Thursday 12/8/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 16:00

Villarreal

v

Steaua

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		4/11	17/4	9	More markets

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

KEY STAT: Steaua Bucharest have failed to score in their last three European away games

EXPERT VERDICT: There are plenty of complex permutations in Group L but the one certainty is that Steaua must score to have any chance of going through – and they haven’t bagged an away goal yet. That won’t be easy against Villarreal’s famed defence – the best in Spain – and punters can expect a tense, low-scorer.

RECOMMENDATION: Under 2.5 goals
1

Europa League TODAY 16:00

FK Qarabag

v

Fiorentina

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		2	12/5	6/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT FK QARABAG	RECENT FORM
A WA WH WA LH WH W​ Most recent​	Unknown	H WH DA WH LA LH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Fiorentina have scored 18 goals in their last seven away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Having failed to clinch qualification on matchday five, Qarabag face another test of their bottle. Fiorentina, who can only miss out on the last 32 if they lose by five or more goals and PAOK beat Slovan Liberec, have taken a strong squad to Baku and can fend off the Azeri champions.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

Europa League TODAY 18:00

Zorya

v

Man Utd

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		10	4	4/11	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ZORYA	RECENT FORM
H DA DH LA LA DH L​ Most recent​	Unknown	A WH DH WH DH WA D​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Four of Zorya’s five Europa League games have been goalless at half time

EXPERT VERDICT: Two four-goal home wins belatedly ignited United’s Europa League challenge, but they have been poor on the road, losing 1-0 at Feyenoord only scoring an consolation at Fenerbahce in the 89th minute. Zorya are out but have been resilient, only once losing by more than a goal.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Tamas Bognar STADIUM:

Europa League TODAY 18:00

Feyenoord

v

Fenerbahce

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		6/5	12/5	13/5	More markets

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

KEY STAT: Feyenoord have won six of their last seven home ties in the Europa League

EXPERT VERDICT: Group A signs off with Feyenoord needing to win handsomely and Fenerbahce needing to avoid defeat in what could be a belter of a game. The Dutch powers, who boast a formidable home record, have won both of their home ties in the group 1-0 and can complete the hat-trick.

RECOMMENDATION: Feyenoord
1

Europa League TODAY 18:00

M. Tel Aviv

v

Dundalk

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		4/9	15/4	7	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT M. TEL AVIV	RECENT FORM
H DA WA LA LA LH D​ Most recent​	Unknown	H WA LH WA LN D*H L​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Dundalk have not kept a clean sheet in their last seven matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Dundalk have been unable to add to the four points achieved in their opening two Europa League group stage games and are likely to exit the competition with a defeat. To their great credit Dundalk have not lost any of their Europa League games by more than one goal but the last task may prove to be the toughest with Maccabi – second in the Israeli top flight – gearing up to produce a big performance.

RECOMMENDATION: Maccabi Tel Aviv
1


REFEREE: Robert Schorgenhofer STADIUM:

Europa League TODAY 20:05

St Liege

v

Ajax

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		4/5	14/5	15/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ST LIEGE	RECENT FORM
A LA WH WA LA DH W​ Most recent​	Unknown	H WA DH WH WA WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Ajax are unbeaten in their last 19 matches, winning 16 of them

EXPERT VERDICT: Ajax have hardly put a foot wrong and Lowland rivalry will ensure they give it a go in Liege. With the pressure off, the Dutch raiders, whose unbeaten run stretches back to August, have a free run at a Standard side who need to win. Peter Bosz’s side look a big price.

RECOMMENDATION: Ajax
2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CL - Matchday 6 Results

Overall Betting Results

Home Teams: 8-3
Draws: 5
Favorites: 8-3
Over/Under: 7-8-1

Group A

Ludogorets 2 at Paris Saint-German 2 (Draw +700)
Arsenal 4 at FC Basel 1 (Favorite +105)

Group B

Besiktas 0 Dynamo Kiev 6 (Underdog +225)
Napoli 2 Benfica 1 (Underdog +180)

Group C

Borussia Monchengladbach 0 at Barcelona 4 (Favorite -300)
Celtic 1 at Manchester City 1 (Draw +400)

Group D

Atletico Madrid 0 at Bayern Munich 1 (Favorite -185)
FK Rostov 0 PSV Eindhoven 0 (Draw +290)

Group E

AS Monaco 0 at Bayern Leverkusken 3 (Favorite -165)
CSKA Moscow 1 at Tottenham 3 (Favorite -250)

Group F

Borussia Dortmund 2 at Real Madrid 2 (Draw +300)
Sporting Lisbon 0 at Legia Warszawa 1 (Underdog +280)

Group G

FC Copenhagen 2 at Club Brugge 0 (Favorite +120)
Leicester City 0 at FC Porto 5 (Favorite -425)

Group H

Sevilla 0 at Lyon 0 (Draw +260)
Dinamo Zagreb 0 at Juventus 2 (Favorite -1000)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Cold, icy conditions on tap for Manchester United in Thursday's Europa League clash
By ROB HANSEN

Frozen fields and icy conditions are something we're used to seeing in North American football, but having to deal with these conditions in the billion dollar world of European football is an entirely different matter.

Manchester United are scheduled to wrap up their Europa League group play Thursday in a game that will take place in Odessa, Ukraine against Zorya Luhansk and weather will, most certainly, be a factor in the critical match.

Wednesday's test of the host pitch by the Manchester United players revealed frozen, crunchy turf and extremely slippery conditions.

United boss Jose Mourinho expressed his displeasure with the playing conditions during his media conference.

