Sunday 3/13/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
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[Scott602]

Be Careful.. Spartan has been a FADE like Brandon Lang.

I have done my entire backyard fading him... Patio cover, pizza oven, new concrete.

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup TODAY 16:00

Man Utd

v

West Ham

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		17/20	14/5	7/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN UTD	RECENT FORM
AWHWHWHWALAL​ Most recent​	0 - 0 2 - 1 3 - 1 1 - 0	HD*ADAWHWHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Man United have scored just 19 league goals at home

EXPERT VERDICT: West Ham have had a hectic season but have over a week to prepare for this match and that could make a big difference given Manchester United's cramped schedule. The Hammers have claimed a number of big Premier League scalps this term and can land another in this FA Cup quarter-final.

RECOMMENDATION: West Ham
2


REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup TODAY 13:30

Arsenal

v

Watford

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		4/7	10/3	21/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ARSENAL	RECENT FORM
HDHLALHLADAW​ Most recent​	3 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 1 1 - 3	ALAWHWHDALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Watford have not conceded more than a single goal in any of their last ten matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Arsenal remain on course for a third successive FA Cup triumph but are likely to be pushed hard at the Emirates by well-organised Watford. The Hornets are winless in three outings but have been typically competitive and certainly have the ability to secure a replay.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Andre Marriner STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 11:00

Levante

v

Valencia

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS4		6/4	9/4	15/8	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEVANTE	RECENT FORM
HLALHWALHLAD​ Most recent​	2 - 1 2 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 3	AWAWHLAWHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Valencia haven’t kept a clean sheet in 18 league matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Bottom club Levante have won three of their last five at home – the two defeats coming against Barcelona and Real Madrid. They’ll regard inconsistent Valencia as fair game especially as Gary Neville’s men were involved in a tough workout in Bilbao on Thursday.

RECOMMENDATION: Levante
2

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 11:30

Chievo

v

Milan

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		3	9/4	21/20	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CHIEVO	RECENT FORM
ALAWHDALHWAL​ Most recent​	0 - 0 0 - 0 0 - 1 0 - 1	HDHWADHWHWAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Milan have lost just two of their last 20 matches in all competitions

EXPERT VERDICT: Milan’s pursuit of a place in Europe was met with a setback as they lost 2-0 at Sassuolo last weekend but they can bounce back against Chievo. The Rossoneri have steadily improved all season and can gain the victory against opponents who already look destined for a mid-table finish.

RECOMMENDATION: Milan
1

 

[superbeets]

French Ligue 1 TODAY 13:00

Troyes

v

Paris St-G.

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		12	11/2	2/9	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT TROYES	RECENT FORM
ALHD*AWALHLAL​ Most recent​	0 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 2	HWHWALAW*HDAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Troyes have lost seven of their last eight matches

EXPERT VERDICT: A win gives Paris St-Germain the title and they should do so in style. PSG coasted through the last 25 minutes of their 2-1 victory at Chelsea on Wednesday and should have plenty left in the tank when they face Troyes. The hosts are well adrift at the foot of the table and could be heading for a heavy defeat against a PSG side 60 points above them.

RECOMMENDATION: PSG to win 3-0
1

 

[superbeets]

Dutch Eredivisie TODAY 13:30

Vitesse Arn.

v

Feyenoord

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		6/4	9/4	9/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT VITESSE ARN.	RECENT FORM
HDALHWADHLAW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 1 - 2 1 - 0 0 - 4	HLALALHDAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Only Ajax have conceded fewer goals than Vitesse in the Eredivisie this season.

EXPERT VERDICT: After a run of nine games without a win Feyenoord have won their last two, but it would be foolish to think they are playing anywhere near the level they were at in the first few months of the season. Vitesse, who have a solid home record and one of the best defences in the Eredivisie, can hold out for a draw.

RECOMMENDATION: 1-1 draw
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (35-24) at Rangers (39-22)

Date: March 13, 2016 12:30 PM EDT

While the New York Rangers just got a couple key pieces back for their postseason push, the Pittsburgh Penguins will likely be without one of theirs until the second round of the playoffs - if they make it there at all.

