Thursday 10/27/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

German Bundesliga Fr 28Oct 19:30

Mgladbach

v

E Frankfurt

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

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MGLADBACH	RECENT FORM
HLALHDAWALHW​ Most recent​	3 - 0 1 - 3 4 - 1 2 - 0	AWHDALHDAWHD*​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Gladbach have won ten and drawn the other of their last 11 home league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Gladbach have lost only once at home in the league in over a year - and that was against Borussia Dortmund - and did the double over Frankfurt last term to the tune of an 8-1 aggregate. Frankfurt have won two of four away games, but those were against backmarkers Ingolstadt and Hamburg, and this is a far tougher test.

RECOMMENDATION: Gladbach
2

French Ligue 1 Fr 28Oct 19:45

Lille

v

Paris St-G.

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT3		11/2	14/5	4/7	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LILLE	RECENT FORM
ALHLALHWALHW​ Most recent​	0 - 1 0 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 3	ALAWHWAWHWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Lille have been level at half-time in four of their last five home games

EXPERT VERDICT: PSG could not break down a defensively-minded Marseille side last week and they are not certain to get the better of Lille either. The Parisians may not make an immediate impact so backing them to break the deadlock later in the game could be the way to go in what could be a low-scoring encounter.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw-PSG double result
1

Spanish La Liga Fr 28Oct 19:45

Leganes

v

Sociedad

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS3		9/5	21/10	17/10	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEGANES	RECENT FORM
HLAWHLAWHLAL​ Most recent​	Unknown	ALHWALHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Sociedad have won just one of their last nine away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Promoted Leganes have the worst home form in the division but they have faced three of La Liga’s top five and should find Sociedad less resolute opponents. The visitors were convincing 3-0 winners against Alaves last weekend but Eusebio Sacristan’s side have claimed just three points on their travels and are unlikely to fare any better in Madrid.

RECOMMENDATION: Leganes
1

Portuguese Liga Fr 28Oct 21:00

Nacional

v

Sp. Lisbon

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		7	7/2	2/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT NACIONAL	RECENT FORM
HLALHWAWHLAD​ Most recent​	0 - 4 2 - 2 0 - 1 1 - 1	ALHWHWADHLHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Sporting have won five of the last six meetings to nil

EXPERT VERDICT: Sporting trail league leaders Benfica by five points but they should have too much quality for Nacional and are taken to brush them aside in Madeira. The hosts have lost six of their last eight home matches, conceding a total of 15 goals and they could struggle to keep tabs on Sporting, who were unlucky in recent clashes with Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.

RECOMMENDATION: Sporting to win 2-0
1

Premier League Sa 29Oct 12:30

Sunderland

v

Arsenal

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		7	15/4	4/11	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SUNDERLAND	RECENT FORM
AWHLHDALALAL​ Most recent​	0 - 0 0 - 2 1 - 3 0 - 1	HWAWHWHWHDHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Walcott has scored eight goals in 11 games this season

EXPERT VERDICT: The fixture list does not get any easier for shoddy Sunderland as they welcome Arsenal and in-form striker Theo Walcott. The England international is enjoying a fine start to the season and is the Gunners’ top scorer with eight goals. His pace could pose problems for a poor Black Cats rearguard.

RECOMMENDATION: T Walcott first goalscorer
1


REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

Premier League Sa 29Oct 15:00

Man Utd

v

Burnley

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		1/6	11/2	18	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN UTD	RECENT FORM
HWHDADHWALHW​ Most recent​	3 - 1 3 - 0 4 - 0 2 - 1	HDALHWHLALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Burnley have scored only one away goal this term

EXPERT VERDICT: Jose Mourinho will be desperate for three points in order to keep tabs on the top four and United should take advantage of a Burnley side reliant on their home form. The Clarets have lost all three away games this term and United will be keen to hit back after their crushing defeat by Chelsea.

RECOMMENDATION: Man Utd to win 3-0
1


REFEREE: Mark Clattenburg STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Ducks accomplish franchise first in win vs. Predators
By The Sports Xchange

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim Ducks scored three power-play goals and two short-handed in the same game for the first time in club history, more than enough to dispose of the visiting Nashville Predators 6-1 at Honda Center.
Jakob Silfverberg scored twice and Nick Ritchie, Corey Perry, Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano one each for the Ducks.
Colin Wilson broke up Anaheim goalie John Gibson's shutout bid with a late goal. Gibson made 28 saves in his sixth start this season.
The Ducks, who has seven short-handed goals all of last season, have three through eight games this season.

Rangers 5, Bruins 2
NEW YORK -- Brandon Pirri scored two of New York's five consecutive goals that erased a two-goal deficit in a thumping of Boston at Madison Square.
David Pastrnak and Austin Czarnik staked Boston to an early lead but the Rangers struck for five goals over a 14-minute span across the second and third periods. Along with Pirri's two goals, Rick Nash, Jimmy Vesey and Kevin Hayes also scored for the Rangers.
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist stopped 27 shots to earn the win.
Bruins goaltender Zane McIntyre crumbled after a solid start, allowing five goals on 31 shots.

Canadiens 3, Islanders 2
NEW YORK -- Shea Weber scored the tie-breaking goal with 2:57 remaining in the third period as Montreal remained unbeaten in regulation with win over New York at Barclays Center.
Weber's shot sailed under the arm of Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss as defenseman Travis Hamonic made a late attempt to block it.
Paul Byron and Phillip Danault also scored for the Canadiens while goalie Al Montoya recorded 26 saves. John Tavares and Dennis Seidenberg scored for the Islanders. Greiss made 26 saves.

Oilers 4, Capitals 1
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Benoit Pouliot led the way with a pair of goals as Edmonton continued its surprisingly strong start to the season with a win over Washington.
Milan Lucic and Patrick Maroon also scored for the Oilers, who won their fourth game in a row.
Alex Ovechkin scored in response for the Capitals, who have dropped two straight.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wild (4-2) at Sabres (1-2)

Date: October 27, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Minnesota Wild are basking in the glow of their most dominant and complete victory of the young NHL season, while the Buffalo Sabres are left wondering about the one that got away.

The teams meet at 7 p.m. in Buffalo on Thursday night. On Tuesday, Devan Dubnyk made 27 saves in a 5-0 victory over the Boston Bruins. The Wild (4-2-1) took full advantage of a depleted Bruins roster that was missing its top two goalies.

"It was really good," Boudreau said of Dubnyk, according to the Wild's team website. "He was sharp, he had great movement, followed the puck well, and that's what good goaltending's all about."

Dubnyk is off to a solid start to the year, posting a 3-1-1 record along with a save percentage of .929.

Five different players scored for the Wild in the blowout victory, which is looking for more balanced efforts on the score sheet moving forward.

"It's great balance, which you need ... if you can have balanced scoring in this league, then every line becomes a dangerous line," Boudreau said. "And that's what we're striving for."

Defenseman Ryan Suter leads the Wild in points with seven (two goals, five assists) through seven games.