"The pitch is hard, the pitch is icy," Mourinho stated, "I think UEFA know the conditions of the pitch and everyone knows the conditions in Ukraine and Eastern Europe in mid-December are more difficult. So if UEFA was worried about it, they should change the fixtures and not allow it to be played here in mid-December."

Temperatures in Odessa are expected to be around -7 degrees Celsius (20 degree Fahrenheit) at game-time and the stadium staff will do their best to get the pitch thawed out in time for Thursday's match. There is a pitch inspection scheduled for Thursday morning to see if the game can, in fact, be played at all.

Manchester United is heavily favored in three-way betting at -278 with Zorya Luhansk paying +1000 to win and +392 on a draw. The total for Thursday's contest is set at 2.5 with Over paying +112 and Under at -130.

Thursday's game is scheduled to be played at 1PM Eastern.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Kelly's goal pushes Ottawa over San Jose
By The Sports Xchange

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Chris Kelly's tiebreaking goal at 18:54 of the third period enabled the Ottawa Senators to beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 at SAP Center on Wednesday.
Mark Stone and Erik Karlsson scored and Jean-Gabriel Pageau added an empty-net goal with 15.1 seconds left for the Sens.
The Sharks' Brent Burns and Logan Couture added their team's goals.

Ducks 6, Hurricanes 5 (SO)
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Ryan Getzlaf and Ondrej Kase scored in a shootout as Anaheim rallied for a win over Carolina at the Honda Center.
Corey Perry, Stefan Noesen, Nick Ritchie, Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano scored in regulation for the Ducks.
Teuvo Teravainen scored twice and Jay McClement, Sebastian Aho and Brett Pesce on each for the Hurricanes.

Capitals 4, Bruins 3 (OT)
WASHINGTON -- Nicklas Backstrom scored with 3:24 left in overtime, and Washington defeated Boston at Verizon Center.
Justin Williams scored twice and Daniel Winnik added a goal for the Capitals in regulation. Braden Holtby made 31 saves.
Dominic Moore, David Pastrnak and Colin Miller scored for the Bruins while Tuukka Rask stopped 16 shots.

Wild 3, Maple Leafs 2
TORONTO -- Jason Zucker, Chris Stewart and Eric Staal each scored a goal and Minnesota defeated Toronto.
The Wild won their second game in a row to finish a five-game road trip with a 2-1-2 record.
Ben Smith and Tyler Bozak scored for the Maple Leafs, who lost three in a row.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

In the Crease - Week 9
By Joe Williams

Streaky Teams
Wins and Losses Streak Over/Under Streak
Carolina 0-4-1 past five on road Carolina Under 6-1-4 past 11 overall
Colorado 0-4-1 past five overall, 1-5-1 past seven at home Columbus Under 5-2-2 past nine overall
Montreal 12-1-1 past 14 at home Nashville Over 5-1 past six overall
Philadelphia 5-0 past five overall Pittsburgh Over 8-0 past eight overall
Toronto 4-1 past five at home San Jose Under 14-1-6 past 21 overall

Penguin Power
The Pittsburgh Penguins bludgeoned the Ottawa Senators by an 8-5 score Monday night for their eighth consecutive over result. They will travel to Sunrise to meet the Florida Panthers Thursday night. The two sides met in the Steel City Oct. 25 with the Pens coming out on top 3-2 in a push on the total. The past four meetings between the Penguins and Panthers have resulted in no overs, one under and three pushes. In the past 11 road outings the 'over' is 7-3-1 for the Pens.

Tropical Depression
The Carolina Hurricanes have had a power outage lately, posting two or fewer goals in each of their past four games, and seven of their past eight. During the eight-game span the Canes are averaging 1.6 goals per game, and it's no surprise the 'under' is 7-1-3 in the past 11 games for Carolina. The Hurricanes are also struggling to produce wins, going 2-4-1 in the past seven outings. They begin a three-game West Coast road swing Tuesday evening in Anaheim. The Hurricanes are 0-4-1 in their past five road games, and 3-7-3-2 overall on the road this season.


Looking Ahead

Thursday, Nov. 17
The Bruins host the Avalanche, looking for their third win in the past four in this series. They won 2-0 in the first meeting Nov. 13 in Denver, as the 'under' cashed for the seventh time in eight meetings. Last season the Bruins topped the Avalanche 6-2, ending a 7-0-1 run by Colorado in Boston which dated back to March 30, 1998. The 'under' is 10-4-1 in the past 15 meetings overall, and the 'under' is 4-1-2 in the past seven meetings in Massachusetts. ... New Jersey heads to Montreal looking to hand the Canadiens just their second loss at home in regulation. The Devils enter the week just 1-4-2 in their past seven games on the road. Total bettors will be interested to know the 'over' is 5-0-1 in the past seven for New Jersey.

Friday, Nov. 18
The Wild host the Oilers, as they look to stay hot against Edmonton. Minnesota won 2-1 in overtime Dec. 4, and they have had good luck in Northern Alberta. They have struggled against the Oilers on home ice, however, winning just one of their past four in St. Paul, while going 4-4-1 in their past nine home meetings with Edmonton. The 'under' has cashed in five of the past seven in this series. ... The Ducks welcome the Sharks to town for the third meeting of the season. Both teams have a win in two meetings in San Jose, with the Ducks coming out on top 3-2 in the most recent outing. The 'under' is 4-0-2 in the past six in this series and 6-1-2 in the past nine. San Jose has tallied a total of eight goals with Anaheim scoring a total of nine goals in the six-game span.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (15-7) at Islanders (10-10)

Date: December 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The New York Islanders have spent the last week proving they can play with the best teams in the Eastern Conference. On Thursday night, the Islanders will get a chance to see how they stack up against the red-hot St. Louis Blues, who are the second-best team in the Western Conference.