With Henrik Lundqvist and Rick Nash back, the Rangers hope to solidify their solid standing Sunday when they host the Penguins, who will try to pad their lead for the Eastern Conference's final spot without Evgeni Malkin.

Pittsburgh (35-24-8) has traded wins and losses in its last six games but may have suffered its biggest loss when Malkin left Friday's 3-2 win in Columbus with an upper-body injury he suffered in a collision with Blue Jackets defenseman Dalton Prout.

It was announced Saturday that Malkin will miss six to eight weeks, a timeline that would keep the star center sidelined until the second round at the earliest.

Malkin, who has 27 goals and 31 assists in 57 games, missed 10 games earlier this season with an undisclosed injury.

His production early this season guarded against a Penguins collapse, and it seemed the club had a shot to kick it into gear while he and Sidney Crosby adapted to new coach Mike Sullivan's system in January.

However, things slowed with a 5-4-1 record and Malkin on the sideline from Feb. 5-24. He returned with four goals and five assists in eight games before exiting Friday's win, which for the time being has the Penguins in the East's No. 8 spot with 78 points.

It appears center Nick Bonino will bump up to Pittsburgh's second line with Malkin out, playing between Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel.

"The focus for me is playing well in our end, getting the puck up to them and let them skate with it and make some plays," Bonino told the team's official website. "For me, my game won't change. I'll still create chances. Hopefully they'll go in."

The Penguins have averaged 3.42 goals over their last 12 games. However, things may be tougher to come by against New York (39-22-7), which just returned its top goaltender eight days after he left a 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh with neck spasms.

Lundqvist made 19 saves and allowed three goals before exiting that loss between the second and third periods, and he missed three more games before returning with 40 saves in Saturday's 3-2 overtime defeat at Detroit.

"It had only been a week, but for some reason it feels like it's been longer," Lundqvist told the team's official website. "I felt like I played my game, but it's just tough to come up short like this when we're that close."

Coach Alain Vigneault confirmed Lundqvist will start again Sunday as the Rangers look to break a tie with Florida for the East's No. 3 seed and bypass Boston for the second spot following a mediocre 2-2-1 stretch. They own the NHL's second-best home record at 23-7-3 - behind only East-leading Washington's 26-6-2.

Nash also returned Saturday from a 20-game absence due to a bone bruise with two shots in 17:12. He has 12 goals and 21 assists in 46 games.

Lundqvist recorded one of his four shutouts this season by making 34 saves in a 3-0 win in Pittsburgh on Feb. 10. That was New York's third straight victory in this series and sixth straight with a point before the Penguins' victory about three weeks later.

Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has 46 saves and a .939 save percentage against the Rangers this season. He became the 20th goaltender in NHL history with 350 wins by making 25 saves in Friday's victory over the Blue Jackets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (39-24) at Blue Jackets (28-32)

Date: March 13, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

A week ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning were alone atop the Atlantic Division and amidst the longest winning streak in club history. Now, they're in danger of equaling their worst slide of the season while just trying to keep pace in a tight division race.

The Lightning can avoid a fourth consecutive defeat by sweeping the season series from the Columbus Blue Jackets in Sunday's opener of a four-game trip.

Since holding a two-point division advantage after a team-record ninth straight win last Saturday over Carolina, Tampa Bay (39-24-5) has gone 0-2-1 and fallen out of the Atlantic lead.

The Lightning, in a battle with Boston and Florida for first place, last dropped four straight to conclude October.

'We're playing like we're a comfortable team in the playoffs,' coach Jon Cooper said after Friday's 3-1 loss to Philadelphia. 'And if we're going to play like that, we won't make it.'

Though missing the playoffs isn't an immediate concern, finding some offense is.

The Lightning averaged 3.7 goals during the winning streak but have totaled three in the last three contests. They hadn't been shut out since mid-November until Tuesday's 1-0 overtime loss to the Bruins, and they only avoided being blanked again Friday because of Brian Boyle's goal with 2:42 to play.

With 19 shots in that defeat and 18 in a 4-2 loss to the Flyers on Monday, the Lightning matched what had been their previous two lowest shot totals of the season.

