Thursday 11/24/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 18:00

Sparta Prague

v

Southampton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		3	23/10	11/10	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SPARTA PRAGUE	RECENT FORM
A WA LH WH WA DH W​ Most recent​	Unknown	A DH WH LH WA LH D​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Four of Sparta’s six league wins have come at home

EXPERT VERDICT: Sparta Prague have responded to their 3-0 defeat at St Mary’s with three impressive Europa League wins and will be no pushovers on home soil. The Czech champions have averaged 2.5 goals per home league game this term and the Saints will do well to nullify their attacking threat.

RECOMMENDATION: Sparta Prague
1


REFEREE: Jesus Gil Manzano STADIUM:

Europa League TODAY 20:05

Man Utd

v

Feyenoord

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		4/11	17/4	9	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN UTD	RECENT FORM
A LH WH DA LA WH D​ Most recent​	2 - 1	H WH DH DA DA LH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Feyenoord have failed to win four of their last six

EXPERT VERDICT: Feyenoord go to Old Trafford knowing a point would give them a clear route to the last 16 of the Europa League, but they aren’t in the best of form.The same, of course, can be said of Manchester United, who have won just three of their last nine, though they have won both home group games.

RECOMMENDATION: Man Utd
2


REFEREE: Manual Grafe STADIUM:

Championship Fr 25Nov 19:45

Barnsley

v

Nottm Forest

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		8/5	12/5	15/8	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BARNSLEY	RECENT FORM
H LH LA WH DA DH D​ Most recent​	1 - 0 1 - 4 1 - 1 3 - 1	H WA LH LA LH DA W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Forest have kept one clean sheet in 17 league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Nottingham Forest have kept just one clean sheet this season and another may be beyond them when they visit Barnsley The Tykes are one of the division’s highest scorers and are capable of carving open a flaky Forest defence But there are question marks over Barnsley at the back so goals look likely.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
3


REFEREE: Oliver Langford STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Pens pound Rangers
By The Sports Xchange

NEW YORK -- Sidney Crosby scored two of the Penguins' five second-period goals in Pittsburgh's 6-1 drubbing of the New York Rangers on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Penguins exacted revenge for a 5-2 home loss to the Rangers on Monday, a game that saw the Rangers score five unanswered goals after falling behind 2-0 in the first period.
Phil Kessel, Scott Wilson and Conor Sheary also scored for the Penguins in the second period. Matt Cullen added a goal in the third period.
Goaltender Matt Murray made 16 saves to earn the win.
Rick Nash score the Rangers. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist started but was relieved after allowing four goals on 17 shots. Antti Raanta made 19 saves on 21 shots in relief.

Red Wings 2, Sabres 1
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Gustav Nyquist and Thomas Vanek scored in the shootout to lead Detroit to a victory over Buffalo.
Nyquist also scored in regulation for the Red Wings and Jimmy Howard made 32 saves.
Brian Gionta scored in regulation for the Sabres while Robin Lehner made 23 saves.

Devils 5, Maple Leafs 4 (SO)
NEWARK, N.J. -- Jacob Josefson scored in the shootout to give New Jersey a victory over Toronto at the Prudential Center.
Mike Cammalleri had a goal and three assists for the Devils. Beau Bennett, Yohann Auvitu and Travis Zajac also scored for the Devils.
Auston Matthews connecting for two goals and an assist while Matt Martin and Nazem Kadri also scored for the Maple Leafs.

Capitals 4, Blues 3
WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin notched his 16th career hat trick, Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and an assist, and Washington defeated St. Louis.
Ovechkin, who has five goals in his last four games and 12 overall, scored in each period for his first three-goal game of the season.
Alex Pietrangelo scored once and Alex Tarasenko twice for the Blues.

Flames 2, Blue Jackets 0
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Chad Johnson made 34 saves, and Calgary handed Columbus its first shutout loss of the season at Nationwide Arena.
Troy Brouwer's second-period goal was all the support Johnson needed. Micheal Ferland added a power-play goal in the third period for the final margin.
The Flames earned their fourth win in six games. The Blue Jackets lost their second in a row immediately after a four-game winning streak.

Wild 3, Jets 1
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Devan Dubnyk made 15 saves, and a video review again helped Minnesota, which beat Winnipeg.
Mikko Koivu scored his third goal of the season, Jonas Brodin added his second and Zach Parise finished with an empty-netter for the Wild, who won for the second time in five games. Dubnyk continued his stellar season as the Wild earned another close win against its Central Division rivals.
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced the Jets, who lost four games in a row, all on the road. Blake Wheeler scored his seventh of the season for the Jets.

Lightning 3, Flyers 2
TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay stunned Philadelphia with a three third-period goals in a win.
Alex Killorn and Ryan Callahan scored 12 seconds apart late in the third to lift the Lightning to a fifth victory in the past six games. Nikita Kucherov also scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 29 saves to improve to 6-1-1 on the season.
Ivan Provorov had a goal and two points, Dale Weise has his second goal in as many nights for the Flyers while Steve Mason finished with 25 saves while starting on back-to-back nights.

Predators 5, Stars 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Riding Pekka Rinne's outstanding goaltending and converting on some point-blank chances, Nashville avenged its only regulation loss in Bridgestone Arena by topping Dallas.
Rinne stopped 33 shots, including 22 in the second period, while Filip Forsberg led the offense with a goal and an assist for the Predators. Mike Fisher, Ryan Johansen, Craig Smith and James Neal als scoed for the Predators.
Patrick Sharp and Brett Ritchie scored for the Stars.

Canucks 4, Coyotes 1
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sven Baertschi and Bo Horvat had a goal and an assist each as Vancouver won just its second road game of the season at Arizona.
Alex Burrows and Louis Eriksson also scored for the Canucks, who improved to 2-6-1 on the road. Goalie Ryan Miller made 35 saves to improve 10-1 lifetime against the Coyotes and lower his career 1.58 goals-against average against Arizona.
Christian Dvorak scored the lone goal for the Coyotes.

Oilers 6, Avalanche 3
DENVER -- Connor McDavid had one of four Edmonton goals in the third period, including the winner vs. Colorado.
McDavid, the NHL's leading scorer, finished with a goal and two assists to increase his season total to 27 points. Milan Lucic had a goal and three assists and Jordan Eberle had two goals for the Oilers. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored for Edmonton, which has won three straight.
Rene Bourque had two goals and Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov stopped 35 shots for Colorado.

Sharks 2, Blackhawks 1
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Martin Jones stopped 33 of 34 shots as San Jose topped Chicago.
Logan Couture and Joel Ward collected the Sharks' goals.
Artemi Panarin one-timer from the top of the left circle was the only goal scored by the Blackhawks, who lost captain Jonathan Toews for the second half of the game with an undisclosed injury.