The Islanders will host the Blues for the only time this season when the two teams square off at Barclays Center. Both clubs won Tuesday, when New York extended its point streak to five games with a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers while St. Louis kept rolling with a 3-2 overtime win over the East-leading Montreal Canadiens.

The Islanders (10-10-5) have gone 4-0-1 in their last five games -- a stretch in which they've beaten the Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, all of whom currently occupy a playoff spot -- to climb out of the NHL basement and move to the fringe of the East playoff race.

"It gives our guys a little bit of confidence that we can play with some of the top teams, record-wise, in the East," Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said.

Despite the recent surge, the Islanders still have a long road ahead if they want to reach the playoffs for the third straight season. New York is eight points behind the Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, who are tied for the two wild card berths.

"Means we've got a lot of work still to do," Islanders center and captain John Tavares said. "We've had some ups and downs and some frustration to start the year, some results we didn't get and some things maybe not go our way. Certainly playing a lot better hockey and we know we can still be a lot better."

Results-wise, it's hard to fare much better than the Blues (15-7-4) have lately. St. Louis is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games dating back to Nov. 15 to move within three points of the Chicago Blackhawks, who lead both the Central Division and the Western Conference.

Much like the Islanders, the Blues are looking to see if their recent play is sustainable. The game Thursday begins a four-game road trip for St. Louis, which is just 3-6-1 away from Scottrade Center. Six of its final nine games before the Christmas break will be on the road.

"It's going to be a real test for us," Blues goalie Jake Allen said. "Obviously, things haven't gone great for us on the road this year. It's a great opportunity to keep this thing going we had on our homestand."

The Blues would like to keep it going without the drama that accompanied the 4-0-1 homestand that concluded Tuesday. Four of the five games went to overtime.

"My biggest fear is we've had to put a lot of energy into these games. a lot of overtimes, a lot of 3-on-3 stuff, a lot of anxiety, a lot of close games," Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We'll see where our energy is. We've got to be really careful with ourselves right now."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (9-14) at Bruins (15-10)

Date: December 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

BOSTON -- One streak will end when the slumping Colorado Avalanche visit the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

The Avalanche are 0-5-1 in their past six games, but the franchise last lost in Boston in 1988 when it was still the Quebec Nordiques. That is a 10-game streak that would end if the Avalanche's current troubles continue.

Colorado, dead last in the NHL with only 19 points, spent the day in Boston on Wednesday, getting in a practice while the Bruins were playing in Washington.

The workout took place, but four players were back at the team hotel because of illness, including captain Gabriel Landeskog, who was supposed to return from a nine-game absence caused by a lower body injury but was suddenly deemed doubtful for the second game of a four-game trip.

The Avalanche, who fell to 9-14-1 with a 4-3 loss in Nashville on Tuesday night, will get defenseman Fedor Tyutin back from a two-game absence caused by a lower body injury. If Landeskog doesn't play Thursday, he should return in Montreal on Saturday.

"I don't know what that (illness) does for Landeskog," coach Jared Bednar said. "I'm assuming now after feeling sick and not getting that contact practice in (Wednesday) that he'll be another game, and we'll have to feel that situation out (Thursday) morning."

Colorado defenseman Francois Beauchemin also missed the practice, nursing a sore hand.

Bednar thought his team played better in Nashville, but the result was the same despite two goals by Matt Duchene, his eighth and ninth of the season, all on the road.

While the Avalanche come into the game on a losing streak, the Bruins are 3-0-1 in their past four. They came all the way back from three goals down before losing in Washington on Wednesday as goaltender Tuukka Rask fell to 0-5-4 against the Caps.

After digging the huge hole, the Bruins dominated the game, at one point holding Washington without a shot on goal for some 26 minutes. However, a faulty line change in the OT led to Nicklas Backstrom's winner.

"Just goes to show that you've got to trust the system, stick with it, and good things will happen," Rask said after the game.

Said coach Claude Julien: "I think it was a real good effort by our hockey team tonight. Probably at the end you think you deserve better, but against a team like that, you take the point and move on because we've got a game (Thursday) night and I think it's important for us to get out of here and start focusing on (Thursday)."

With Rask playing Wednesday -- and keeping his team in the game when the Caps took a 2-0 lead -- it is likely backup Anton Khudobin will be in goal Thursday night. Khudobin won his last start, Dec. 1 against the Carolina Panthers in overtime -- the first win of the season for a Boston goalie other than Rask.

Khudobin is 1-3 on the season, and he is 1-1 in two career starts against the Avalanche.

Calvin Pickard, who has never faced the Bruins, will bring a 7-4-2 record, a 2.44 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage into the game, shining numbers next to Semyon Varlamov's 5-12-0 with a 3.08 GAA.

The Avalanche tied the game at Nashville three times before losing on a five-on-three, power-play goal.

"For me, that was the hardest we played -- that was the best game we played in a couple weeks," Bednar said. "We had some chances to square that game up, and it was a tough way to fall behind on the five-on-three."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Oilers (14-10) at Flyers (15-10)

Date: December 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- Thanks to a powerful power play fueled by Wayne Simmonds, outstanding goaltending by Steve Mason and the steady progress of 19-year-old rookie defenseman Ivan Provorov, the Philadelphia Flyers carry a six-game winning streak into Thursday night's home game against the Edmonton Oilers.

Simmonds is coming off back-to-back two-goal performances and leads the NHL with eight power-play goals. He is tied for third in the NHL with 15 goals.