"We have to look in the mirror here," goalie Ben Bishop told the Lightning's official website. "Obviously it's not a good enough effort to score one goal in two games. We have to be better."

The Lightning need to see improvement from a power-play unit that has not produced a goal in six games and is 4 for 52 in the last 17.

"We have to play more north-south and get those dirty goals," Bishop said. "I think we are trying to be a little too cute here, and hopefully we can watch the video and figure it out."

Steven Stamkos is in danger of going without a point in five straight games for the first time since March 2011. After being blanked in a 2-1 win at Columbus (28-32-6) on Dec. 14, he had two goals with an assist in a 5-2 home victory over the Blue Jackets 12 days later.

Though the Lightning's six-game road winning streak ended Monday, they could get back on track with the first two stops of this trip coming against last-place teams - Columbus and Toronto.

"We have a chance to get better," Boyle said.

Bishop has a 1.20 goals-against average during a five-game road winning streak. He's posted a 1.33 GAA to win three straight against the Blue Jackets, including both meetings this season.

Columbus had a four-game home winning streak snapped with a 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh on Friday.

"We'll learn from it and get ready for a big game on Sunday," captain Nick Foligno said.

Despite the outcome, the Blue Jackets were generally pleased with the 28-save performance from Sergei Bobrovsky in his return from missing 19 games with a groin injury.

'I felt good,' Bobrovsky said. 'I felt better as the game went on.'

Bobrovsky has a 1.10 GAA during his three-game winning streak against the Lightning but last faced them in December 2014.

Cam Atkinson has scored five of his career-high 24 goals in the past five games. He doesn't have any in eight career contests against Tampa Bay.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Maple Leafs (22-34) at Red Wings (34-23)

Date: March 13, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Home hockey has been more enjoyable for Detroit over the past five weeks, and one more win will send the Red Wings off on a four-game road trip with their first perfect homestand all season.

It comes Sunday night with a soft opponent in the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have one win in 13 games without a day of rest.

With Saturday's 3-2 overtime win over the New York Rangers, the Red Wings (34-23-11) are 7-1-1 at home since the All-Star break with 3.11 goals per game. Prior to that, they'd been 11-10-5 with 2.46 per game and a five-game home losing streak heading into the break.

The latest win followed Thursday's 3-2 victory over Winnipeg, and Darren Helm scored twice against the Rangers and notched an assist versus the Jets after managing two points in his previous 10 games. Justin Abdelkader has four points in his last three games after managing one in his previous seven.

"This is kind of the time that the leaders need to step up and I think they've been doing that," Helm told the team's official website. "Obviously, (Tuesday's 5-3 loss in) Columbus was a disappointment, the first period (against) Winnipeg was a little scary but, that was kind of a moment that we looked at each other and knew we had to dig in and find a way to win some games and put some points up, and make a final push."

Detroit had dropped three in a row overall prior to the win over the Jets, and it responded by outshooting the Rangers and Jets 78-50.

"I think a better effort to make sure we get the pucks and pucks to the net create chaos and I think we've done a good job of creating chaos in the last number of games, just getting them to the net and making sure we have bodies to the net," coach Jeff Blashill said.

The winning streak has also featured a turnaround from Petr Mrazek, who managed consecutive 23-save efforts on 25 shots after posting a 4.75 goals-against average and .846 save percentage in his previous three starts. He's 1-1-0 with a .945 save percentage in two career starts against the Maple Leafs, both of which came in Toronto.

The Red Wings have won both meetings this season by a 6-1 total with Abdelkader scoring half of Detroit's goals and contributing an assist. Henrik Zetterberg has the inverse of that with a goal and three assists.

Toronto (22-34-11) is trying to bounce back from Saturday's 4-0 loss in Ottawa, which has the Maple Leafs at 3-12-2 since last winning consecutive games Feb. 2 and 4. They've allowed 3.59 goals per game in that time and 4.37 on a 1-7-0 away stretch.

"I didn't think we were competitive enough," said coach Mike Babcock, whose team is 1-10-2 in the second game of back-to-back sets. "I thought they were ready to go in the first period and obviously the first two shifts of the second and the third we gave up goals. I don't think we made it very hard on (Senators goaltender Craig) Anderson at all."