Kings 4, Islanders 2
LOS ANGELES -- Dwight King scored twice late in the third period as Los Angeles defeated New York.
Alec Martinez also scored and Jake Muzzin added an empty-netter for the Kings, who won their fourth straight game and fifth straight at home.
The Islanders got two goals from Anders Lee, but lost for the fifth time in six games and remain last in the Eastern Conference.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

In the Crease - Week 7
By Joe Williams

Streaky Teams
Wins and Losses Streak Over/Under Streak
Anaheim 4-1 past 5 home Buffalo Under 11-2-2 past 15
Carolina 4-0 past 4 overall Florida Over 5-2-2 past 9
Columbus 6-0-1 past 7 home San Jose Under 12-1-3 past 16
N.Y. Islanders 0-4-1 past 5 road Tampa Bay Under 6-1-1 past 8
St. Louis 0-4 past 4 road, 1-5-1 past 7 road Vancouver Over 6-1-1 past 8

No Jacket Required
The Columbus Blue Jackets lost back-to-back games in regulation to kick off the 2016-17 regular season, but they haven't done so since. They're 6-0-1 over their past seven games at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, and they're 8-1-2 over their past 11 games overall. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been on point so far this season, posting a 10-4-1 record with a 2.19 Goals-Against Average (GAA) and .931 save percentage. The Jackets also have seven players with at least 10 points through 17 games, including LW Nick Foligno averaging more than one point per game, and RW Cam Atkinson and C Alexander Wennberg contributing exactly one point per contest. Bettors do not care who is scoring or saving the shots, but what's uncanny about Columbus is that a cast of relative unknowns is banding together and playing better than more heralded squads.

Sweet and Sour Notes
The St. Louis Blues have been making sweet music at home, while hitting sour notes on the road. St. Louis has won three straight in regulation at home, while posting a 6-0-1 mark over their past seven dating back to Oct. 29. On the road it has been a different story, as they have dropped four in a row while scoring just seven total goals and allowing 22. As it stands, the Blues will play in Boston Tuesday and in Washington Wednesday before returning home Saturday against Minnesota.

Looking Ahead

Thursday, Nov. 17
The Canadiens look for revenge against the Hurricanes at Bell Centre Thursday evening. The Hurricanes won 3-2 at PNC Arena in Raleigh Nov. 18 with Cam Ward besting backup Al Montoya. While the Hurricanes have won four in a row, all at home, they're just 2-3-4 in nine games away from home this season. Six of their road games have resulted in one-goal losses. ... The Bruins face off against the Senators in Canada's capital city, as these rivals meet for the first time this season. The Senators won three of four meetings last season, including both meetings in Ottawa. The B's have won just once in the past six trips to Ottawa since the start of the 2013-14 season.

Friday, Nov. 18
The Rangers and Flyers battle on Friday afternoon in the City of Brotherly Love for the first time this season. There isn't much love lost in this series. Last season these teams met three times in Philadelphia, with each game ending in a 3-2 shootout. The Rangers won two of those games, and they're 4-0-1 in their past five regular season trips to Philly. ... The Oilers invade the desert Friday night, battling the Coyotes for the first time this season. Last season the Oilers were 0-2-1 in three trips to Glendale, and the Coyotes outscored them 12-6 in those games. Overall Arizona took two points in four of the five meetings. It has been six trips to Arizona since Edmonton came away with two points, a 3-2 shootout win April 4, 2014. It has been 12 trips to Arizona, dating back to Jan. 25, 2011, that the Oilers skated away with two points in regulation.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (11-8) at Senators (11-7)

Date: November 24, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators will be hoping they've found their scoring touch when they host the Boston Bruins, who will be without captain Zdeno Chara, on Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre.

The Senators (11-7-1) are coming off a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, the first time they've scored three or more goals in a game since Oct. 25 in a 3-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks, and the third goal in that game was into an empty net.

It's the first time since Oct. 18 they scored at least three goals in a game on a goalie (7-4 win against the Arizona Coyotes).

They will face a Bruins team without its top defender.

Chara sustained a lower-body injury in the Bruins 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues in Beantown on Tuesday which dropped the Bruins record to 11-8-0.

"He's day-to-day. I think he's pretty doubtful for these next two games," Bruins coach Claude Julien told the team's website Wednesday. "After that, we'll see."

Replacing one of the dominant defensemen of his generation will require a group effort, Julien said.

"We have to do it by committee," he said. "We just lost our best defender. Teams hate playing against him and that's the kind of impact he's got. There's no individual that's going to step up and do his job. We're going to have to do it as a group."

The good news for the Bruins is it looks like scoring forward David Pastrnak will be ready to return from an upper-body injury which kept him out for three games and defenseman Kevan Miller is close to returning after missing the first 19 games of the season with a broken hand. They will both travel to Ottawa and will be game time decisions.

Also a game-time decision is Ottawa winger Bobby Ryan. He missed the past two games with a bruised right index finger.

In addition to scoring four goals in a game, also encouraging for the Senators against the Habs was who scored: they finally got some production from the players who are expected to carry the offense.

Derick Brassard's goal was his second in three games after going 15 games without a goal. Mike Hoffman, back in the lineup after missing two games with a groin injury, scored for the first time in five games and captain Erik Karlsson for the first time in 12 games.

Senators coach Guy Boucher was asked if there was a weight lifted from some of his players' shoulders.

"I don't see it as a weight. I see it more as deserving," Boucher said. "We've been talking about it. We've been working on it. The guys have been very focused on doing a better job around the net, having more poise and especially lifting the puck up, screening the goaltender. If you look at our goals, Hoffman lifted the puck up, (Mark) Stone had a lot of poise on that goal and lifted it, Karlsson's goal happened because (Jean-Gabriel) Pageau is really screening the goaltender. All the goals we got we a result the guys really pushing hard to be better around the net."

Craig Anderson will start in goal for the sixth time in the Senators past seven games (he's 3-1-1 in his past five games).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hurricanes (8-6) at Canadiens (14-4)

Date: November 24, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

MONTREAL -- The Carolina Hurricanes are coming in hot.

After a first month of the season that featured more lows than highs, the Hurricanes ride a five-game winning streak into Thursday night's contest against the Montreal Canadiens. It's their most successful stretch since December 31, 2013 to January 9, 2014.

"Better contributions throughout the lineup," Carolina coach Bill Peters said after his team's practice in Montreal on Wednesday afternoon. "Before, we had one or two lines going; now we've got all four going. We're playing the game the right way, we're playing hard, unselfishly and for each other, and we've been receiving good goaltending, and that's a recipe for success."

Goaltender Cam Ward is the key to the Hurricanes' success, enjoying a strong November between the pipes. The veteran netminder is 6-1-2 this month, allowing 14 goals and recording a 1.53 goals-against average and .946 save percentage. It's a notable drop from his October stats, when he won once in five starts while averaging 3.64 goals-against and recording an .869 save percentage.

"Outstanding. He's been very good," Peters said of Ward. "He was good early in the year, too. We've tightened up defensively a little bit and that makes our goaltenders look better, whether it's Eddie (Lack) or Cam in net. They're making some timely saves when we've needed them to."