The Sabres jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the Philadelphia Flyers in Philadelphia on Tuesday only to see that lead slip away due to penalties and poor play. Buffalo eventually lost 4-3 in a shootout.

"If we want to be a good team, if we want to be a winning team, this is a game where we have to learn a lesson from with how we played, have to learn a lesson with how we're going to play going forward and one we should never let happen again," Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma said.

"I remember blowing a lot of two, three-goal leads on the island three, four years ago," said Sabres newcomer Kyle Okposo, according to the Sabres' team website. Okposo joined the Sabres this season from the New York Islanders. "It's not fun to do that. At the same time, once you kind of figure out everything you need to do to keep those leads it just becomes of habit and you kind of do it automatically. I think we're gonna learn from this and hopefully come out better on the other side."

It remains to be seen if the Sabres will get starting goaltender Robin Lehner back in time to face the Wild. Lehner did not make the trip to Philadelphia due to an illness.

"This is our fourth guy that's gotten ill and it's all kind of been about the same amount of time, about a two-day window," Bylsma said, according to the Sabres' team website. "Robin's just a shade over those two days now. Hopefully he'll start feeling better here today. We'll see going forward in terms of him coming back to the ice."

If Lehner can't go, Anders Nilsson will likely receive his second consecutive start.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (1-5) at Flyers (3-3)

Date: October 27, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- After pulling out an improbable shootout win over the injury-depleted Buffalo Sabres with a third-period goal-scoring spree Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Flyers (3-3-1) will look to string together their first back-to-back wins of the season Thursday night against the struggling Arizona Coyotes (1-5-0).

The Coyotes' only win this season came in their season opener against the Flyers on Oct. 15. Since then they've dropped consecutive road games against the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.

No team in the NHL has fewer points (2) than the Coyotes, who return home to face the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.

Goaltending has been a major issue for Arizona head coach Dave Tippett, who will be without starter Mike Smith for at least another week with a lower body injury. Louis Domingue (0-4-0, 5.03 goals-against average, .851 save percentage) has struggled in Smith's absence and third-stringer Justin Peters fared no better Tuesday night in his first NHL start since he was a member of the Capitals in 2014-15.

Peters allowed four goals on 34 shots against the Devils.

"We need more saves," Tippett said. "We need more saves to stabilize our group, and we need sustained ability to stay with the game for longer periods of time. If we do that, we'll be fine."

The Coyotes stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the score on back-to-back, third-period goals by defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, only to see Travis Zajac win it for the Devils with a power-play goal with 2:01 remaining in regulation.

"That's a save I have to come up with," Peters said. "Crucial time of the game, obviously. There's such a fine line between winning and losing."

The Flyers learned just as much Tuesday night. Playing on consecutive nights, they trailed 3-0 after two periods. Third-period goals from rookie forward Travis Konecny, center Brayden Schenn and defenseman Mark Streit forced overtime before Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek won it with a pair of shootout goals.

"It's important, of course," Voracek said of returning with some energy Thursday night. "Five games in seven nights, if I'm not mistaken. It's going to be tough, but everybody's got to go through that stretch. I like it better when you play the games instead of sitting out for a week. It's tough. But, I think we're skating pretty well."

The Flyers were given Wednesday off and expect Steve Mason to return to the net. Mason replaced Michael Neuvirth in the second period and stopped all 10 shots he faced, including two in the shootout.

Before Thursday night's game, the Flyers will honor some of the most beloved players in their history, including Hockey Hall of Famers Bill Barber, Bernie Parent, Bob Clarke, Mark Howe and Eric Lindros.

The game could feature former Flyer and current Coyote Ryan White facing his old team. White played parts of two seasons in Philadelphia before signing with the Coyotes.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

In the Crease - Week 3
By Joe Williams

Streaky Teams
Wins and Losses Streak Over/Under Streak
Arizona 0-4 past 4 road Edmonton Under 3-0 past 3
Edmonton 3-0 past 3 overall New Jersey Under 4-0-1 past 5
Montreal 4-0 past 4 overall San Jose Under 5-1 past 6

Coyote Ugly
The Arizona Coyotes won their regular season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers by a 4-3 score in overtime, but once they hit he road that's when things went off the rails. The Coyotes were blasted by a combined 12-6 in two losses at Ottawa and Montreal before suffering a pair of 3-2 losses to the New York teams. Arizona faces New Jersey next, and the Coyotes are a dismal 5-22 in their past 27 games against Metropolitan Division teams, and 14-38 in their past 52 against Eastern Conference clubs. In addition, the 'Yotes have dropped 43 of their past 58 away from the Gila River Arena. In case you're wondering, they're 1-4 in their past five trips to Jersey, and 0-4 in their past four tussles with the Devils overall.

Toronto Troubles
The Toronto Maple Leafs have four one-goal losses in five games so far, and two setbacks have come in overtime with another in a shootout. The Leafs blew a 4-2 lead last time out with 2:28 left in regulation in Chicago, including the game-tying goal with 1:28 remaining. Eventually the Blackhawks cashed in during the shootout for the 5-4 win. Toronto has allowed at least three goals in four of their five games so far. If history is on their side, perhaps they'll break this ugly string in their next game against the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday. The Lightning are just 3-7 in their past 10 trips to Hogtown, with the home team winning eight of the past 10 meetings in this series.

Looking Ahead

Thursday, Oct. 27
The Islanders and Penguins do battle in the Steel City. Over the past couple of seasons the Isles have been a huge thorn in the side of the Pens, posting a 6-1-1 mark over the past eight meetings. Last season the Pens won both meetings in Pittsburgh, but the Pens have managed just three total goals in the past three in this series. ... The San Jose Sharks host the Columbus Blue Jackets at SAP Center. The two sides met in Columbus Oct. 15, with the Sharks coming away with a 3-2 road win. The last time these teams met in the Bay Area Nov. 3, 2015, the Blue Jackets surprised the Sharks 5-2 despite the fact San Jose was a heavy favorite (-165). The Blue Jackets have won two visits in a row to San Jose, last losing Feb. 7, 2014. The Jackets have won three of the past four meetings in San Jose, too.

Friday, Oct. 28
The Carolina Hurricanes play their regular season home opener against the Rangers after playing seven games on the road to open the season. It might not be a successful homecoming, as the Hurricanes are 1-6-3 in their past 10 meetings with the Blueshirts. ... The Oilers and Vancouver Canucks meet in the Pacific Northwest, and that usually means a tight game is in store. The past five meetings between these Canadian rivals in Vancouver has resulted in a shootout or overtime decision. The Oilers have won three of the past five meetings overall, while the Oilers are 5-1-4 in the past 10 meetings in the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (3-2) at Jets (2-4)

Date: October 27, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

WINNIPEG -- Expect a little bit of bad blood when the Dallas Stars meet the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre on Thursday night.

It's not that there's any particular score to be settled but when teams play back-to-back games, the hits tend to a little harder, the whacks a little louder and the back checking a little more rigorous.