"He's been primarily pretty much a 30-goal scorer," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. "He's doing the exact same thing, doing exactly what he has always done. The thing with Simmer is that he doesn't change his game, he doesn't waver. I think you are seeing a very confident player right now, a very competitive player and a very focused player. He's been very important for our group here especially in the first third of the season and that is going to continue."

The Flyers' power play has produced more goals this season -- 24 in 28 games -- than any team in the NHL. Claude Giroux is a big reason. He leads the NHL with 15 power-play points.

Mason has been the Flyers' best player in recent games. He stopped 42 of 44 shots in Tuesday night's 3-2 overtime win against the Florida Panthers, his fifth straight win. Florida recorded 85 shot attempts to the Flyers' 51.

"Mase has been outstanding over the last three weeks," Flyers right winger Jake Voracek said. "Sometimes you are going to have hockey games like that but Mase was great and we scored when we needed to."

Mason's 88 wins as a Flyer moved him past Pelle Lindbergh and into sixth in franchise history. Mason needs six wins to move into third place in franchise history.

The Flyers have also received steady play from Provorov, a 19-year-old rookie who picked up an assist and recorded a huge block on a 2-on-1 in overtime on Tuesday night.

"I think he has done a great job all year long and he is only going to get better," Simmonds said of the 19-year-old rookie. If you watch him play he is getting better and better, not every game, but every shift."

Provorov will draw the assignment of stopping the Oilers' top line of Connor McDavid, Milan Lucic and Leon Draisaitl, who have combined for 30 goals and 78 points this season. McDavid leads the NHL with 36 points and all 11 of his goals have come at even strength.

The Flyers likely will try to match the checking line of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Chris VandeVelde and Dale Weise against the McDavid line.

The Oilers are coming off Tuesday night's 4-3 overtime loss in Buffalo. Jordan Eberle, Lucic (8 goals) and Draisaitl (11 goals) scored for the Oilers (14-10-4) while Cam Talbot made 22 saves.

The Oilers blew a one-goal lead late in regulation and lost on a power-play goal in overtime.

"We did a really good job taking that game over after the first," McDavid told the Edmonton Journal. "Started slow, battled back, had the lead and weren't really giving up much, especially in the third period. Give them credit. They found a way to get one, get it to overtime and their power play bared down."

"It comes down to them pulling their goalie and executing and we have to live with that," Oilers coach Todd McLellan said. "That's going to happen in the game, that's going to happen every now and then and it's the next 22 seconds when you take a penalty that you don't need to take and that sets you up for a loss."

As for projected rosters, Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas is expected to return after missing three games with an illness. Oilers defenseman Dillon Simpson could make his NHL debut. The Flyers activated forward Boyd Gordon and placed Matt Read (upper body injury) on injured reserve.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (12-7) at Canadiens (17-6)

Date: December 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

MONTREAL -- It's said that home is where the heart is. For the Montreal Canadiens, it's also where the wins are.

A .500 team as the opposition, Montreal (17-6-3) has been dominant at the Bell Centre this season, where they've won 12 of 14 games and lost for the first time in regulation just a few weeks ago. Now, after a five-game road trip, they kick off a four-game homestand that begins with a tilt against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

The Canadiens are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues to close out the trip, a point lost after holding a 2-0 lead in the game. But while the team earned half of the 10 points on the table during their road trip, they're pleased with their efforts overall.

"We wanted to do better and we wanted to come up with that win (in St. Louis) and get that extra point, but all of these games we battled really hard," Max Pacioretty told reporters after the game. "It's not always going to go your way. It's not always going to be perfect. But, we liked the effort every night."

The Canadiens have been relatively healthy through the first couple of months of the season but lately, the injury bug has begun to take a bite out of the group. After Alex Galchenyuk left the game against the Kings following a collision with center Anze Kopitar on Sunday, the Habs took another hit down the middle when David Desharnais, Galchenyuk's replacement on Montreal's top line, went down with an injury of his own.

The team announced Wednesday evening that both would be sidelined for six to eight weeks with knee injuries. If there's a slight silver lining for the Habs, it would be the recent play of veteran pivot Tomas Plekanec. He scored against St. Louis to put Montreal up by a pair -- his first goal in just over a month and second overall -- and it was his shot that hit Paul Byron to open the scoring.

The Canadiens made a swap earlier in the day among their younger forwards, re-assigning Charles Hudon to and recalling Sven Andrighetto from the AHL's St. John's IceCaps.

Montreal also re-assigned defenseman Mark Barberio, who dressed for the team's last six games. That could open the door for Zach Redmond to make his season debut. Redmond was recently taken off injured reserve after recovering from a broken foot suffered in training camp but has yet to dress for a game. Meanwhile, defenseman Nathan Beaulieu remains on injured reserve.

After a rough go through the second half of November, the early days of December have been good to the Devils. New Jersey won just one of its final eight games last month but has kicked off the final month of the calendar year with two wins and an overtime loss.

Their most recent triumph came in the form of a 3-2 victory against the Vancouver Canucks in a game that turned into a chippy affair after a big hit from Taylor Hall led to Canucks defenseman Philip Larsen being taken off on a stretcher.

"I'm looking to make contact there but I never want to see a guy laying on the ice like that," Hall told the New Jersey Record, while also noting that he tried to keep his arms in and make a chest-to-chest hit.

"I only know how to play the game one way and you've got to play it hard."

Former Canadiens winger Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, who has nine points in 25 games with New Jersey this season, had a weight lifted off his shoulder against the Canucks when he recorded his point, an assist, in seven games. He told the Record he met with coach John Hynes in the morning, who provided the veteran with a "wake-up call."