It's shown on the scoresheet, with Peters' squad allowing a mere five goals against during their current streak.

The Hurricanes and Canadiens face off for the second time in less than a week. The two met last Friday in Carolina, with the home side skating away with a 3-2 victory. Montreal dominated the first two periods and held a 1-0 lead in that contest but the Hurricanes pushed through with a strong third period, scoring three times in six minutes in the first half of the frame.

Montreal is coming off a strong effort in a losing cause to Ottawa on Tuesday night. The Canadiens held three separate one-goal leads but defensive miscues and unlucky bounces handed the Canadiens their fourth loss in their past five games since a 13-1-1 start.

The top line of left wing Paul Byron, center Alex Galchenyuk, and right wing Alexander Radulov has been the catalyst of Montreal's offense. Galchenyuk and Radulov each scored again versus the Senators, giving the trio eight goals in six games as a unit.

"Yeah, we scored two goals and got some chances but it's not all about scoring goals," said Radulov, who is tied for second on the team with 17 points and tied for second in assists with Galchenyuk (13). "We got that second goal and were up 2-1 ... but then we come back on the ice and give them a 2-on-1 break, and tie the game.

"That's something we have to work on -- not just our line but the whole team. When we score a goal we know that the opponent is going to come hard to try to get that back so we have to be ready."

Montreal's power play has been finding the back of the net over the last two weeks, converting at least once in five of its past six games. It struck twice against Ottawa on Tuesday but left others on the table with seven opportunities at their disposal. The Canadiens are in tough against the Hurricanes, who lead the NHL and are 22-for-22 in their last 10 games.

The Canadiens will be without defenseman Nathan Beaulieu, who will miss at least one game after taking a shot to the throat/neck Tuesday night. The team called up Mark Barberio from the AHL's St. John's IceCaps while sending blueliner Joel Hanley back down.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - November

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
11/1 12 66.5 57 UNDER
11/2 3 16.5 16 UNDER
11/3 12 65.5 65 UNDER
11/4 3 16 24 OVER
11/5 13 69 70 OVER
11/6 6 32 33 OVER
11/7 3 15 14 UNDER
11/8 10 55.5 60 OVER
11/9 3 15.5 11 UNDER
11/10 10 54.5 54 UNDER
11/11 6 31.5 30 UNDER
11/12 11 56.5 61 OVER
11/13 6 32 28 UNDER
11/14 1 5.5 4 UNDER
11/15 13 70.5 63 UNDER
11/16 2 10.5 11 OVER
11/17 10 53.5 52 UNDER
11/18 5 26 22 UNDER
11/19 11 57 53 UNDER
11/20 5 26 24 UNDER
11/21 7 37 36 UNDER
11/22 5 26.5 25 UNDER
11/23 12 64.5 - -
11/24 2 - - -
11/25 11 - - -
11/26 9 - - -
11/27 6 - - -
11/28 2 - - -
11/29 12 - - -
11/30 3 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Thursday’s games

Montreal won seven of last nine games with Carolina; under is 3-1-2 in last six series games. Hurricanes were outscored 13-2 in losing last four games in Molson Centre. Carolina has been hot, winning its last five games, outscoring opponents 13-5; under is 3-0-1 in last four games. Montreal lost four of last five games after a red-hot start; Canadiens lost two of last three home games. Over is 4-1-5 in their last ten games.

Ottawa won six of last eight games with Boston; over is 5-3-2 in last ten series games. Bruins were outscored 11-6 in losing last three visits to Ottawa. Boston is 4-2 in its last six games, 3-2 in its last five on road; under is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Senators were outscored 11-3 in losing last three home games; they are 4-3 in last seven games overall. Over is 2-0-1 in their last three games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Top 25 roundup: No. 4 North Carolina wins Maui
By The Sports Xchange

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Joel Berry II scored 22 points and Kennedy Meeks recorded a double-double, leading No. 4 North Carolina to a 71-56 victory over No. 16 Wisconsin in the championship game of the Maui Invitational on Wednesday night.
Meeks had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Tar Heels (6-0). Isaiah Hicks had 14 points and five rebounds. Justin Jackson scored 12.
Vitto Brown scored 15 points for the Badgers (4-2). Ethan Happ had 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals.
The game was played before a capacity crowd in a 2,400-seat arena with spectators packed into standing-room only areas in all corners of the building.
Wisconsin got within six early in the second period, but the Tar Heels responded with a 16-3 run to take a 49-30 lead on a layup by Jackson midway through the half. They led by as many as 25 points late.

No. 1 Kentucky 101, Cleveland State 70
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky improved to 5-0 with a victory over Cleveland State.
With sophomore leader Isaiah Briscoe sidelined by a back injury, the freshman backcourt tandem of Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox took control.
Monk paced the Wildcats with 23 points, 19 coming in the first half. He made 8 of 12 field goals en route to tying his career high.
Fox recorded 16 points and 11 assists. Three other players scored in double figures - freshman Bam Adebayo, 14 points; Mychal Mulder, 13; and freshman Wenyen Gabriel, 10.

No. 2 Villanova 63, Charleston 47
VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Josh Hart recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Kris Jenkins scored 11 as Villanova defeated Charleston.
Mikal Bridges and Eric Paschall contributed eight points each for the Wildcats (6-0), who were playing their sixth game in 13 days.
Jenkins, who hit the winning shot in the national championship game last year against North Carolina, didn't start because he missed a class.
Jarrell Brantley led the Cougars (3-3) with 18 points and seven rebounds.

No. 6 Duke 88, William & Mary 67
DURHAM, N.C. -- Frank Jackson poured in 19 points and Grayson Allen added 17 points as Duke opened a season-long, four-game homestand with a victory over William & Mary.
Amile Jefferson's 15 points and 10 rebounds and guard Luke Kennard's 11 points gave the Blue Devils (5-1) a boost, and guard Matt Jones had 10 points. Duke shot 50 percent from the field.
Jack Whitman and Daniel Dixon each scored 13 points for William & Mary (2-2).

No. 10 Louisville 68, Old Dominion 62 (OT)
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Louisville hit 14 of 18 free throws in overtime to sink Old Dominion's upset bid in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
The Cardinals (4-0), who play Wichita State in Thursday's semifinals, got 18 points from junior guard Quentin Snider and 17 from sophomore guard Donovan Mitchell. The Monarchs (2-1) were led by Brandan Stith's 20 points and meet LSU in Thursday's consolation round.
Louisville made 7 of 29 shots in the first half, and Old Dominion wasn't much better at 8 of 25. The shooting improved some in the second half to 32.3 percent for the Cardinals and 42.3 percent for the Monarchs.

No. 13 Oregon 79, Connecticut 69
LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Chris Boucher scored 21 points, including five three-pointers, to lead Oregon to victory Connecticut in the fifth-place game of the Maui Invitational.
Tyler Dorsey added 19 points and guard Dylan Ennis had 15 for the Ducks (4-2). Oregon opened the tournament with a loss to unranked Georgetown before leaving with wins over Tennessee and UConn.
Guard Jalen Adams scored 27 points to pace the Huskies (2-4).