The Stars drew first the first cut Tuesday night at the American Airlines Center with a 3-2 victory, despite playing without a half-dozen regulars.

"I like the back-to-back," Stars coach Lindy Ruff told the Winnipeg Free Press. "It builds a little bit of emotion inside games. There's usually something that will carry over from game to game. I think in this league sometimes you only play one team in January for the first time."

Jets coach Paul Maurice agreed.

"I like (back-to-back games) an awful lot. I think you get a little more room to work on adjustments that you'd make instead of bouncing around a lot. You can work on themes with the team and I think the rivalries get built a little stronger as well," he said to the Free Press.

The Jets are spending a fair amount of time working on their power play, which sits at an anemic 10 percent -- two goals in 20 chances -- which is 25th in the league. As incredulous as it may sound, that's actually a relative improvement as the Jets were last in the league last year with the man advantage. The penalty-killing is even worse, sitting at 29th with a success ratio of 68.8 per cent.

If they can find something -- anything -- that works, the Jets just might be able to avoid pulling the goalie, something they have done in all six of their games this year. (They have managed to score three goals with the net empty, ultimately pulling off a pair of wins.) The Jets sit at 2-4-0 for four points and are last in the Central Division. Dallas sits in third in the same division with a record of 3-2-1 and seven points.

The Jets will play a whopping 15 games over the next 27 days, including nine on the road. The Stars, meanwhile, are starting a three-game road trip.

The Stars come to Winnipeg with a number of their highest-profile players in sick bay, including forwards Jason Spezza (lower body), Jiri Hudler (illness) and Patrick Sharp (concussion). Captain Jamie Benn didn't skate Wednesday as he's dealing with soreness related to abdominal surgery in the summer. The Jets haven't been immune from the injury bug either as forwards Bryan Little (lower body) and Drew Stafford (upper body) are out indefinitely.

There are precious few connections between the two teams but one player, defenseman Johnny Oduya, enjoys coming back to Winnipeg. He played most of the team's first season after relocating to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011-12 before being dealt to Chicago at the trade deadline.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Islanders (3-4) at Penguins (4-2)

Date: October 27, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins regained their Stanley Cup-winning captain, and he made an immediate impact. Next up: The return of their Stanley Cup-winning goalie.

Perhaps as early as Thursday night, when the Penguins -- already 4-0-1 at PPG Paints Arena this season, and 4-2-1 overall -- take on the New York Islanders.

Matt Murray, who missed the first seven Penguins games as he healed from a broken right hand sustained during the World Cup, is practicing again and served as Marc-Andre Fleury's backup for the first time this season Tuesday night.

Sidney Crosby, who missed the first six games with a concussion, returned Tuesday to score the Penguins' first goal of a comeback in which they flipped a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers.

Coach Mike Sullivan isn't saying whether Murray will be ready to go against the Islanders, but Fleury started the first seven games, and no doubt the Penguins want to give him a night off soon.

If only to see how Murray has recovered from his injury -- and whether he can sustain his level of play during the playoffs, when he became the most inexperienced goalie to win the Stanley Cup since Ken Dryden of Montreal in 1971.

"I think he's getting close," Sullivan said following practice Wednesday. "Having the ability to back up and seeing the game up close (Tuesday) with the speed (of the game), even though he's on the bench, will help with his timing and inch (him) that much closer to being ready to play."

The Islanders will play the second half of a back-to-back after losing 3-2 to the unbeaten-in-regulation Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night. They lost three of four to the Penguins last season.

Dennis Seidenberg scored the tying goal for the Islanders in the third period -- one of their 15 shots in the period -- but Shea Weber's power-play goal with 2:57 remaining won it for Montreal.

"The first half of the game we didn't manage the puck properly," Isles coach Jack Capuano said. "I think if you watch that third period, we had plenty of opportunities. Came down to their power play."

The Islanders (3-4) will go from playing a Canadiens team that's off to a 6-0-1 start to one that won the Stanley Cup last season.

Asked if the Islanders learned anything from playing the Canadiens, center John Tavares said, "I think just to realize what's going to bring us success, especially against good hockey teams and teams (that) play a similar style of game to us. They play quick and they transition off the ice."

The Islanders have faced Murray only once -- a 5-0 loss on April 2 that was Murray's first shutout in the NHL.

Whenever he returns, Murray likely will wear a cast on his broken thumb for the time being.

"The bone doesn't fully heal for a long time, but it's healed enough where I can do everything normally and not worry about it. I'll wear the cast while I play," Murray said.

He couldn't have played much better last spring when, after appearing in only 12 regular-season games (going 9-2-1 with a 2.00 goals-against average), he carried the Penguins to the Cup with the steady glove hand of a much more experienced goalie. He went 15-6 with a .923 save percentage and a 2.08 GAA in the postseason.

Fleury is his usual reliable self so far this season, with a 4-2-1 record and a .904 save percentage. But the Penguins likely signaled their course for the future last week when they signed Murray to a three-year, $11.25 million contract that begins next season -- even though Fleury is only in the second year of a four-year deal.

The Penguins can only hope Murray is as impactful from the start -- even if he doesn't return Thursday -- as Crosby was. After a get-up-to-speed first period, Crosby looked himself after that, and Sullivan thinks he's good to go despite his prior concussion history.

"There's no reason (not to think that)," Sullivan said. "I think Sid's going to be fine."

Sullivan made one adjustment during the game, breaking up the HBK line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel by shifting Kessel to Evgeni Malkin's line and installing Rust as the right wing on the Bonino line. It's likely that will carry over to Thursday.

"He (Rust) brings speed, he brings energy, he creates a lot of turnovers with his speed," Sullivan said of Rust, who scored both goals in the Game 7 Eastern Conference-clinching 2-1 win over Tampa Bay.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (5-2) at Blues (4-2)

Date: October 27, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS - Coach Ken Hitchcock criticized the St. Louis Blues' effort and focus in a 4-1 loss to Calgary on Tuesday night.

If they don't improve both of those areas in a hurry, the results in Thursday night's home game against the Detroit Red Wings might not be much better.

The Red Wings are coming into the game as one of the hottest teams in the NHL, having won five consecutive contests after losing their first two to start the season.

Detroit's most recent win came on Tuesday night at home, a 4-2 victory over Carolina that included the first two goals of the season from center Dylan Larkin.

"We have to keep going and we can't take the foot of the gas," Larkin told the Detroit News. "We have a big test on the road in St. Louis, a good team, especially at home. We have to do the right things that have made us successful in the last five games."

Hitchcock also will be looking for his team to do the right things, the parts of the game they didn't do well in the loss to the Flames.

"We didn't manage it (the puck) very well," Hitchcock said. "We played sideways when we should have played with speed and gone north, and we played light on the boards when we could have really won some puck battles and played with a higher level of determination."

St. Louis captain Alex Pietrangelo, said it will be up to the players to correct those mistakes if they want to a different outcome against the Red Wings.