"I'm just happy to help the team win, I've felt pretty useless the last few games," he said. "I didn't get much done. It's nice to get on the scoresheet and make some plays again. I had a good chat with Hynsie this morning. He was good about it. It was kind of a wake-up call. I think you need it sometimes. Not only about not producing but, sometimes when you're not producing, you get away from your game and you start looking for other things and you don't compete as hard. You're puck watching. You've got to get back to basics and I think I did that."

Hynes announced that Cory Schneider will get the start against Montreal.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (16-7) at Panthers (12-11)

Date: December 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers want to be the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It is not just that the Penguins are the reigning Stanley Cup champions, but how they won.

The Penguins fired their coach (Mike Johnston) on Dec. 12, 2015, and replaced him with Mike Sullivan, who was running their American Hockey League affiliate. The Penguins got hot after that and won the Stanley Cup.

The Panthers fired their coach (Gerard Gallant) on Nov. 27, 2016, and replaced him with Tom Rowe, who ran their AHL affiliate the past three years.

That, however, is where the similarities end, at least so far.

Rowe, who is also the Panthers' general manager, has lost four of the five games since Gallant was dismissed, although the Panthers got the overtime point in three of those defeats.

On Thursday night, the Panthers -- fittingly enough -- will play host to the Penguins at the BB&T Center in their first home game since Gallant was dumped.

In the most recent game, Florida (12-11-4) took a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, who got a goal from Jakub Voracek with 8.6 seconds left in overtime Tuesday.

"I told the guys after the game, as frustrating as it is, and as down as some of you may be, there are too many positives here to get down," Rowe said. "We will keep building on what we started."

Just what the Panthers are producing under Rowe is dubious. The fact remains that the Panthers won their first Atlantic Division last season under Gallant, setting franchise records for wins (47) and points (103).

But there must be something about the phrase, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" that the Panthers don't understand.

Immediately after the triumphant 2015-2016 season, the Panthers thought it was best to replace their GM, Dale Tallon, who built the team, piece by piece, since getting hired in May 2010. Tallon was moved upstairs to team president, taking him out of the business of having final say on personnel decisions.

Rowe took over for Tallon. And it was Rowe -- with perhaps a large say-so from team owners -- who pressed the panic button on Gallant.

That type of move worked wonders last season for the Penguins. Then again, the Penguins have things the Panthers simply do not -- such as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and more.

On Wednesday, the Penguins (16-7-3) made a couple of roster moves, sending forward Jake Guentzel and defenseman Derrick Pouliot to their AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton affiliate.

"We don't want our young players on the sidelines," Sullivan said Wednesday. "It's important for these guys to continue to play games in order to develop."

Part of the problem for Guentzel and Pouliot is actually not a problem at all for the Penguins, which is to say the team's veterans are healthy and no AHL reinforcements are needed at the moment.

Pittsburgh is riding a three-game winning streak, scoring 19 goals during that span. Perhaps this hot streak will be a perfect time for the Penguins to improve on their mediocre 5-5-2 road record.

Certainly, the Panthers, who are likely to be without dangerous right winger Jonathan Marchessault (lower-body injury) are vulnerable.

Then again, the Panthers haven't quit -- not by a long shot. An example of Florida's toughness was displayed this week by defenseman Keith Yandle, who was hit by a puck Monday in a loss to the Boston Bruins.

Rather than sit out with a leg injury, Yandle extended his consecutive-games-played streak to 578. It is the 10th-longest streak in NHL history.

"He could have mailed it in, and no one would have said a word," Rowe said. "It's great for our young players to see that."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canucks (11-13) at Lightning (14-11)

Date: December 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. -- On the heels of a four-game losing streak, the Tampa Bay Lightning reverted back to a defense-first mentality.

That could spell bad news for the Vancouver Canucks, the third-lowest scoring team in the NHL, averaging 2.19 goals per game.

During Tampa Bay's four-game losing streak, the longest since the end of the 2013 lockout season, the Lightning allowed four or more goals in each game, the first time that has happened since head coach Jon Cooper took over at the end of the 2013 season.

Since then, the Lightning have been among the stingiest teams in the league, finishing fifth in goals against last season. So in the two games since that losing streak, the defensive mentality has returned and the Lightning allowed a total of two goals while picking up three points in back-to-backs against Washington and at Carolina.

"We scored one goal in two games and remarkably we come out of it with three out of four points," Cooper said. "So it just goes to show you that defense helps you win games and helps you get points."

Though the defensive mindset is being reemphasized, facing one of the lowest scoring teams in the league is no reason to take anything for granted. Though Vancouver has been shutout four times this season and held to two-or-fewer goals 16 times in 26 games, any lapse on Tampa Bay's part could help the Canucks erupt.

"In the NHL, teams that may struggle to score goals can put up six or seven," Lightning alternate captain Ryan Callahan said. "So you can't look at numbers or say that they are struggling offensively. The big thing for us is the way we play defensively and we can hopefully continue that trend for them. But it's always about our game and what we are doing, not so much the other team so we don't really look at those stats too much."

Callahan, who has missed four games with a lower-body injury is expected to return to the Lightning lineup against Vancouver, along with defenseman Jason Garrison, who missed three games with a lower-body injury. Jonathan Drouin, a scratch on Sunday in Carolina with an undisclosed injury, participated in practice but is less certain of a return to the lineup.