No. 17 Purdue 96, Auburn 71
CANCUN, Mexico -- Caleb Swanigan and Isaac Haas each posted double-doubles and Purdue knocked down 17 3-pointers in a convincing victory over Auburn in the Cancun Challenge championship game.
Swanigan finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds to record his fourth double-double in the Boilermakers' first five games. Haas had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Purdue (4-1).
Danjel Purifoy scored 22 points to lead the Tigers (4-1). Mustapha Heron added 15 points, and T.J. Dunans came off the bench to contribute 10 points.

No. 20 Baylor 71, VCU 63
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Johnathan Motley scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Baylor to victory in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
Manu Lecomte and Al Freeman pitched in 16 and 15 points, respectively, for the Bears (4-0), who play No. 24 Michigan State in Thursday's semifinals.
JeQuan Lewis scored 21 points, Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed added 14 and Jonathan Williams 12 for the Rams (3-1), who play St. John's in Thursday's consolation round.

No. 24 Michigan State 73, St. John's 62
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Miles Bridges had 22 points and 15 rebounds and Nassau native Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn scored a season-high 13 points to lead Michigan State past St. John's in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
Eron Harris added 14 points and seven rebounds and freshman Nick Ward had nine points and 11 rebounds for the Spartans (3-2), who advance to meet No. 20 Baylor in Thursday's semifinals. Michigan State shot 43.1 percent from the field and dominated the Red Storm on the boards 54-33.
Freshman Marcus LoVett had 20 points and seven rebounds for St. John's (2-2), which plays VCU in Thursday's consolation round.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Michigan State Spartans (3-2) at Baylor Bears (4-0)

Date: November 24, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Judging by the first 32 minutes of each of their first round games Wednesday in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, it seemed No. 24 Michigan State and No. 20 Baylor were destined for a second-day matchup in the consolation bracket and not the semifinals.

Baylor was mired in a tie with 8:38 remaining against VCU, while Michigan State led St. John's only 55-53 with 8:22 left.

But the Bears and Spartans showed why they are ranked and two of the tournament-title contenders from that point on, taking over to win going away and setting up what was the expected semifinal matchup going into the tournament.

There won't be much time for either team to recover at Thursday's semifinal begins at noon ET.

"I thought in the first half when we were turning the ball over and they were doing a great job taking us out on offense, especially the last 10 minutes of the game of the first half, we were able to come in the locker room and players showed great leadership and poise to be able to regroup and only have five turnovers in the second half," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "I thought that was outstanding, especially with the pressure they put on."

As was the case for the Bears in their first four games, they were led Wednesday by the three-headed monster of junior forward Johnathan Motley (19 points), junior guard Manu Lecomte (16 points) and junior guard Al Freeman (15 points).

Lecomte and Motley average more than 16 points, while Freeman averages better than 14.

Michigan State (3-2) won its last three games after losing to No. 8 Arizona and top-ranked Kentucky, in the process throwing a talented freshman class into the fire.

Freshman Miles Bridges is the team's leading scorer at more than 17 points per game and rebounder at better than 10 and freshman big man Nick Ward had nine points and 11 rebounds against St. John's, while point guard Cassius Winston and guard Josh Langford have also seen significant minutes.

Senior guard Eron Harris started to come on over the past two games, scoring 31 points against Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday and adding 14 points and seven rebounds against St. John's.

While the Bears tipped off at 2:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the preparation time is even worse for the Spartans, whose game didn't end until after 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

"It's disappointing, if you want the truth," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said of the short turnaround during his postgame show on the Spartan Sports Network. "It's almost insane. It's not right. I don't want to rip anybody here, but I'm concerned. Especially when the other team had four or five more hours to prepare for us. But it is what it is and we will go play the game."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Temple Owls (2-2) at Florida State Seminoles (4-0)

Date: November 24, 2016 12:30 PM EDT

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The Florida State men's basketball team celebrated its first appearance in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll on Monday in almost four years with a trip to the Big Apple and Round 3 of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

The Seminoles, who slipped in and grabbed the No. 25 slot in Monday's latest poll, are off to a 4-0 start and averaging 96.7 points a game. They have defeated Charleston Southern, Iona, Winthrop and Detroit to open the season.

The inclusion in the Top 25 Poll ends a near four-year drought for the program, which began the 2012-13 campaign ranked in the Top 25, only to fall out the very next week after a season-opening loss to South Alabama.

And just after the turkey goes into the oven on Thursday, that ranking will once again be at stake when the Seminoles suit up to play their third game of the Tip-Off against Temple (2-2) at 12:30 p.m. ET.

The two teams will face off in Brooklyn, N.Y. at the Barclays Center, and the winner will face either West Virginia or Illinois on Friday, depending on which program wins its 3:30 p.m. contest.

The fast start by the Seminoles has featured no shortage of scoring.

Paced by sophomore guard Dwayne Bacon, who is averaging 17.5 points per game after opting to return to the program rather than enter the NBA Draft, Florida State has put up 88, 99, 100 and 100 points, respectively, in its first four wins. The early-season effort by Bacon, who has led the Seminoles in scoring in three of the four games, has been complemented by an equally fast start from forward Jonathan Isaac, a 6-foot-10 freshman forward from nearby Naples, Fla. He was the crown jewel of Florida State's 2016 recruiting class.

Isaac is averaging 14.5 points and a team-high six rebounds a game, and the lone contest Bacon wasn't the high-scorer, that honor went to Isaac.

"We're a pretty good offensive team," Florida State starting point guard and assists leader Xavier Rathan-Mayes said. "We like to get out and run. That's what we've been preaching along, with defense. Getting out in transition and playing open-court basketball. These games we have shown we can play at a really high pace. We're doing what we want to and getting wins while doing it."

Stellar defense has aided Florida State's fast start -- the Seminoles recorded 11 steals and notched six blocks in Sunday's win against Detroit -- and the only knock so far early in the season has been on the team's free-throw shooting. The Seminoles are currently shooting 72 percent from the foul line as a team and have had double-digit misses from the foul line twice already this year.

Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton, who just began his 15th season and is the program's all-time winningest coach, says he's pleased with the fast start, But he remembers the last time the Seminoles were ranked -- and how quickly that ranking came and went -- so he remains cautiously optimistic heading into Thursday's matchup with the Owls.

"We're a team that's still developing. We've got three games in five days coming up against higher quality opponents," said Hamilton, whose team will come home to meet Minnesota (4-0) on Monday to kick off the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. "I'm interested to see how we come out of that little stretch."

Junior Obi Enechionyia leads the Owls with 20.8 points per game, and he is the first player since Temple All-American Mark Macon in 1987-88 to score 20 or more points in the Owls' first three contests to start season. Temple's defense is averaging 6.8 blocks per game.