Even so, the Maple Leafs haven't been outshot by their last seven opponents with a 32.0-25.0 advantage.

Garret Sparks faced the Senators, so Jonathan Bernier figures to be in goal in Detroit. Bernier is 1-8-0 with a 3.49 GAA and .887 save percentage in his last 11 games, though he's posted 1.94 and .938 marks over a 4-2-2 span against the Red Wings.

Niklas Kronwall's status is in doubt after the Detroit defenseman left Saturday's game with a lower-body injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - March

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
3/1 8 48.5 49 OVER
3/2 3 16.5 17 OVER
3/3 12 65.5 69 OVER
3/4 3 15.5 20 OVER
3/5 11 58 62 OVER
3/6 6 30.5 34 OVER
3/7 7 36 38 OVER
3/8 8 44.5 41 UNDER
3/9 6 32.5 32 UNDER
3/10 6 32.5 29 UNDER
3/11 5 26.5 28 OVER
3/12 12 63.5 66 OVER
3/13 3 - - -
3/14 6 - - -
3/15 8 - - -
3/16 6 - - -
3/17 8 - - -
3/18 6 - - -
3/19 11 - - -
3/20 7 - - -
3/21 4 - - -
3/22 10 - - -
3/23 2 - - -
3/24 11 - - -
3/25 3 - - -
3/26 14 - - -
3/27 3 - - -
3/28 8 - - -
3/29 9 - - -
3/30 3 - - -
3/31 10 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Penguins won five of their last eight games.
-- Columbus is 4-0 in game following its last four losses.

Cold teams
-- Rangers lost three of their last five games.
-- Tampa Bay lost last three games, outscored 8-3.
-- Maple Leafs lost six of their last seven games. Detroit lost three of last four

Series records
-- Rangers won four of last five games with Pittsburgh.
-- Lightning won five of last six games with Columbus.
-- Red Wings won six of last nine games with Toronto.

Totals
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Penguin-Ranger games.
-- Six of last eight Tampa Bay-Columbus games stayed under.
-- Last seven Detroit-Toronto games stayed under the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Rangers won last three games if they played the night before.
-- Detroit lost its last seven games if it played night before. Toronto is 1-12 if it played night before- under is 10-1-1 in last 12 of those.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Grizzlies lose PG Conley for 3-4 weeks
By The Sports Xchange

Memphis Grizzlies starting point guard Mike Conley will miss at least 3-4 weeks with an Achilles injury, the team announced Saturday.
Conley has missed the last two games with left foot soreness and received an additional examination Friday that showed Achilles tendinitis. He will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.
Conley has appeared in 56 games (all starts) this season for the Grizzlies, averaging 15.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, a team-high 6.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 31.4 minutes.
The Grizzlies also announced that center Chris Andersen is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury.

---The Grizzlies signed guard Ray McCallum and center Alex Stepheson to 10-day contracts pursuant to the NBA's hardship rule.
McCallum averaged 2.2 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.1 assists in 8.3 minutes during 31 games with the San Antonio Spurs this season before he was waived on Feb. 29.
Stepheson is averaging 15.9 points, 13.8 rebounds and 1.35 blocks in 34.2 minutes in 31 games for the NBA Development League's Iowa Energy this season. His rebounding average is a D-League high and he leads the league in double-doubles (26). He also played three games with the Los Angeles Clippers.

---The Golden State Warriors assigned forward Kevon Looney to the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League.
Looney is averaging 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 4.1 minutes spanning five games. He is also averaging 9.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 19.2 minutes in 10 games this season with Santa Cruz.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cavaliers (46-18) at Clippers (42-22)

Date: March 13, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

With Kyrie Irving leading the way, the Cleveland Cavaliers have continued their recent mastery of Western Conference teams while putting aside last month's road woes.

After playing two of the West's lowlier clubs, the Cavaliers will step up in competition Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers, one of the league's most successful teams against the East.

Irving has totaled 56 points in the first two of four games out West and had 26 in a 120-108 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The point guard is also averaging 25.8 points and shooting 53.5 percent in his past four contests.