"The games when you don't seem to have it mentally, you have to find a way to win," he said.

The Blues could get Jori Lehtera back in the lineup for Thursday's game, but instead of playing center, Hitchcock said there was a chance he could move to left wing and play on a line with Jaden Schwartz at center and Vladimir Tarasenko on right wing.

Lehtera has missed the last four games while being treated for an apparent concussion.

Left winger Justin Abdelkader could return for the Red Wings after missing the last two games because of a lower-body injury. Returning to St. Louis as a new member of the Red Wings will be center Steve Ott, who spent the last three years with the Blues before signing as a free agent in Detroit.

One of the keys to the Red Wings' recent success has been the ability to close out games, something they had trouble doing last season.

"That's the biggest difference," coach Jeff Blashill told NHL.com. "We've done that so far this season. We've done a good job of being able to score that extra goal if we've needed it. As I've talked about, we were actually good defensively in the third period last year but we still gave up lots of leads because you're constantly playing with just a one-goal lead so it's a big difference."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (2-2) at Sharks (4-3)

Date: October 27, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

After being one of the NHL's also-rans for much of their existence, the Columbus Blue Jackets feel that it may be time to emulate the things successful teams do.

The Blue Jackets seek their third consecutive win in San Jose on Thursday night when they meet the Sharks for the second and final time in the regular season.

Since entering the league in 2000, Columbus has made the playoffs just twice. But there is optimism this season behind budding stars up front in Alexander Wennberg and on the blueline in Zach Werenski along with a veteran core that includes forwards Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson, defenseman Seth Jones and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Following a loss to the Sharks on Oct. 15, Columbus defeated perennial powerhouses Chicago and Dallas before dropping a 3-2 decision in overtime on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Brandon Saad tallied his first goal of the season and Atkinson added a power-play marker. Bobrovsky stopped 27 shots.

Foligno, who is tied with Wennberg and Werenski for the team lead with five points, is in his 10th NHL season and fifth with the Blue Jackets. He likes the direction the club is taking after finishing last in the Eastern Conference in 2015-16.

"We can take a lot of lessons from that game (against Los Angeles) of what type of team we need to be, and how we can be successful doing it. ... Now we got to get ready and, the things we talked about, don't get too high, don't get too low, and we've got a big game against San Jose," Foligno said.

One facet in which Columbus has excelled this season is on special teams -- the Blue Jackets have killed off 16 of 17 short-handed situations. San Jose provided the only blemish by scoring in the final minute of a 3-2 win on Oct. 15 in Columbus.

Though they've failed to make the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, the Blue Jackets won in both of their visits to San Jose, totaling 10 goals.

After losing three games during an early five-game road trip, the Sharks (4-3-0) opened a three-game homestand with a 2-1 overtime win against Anaheim on Tuesday. Joe Pavelski scored a power-play goal less than 8 minutes into the game, and assisted on Marc-Edouard Vlasic's game-winner.

"It was one of those game where we needed everybody, and everyone showed up and played hard," Pavelski told the Mercury News.

Pavelski leads the Sharks with nine points on three goals and six assists, but failed to register a point in San Jose's win in Columbus a couple of weeks ago. Given his recent history, that could change. Pavelski has recorded two-goal games in each of his last two home meetings against Columbus.

The Sharks' Brent Burns is tied with Pavelski for the team lead with nine points -- also on three goals and six assists -- but the defenseman had failed to make the scoresheet in each of his last two contests. He had a season-high eight shots and drew a pair of assists in Columbus a couple of weeks back.

While with San Jose, Burns has one assist in six career home games against the Blue Jackets.

Joe Thornton, who has five assists but is still looking for his first goal in 2016-17, has failed to light the lamp when facing Columbus in San Jose in four straight games since Jan. 31, 2012.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (3-2) at Maple Leafs (1-2)

Date: October 27, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

TORONTO - James Reimer said he will have good memories of his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs would like to play a game worth remembering Thursday night when they host the Florida Panthers.

Reimer will not start for the Panthers but this will be his first appearance in Toronto as a visiting player. He was traded to the San Jose Sharks after appearing in 207 games with the Maple Leafs in parts of six seasons.

"Just some memories flooding back about coming back after games and what not," Reimer said of returning to Toronto. "Just a whole wash of different emotions, I guess, just remembering the good times. It was good. It's fun. It's cool."

Not cool for the Leafs have been some of their recent performances, including Tuesday's 7-3 home loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Toronto has lost four straight (0-2-2) and allowed 20 goals in those games.

"When you play right and you do good things in life, good things happen," Toronto coach Mike Babcock said. "There's no sense going home and feeling sorry for yourself, that's a waste of time. (The fans) paid good money to watch our team play and we didn't do a good enough job."

An area where Toronto has not done a good enough job has been in the nets.

Frederik Andersen, signed in the offseason to a five-year, $25 million contract, has struggled early. The 27-year-old is amongst the league's worst in major statistical areas with a .851 save percentage and a 4.29 goals-against average in five starts

"Everyone's had tough times, you just got to keep working at it," Andersen told reporters on Wednesday following practice. "All that matters is what you do next and gotta work hard towards stopping the next puck and playing well the next game."

One of the lone bright spots for Toronto (1-2-3) six games into the season has been the play of its young star. Auston Matthews, the 2016 first overall pick has six goals and 10 points.

"It's frustrating for sure, but it's a long season," Matthews said. "You've got to take it day-by-day, stay positive in this room. Guys in this room have gone through this before. There's no doubt in our minds we're going to get out of it."

He will look to increase those totals against Roberto Luongo, who is 3-1 with a .922 save percentage, and a 1.99 GAA.

Florida (3-2-1) limps into Toronto with one win in its last four games. The Panthers followed up a 5-2 win against Colorado with Tuesday's 3-2 loss in Pittburgh during Sidney Crosby's season debut.

"They had odd-man rushes, and when you have good players and you give them opportunities, and they're bound to score," Florida defenseman Keith Yandle said.

Jonathan Marchessault, signed as a free agent in the offseason, leads the Panthers in scoring with three goals and eight points in six games.

The Panthers have won four straight in Toronto and nine of their last 12 meetings with the Maple Leafs.

"This is a different Toronto Maple Leafs team," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant told the Miami Herald. "They're a much different team and we know this is going to be a big challenge."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - October

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
10/12 4 21.5 30 OVER
10/13 9 48.5 60 OVER
10/14 3 16 19 OVER
10/15 13 69 76 OVER
10/16 3 16 20 OVER
10/17 4 22 29 OVER
10/18 12 67.5 71 OVER
10/19 2 11.5 12 OVER
10/20 11 60.5 55 UNDER
10/21 3 16.5 18 OVER
10/22 12 64 74 OVER
10/23 4 21 23 OVER
10/24 2 10.5 9 UNDER
10/25 11 60.5 62 OVER
10/26 4 21.5 - -
10/27 9 - - -
10/28 6 - - -
10/29 10 - - -
10/30 8 - - -
10/31 No games scheduled - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (2-4) at Kings (3-3)

Date: October 27, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Kings have made a habit of collecting wins after regulation recently. The Nashville Predators know all too well what it's like to be on the losing end of such a contest when facing the Kings.