Temple leads the all-time series with Florida State, 2-1, including two wins in a row. They last met 17 years ago in 1999, with the Owls winning, 69-58.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indiana State Sycamores (2-1) at Iowa State Cyclones (3-0)

Date: November 24, 2016 12:30 PM EDT

No. 21 Iowa State is off to a 3-0 start without getting challenged. That is expected to change this week at the Advocare Invitational.

The Cyclones open tournament play Thursday against Indiana State (2-1) at the HP Field House in Orlando, Fla. The game tips off at 12:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2).

The undefeated Cyclones beat Savannah State, Mount St. Mary's and The Citadel by an average margin of 42.3 points. They waxed The Citadel 130-63 Sunday behind senior point guard Monte Morris' triple-double.

Morris finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He did not have a turnover and fueled the highest-scoring output in Cyclones history. The Citadel entered the game leading the nation in scoring, averaging 112.2 points per game, but was held to just 22 points in the first half and trailed by 40 at halftime.

Second-year Iowa State coach Steve Prohm called the win "the most complete game on both ends of the floor," but knows the competition is getting ready to ratchet up a notch in Florida.

With a win over Indiana State, the Cyclones would face either Stanford or Miami (Fla.). The bottom half of the tournament bracket features No. 11 Gonzaga, Florida and Seton Hall.

"You never know until the next game, the next opponent," Prohm said after The Citadel game. "(The Advocare Invitational) is great to find out where we are as a team. Win or lose, what we need to do to continue to be better, because we go down there and win three games and it's still Nov. 28.

"We still have come home to play Cincinnati and go to Iowa. And if your team's not getting better, then you're not going to stay on top of where you need to be. This will be a great test for us."

Indiana State, after dropping a two-point decision in overtime at Northern Illinois, bounced back with wins over Ball State and Division II Missouri-St. Louis. Sycamores coach Greg Lansing, an Iowa native, is in his seventh season at Indiana State.

Junior guard Brenton Scott is averaging 22.3 points, tops in the Missouri Valley Conference. Senior guard Everett Clemons leads the Missouri Valley in assists at 6.3 per game and is tied for second in rebounding at 8.3 per game.

The Sycamores were pegged to finish in the middle of the pack in the conference, but they have Prohm's respect.

"I'm very familiar with Indiana State, have played them several times, scrimmaged them several times," Prohm said. "Greg does a really good job. But our guys will be ready. It will be good to go (to Florida). These preseason tournaments are really a lot of fun."

The Sycamore took care of Missouri-St. Louis efficiently, racing out to a 50-22 lead at halftime and cruising to a 96-55 win.

"That was really important for us to send us off, going to Orlando in a national tournament this week," Lansing said.

Indiana State has lost eight consecutive games to ranked teams, a stretch that dates back to Nov. 17, 2013, when the Sycamores upset of then-No. 21 Notre Dame.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wichita State Shockers (5-0) at Louisville Cardinals (4-0)

Date: November 24, 2016 2:30 PM EDT

Despite its 68-62 overtime win over Old Dominion ending after midnight early Thursday, No. 10 Louisville won't get any extra time to prepare for a showdown against Wichita State at 2:30 p.m. ET on Thursday (ESPN) in the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas.

The Cardinals (4-0) will need to fit in showers, sleep, breakfast, team meetings and lunch before they return to the court 13 hours later vs. the feisty Shockers.

"We won't make any excuses," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "We'll just have to adjust on the fly and see what happens. But we have no prep time."

The Shockers (5-0) advanced to Round 2 with a dominant 82-47 win over an outclassed LSU team Wednesday afternoon at Imperial Arena. Wichita State handed the Tigers their biggest loss since 1997 and their worst nonconference defeat since 1994.

"The first challenge of playing against competition of that caliber, we passed, and that's all I'll say," Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said.

The Shockers scored the first nine points, never trailed and held LSU to 28 percent shooting for the game. Wichita State led by 27 at halftime and had a 10-0 run early in the second half.

"They did a great job of punching first," LSU coach Johnny Jones said, "and we didn't do a great job of responding there in the first half."

After resting their starters in the second half during a game that was played earlier in the day, Wichita State certainly has an advantage over the Cardinals. The Shockers' pressure defense could spell trouble for a Louisville team that shot 29.7 percent from the field against Old Dominion on Wednesday night.

Louisville star sophomore Donovan Mitchell said he and his teammates were hunting shots in the first half.

"That's not really what you want to do, especially coming out here and playing in your first real tournament like this," Mitchell said. "You just have to settle down and let the game come to you."

Shot selection could be a key for Louisville on Thursday. The good news for the Cardinals? They have studied the Shockers since the bracket was announced.

"We're familiar with them, and we watched a lot of video of them to get ready for this tournament," Louisville assistant coach Kenny Johnson said. "Hopefully we'll have some tricks up our sleeve for them."

Wichita State is off to a perfect start despite losing a pair of All-Americans, Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, from a team that was 26-9 last season. The Shockers returned only wing Zach Brown and power forward Shaquille Morris from last season's starting lineup.

Louisville is unbeaten despite losing three starters from last season, all three of whom were among the team's top four scorers. Power forward Jaylen Johnson is averaging a team-best 13 points, and Mitchell is contributing 11.8 points per game. Point guard Quentin Snider scored a team-high 18 points against the Monarchs.

The Cardinals and Shockers met in the Final Four in Atlanta in 2013. Wichita State led in the second half before a late barrage lifted Louisville into the title game, and the Cardinals went on to beat Michigan for the championship.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini (4-1) at West Virginia Mountainers (3-0)

Date: November 24, 2016 2:30 PM EDT

The NIT Tipoff anticipated pairing unbeaten teams when No. 19 West Virginia meets Illinois at Barclays Center on Thursday.

The Mountaineers (3-0) head to Brooklyn, N.Y., having done their part with a series of lopsided victories, but on Monday the Illini (4-1) squandered a 10-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation en route to an 84-80 loss in overtime to Winthrop.

"It couldn't have went any worse for us in that 10-point run," Illinois coach John Groce said. "Everything's got to go wrong for us and right for them for that to happen. We had a chance to close and didn't."

Forward Malcolm Hill, who is building on a season in which he became the first Illini player to record 600 points, 200 rebounds and 100 assists, has become more perimeter-minded this campaign. He's making 48 percent of his 3s while averaging 20.6 points and a team-best 7.8 rebounds.

Guard Tracy Abrams (12.8 ppg), forward Michael Finke (12.4 ppg) and center Maverick Morgan (10.4 ppg) give Illinois plenty of offensive punch, and forward Leron Black scored 10 against Winthrop in returning from a four-game suspension.

But after committing 22 turnovers during the upset loss, Illinois encounters the trapping, full-court harassment of "Press Virginia." Bob Huggins' team, among the national leaders in forcing takeaways the past two seasons, has averaged 27 during wins over Mount St. Mary's, Mississippi Valley State and New Hampshire.