"I feel like this is a perfect time to find my rhythm, especially on this road trip," he said. "Over the last few games, I have tried to be aggressive and live off the confidence my teammates have in me."

The Cavaliers (46-18) are 10-1 in their last 11 against the West, a stretch that began with a 115-102 win over the Clippers on Jan. 21 and followed a 132-98 drubbing by Golden State on Jan. 18 that heavily contributed to coach David Blatt's firing. They have also won in eight of their last nine visits to those teams.

Cleveland is also 5-1 since losing three of four to close February, and could get Kevin Love back after a one-game absence due to knee issues.

Channing Frye had a season-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting in his place Thursday.

"Hopefully, Kevin comes back but I'm going to go out and be ready regardless," Frye said.

The Cavaliers will try to add a fourth consecutive win over the Clippers (42-22). They went 13 of 28 from 3-point range and shot 50.6 percent overall in the victory in January.

That loss was one of just four in Los Angeles' last 21 games against East opponents, and the Clippers are 20-7 in interconference play.

"(Cleveland is) tough. They're playing good basketball. They have so many players who can make players. That makes them so dangerous," coach Doc Rivers said. "It's going to be a tough matchup for us."

The Clippers topped New York 101-94 on Friday after blowing a 15-point lead, their third win in four home contests.

"I think I have said this for 10 years, but people do not respect how hard it is to win a game in this league," Rivers said. "Just because a team has a bad record - and you have everything to play for - they didn't just wake up this morning and say: 'Let's lose.'"

Chris Paul had 24 points and has 31 assists his last two games after dishing out 15 on Friday. J.J. Redick reached the 20-point mark in his third straight.

Paul, averaging 23.4 points on 51.7 percent shooting in his last seven games, had 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting in the loss in Cleveland.

Irving scored 37 in the Cavaliers' most recent road game against the Clippers, a 126-121 victory Jan. 16, 2015. LeBron James provided 32 points and has scored 30 or more in each of his last three visits.

Cleveland has won in six of its past eight road games against the Clippers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (35-30) at Hawks (37-29)

Date: March 13, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

First to 100 points wins, and a lower offer might suffice.

It's been 11 meetings since Indiana and Atlanta played a game that required a triple-digit point total for a victory, and the Pacers visit the Hawks on Sunday hoping for a third win in the four-game season series as well as a fourth straight overall in a game among teams jockeying for Eastern Conference playoff positions.

The Pacers (35-30) have won two of three meetings this season after the Hawks won the previous four as part of a 6-5 span in the series during which the losing team has never scored more than 98 points.

The same goes for the last 10 scores at the end of regulation for the Hawks (37-29) and their opponents. Saturday's 95-83 home win over Memphis kept them one and a half games up on Indiana for the East's No. 6 seed.

But it's the Pacers who are streaking following Saturday's 112-105 win in Dallas with Paul George scoring 20 points and former Mavericks guard Monta Ellis adding 17 on 7-of-13 shooting. Ellis has averaged 20.0 points and shot 50.0 percent on the winning streak, as well as 20.7 while hitting 12 of 23 from 3-point range against Atlanta.

"That's the reason why we got him. It's so teams aren't just dialed in on me," George told the team's official website. "We've got more weapons and more scorers on this team than just me. He definitely helps out a lot. I try to help him as well by staying aggressive and keeping defenses locked in on me."

In the last four games, George has managed 29.0 points and made 44.8 percent of his 3-pointers, though only 11.8 of those points are coming in the first half. He scored 18 of his 20 in the second against the Grizzlies.

"I knew I had to find a rhythm for myself," George said. "It was just get the ball and go, and create offense for myself. I was trying to get other guys going. We got some good looks. I thought they were really dialed in to me on the strong side, so I tried to get everything on weak side."

In the last four games between the Pacers and Hawks, they've each won two home games with a 391-391 total score.

George had 31 points in a 102-96 loss Feb. 5 but has been held to 17.0 points on 34.8 percent in this season's matchups. Atlanta got 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting from Paul Millsap in that win, and the forward also led the Hawks with 21 on Saturday.