Seeking their fourth straight win, the Kings welcome the struggling Predators to Staples Center on Thursday night.

After opening the season with three consecutive losses, the Kings (3-3-0) have bounced back to win three in a row -- all after the score was knotted at the end of regulation. They began their run by winning 4-3 at Dallas in overtime on Thursday, then returned home to top Vancouver by the same score in a shootout on Saturday.

Los Angeles continued its winning ways after regulation Tuesday. Alec Martinez scored 74 seconds in overtime to lift the Kings to a 3-2 victory over Columbus.

The Kings went 2-1-0 vs. the Predators in 2015-16 with both wins secured in overtime.

Jeff Carter scored with 18 seconds to play in the extra session in a 4-3 victory at Staples Center on Oct. 31. Tanner Pearson lit the lamp 1:18 into OT to give the Kings a 2-1 on Feb. 20 in Nashville.

Pearson, a left wing, leads the Kings this season with four goals and six points, with all of his points recorded during a career-best four-game points streak. His lone goal and assist vs. the Predators have come in the last two matchups.

A completely unexpected key to Los Angeles' resurgence has been veteran goaltender Peter Budaj, who was again expected to see the bulk of his playing time this season in the American Hockey League.

But Jonathan Quick, the team's all-time wins leader, suffered a lower-body injury in the season opener and is expected to miss up to three months. Backup Jeff Zatkoff strained a groin hours before the win over the Canucks, opening the door for the Budaj, who's surrendered eight goals on 75 shots over the last three contests.

"Winning is fun," the 34-year-old Budaj told the Kings' official website after practice on Wednesday. "When you win the games, you're very excited, very happy. Everything comes easier. You work hard easier because your mind is a little looser because you're winning, but you cannot focus on what happened yesterday ... Yesterday was yesterday."

Budaj is 7-5-0 with 2.31 goals-against average and one shutout in 12 career games against Nashville. However, he's not faced the Predators since Montreal posted a 2-1 win -- in overtime -- on Nov. 12, 2011.

The Kings signed former Predators goaltender Anders Lindback on Wednesday and assigned him to Ontario of the AHL. Lindback has also played for Tampa Bay, Dallas, Buffalo and Arizona, posting a 45-58-8 record with a 2.87 GAA.

Nashville dropped to 0-3-0 on the road after being drubbed 6-1 by Anaheim on Wednesday night in the opener of a five-game road trip. Colin Wilson's goal with just over 12 minutes left was the Predators' NHL-high 10th of the season.

Lack of any offensive punch from their top two threats last season has a hand in why Nashville is tied with Winnipeg for last in the Central Division. Filip Forsberg, a team-best 33-goal scorer last season, has yet to tally one in 2016-17. James Neal, who was second on the club with 31 goals, also has yet to score.

The Predators' top two defensemen, P.K. Subban (two goals, team high-tying five points) and Roman Josi (three assists and four points) have been trying to fill the offensive gap, but Nashville's goaltenders were shaky while surrendering five special-teams goals -- two of them short-handed -- against the Ducks.

Pekka Rinne, playing in his first game after missing one due to food poisoning, was lifted late in the second period after stopping only 13 of 17 shots. Marek Mazanec, appearing in just his third NHL game going back to January 2015, turned aside seven of nine shots.

"We've got to do a better job of just being harder to play against, defending our goaltender better and defending our end better," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said.

However, Rinne is 2-0-1 in his last three appearances in Los Angeles despite posting a 3.57 GAA in that span. Mazanec defeated the Kings in his only start against them in December 2013 in Nashville.

The Predators are 3-0-1 in their last four games at Staples Center, all one-goal decisions.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (5-1) at Canadiens (6-0)

Date: October 27, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens are riding high but their early season success will be put to the test against one of their toughest opponents to date.

Winners of five straight after dispatching the New York Islanders 3-2 on Wednesday night, Montreal (6-0-1) returns home to host a rested Tampa Bay Lightning squad on Thursday night at the Bell Centre.

Defenseman Shea Weber scored the game-winner on a late third period power play to go with an assist, and now leads the Canadiens with nine points. Three of those have been goals and two of those tallies have stood as the decisive markers.

"It's a good team effort," he said of their early season success. "Everybody's doing the right things consistently throughout the lineup, up and down."

The Canadiens have now won six of their first seven games for the third straight season, a feat realized only three previous times in franchise history. But while the team is enjoying another remarkable start, the players know how quickly it can evaporate after last season's epic collapse.

"We've always known we had a good group in here," Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher said after the game. "It's just about learning from last year and understanding that whatever it is--last year it was nine games, I think we're seven games in now--it doesn't mean anything unless you can finish it off.

"So for us, just continue to build, not get too far ahead of ourselves. Day after day, just go about our business, try and take care of what we can control."

The Atlantic Division rivals occupy the top two spots in the division, with Montreal holding a three-point edge over Tampa (5-1-0). The two clubs also sit in the upper echelons in NHL scoring, with the Lightning averaging 3.83 goals-per-game through six games to the Canadiens' 3.71 through seven.

But while both teams can put the puck in the net, it's taken some time for them to do so. The Habs and Lightning have each scored just three times in the first period, and for Tampa, all three of their first period goals came in Tuesday's rout of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"It was something we talked about before was getting out to a good start, especially on the road, it's always important," Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said following the game. "It definitely set the tone for the game and put us up."

After ceding the crease to Al Montoya for Wednesday's tilt, goaltender Carey Price will get the nod at home against Tampa. He'll face them for the first time since May 12, 2015, when the two teams squared off in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Ben Bishop is expected to get the start for the Lightning after turning in one of his best efforts against Toronto. While he allowed three goals for a fourth start, he came up big when his team needed him as the Lightning were outshot 43-24.

"It was the best I've felt for sure," Bishop told the Tampa Bay Times. "It's been kind of a work in progress. The previous games we watched, I was doing everything right, staying with the process. And I kind of got some unfortunate bounces. The stats aren't where you'd like them. But the wins are there, and that's the important thing."

Bishop is 10-3-3 lifetime against Montreal, with a 1.80 goals-against average and .932 save percentage in 17 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Thursday’s games
Minnesota won five of last six games with Buffalo; over is 2-0-2 in last four. Wild won four of last five visits to Buffalo (under 3-1-1). Minnesota is 1-3 on road (under 2-1-1). Sabres lost last three games (one in OT, one in SO); three of their last four games went over.

Islanders lost three of last four games with Pittsburgh; four of last five series games stayed under the total. New York split its last four visits to Steel City. Islanders won three of last five games; they’re 0-2 on road, losing 5-3/2-1; five of their last six*stayed under. Penguins won four of their five home games.