The Canucks, meanwhile, will be without defenseman Philip Larsen for an unknown amount of time after he was knocked unconscious on Tuesday in New Jersey following a hard hit from Taylor Hall. Larsen was cleared by doctors on Wednesday to return to Vancouver for further evaluation.

With Larsen out of the lineup, Kevin Biega will have an opportunity to get in the lineup after he has been a scratch in all but one game this season.

"At the end of the day it's an opportunity that presented itself and I have to go out and just play," Biega said. "Good things happen when you just go out and play and not think too much about it."

No matter who is in the lineup for Vancouver, Daniel Sedin knows the Canucks have to be ready for a Lightning team hungry to get back to their winning ways.

"We know they are going to be fast and play with a lot of skill and try to push toward the net," he said. "We have to be ready to match their effort. That have a lot of talent on that team and can put a lot of pressure on."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (17-9) at Jets (13-13)

Date: December 08, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- If there ever was a David versus Goliath matchup in the NHL, the New York Rangers versus the Winnipeg Jets is it.

Hockey's largest population base versus its smallest, a team with more than 90 years of history versus one with just five (in its most recent incarnation), a squad with four Stanley Cup victories and a perennial contender versus one with not only zero championships but not a single playoff game win.

Heck, the original Jets history goes back to the days of the World Hockey Association when the Rangers outbid virtually every other NHL team to sign Swedish superstars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson away in 1978.

So, yeah, you could say the Jets are polishing up their slingshots in advance of facing the blue shirts Thursday night at 7 p.m. (CST) at the MTS Centre. This is the second and final meeting between the two squads. The Rangers defeated the Jets 5-2 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 6.

The Jets have been relying heavily this season on super rookie Patrik Laine, who not only leads all first-year players with 17 goals, but is tied with some guy named Sidney Crosby atop the NHL goal-scoring parade. The Winnipeggers will need some help from some slumping players to take the pressure off the 18-year-old, including his linemate, Nikolaj Ehlers. The 20-year-old notched 15 goals and 38 points last year but has only managed four goals and 19 assists while playing primarily on the top line this season.

He is currently mired in a 14-game goal drought but he's not losing any sleep over it.

"I'm still scoring points, we're winning games -- it's not a big deal for me," Ehlers told the Winnipeg Sun. "So I'm not too worried. But I wouldn't mind that one goes in soon."

He's not getting much sympathy from Laine.

"He can't score in Playstation, either," he said.

Presumably, Henrik Lundqvist is between the pipes whenever the two youngsters play the video game version of the Rangers but that won't be the case on Thursday as backup Antti Raanta will get the start.

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said he believes Lundqvist, who hasn't cracked the top 10 in goals against average, save percentage, win and shutouts this season, has another level.

"He's our top player, you know. He's been doing it for quite a few years. I would tell you that you look at any team right now that's winning and they are getting consistent Grade A goaltending. We're no different than anybody else. We need consistent Grade A goaltending," he told the New York Post.

Both teams will be without key cogs in their wheels. The Jets hope to welcome center Mark Scheifele back after missing three games with a lower-body injury but they'll still be without defenseman Tyler Myers (lower body) and forwards Nic Petan, Shawn Matthias and Joel Armia, all out with lower-body injuries, too.

The most notable absence in the Rangers lineup is center Rick Nash, who is out with a groin injury. Others who won't be suiting up include forwards Pavel Buchnevich (back spasms), Matt Puempel (concussion) and Mika Zibanejad (broken leg).

If the game turns into a battle of specialty teams, the ice will definitely tilt in favor of the New Yorkers. The Jets' power play is 21st in the league, operating at 15.5 percent, a significant drop from the Rangers, who are currently in ninth position and 21 percent. The Rangers kill off 84 percent of all the penalties they take, good for 10th in the NHL, far ahead of the Jets, who emerge unscathed from 80 percent of their short-handed situations, or 24th best.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (12-9) at Stars (10-11)

Date: December 08, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

DALLAS -- The Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars meet at American Airlines Center on Thursday, and these Central Division rivals square off under different circumstances.

Nashville (12-9-4) defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday, making the Predators 9-4-1 over their past 14 games.

"I thought we did a real good job in the third period," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said after the win. "I thought we did a good job, played a smart game, a strong game."

The Predators, who are 3-7-2 on the road, also got a lift from the return of former Stars forward James Neal, who scored a goal in his return to the lineup after missing the previous four games with an upper-body injury.

"It's obviously a good feeling when you get back to playing with your teammates," Neal said. "It makes it a little easier when you're on home ice. It feels good to be back and good to win."

Dallas (10-11-6), on the other hand, heads into the divisional tilt off a loss, 2-1 to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

After taking a 1-0 lead to the first intermission thanks to Curtis McKenzie scoring in a second consecutive game for the first time in his short career, the Stars were listless for most of the final 40 minutes. Coach Lindy Ruff put his players through the paces Wednesday morning during a hard practice that lasted just under one hour.

"I only care about the work," Ruff said after practice Wednesday. "You can be frustrated, but don't quit working. I thought there was times in the game (on Tuesday) where we were a little frustrated and we didn't work. (Wednesday) was all about working, just keep working. Work when you're tired."

Against the Flames, Dallas lost rookie defenseman Julius Honka, its top pick in the 2014 draft, to an upper-body injury late in the second period. Honka did not practice Wednesday and was ruled out for the Thursday game, but he could return later this week.

Ruff called Honka's absence "short term" and said Honka shouldn't miss more than a few games.

Ruff also gave updates on injured forward Jiri Hudler (illness), out the past 18 games, and defenseman Johnny Oduya (lower body), sidelined the past eight games, but neither veteran will play against Nashville.