Atlanta limited Memphis to 34.7 percent and 6 of 23 from 3-point range. Over a 6-2 span, the Hawks have held opponents to 89.8 points on 37.8 percent and 27.7 from long range with five of those teams failing to top 88.

It was the ninth straight game in which no Atlanta player reached 25 points, a situation the team embraces. The Hawks won 60 games last season with six players averaging double figures ranging from 10.0 to 16.7.

"That's Hawks basketball," said Millsap, who was one of five players with at least 13 points.

Thabo Sefolosha was another, and the forward recorded his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds - the kind of performances Millsap is referencing with the phrase "Hawks basketball."

"Thabo did a great job for us," Millsap said. "He set the tone for us - rebounding, blocking shots, defense, name it."

Jeff Teague, meanwhile, continued to excel from 3-point range, hitting 4 of 7 on his way to 18 points. The point guard is averaging 18.5 while making 47.6 percent of his 3s in the last four games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (30-35) at Kings (25-39)

Date: March 13, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

The likelihood of long-term harmony between Sacramento Kings All-Star DeMarcus Cousins and George Karl appeared poor almost from the start of the veteran coach's tenure last season.

The relationship hit another bump this past week, but the two have worked well enough together against the Utah Jazz to produce wins in each of this season's two meetings.

Cousins will try to help deal another blow to the Jazz's playoff hopes in his return from a one-game suspension Sunday.

The friction between Karl and Cousins is what reportedly led to rumors that the big man was set to be traded this past offseason. The Kings decided to keep him, and he has rewarded them with a career-best 27.4 points per game.

Cousins, however, also had a reported run-in with his coach in the locker room after a 106-88 loss to San Antonio on Nov. 9. His disagreement with Karl in a 120-111 loss to Cleveland on Wednesday was out in the open, on the Kings' bench.

That brought a response the next day from general manager Vlade Divac, who announced the suspension for "conduct detrimental to the team."

'When you lose games, frustration evolves in many ways. Sometimes it crosses a line," said Karl, who was rumored to be on the way out of Sacramento last month. "Hopefully we can communicate, and he gets to a good place."

Without Cousins, who was averaging 33.3 points in his last three contests, Sacramento (25-39) lost for the eighth time in nine games Friday. A 107-100 defeat to Orlando was also the team's season-high fifth straight at home.

"I don't think it's doomsday," Karl said. "I think it's still a team that has an ability to play better basketball, maybe a more complete 48 minutes."

Kosta Koufos tried to make up for Cousins' absence with a season-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting off the bench. Rudy Gay, meanwhile, had one of his worst games of the season, missing seven of nine shots from the field and committing six turnovers.

Gay has keyed Sacramento winning both matchups with Utah. He had 24 points, including the go-ahead shot with 0.9 seconds left, in a 103-101 victory Jan. 14 and scored 23 on 10-of-13 shooting in a 114-106 home win Dec. 8.

Cousins had 36 points and 17 rebounds in the last meeting, helping put the Kings in position to sweep the season series for the first time since 2001-02.

The Jazz (30-35) have lost 10 of 14 overall to fall from seventh to ninth in the Western Conference but topped Washington 114-93 on Friday.

Shelvin Mack scored a career-high 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting, and Utah connected at 56.7 percent for its second-best showing this season. Mack had shot 27.7 percent in the previous five games and averaged 10.2 points in his first 10 after being acquired from Atlanta on Feb. 18.

"I felt like I was a little more aggressive. I have kind of been in a shooting slump, but the best way to get out of it is to keep shooting," Mack said. "It's the NBA. To make it in this league, you have to keep grinding."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (28-38) at Nets (18-47)

Date: March 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Jason Kidd has lost just once in six meetings against his former team since getting traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Milwaukee Bucks in the summer of 2014.

A sweep of the Nets would be of small consolation for the coach in what has been a miserable season for both sides.

Kidd and the last-place Bucks seek their third win in a row overall and fourth straight over the woeful Nets on Sunday night at Barclays Center, where Brooklyn will play for the first time in three weeks.

Kidd's first head coaching gig was with the Nets in 2013-14 and resulted in a 44-38 record and sixth seed in the playoffs, where they upset Toronto before getting ousted by eventual Finals runner-up Miami in five games.

