brooklyn is the league's worst 3-point shooting team at 31.3 percent, also ranking last in 3s made (130) and attempted (416).

These teams have split the last six meetings, with the Nets winning 122-106 at Minnesota on March 16 in the most recent one.

An injured Garnett missed that game, so this will be his first playing against the team with which he spent a disappointing year and a half before being traded to the Timberwolves for Thaddeus Young at last season's trade deadline.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Trail Blazers (11-17) at Heat (15-10)

Date: December 20, 2015 1:00 PM EDT

A matchup with one of the Eastern Conference's better teams resulted in one of the Miami Heat's poorer defensive performances.

Facing one of the West's lesser clubs could help them bounce back.

The Heat look to maintain their recent success in interconference games in Sunday's matchup with a Portland Trail Blazers team that's struggled badly against the East.

Miami (15-10) was denied its first four-game win streak of the post-LeBron James era in Friday's 108-94 home loss to Toronto. The Atlantic Division-leading Raptors shot 63.9 percent in the second half to overcome an 11-point third-quarter deficit, and their 51.3 percent field-goal rate was the second-highest by a Heat opponent this season.

"A team can beat you but they have to beat you at your best. And we weren't even close to our best tonight," said Chris Bosh after losing to his former team for the first time in 13 career meetings in which he's played.

Portland (11-17) represents a good opportunity for the Heat to get back on track. The Trail Blazers have lost 11 of 12 to East teams dating back to last season and eight straight on the road, where they've dropped 10 of 13 overall.

The Blazers fell to 1-7 against the East this season and 0-2 on a five-game trip with Friday's 102-94 defeat to Orlando. They were hurt by 19 turnovers that the Magic converted into 23 points.

'Turnovers come in bunches for us,' coach Terry Stotts said. '... Some of it was our fault, some was the defense, but we have to do a better job of understanding the game and not compounding one mistake with another.'

Portland is committing 16.5 turnovers per game on the road, fourth-worst in the league.

Another season-long weakness has been inside scoring, and the Blazers were outscored 52-18 in the paint Friday.

"We are a perimeter shooting team. I'm really not concerned about our points in the paint," Stotts said. "When we can get there, I want to get there. I'm more concerned about defensively giving up that many."

Portland draws another potentially bad matchup Sunday, as the Heat have been among the league's best at defending the 3-point shot at 31.4 percent. The Blazers are 1-7 when held under that mark.

Plus, Miami is 7-1 versus the West and has won 11 of 13 interconference games at home since March.

The Heat recorded their third straight home victory over the Trail Blazers with a 108-104 win March 18, receiving 32 points from Dwyane Wade and 24 from Luol Deng.

Wade had 21 points against Toronto and sixth man Gerald Green added 20 while going 5 of 10 on 3s. Green has averaged 17.3 points over his last four to give a needed spark to a bench that ranks 28th in the NBA in scoring (26.3 points per game).

Portland continues to rely heavily on its backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Whereas McCollum had 27 points Friday and is averaging 23.2 in the last six games while going 20 of 40 from 3, Lillard has shot 28.6 percent on the road trip and was 4 of 15 from the field with six turnovers Friday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: 76ers (1-27) at Cavaliers (17-7)

Date: December 20, 2015 3:30 PM EDT

Two words signaled the end of Cleveland's stay in limbo and the true start of its Eastern Conference title defense: I'm back.

That was the message tweeted by Kyrie Irving, who will play for the first time in 6 1/2 months Sunday when the Cavaliers host the lowly Philadelphia 76ers.

The All-Star point guard has been out of action since breaking his left kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 4. Although the Cavs opened 17-7 without him, questions linger about their readiness to compete for another championship.

Even with Iman Shumpert (groin) questionable and Mo Williams (thumb) out Sunday, Cleveland is finally getting a closer look at its ideal roster.

"You wouldn't wish injury on anybody, just going through those months, just being a prisoner of your own emotions and thoughts, that's the hardest thing," Irving said following Saturday's practice. "I'll probably go home and let all my emotions out, but I'm pretty excited to be back out there with my brothers."

They're thrilled to have him. Williams and Matthew Dellavedova have handled most of the point guard duties, but the club's scoring average has dipped only slightly from 103.1 a season ago to 101.6. The Cavs, though, have averaged 96.8 in their last nine games.

More importantly, they get a player who can take over a game, providing some relief for LeBron James. Irving scored 30 or more points 10 times last season, including career highs of 57 and 55. He averaged 21.7 and had five games with 10-plus assists.

The Cavs have been cautious with Irving, who was expected back earlier this week, and are not going to force the issue just yet.

"We're going to be real conscious of the number of minutes and the number of minutes that he plays at one time," coach David Blatt said. "I'm not going to give you a number, but certainly it's something that's in our mind."

Irving joins a team rolling with four straight wins after Thursday's 104-100 victory over Oklahoma City improved them to 11-1 at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland hosts New York on Wednesday before opening a four-game trip Friday with a Finals rematch at Golden State.

The Cavs have won four in a row against the 76ers (1-27), including the first two this season - 107-100 at Philadelphia on Nov. 2 and 108-102 four days later at home. James has averaged 26.5 points, 12.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds in those games and fell one board shy of a triple-double in the first matchup.

Irving could be the next guard to give Philadelphia trouble. Coach Brett Brown ripped his team's perimeter defense after Carmelo Anthony, Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams combined for 55 points in Friday's 107-97 loss to New York.

"It's been non-existent lately," said Brown. "We're just getting manhandled with adult NBA wings. We're really struggling to guard on the perimeter."

Irving's return is a bad break in a season full of them for the 76ers, who are on track for the worst season in NBA history thanks to an 18-game skid at the start and a current nine-game drought that mark the two longest in the league this season.

Friday's loss wasn't as close as the final score indicated. Philadelphia trailed by as many as 30 before cutting into the deficit in the final quarter against New York's bench.

Jahlil Okafor scored 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting. The rookie, who has averaged 21.3 points while shooting 50 percent in his last six games, totaled 42 points in the first two meetings with the Cavs.

Philadelphia is the NBA's only remaining winless team away from home at 0-16.