"Obviously, Jiri (Hudler) is getting closer," Ruff said. "I fully anticipate that (Oduya) would be ready by the weekend, but I think (Thursday) is a stretch."

Ruff said he plans on inserting rookie center Jason Dickinson, who was recalled from AHL Texas on Tuesday, into the lineup against Nashville.

Dickinson will make his season debut and will appear in his second NHL game after scoring a goal in his NHL debut, a 4-2 win in Dallas against Colorado on April 7, 2016.

"He's a big man that skates well," Ruff said of Dickinson. "With some of the players we have out, some of the speed part of our game is missing. He's a guy that I think we can put in and he can add to the speed of our lineup."

Nashville and Dallas, which is 6-4-2 at home, already twice this season. Dallas prevailed 2-1 at home on Oct. 18, while Nashville won 5-2 in the Music City on Nov. 23.

Gritty Stars forward Antoine Roussel is focused on how he and his teammates will perform once they hit the ice to conclude a two-game homestand.

"I expect a big win for us," Roussel said. "I don't really care about how (the Predators) are going to play, I just expect we're going to come out the gate really strong and play 60 minutes."

And should the Stars deliver a full, consistent effort, it would a welcome change for their coach.

"We're not playing a 60-minute game, and we haven't for this first part of the season," Ruff said. "It's been 40 out of 60, 20 of out 60. The disappointing part is we put together probably our best 60-minute effort (Saturday at Colorado). We followed it up with a real solid 20 minutes (on Tuesday) and probably played our worst 20 minutes in the second period."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (14-13) at Coyotes (8-13)

Date: December 08, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Calgary Flames are on a four-game winning streak, and they won seven of their past 10 (7-2-1).

The Arizona Coyotes are on a five-game losing streak, and they dropped 10 of their past 13 (3-6-4).

Why the disparity in play? Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the best.

"For me, it's been three things," Flames general manager Brad Treliving said Wednesday as the team took part in an off-ice workout at Gila River Arena. "We're getting stops from our goalie, our top guys have been excellent and in this little run we're on, I think our power play is top 10 in the league and our PK (penalty kill) is like fifth. It really is that simple."

Calgary (14-13-2) opened the season at 5-10-1, and the struggles were compounded by left winger Johnny Gaudreau's broken pinkie, which forced him to miss 10 games.

Even before Gaudreau returned to the lineup on Sunday, however, the Flames were getting big contributions from center Sean Monahan (three goals, seven points in his last five games), goalie Chad Johnson (9-2 with a .931 save percentage since assuming the starting goaltending duties from Brian Elliott) and others.

Gaudreau has two goals and four points in the two games since his return, and the Flames are rolling.

"I think we did a good job through the time Johnny wasn't here in establishing a base of play," Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said. "Now that we get an offensive catalyst like Johnny in the mix, it just gives us a few more chances every game."

The Coyotes (8-13-4) owns the second-lowest point total in the NHL. Arizona scored more than two goals just three times in its last 13 games.

"It's the lack of good plays being made," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "Usually the top players on your team make good plays, whether it's on the power play or creating chances. We're not getting enough of those made. Then you look at some grind plays; should be able to grind some chances out. Not getting enough of those plays. Just not creating enough offense."

Of Arizona's 25 games this season, 17 were decided by one goal, leading Tippett to believe his team is close to breaking through. However, Arizona is also being outshot 35.1 to 28.2 on a per-game average. Only goalie Mike Smith (.924 save percentage) is saving the Coyotes from a worse fate on a nightly basis.

"We have to do a better job helping Smitty out," Arizona defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said.

On Thursday, Smith is expected to start in goal for the Coyotes for the 10th time since returning from a left leg injury on Nov. 16. Smith has stopped 301 of 324 shots over that stretch for a .929 save percentage. Center Brad Richardson is out indefinitely with a broken tibia and fibula he sustained on Nov. 17 at Vancouver.

Johnson is expected to start in goal for the Flames. Left winger Lance Bouma is still out of the lineup due to a shoulder injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hurricanes (10-10) at Kings (13-10)

Date: December 08, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- After a three-day break, the Los Angeles Kings will try to make their way back to the winners' circle as they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday at Staples Center.

The Kings have been off since Sunday, when they were dealt a 5-4 loss in a shootout by the Montreal Canadiens. The Kings (13-10-2) were 5-0 in extra periods before Sunday's setback.

Six of the game's goals, a season-tying four by the Kings, occurred in the second period and allowed Los Angeles to grab a 4-3 advantage before fading in the end. Nick Shore and Trevor Lewis also tallied for the Kings.

"The pucks were just going in; I don't know why that was," said Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, who scored on a power play during the barrage and earned his second multi-point game of the season. "Both teams were flying and a couple times we got the lead and let them back in it and that was our downfall. When you get the lead, you want to get the next goal right away and kind of carry it away from them, but they were able to capitalize pretty quick after we got the lead."

Center Jeff Carter, who scored a power-play goal against the Canadiens, continued his hot streak for the Kings, who have captured six of their last eight contests. Carter remains the club's points leader with 21 (11 goals, 10 assists) and has been a steady force behind the team's recent fortunes along with linemates Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson.

Center Anze Kopitar, who recorded three assists in the setback to the Canadiens, defenseman Alec Martinez, and Toffoli all have produced 14 points for the Kings.

Kopitar, who has a club-high 12 assists, is two shy of 700 for his career. He also remains a goal away from tying Wayne Gretzky for sixth on the Kings' all-time list with 245.

The Hurricanes (10-10-6) are playing the second end of a back-to-back. The Hurricanes dropped a disappointing 6-5 shootout decision to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center.