It proved to be a short stay in Brooklyn for Kidd, who sought more control over the team in the offseason and was subsequently traded to the Bucks for two second-round draft picks.

While the Nets (18-47) have regressed since and are better than only Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee has backslid from a promising 2014-15 into this season's disappointing 28-38 mark.

The Bucks are clinging to their postseason hopes, though, behind consecutive wins despite needing to leapfrog four teams for the eighth spot, which they trail by six with 16 to play.

The NBA gods seem to be against letting them make a serious run.

While John Henson returned to practice last week for the first time in more than a month since injuring his back, O.J. Mayo was lost for the season after breaking his ankle going down a flight of stairs at his home Thursday - the same day Michael Carter-Williams underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip.

Another obstacle is playing the second game of a back-to-back in Brooklyn after Saturday's 103-92 home win over New Orleans. The Bucks, who are 8-26 away from home, will have to deal with the switch to daylight saving time and traveling into the Eastern time zone.

'I think the league is testing us to see how we can handle back-to-back (games) while losing two hours,' Kidd said.

This will be Kidd's third trip back to Barclays Center, where he heard a mixture of boos and cheers in a 103-96 win on Nov. 2. Five days later, the Bucks rolled to a 94-86 victory over the Nets in Milwaukee.

Jerryd Bayless averages only 10.9 points for the Bucks this season, but he went for a season-high 26 in the first meeting and followed it with 19 and 10 assists in the second. Bayless had 17 points Saturday in his second game back in the starting lineup following Mayo's injury.

The two losses to Milwaukee were part of a 0-7 start to the season for Brooklyn, and things have only gotten marginally better since.

After a 6-6 stretch from Feb. 5-March 4, the Nets have dropped three straight - including Friday's 95-89 loss at the 76ers to close a season-high nine-game road trip 3-6.

Philadelphia is 2-18 since Jan. 27, both wins coming against Brooklyn.

While the 76ers are the NBA's third-worst defensive team at 107.3 points per game allowed, Milwaukee is a bit better at 103.1. The Bucks held the Pelicans to 39.3 percent shooting while forcing 16 turnovers - their seventh straight game turning over opponents at least that many times.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (27-40) at Lakers (14-52)

Date: March 13, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

Coming off a strong performance against LeBron James, Kobe Bryant gets one final crack at another NBA superstar while his former coach looks on.

With Phil Jackson in attendance, Bryant tries to help prevent Carmelo Anthony and the visiting New York Knicks from sweeping a second consecutive season series from his Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.

In one of the more memorable moments to his final season, Bryant scored 26 points and shot a season-best 11 of 16 in Thursday's 120-108 loss to Cleveland. Though Los Angeles (14-52) failed to match a season-high three-game winning streak, Bryant slightly got the best of James (24 points, 9-of-18 shooting) while scoring his most points in 10 contests.

"It was fun to watch," Lakers coach Byron Scott said. "It seemed like Kobe had a flashback for himself."

The attention now turns to New York (27-40), which looks to bounce back from Friday's 101-94 loss to the Clippers in the same building.

"Bumping Carmelo," said Bryant, who last took the court in back-to-back contests while playing 10 straight Jan. 31-Feb. 24. "He's a bear, man. I'm going to look forward to matching up with him. It's going to be fun."

It's likely also the final chance Jackson, the Knicks president, gets to watch the guy he coached to five NBA titles.

"Obviously I know what they are going to be running," Bryant joked in reference to the Knicks' triangle offense used by interim coach Kurt Rambis, who played for and coached the Lakers.

"I'll probably help Carmelo out and tell him where to go in certain spots on the floor."

Averaging 26.9 points against the Knicks, Bryant missed four straight matchups before scoring 18 and going 2 of 10 from 3-point range in a 99-95 loss at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 8. Anthony scored 24 to help New York to a third consecutive victory in the series.

After that contest, the two friends and Olympic teammates shared a lengthy embrace.

'I told him, I said it's not going to feel the same with him being gone,' said Anthony, who more frequently dueled with Bryant while playing his first seven-plus seasons in Denver.