"We know that they're big on pressuring," Illini guard Jaylon Tate said. "We've just got to get good possessions."

"There's things we've got to get cleaned up," Abrams said. "ASAP."

In a team stocked with gritty defenders, Mountaineers guard Jevon Carter has emerged as the primary pest. Huggins this week called Carter perhaps the best on-ball defender he has ever coached.

"He makes tremendous plays almost every day," Huggins said.

Carter's 10.7 points are tied for second on the team behind forward Nathan Adrian (13.3 ppg, 8.0 rebounds). Forward Esa Ahmad (10.7 ppg, 5.3 rebounds) is becoming more involved offensively this season, and backups Lamont West (10.7 ppg) and Teyvon Myers (10.3 ppg) have posted impressive numbers during blowouts.

West Virginia's previous two games at Barclays were disasters. An 81-66 loss to Michigan preceded a 13-19 finish in 2013, and the Mountaineers were stunned 70-56 by Stephen F. Austin in their NCAA opener in March.

"Yeah, I'm sure I won't mention anything about that to the players," Huggins cracked.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Quinnipiac Bobcats (0-2) at Gonzaga Bulldogs (3-0)

Date: November 24, 2016 6:30 PM EDT

Gonzaga coach Mark Few is looking forward to the 11th-ranked Bulldogs playing against tougher competition in the AdvoCare Invitational in Orlando, Fla.

First up for Gonzaga is Quinnipiac on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. After the first-round matchup with Bobcats, the Bulldogs will play the winner of the Seton Hall-Florida game. Both of those teams have received votes in the AP Top 25 poll.

No. 21 Iowa State, the only other ranked team in the AdvoCare Invitational, is on the opposite side of the bracket along with Stanford and Miami (Fla.).

In early-season games beyond the tournament, Gonzaga (3-0) will face the likes of Arizona, Washington and Tennessee. Akron, which has 11 consecutive 20-win seasons, is another nonconference opponent before the Christmas break.

"There's going to be four or five really good teams in Orlando," Few said. "Florida is legit, Iowa State is legit. Seton Hall has everybody back except (Isaiah) Whitehead, which might help them just with shot selection.

"And Miami is big, long and athletic."

Gonzaga's three victories are against Utah Valley, a short-handed San Diego State team and Bryant. Quinnipiac, coming off a nine-win season, is 0-2 following losses to Vermont and Columbia.

Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore, in his 10th season with Bobcats, has a past matching wits against Few and Gonzaga. He was an assistant for 13 seasons at Connecticut under Jim Calhoun.

Moore was assigned by Calhoun to compile the scouting report on Gonzaga for a 1999 Elite Eight matchup, and the Huskies defeated the Bulldogs 67-62. Few was an assistant under former Gonzaga coach Don Monson.

Moore said he recalls that the matchup with Gonzaga 18 seasons ago was "the most pressurized game that I've seen (Calhoun) go through." The Huskies limited Gonzaga's top two scorers, Matt Santangelo and Richie Frahm, to 3-of-20 shooting from the field.

Coaching against Gonzaga now, Moore fears that Quinnipiac has "probably bitten off a little more than we can chew."

"We haven't performed well in the first two games," he said.

Moore is especially concerned about Gonzaga's skilled frontcourt that includes center Przemek Karnowski (7-foot-1, 300 pounds) and power forwards Zach Collins (7 feet, 230), Johnathan Williams (6-9, 228) and Killian Tillie (6-9, 200).

Karnowski is the ninth Gonzaga player to score 1,000 points and grab 600 rebounds in a career. Collins and Tillie, both true freshmen, are averaging a combined 20.3 points and 13 rebounds. They are shooting 63 percent from the field.

"My concern is how they can impact the game with their size," Moore said of Gonzaga's four frontcourt players. "We'll try to shorten the game as best we can and try to do a good job on the boards."

Quinnipiac's top rebounder is 6-1 guard Reggie Oliver, who averages six boards a game. The Bobcats have two players at 6-9, including power forward Chaise Daniels, who averages 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds a game.

Gonzaga captured the title of this tournament twice in 2008 and 2012 when it was called the Old Spice Classic. In their past six Thanksgiving tournaments, the Bulldogs are 17-2.

"You get an NCAA Tournament feel, playing back-to-back, teams from a bunch of different conferences," Gonzaga point guard Nigel Williams-Goss said, "so it's a good test for us."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Santa Clara Broncos (3-2) at Arizona Wildcats (4-0)

Date: November 24, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Santa Clara guard Jared Brownridge scored 44 points against Arizona last season. He gets another bite at the Wildcats on Thursday night.

The eighth-ranked Wildcats (4-0) will try to find a way to slow down Brownridge when the teams meet in the bracketed part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Arizona escaped with a 75-73 overtime win over the Broncos last season in a tournament in Fullerton, Calif.

"They should have beaten us last year," Arizona coach Sean Miller said. "No one knows that more than them."

That was a career game for Brownridge, but it was no fluke. The senior earned first-team All-West Coast Conference honors last season, finishing 21st nationally in scoring at 20.3 points per game. He is averaging 16.8 points this season and is coming off a 32-point effort Monday night, when Santa Clara (3-2) beat visiting Sacred Heart 84-74.

Miller will likely turn to senior guard Kadeem Allen, the team's best perimeter defender who has made his way back from a left knee sprain. He played 35 minutes Monday night as Arizona finally pulled away to beat Northern Colorado 71-55.

"I think he's back," Miller said after the game. "He was clearly better tonight. And we needed him."

Brownridge drains 41 percent of his shots from behind the arc over his career, but he started this season just 4 of 29. He was 7 of 15 on 3-pointers Monday night.

"It was so great to see Jared shoot the basketball and score like we all know he's capable of," Broncos coach Herb Sendek said. "He was really hitting his shots and that really helped us get going on offense."

Sendek is in his first season at Santa Clara, and his presence provides another twist to the matchup.

Miller was an assistant to Sendek for a combined five years over stops at Miami of Ohio and North Carolina State. Then they were rivals when Miller took the Arizona head coaching job in 2009 while Sendek was the head coach at Arizona State.

Sendek was fired from ASU after the 2014-15 season following nine years on the job. Sendek, who was out of coaching last season, went 4-8 against Miller while at ASU.

"I respect Herb Sendek as much as any coach in our game. Consider him a friend," Miller said of the fellow Pittsburgh native.

"Santa Clara is lucky to have him as their coach. He returns to the game probably a better coach than he was in the last 20 years, and he has been a heck of a coach before he got to Santa Clara."

Arizona's leading scorer is freshman forward Lauri Markkanen, a 7-footer who is averaging 19.5 points per game, as well as a team-high 8.3 rebounds. Freshmen are the Wildcats' next two top scorers -- guard Kobi Simmons (12.0) and wing Rawle Alkins (11.3).

Point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright is coming off his first career double-double (15 points, 11 assists). He has 15 assists and one turnover in the past two games.