Arizona won 2-1ot/4-3 in last two games with Philly; five of last six series games went over total. Coyotes lost three of last four visits here. Arizona lost its last five games, all on road by combined margin of 23-13 (over 4-2). Flyers lost four of their last six games (over 5-1-1); they’re 2-1 at home.

Florida is 8-2 in its last ten games with Toronto; road team won six of last seven series games. Panthers won last four games in this building, outscoring Leafs 15-7. Florida lost three of its last four games (over 3-0-1). Toronto lost its last four games, allowing 20 goals (over 3-1).

Canadiens won six of last seven games with Tampa Bay; three of last four series games went over total. Lightning lost last three visits here, outscored 11-5. Tampa Bay won five of its first six games, scoring 11 goals in winning its first two road games (over 3-2-1). Montreal won its last four games, outscoring opponents 16-5 (over 3-3).

Road team won eight of nine Detroit-St Louis games; Red Wings won four of last five in series- their last three series wins all came in OT. Under is 6-1 in last seven series games. Detroit won its last five games, allowing seven goals (over 4-2-1). Blues lost three of their last four games (under 3-1).

Dallas Stars won five of last six games with Winnipeg; over is 6-2 in last eight series games. Stars won three of last four visits to Winnipeg (over 4-0). Dallas split its first six games; three of their last four games stayed under. Jets lost four of their last five games; three of their last four stayed under the total.

Road team won five of last six Columbus-San Jose games (over 4-2); Blue Jackets won three of last four visits to Shark Tank. Columbus is off to a 2-3 start; their last four games stayed under. San Jose won its first two home games, both by 2-1 score- under is 6-1 in their games this season.

Nashville is 6-2 in its last eight games against Los Angeles (over 5-2-1). Predators won three of last four visits to Staples Center (over 4-1 in last five). Nashville lost four*of its last five games (over 3-1)- they’re 0-3 on road. LA won its last three games, all in OT/SO; four of their last five games went over the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Nuggets top Pelicans despite Davis' 50
By The Sports Xchange

NEW ORLEANS -- Jusuf Nurkic had 23 points and nine rebounds, and Will Barton added 22 points to foil a 50-point effort by Anthony Davis and lift the Denver Nuggets to a 107-102 season-opening victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.
Davis shot 17 of 34 from the field and made 16 of 17 free throws. He also grabbed 16 rebounds, blocked four shots and had seven steals. It was Davis' eighth career 40-plus-point game.
The Nuggets won despite committing 25 turnovers.
The Pelicans closed within six points three times in the fourth quarter, but the Nuggets answered each time. Kenneth Faried was a key stopper, drawing two charges and grabbing a tough offensive rebound for a rebound follow. He also assisted on a three-point play by Wilson Chandler that put Denver up 94-85 with 7:09 left.

Celtics 122, Nets 117
BOSTON -- Boston held off a furious Brooklyn charge and escaped with an opening-game victory, spoiling the head-coaching debut of the Nets' Kenny Atkinson.
Brooklyn was down 21 points with 5 1/2 minutes left, and after the Boston starters re-entered the game, cut the deficit down to three in the final minute. However, Bojan Bogdanovich missed back-to-back 3-pointers on the same possession, and Isaiah Thomas iced the game with two free throws with 11.9 seconds left.
Thomas led all scorers with 25 points and added nine assists and six rebounds, while Jae Crowder scored 21 points and Avery Bradley had 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Bogdanovich led the Nets with 21 points.

Heat 108, Magic 96
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hassan Whiteside had 18 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots, leading Miami past Orlando.
It was the sixth consecutive season-opening victory for Miami and its first victory without star guard Dwyane Wade, who left for the Chicago Bulls during the offseason.
Justise Winslow had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Heat. Goran Dragic contributed 16 points and five assists.
Magic guard Evan Fournier led all scorers with 20 points, but he made only 7 of 19 shots from the field. Nikola Vucevic had 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Pacers 130, Mavericks 121 (OT)
INDIANAPOLIS -- Myles Turner had 30 points and 16 rebounds, including a crucial 3-pointer with 1:21 remaining in overtime, leading Indiana to a season-opening victory over Dallas.
Paul George, who finished with 25 points, added a 3-pointer with 52 seconds left in overtime, pushing the Indiana lead to 125-118. Jeff Teague added 20 points and Monta Ellis 19 for the Pacers.
Deron Williams led Dallas with 25 points, and Dirk Nowitzki and J.J, Barea each scored 22.

Grizzlies 102, Timberwolves 98
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Mike Conley scored 24 points, and Memphis defeated Minnesota in the season opener for both teams.
Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (19 points) hit a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to close the gap to 98-96, but Minnesota would not get closer as Conley and JayMichal Green sealed the win for Memphis at the foul line.
Minnesota's Andrew Wiggins led all scorers with a 25 points and seven rebounds, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 points. Memphis' Zach Randolph had 19 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, while Marc Gasol scored 18 points.

Raptors 109, Pistons 91
TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan set a franchise record for points on opening night with 40 as Toronto topped Detroit. DeRozan finished 17 for 27 from the field and went a perfect 6 for 6 from the line.
Jonas Valanciunas added 32 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors, while Kyle Lowry had 10 points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 22 points and five rebounds. Marcus Morris chipped in 17 points and nine rebounds in the loss. Andre Drummond got into foul trouble early and finished with 16 points and six rebounds.

Hornets 107, Bucks 96
MILWAUKEE -- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 23 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds in his return to action, leading Charlotte to a season-opening victory over Milwaukee.
Kidd-Gilchrist appeared in just seven games last season and hadn't played since Feb. 10 because of surgery on his right shoulder. However, he showed no signs of rust, hitting 10 of 18 shots in 35 minutes.
Hornets power forward Cody Zeller, sidelined all preseason with a bone bruise in his right knee, returned to score 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting in 13 minutes. Milwaukee got a game-high 31 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Thunder 103, 76ers 97
PHILADELPHIA -- Russell Westbrook scored nine of his 32 points in the last 4:09, including the go-ahead free throws with 35 seconds left, as the Oklahoma City beat Philadelphia in the season opener for both teams.
Westbrook, who also had 12 rebounds and nine assists, snapped a 97-97 tie by connecting twice at the line.
The Thunder, who trailed by six with 6:17 left and four with 4:16 to play, spoiled the NBA debut of Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, who finished with 20 points and seven rebounds. Embiid, the third overall pick in the 2014 draft, missed the past two seasons as a result of two foot surgeries.

Lakers 120, Rockets 114
LOS ANGELES -- Jordan Clarkson came off the bench to score 25 points, and Los Angeles tipped off the Luke Walton era with a season-opening win over Houston.
D'Angelo Russell added 20 points, while Julius Randle chipped in 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Lakers, who made a winner of Walton in his debut as head coach.
Rockets guard James Harden finished with a game-high 34 points and a career-best 17 assists. Harden also had eight rebounds. Eric Gordon contributed 19 points, Clint Capela scored 16 and grabbed nine rebounds, and Ryan Anderson finished with 14 for the Rockets.