'Him helping me kind of throughout my career, being that guy I can talk to, it's not going to be the same.'

Though Jackson and Bryant have had their issues, the two seem to be in a better place. Jackson applauds the way an ailing Bryant has handled playing his final season for a team that won't make the playoffs.

"He's done it gracefully," Jackson said. "I think he's been appreciated by the fans. ... It will be interesting and fun to be here."

With Jackson in Los Angeles, conflicting reports about him possibly returning to the Lakers in some capacity were naturally revisited. Jackson's fiancee Jeanie Buss is part-owner and president of the Lakers.

"The energy I have is directed toward turning (the Knicks) around," said Jackson, whose club is 4-9 since Rambis replaced the fired Derek Fisher.

While Bryant versus Anthony will be the focus of the fans, Jackson and Rambis should be eager to see if rookie Kristaps Porzingis can build on Friday's 23-point effort. The 7-foot-3 Latvian, who averaged 10.8 points in his previous five games, was just 6 of 17 from the field but showed improvement after going 5 for 21 in the previous two contests.

He had 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Lakers.

Taken two picks ahead of Porzingis at No. 2 overall, Lakers rookie D'Angelo Russell had six points at New York but has averaged 23.3 in the last eight games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game of the Day: Cavaliers at Clippers

Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Clippers (+1.5, 208)

Power forward Kevin Love will return after a one-game absence and the Cleveland Cavaliers look for their sixth victory in seven games when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Love sat out Thursday's victory over the Los Angeles Lakers due to pain in both knees and he's looking to rebound from an 11-for-42 shooting slump over his last four outings.

Love's shaky play has contributed to the Cavaliers being unable to perform at the level that forward LeBron James is seeking. Cleveland's recent surge has been fueled by point guard Kyrie Irving, who is averaging 24.9 points over the last seven games after scoring 26 during Thursday's 120-108 win over the Lakers. The Clippers have won five of their past seven games as they make a run at catching the third-place Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference playoff race. The contest with the Cavaliers is followed by a five-game road trip that begins in San Antonio and concludes by visiting the Golden State Warriors.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: The spread opened on Saturday afternoon with the Cavaliers pegged as 1.5 point favorites and has held steady. The total hit the board at 207.5 and rose slightly to 208 by Saturday evening.

INJURY REPORT:

Cavaliers - C T. Mozgov (Questionable Sunday, illness)

Clippers - PF L. Mbah a Moute (Questionable Sunday, eye)
SF P. Pierce (Questionable Sunday, toe)

POWER RANKINGS: Cavaliers (-8.9) - Clippers (-8.8) + home court (-3) = Clippers -2.9

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Cleveland will be playing an early daytime game on the West Coast after daylight savings time. The Cavaliers have been in California since Wednesday, and they’ve had two days off prior to this game, but this is still a tricky scheduling spot. Los Angeles has alternated wins and losses over their last four games; they won at home in their last game. The Clippers’ defense has allowed 98 points or less in four of their last five home games." - Steve Merril

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (46-18): Cleveland is vying to hold off Toronto for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and is 2-0 on a four-game road trip that concludes Monday against Utah. Center Tristan Thompson has posted back-to-back double-doubles during the excursion and is averaging 14 points and 14.5 rebounds in the two contests. Thompson has scored in double digits in a season-best six straight games and is averaging 12.5 points on 28-of-41 shooting during the stretch.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (42-22): Small forward Jeff Green has produced back-to-back strong efforts by averaging 20 points on 16-of-24 shooting against Oklahoma City and the New York Knicks. Consistency has been an issue for Green since he was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies as he scored in double digits in only one of the previous four games, twice going scoreless. "It's great that I'm on the floor," Green said after playing 45 minutes against the Knicks on Friday. "I don’t mind it. It's all about competing. It's 5-on-5. I’m going to push through and compete."

TRENDS:

* Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Pacific.
* Clippers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Over is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Under is 7-1 in Clippers last 8 home games.

CONSENSUS: The public seems to agree with our Power Rankings and is favoring the Clippers early on. The over is getting punched at a very agressive 71 percent and we can expect the total to move up, at least, another half point by gametime Sunday afternoon.