The winner of Thursday night's game plays the winner of Vanderbilt/Butler on Friday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Portland Pilots (3-0) at UCLA Bruins (4-0)

Date: November 24, 2016 11:00 PM EDT

UCLA and Portland will both try to remain unbeaten when they meet in the opening round of the Wooden Legacy tournament Thursday at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Gym.

No. 14 UCLA (4-0) soared past its first four opponents, averaging 105.8 points per contest and winning by 27.8 points per game. The Bruins, who rank second in the nation in scoring, haven't averaged that many points per game over a four-game stretch since December 1990.

Portland (3-0) is also off to a strong start under first-year coach Terry Porter, who spent 10 of his 17 NBA seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Pilots are coming off a 98-52 victory over Lewis & Clark.

The tournament will also feature Cal State Northridge, Dayton, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech. The winner of Thursday's game between UCLA and Portland will face either Dayton or Nebraska in the semifinals Friday night. The championship and third-place games will be played Sunday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

UCLA has six players with double-figure scoring averages. TJ Leaf leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 20.3 points and 10 rebounds per game. Bryce Alford (18.8 points per game), Isaac Hamilton (17.3), Lonzo Ball (16.3), Aaron Holiday (14.5) and Thomas Welsh (10.0) are also scoring in double figures.

Ball, a freshman guard, was named to the 50-person watch lists for the Naismith Trophy and the John R. Wooden Award. He is shooting 61.1 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from 3-point range. In his college debut, he had 19 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in a 119-80 victory over Pacific.

"He is just a special talent," UCLA coach Steve Alford said. "He can beat you. ... He is just a special passer. That just makes everyone else want to equally share it, and so it has been really good this year in that our guards have very good assist-to-turnover ratios. They are all sharing it."

Steve Alford was asked about adding Ball and Leaf, another freshman, to a rotation that also features seniors such as Bryce Alford and Hamilton.

"It's a good blend," Steve Alford said. "Obviously, with what they are doing, they have a high skill set. They are smart players and they can beat you in a lot of different ways. They can beat you on the backboard, they can beat you handling the ball, passing the ball and scoring the ball. With the guys around them, it kind of goes both ways. The guys they are playing with make everyone look good. When you are sharing the ball and you are working at a common goal on both ends, you can make everybody look good. I think that is happening."

UCLA expects prized freshman big man Ike Anigbogu to make his college debut this week, possibly against Portland. Anigbogu has been out with a torn meniscus.

Portland is led by Alec Wintering, who is averaging 18 points, eight assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. Gabe Taylor averages 17.3 points and eight rebounds, and Jazz Johnson is averaging 14.3 points per game.

The Pilots are 7-58 all-time against Top 25 opponents. Their last win over a ranked opponent was an 82-73 victory over then-No. 18 Gonzaga on Jan. 9, 2014.

The Pilots seem to enjoy playing for Porter.

"He's a player's coach," Wintering told the Portland Tribune. "He just makes everybody feel so comfortable. He puts us in a position to succeed. He just does a good job of being calm and remaining calm and teaching us."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Thursday’s games

Michigan State is very young team, struggling right now; they start only one senior, are #324 in experience, turning ball over 22.4% of time. Spartans won last three games, wore down St John’s by 11 yesterday, but didn’t look great doing it. Baylor won tough game with VCU; they were down 8 at half, but outscored Rams 27-14 on foul line. Bears start 4 juniors and a senior; they used four guys 29:00+ yesterday. MSU played four guys 27:00+. Big 14 teams are 13-8 vs spread away from home; Big X teams are 6-6.

VCU is #31 experience team but is turning ball over 22.9% of time; they blew 8-point halftime loss yesterday in tough loss to Baylor- three Rams played 35:00+. VCU starts three seniors. St John’s lost its last two games by 6-11 points; they’re 4th-youngest team playing pace #26- they protect ball well and have made 42.3% of 3’s, but they’re shooting same %age inside arc. Red Storm are starting two freshmen, two sophs. Big East teams are 11-9 vs spread away from home; A-14 teams are 12-11.

LSU was awful yesterday; they lost by 35 to Wichita, were down 46-19 at half— one good thing about that is only one of their guys played more than 24:00. Tigers had scored 82 pts/game in its 3-0 start, all against teams outside top 200. LSU starts a freshman and three sophs, so they are learning as they go. Old Dominion lost late game in OT last night, tough game vs Louisville. Monarchs start two seniors, one junior; they used three kids 40:00+ last night, a 4th kid played 34:00. ODU plays disciplined tempo, they were 15-32 on foul line last nite, which was fatal.

Louisville survived OT game with Old Dominion last nite, the late game- tip off for this game is less than 15 hours after that game ended, while Wichita played early game. Cardinals start two sophs, two juniors- they used* three kids 39:00+, no one else more than 28. Wichita was up 27 at the half, won by 35 yesterday; Shockers are 5-0 wth 27 points closest game they’ve played so far- they start a freshman and four juniors. ACC teams are 11-10 vs spread away from home. MVC teams are 7-9. Wichita lost to ACC’s Miami by 8 in NCAA tournament last March.


NIT, Brooklyn

Temple is 2-2 with no top 100 games, losing to UNH/UMass; Owls are woefully thin (#340 in bench minutes) because of off-season injuries to backcourt- they’re playing pace #259. Temple is shooting only 31.6% on arc, but they’re protecting ball well. Florida State is their first top 100 opponent; Seminoles are 4-0 with wins over Iona/Winthrop- they start a freshman and couple sophs, play #27 pace with subs playing #32 minutes in country. AAC teams are 8-10 vs spread away from home. ACC teams are 11-10.

West Virginia crushed three stiffs to start season, forcing turnovers 34.2% of time, #1 in nation, but Illinois is Big 14 team that starts four seniors and shouldn’t be intimdated. Illini are 4-1, losing last game at home to #98 Winthrop, their first top 100 game- they made 11-24 on arc and still lost. Illinois does turn ball over 20.2% of time, is making 39.8% of 3’s. West Virginia hasn’t played anyone near as good as Illinois- they made 15-32 on arc last game- this is their first game away from home for both teams.


Advocate Invitational. Orlando

Iowa State won its first three games vs an impressive collection of stiffs; Cyclones start five seniors, so the future is now- Indiana State isn’t great, but they’re lot better than anyone they played so far. Sycamores are 2-1, splitting pair of OT games in their two road outings, beating Northern Illinois, losing to Ball State. Indiana State is 30-33 last two years; they start two juniors, two seniors. Iowa State lost to MVC’s Northern Iowa on neutral floor LY; they generally travel well, should edge in crowd support down in central Florida. MVC teams are 7-9 vs spread away from home.

Miami Hurricanes forced turnovers 23.9% of time in winning first three games, by 49-38-12 points, vs stiffs; Miami starts two seniors, two juniors; only three subs they used in last game were all freshmen- this is their first top 100 game. Stanford is 4-0 with all four wins vs similar group of opponents, ranked between 163-188. Miami is #18, so this is a step up for both sides. Cardinal starts three juniors, two seniors playing for new coach; they’re #51 in bench minutes. Stanford played game in Japan, now they’re in Florida; lot of frequent flier miles.