Kings 113, Suns 94
PHOENIX -- DeMarcus Cousins scored 24 points, and Sacramento opened the season with a strong win over Phoenix.
Rudy Gay added 22 points for the Kings, who ended the first quarter on a 16-1 run and never led by less than 10 points the rest of the way. Matt Barnes had 14 points and Garrett Temple contributed 12 for the Kings, who won only 33 games last year.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 18 points but struggled with foul trouble. Eric Bledsoe had 16 points and forward T.J. Warren added 14 points for the Suns, who showed little life in their home opener until a trio of players making their NBA debuts -- guards Marquese Chriss and Tyler Ulis and forward Dragan Bender -- helped cut a 26-point deficit to 10 in the second half.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (0-0) at Hawks (0-0)

Date: October 27, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- The Washington Wizards will try to ensure the Atlanta Hawks' Dwight Howard Era gets off to a rocky start when they meet in the season opener on Thursday.

Howard was the biggest offseason acquisition for the Hawks, who hope to return to the Eastern Conference finals and beyond. Atlanta signed the 6-foot-11 center to a three-year, $70 million deal in the offseason after incumbent center Al Horford took less money to sign with the Boston Celtics.

Atlanta went 48-34 last season, finished fourth in the Eastern Conference and was swept by Cleveland in the conference semifinals. Washington went 41-41 to finish 10th in the East and missed the playoffs.

The Hawks are hopeful that the 30-year-old Howard, a native of Atlanta, can revive his career. He averaged 17.8 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks over his 12-year career, but slipped to 13.7 points for the Rockets last season.

"Playing at home, where people have great expectations for what is supposed to happen here, sometimes it can get a little nerve-racking," Howard said. "For me, I just try not to think about it. I just try to approach it as though it's any other game. But I know this city. They have their hopes real high on us and on me."

It's a new start for Washington, too. The Wizards fired coach Randy Wittman and hired Scott Brooks, who spent six seasons at Oklahoma City and took the Thunder to the NBA finals in 2011-12.

The Wizards are led by guard John Wall, who averaged 19.9 points and 10.2 assists last season, and Bradley Beal, who averaged 17.4 points while dealing with hip and leg issues that limited him to 55 games. Beal showed he was fully recovered in the preseason, when he effectively distributed the ball and had very few turnovers.

"Us as players are coming in with a mindset of whatever we have to do, getting it done," Wall said. "It's an all-new beginning for all of us, so we want to get off to a good start with a new coaching staff and new group of players we have on the team."

Washington is also expected to start Otto Porter, Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat. The Wizards are hopeful that Morris can become the 3-point shooting threat the team has been missing.

The Wizards also expect to see second-year player Kelly Oubre Jr. take big strides forward and be a key player off the bench. He should play more than he did a year ago, when he averaged 11 minutes.

The Hawks had their starting five on the court at the same time in their final two preseason games. Atlanta will start Howard, forwards Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver and guards Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore.

Schroder will be the starter at point guard after veteran Jeff Teague was traded to Indiana. Malcolm Delaney will be the backup at point.

The Wizards play their first two games on the road, going to Memphis on Sunday, before playing at home on Wednesday against Toronto. The Hawks travel to Philadelphia for a game on Saturday afternoon.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA betting road map: Opening week can be very profitable in certain situations
By BIG AL MCMORDIE

It seems like just yesterday that the Cleveland Cavaliers were hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy as 2015-16 NBA Champions, but here we are with another season tipping off this week. Al McMordie, with the first edition of his weekly betting roadmap series, focuses on the league's top three title contenders.

Spread Watch

The Golden State Warriors made the biggest free agent signing of this year (and, perhaps, any year) when they inked Kevin Durant to a 2-year contract (with a player option after the first year). Golden State has now compiled the best team in NBA history, as it has two of the top four, and four of the top 14 players in the entire league. Last season, Durant, Steph Curry and Draymond Green all ranked within the eight best players in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus. Klay Thompson, though not in the top eight, was 3rd Team All-NBA last year, and had an 18.67 PER.

And if that weren't daunting enough for the rest of the league, then consider that all four of the Warriors' superstars are in the prime of their careers. It's not unreasonable to think the Warriors will win the NBA Championship each of the next five years. And I personally believe they will go 16-0 in this year's Playoffs (the Warriors, at -130 odds to win the Title is a fantastic bet). Of course, for our individual game betting purposes, the Warriors are likely to be over-valued early in the season. Indeed, they went 6-1 in the Preseason, but were just 1-4-2 ATS.

This week, the Warriors will open the season at home vs. the Spurs (and have been installed as an 8.5-point favorite), and then finish the week with road games at New Orleans and Phoenix. Of the three games, I feel the middle game against the Pelicans will be the best opportunity to play on Golden State. They will have had two days off following their season-opener, and the Warriors are 54-21 SU and 48-26-1 ATS when playing with at least two days of rest. Additionally, Golden State won and covered all three games vs. New Orleans last season, and are 26-8-1 ATS the last 35 regular season meetings vs. New Orleans!

Total Watch

The Tom Thibodeau-era is underway in Minnesota - and make no mistake about it - he will transform the Timberwolves into one of the league's best defensive teams (just as he did with the Chicago Bulls, after taking over for Vinny Del Negro). In his first regular season with the Bulls they went 'under' the total 48-34, and most of the profit was made early in the season, as 21 of the Bulls' first 31 games in 2010 went 'under' the total.

Don't be surprised if the Timberwolves have a similar experience this season. In the Preseason, Minnesota went 'under' in six of its seven games (including each of the last six).

This week, the T-Wolves will play road games at Memphis and Sacramento, and each of those games is a solid candidate to be low-scoring. Last season, Memphis ranked in the bottom 10 in offense, and top 10 in defense. Meanwhile, all four of the Minnesota/Sacramento games last season went 'under' the total.

Injury Watch

The San Antonio Spurs will be without SG Danny Green for the first 10 games of the season, as he suffered a strained quadriceps injury last week. Though Green shot 10% below his career average last season (30.1% from long distance), he improved greatly in the playoffs (24-for-48, 50%). And he had surgery to correct a vision impairment issue in the off-season.

Notwithstanding his shooting woes last year, Green is an invaluable defender (perhaps the league's best in transition defense), and ranked No. 1 among shooting guards last season in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus defensive rating. So, he will be sorely missed the next few weeks.

The Spurs won a franchise-best 67 games last season, and had one of the best defensive seasons in NBA history, but should drop off significantly this year. Besides being without Green early on, the Spurs suffered major losses on their frontline. Defensive stalwart Tim Duncan retired, Boris Diaw was traded to Utah, and free agents David West and Boban Marjanovic signed with Golden State and Detroit, respectively.

This week, the Spurs will be challenged with four games in six days, including a road game at Golden State on Tuesday, and a road game at Miami on Sunday, when the Spurs will be playing without rest vs. a rested Heat squad. Last season, the Spurs went 2-6 ATS their last eight games when playing without rest vs. a rested foe, so the game at Miami could prove to be difficult.