Florida’s gym is being re-done; they won’t play a home game for 3-4 more weeks. Gators are 4-0 vs decent schedule (teams ranked #80-158); they’ve forced turnovers 26.% of time (#7 in country), are starting two juniors, two seniors, but Seton Hall will be step up in competition. Pirates are 3-0, haven’t played in a week since 91-83 win at rebuilding Iowa. Seton Hall starts four seniors and a senior- their best soph from LY is in the NBA. Big East teams are 11-9 vs spread away from home; SEC teams are 11-9. This should be a good game.


Wooden Legacy, Fullerton, CA

Northridge is local team, which may be their only advantage here. CSUN lost to UCLA/Stanford by 15-27 points in first two road games, beat Northern Illinois by hoop at home last game- they start three juniors and a senior, most experienced, deepest team Theus has had with Matadors. Northridge is playing #4 pace in country; they turn ball over 21.3% of time, kind of expected playing a fast pace. Texas A&M beat couple of stiffs before losing at home to USC by a hoop; Aggies are shooting 27.9% on arc, 58.8% on foul line so far- not good.

New Mexico is 3-0 with 72-59 win over rival New Mexico State last game; Lobos lost their PG last year (coach’s son) because kid was getting ton of grief, but fast start should make natives less restless- their new PG is a soph. Lobos took 37 FTs, were just 1-10 on arc last game, so interior-oriented. Virginia Tech was 20-12 LY, its first winning season in five years; Hokies are 3-0 vs teams all ranked #266 or worse- the three seniors in their rotation all come off bench. In a smallish gym, expect New Mexico fans to make it sound like a Lobo home game.

Dayton has injury issues, with Cunningham out; they won by 5 at Alabama, lost to St Mary’s at home by 4- they’ve played tougher-than-usual early schedule. Flyers start three seniors, two sophs; they’ll probably only play seven guys, but have a really good senior PG. Nebraska is 3-0 vs softer schedule, with #152 Louisiana Tech best team they’ve played; young Cornhuskers are starting four sophs and a senior. A-14 teams are 12-11 vs spread away from home; Big 14 teams are 13-8.

UCLA has a great freshman PG, is scoring 105.8 pts/game in 4-0 start vs competition similar to Portland, with wins by 39-15-20-37 points- two of those wins were vs Pilots’ WCC rivals. Bruins are local team, will have lot of people here- they’re playing #15 tempo, making 45.5% on arc, but they don’t have much depth. Portland has a new coach, is 3-0 but they haven’t played any good teams yet. Portland is #44 experience team playing tempo #86; they’ve made 41% on arc, but if they try to run with UCLA, this could be over early.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thanksgiving Day NCAAF betting preview: LSU at Texas A&M

No. 16 Louisiana State Tigers at No. 25 Texas A&M Aggies (+7.5, 47)

Texas A&M and LSU went from SEC contenders to third place in the West Division over the last few weeks and just hope to close out their respective seasons strong. The 22nd-ranked Aggies, who still have a shot at second place in the West, will try to put together back-to-back wins when they host LSU on Thursday in a Thanksgiving battle.

Texas A&M was in fourth place in the first College Football Playoff rankings but dropped its next two games to Mississippi State and Ole Miss to drop to 25th before recovering with a 23-10 victory over non-conference foe UTSA on Saturday. The Aggies are still a possibility for a Sugar Bowl berth, which would go to the second-highest ranked team from the SEC, and would finish in second place in the SEC West with a win on Thursday and an Auburn loss against Alabama. The Tigers, who lost to Auburn earlier in the year, have no shot at second place and could be playing for interim coach Ed Orgeron's job on Thursday. LSU won three straight after Orgeron took over for Les Miles but since dropped two of three while looking unimpressive on the offensive end.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: LSU opened as 5.5-point road favorites, that spread was bet down early in the week to 5, the line reversed track Tuesday and jumped up to 6.5 and continued to rise to the current number of 7.5. The total hit the board at 45 and rose steadily all week to reach the current number at 47.

INJURY REPORT:

LSU - FB B. Mouton (Questionable, undisclosed), RB L. Fournette (Doubtful, ankle), WR T. Dural (Questionable, undisclosed), LB K. Beckwith (Out, knee), WR J. Ferguson (Out, suspension), S R. Jefferson (Out For Season, leg), S C. Thompson (Out For Season, knee), DE I. Washington (Out For Season, knee), DT C. LaCouture (Out For Season, knee).

Texas A&M - QB J. Hubenak (Probable, shoulder), DB P. Willis (Probable, undisclosed), DB A. Watts (Questionable, leg), DB D. Wilson (Questionable, undisclosed), OL J. Eluemunor (Questionable, undisclosed), DB N. Harvey (Questionable, undisclosed), RB T. Williams (Questionable, undisclosed), OL C. Lanfear (Out For Season, knee), DB N. Ellis (Out For Season, leg), QB T. Knight (Out For Season, shoulder), LB J. Dunning (Out Indefinitely, suspension), DB J. Dunning (Out For Season, knee), WR Q. Davis (Out For Season, knee).

WEATHER REPORT: The weather conditions for this Thanksgiving evening game at College Station, Texas are expected to be clear with temperatures in the low-60's or upper-50's. There will be no wind that will impact the game.

ABOUT LSU (6-4 SU, 4-6 ATS, 1-7-1 O/U): Orgeron was expected to spark the Tigers offense but watched his team score one touchdown in five goal-to-go chances on Saturday at home against Florida, including a goal-line stand that clinched the setback. "We shot ourselves in the foot and had a lot of opportunities in the red zone," Orgeron told reporters. "We didn't convert any points. Two turnovers were really costly in the football game. Guys fought the whole way, gave us a chance to win the football game." Star running back Leonard Fournette, who was hobbled by an ankle injury that has plagued him on and off all season, was limited to 40 yards on 12 carries Saturday and will likely miss Thursday's game.

ABOUT TEXAS A&M (8-3 SU, 4-7 ATS, 3-7-1 O/U): The Aggies' biggest star - defensive end Myles Garrett - has been hobbled most of the season as well but finally looked fully healthy on Saturday and recorded 4 1/2 sacks in the win. Garrett, who is expected to go high in the first round of the next NFL draft, became the eighth player in SEC history to record 30 or more sacks in his career (32 1/2). Texas A&M, which lost starter Trevor Knight to a shoulder injury in the loss to Mississippi, is still getting used to Jake Hubenak at quarterback, and the junior threw for 248 yards and a touchdown against UTSA.

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game.
* Aggies are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Under is 9-1 in Tigers last 10 games in November.
* Under is 11-2-1 in Aggies last 14 games on grass.
* Tigers are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 58 percent are taking the home underdog while 52 percent favor the Over in this battle of top 25 teams.