Schedule Watch

This Tuesday will be an historic day in Cleveland. Not only will the Indians be playing in the World Series for the first time since 1997 (the first time ever that Game 1 of the World Series will be played in Cleveland), but the Cavaliers will open their season at home vs. New York, raise their championship banner, and accept their rings.

A lot of bettors like to go against the defending NBA Champion on its Banner Night, but that situation has been a 50-50 proposition over the years (NBA Champs are 13-12 ATS since 1991). Instead, I prefer to fade such teams on the road in their second game, and especially if they're matched up against an opponent that isn't off a straight-up loss, as the champs are 1-8 ATS in that situation since 1991. And that very well could be the case on Friday, when the Cavaliers will travel to Toronto (check Toronto's result vs. Detroit on Wednesday).

Even better: The Raptors will be playing with revenge from a 4-2 series loss last year in the Eastern Conference Finals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (1-0) at Bulls (0-0)

Date: October 27, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Chicago Bulls will have, perhaps, the most fitting opponent of any team in the NBA for a season-opening game Thursday night at the United Center.

Chicago will debut its retooled roster against the Boston Celtics, with the Bulls' "Three Alphas" -- otherwise known as guards Jimmy Butler, Dwayne Wade and Rajon Rondo -- leading the way.

It is a familiar structural concept to Rondo, the veteran point guard who signed with the Bulls in the offseason. In the early stages of his career, Rondo was a member of the Celtics when the "Big Three," of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce led Boston to the 2008 NBA title.

Rondo and Wade are both aging, but feel they can help Butler bring the Bulls back to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference -- if not achieve loftier goals.

Outside of the Bulls and their "Three Alphas," expectations are low. Butler, however, said he isn't paying attention to prognostications.

"I don't think (criticism) motivates us to do anything," Butler told the Chicago Sun-Times. "They're going to say and do whatever they're going to say and do whatever they want to do and say anyways. So ... motivation? Nah. Motivation is we get to go out and compete and put on for this organization every day."

Wade and Rondo weren't the lone additions to the Bulls' roster, however.

After trading former point guard Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks, the Bulls blew up last season's roster with a significant overhaul for coach Fred Hoiberg's second season. They will start out with 14 players, one short of the NBA maximum, and will have eight faces making their Bulls regular-season debut.

Along with Rondo and Wade, Chicago will unveil center Robin Lopez, recently acquired backup guard Michael Carter-Williams, rookie guard Denzel Valentine, guard Jerian Grant, guard Isaiah Canaan and German rookie forward Paul Zipser.

Wade, Rondo and Butler will start, along with Lopez and power forward Taj Gibson -- who earned a starting role over Nikola Mirotic. That starting five is geared more for slugging it out in the paint than spreading the floor and draining 3-pointers.

"We feel like (Gibson) has played excellent basketball throughout the preseason," Hoiberg said this week. "He's been good in practices. We've talked to our guys about that. Niko has had a couple good practices in a row now. You try to get him in a good rhythm coming out of the gate, but that's the way we're going to start."

The Celtics will be a good test for Chicago, after opening their season Wednesday night with a 122-117 win over against the Brooklyn Nets -- to whom they traded Garnett and Pierce in a deal that is paying dividends for Boston in a bevy of draft picks that were acquired.

Isaiah Thomas led Boston with 25 points and nine assists against Brooklyn, and Jae Crowder added 21 points.

The Celtics are coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, and they added four-time NBA All-Star Al Horford, who signed a four-year free agent contract worth $113 million. Horford's veteran experience up front is expected to mesh nicely with Boston's young core group.

He contributed 11 points, six assists and five rebounds Wednesday as Boston held on to top the Nets. Brooklyn trailed by 21 with 5 1/2 minutes left yet had two chances to tie in the late going.

"That's the NBA for you," Horford said. "I think it will humble you sometimes. We had a comfortable lead and we thought it was fine, but this is a good learning experience for our group."

Role players Marcus Smart (ankle) and Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) are injured to start the season, but the Celtics are confident their replacements can grant enough rest to the starters.

In the opener, the Celtics chalked up 36 assists on 48 baskets -- the most assists by a team in an NBA opener since 2001. They also committed 19 turnovers.

"We could have even had more assists if we knocked down our open shots," Thomas said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Clippers (0-0) at Trail Blazers (1-0)

Date: October 27, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Most pundits put the Los Angeles Clippers on a short list of contenders to make it to the NBA's Western Conference finals this season.

That's just fine with Doc Rivers, the president of basketball operations and head coach of the Clippers.

"It's not a burden," said Rivers, who begins his fourth season at the Clipper helm against the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday night at the Moda Center. "Why should people expecting you to win ever be a burden I've never figured that one out."

"You should be excited and happy any time you're in the NBA and you're on a team that people think is good. That's a pleasure."

The Clippers are good.

The presence of All-Stars such as Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan plus veterans J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers, the coach's son guarantee that.

Now the team has added depth with free-agent signings of forwards Marreese Speights and Brandon Bass and guards Alan Anderson and Raymond Felton to minimum deals.

It's ironic that the Clippers open the 2016-17 campaign against the team that knocked them out of the first round of the playoffs a year ago. Injuries to Paul and Griffin during the series play a large role in that, but it adds a bit of intrigue to the Clippers' debut game this season.

"We're excited," said Austin Rivers, who signed a three-year, $35-million contract in the offseason. "It's going to be a fun environment considering that's the team that knocked us out last year. We have our whole team back. So do they. It's going to be a fun game.

The Trail Blazers got a two-day jump on the season over the Clippers, coming from behind to defeat the Utah Jazz 113-104 Tuesday night in their home opener. Damian Lillard launched an unofficial MVP campaign by scoring 39 points, 16 in the decisive fourth quarter.

"The best way to show that I mean that is by going out and playing like it," the Blazers' two-time All-Star point guard said. "Tonight was a good start."

Portland had an outstanding offensive game, making 39 of 75 shots from the field (.520), 13 of 19 shots from the 3-point line (.684) and all 22 attempts from the foul line. The Blazers made their first seven 3-point tries and were 7 for 8 in the first half.

But Portland's defense -- a focus coming into this season -- was spotty at best, especially in yielding a 37-point third quarter to the Jazz.

"Sometimes we get into an offensive mode, because we have so many guys who can score," reserve forward Ed Davis said. "We can outscore 85 percent of the teams in the league. To be able to win night in and night out, though, you have to get stops. That's what we did in the fourth. We've got to have more quarters like the fourth and less like the third.

"You give up 37 in a quarter, no way you can win a game. Giving up 30 in a quarter is a lot."

The Blazers are special because of their camaraderie, Utah coach Quin Snyder said.

"They fit together really well," Snyder said. "Everybody embraces who they are. That's what makes them such a good team. They know their strengths. They complement each other. They're clearly an unselfish group, and that makes them hard to defend."