Carolina held a 5-3 lead in the final five minutes of regulation before allowing Anaheim to score a pair of goals within 91 seconds of each other to force the extra sessions.

Anaheim's Nick Ritchie delivered his sixth goal by redirecting a slap shot by Cam Fowler from the blue line with 3:59 remaining. With 2:28 left, Corey Perry ended a drought of 18 consecutive games by scoring his fifth goal on a shot from the right circle to knot the score at 5.

"They worked their way through the neutral zone on us way too easy," Hurricanes defenseman Ron Hainsey said. "Two of the goals were right off the rush, and the other one was tipped in.

"We do a really good job most of the time of clogging up the neutral zone and not giving up anything. But we got a little too free-flowing through the neutral zone and gave up some chances."

The Hurricanes have lost six of their last eight games. Before their loss to the Ducks, Carolina scored no more than two goals in each of their previous seven road games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - December

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

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

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

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

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Thursday’s games

Flyers lost their last three games with Edmonton, but won three of last four series games played here. Over is 4-2 in last six series games. Oilers lost five of last seven games, but they’re 3-2 in last five road games (over 4-1). Philadelphia won its last six games, allowing 12 goals; their won last four at home. Under is 3-1-2 in their last six home games.

Road team won nine of last ten Colorado-Boston games; Avalanche won last five visits to Boston, allowing total of six goals. Under is 7-1 in last eight series games. Colorado lost its last six games, outscored 24-13; they split last four road games. Over is 3-1-2 in their last six games. Bruins lost in OT at Washington last night; they’ve won four of last six games, three in row at home. Under is 4-2-2 in their last eight games.

Islanders lost five of last seven games with St Louis but won last two; Blues won three of last five visits here. Six of last eight series games went over total. St Louis won eight of last ten games; this is their first road game in two weeks. Over is 5-0-2 in their last seven games. New York won four of last five games, including three of last four at home; three of their last four games went over.

Canadiens won six of last nine games with New Jersey; Devils lost three of last five games in this building. Over is 4-0-4 in last eight series games. New Jersey lost six of last seven road games; five of their last seven games overall went OT/SO (over 5-0-2). Montreal lost three of its last four games; this is their first home game in two weeks. Under is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

Penguins won four of last five games with Florida; over is 5-2-3 in last ten series games. Pittsburgh lost three of last five visits here. Penguins won last three games, scoring 19 goals; their last eight games went over the total. Florida lost five of its last six games; four of their last five went OT/SO. Under is 6-1-2 in their last nine games.

Tampa Bay won seven of last nine games with Vancouver, but teams split last four meetings here; over is 5-2-1 in last eight series games. Canucks are 4-0 in game following their last four losses; they split last four road games. Under is 3-1-2 in their last six games. Lightning lost five of their last six games, outscored 21-11; over is 4-2-1 in their last seven games.

Rangers are 4-6 in last ten games with Winnipeg, 2-2 in last four played here. Over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Rangers are 4-0 in game following their last four losses; 2-3 in last five road games. Last three New York games went over total. Winnipeg won four of its last six games, but lost last two at home. Over is 2-0-1 in their last three home games.

Dallas Stars won seven of last nine games with Nashville; over is 5-5 in last ten series games. Predators lost last four visits to Texas, outscored 17-6- they lost three of last five games overall, split their last four on road; six of their last seven games went over total. Dallas lost four of last five games, are 3-2 in last five at home. Three of their last four games stayed under the total.

Calgary won 5-2/2-1 in its last two games with Arizona; seven of last eight series games stayed under the total. Flames won three of last five visits to the desert. Calgary won its last four games, outscoring opponents 16-6. Under is 5-2-1 in their last eight games. Arizona lost its last five games, outscored 17-7; they lost three of last four at home- six of their last seven games stayed under total.

Home side won last five Carolina-LA games; Hurricanes lost last five visits to Staples Center, three by one goal. Under is 4-1-2 in last seven series games. Carolina lost shootout in Anaheim last night; they’ve lost six of last eight games, losing last six road games. Under is 6-2-2 in their last ten games. Kings won six of last eight games but lost last two at home; over is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Rockets' 15 3-pointers extends record streak
By The Sports Xchange

HOUSTON -- Eric Gordon scored 26 points in 23 minutes off the bench and James Harden added 25 points and eight assists as the Houston Rockets throttled the Los Angeles Lakers 134-95 on Wednesday night at Toyota Center.
Gordon made 9 of 13 shots from the field and a career-high eight 3-pointers to pace the onslaught.
The Rockets (15-7) extended their NBA-record streak of games with at least 10 3-pointers to 21, finishing 15 of 36 from behind the arc en route to their sixth victory in seven games.
The Rockets torching the short-handed Lakers' defense, which offered little resistance save for one fleeting stretch in the second quarter.

Hawks 103, Heat 95
ATLANTA -- Dwight Howard posted his 16th double-double with 23 points and 17 rebounds and helped Atlanta end its seven-game losing streak with a win over Miami at Philips Arena.
Howard shot 9 for 11 from the floor and was 5 for 6 at the line. Seven of his rebounds came on the offensive glass and Howard had four assists and two blocks.
Just as important was the veteran's presence on defense, where he was instrumental in helping Atlanta limit Miami's Hassan Whiteside to only eight points -- 10 below his season average -- on 4-for-12 shooting. Whiteside was whistled for three offensive fouls.

Bucks 115, Trail Blazers 107
MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his second triple-double of the season, and Jabari Parker scored 27 points as Milwaukee rallied in the second half for a victory over Portland at the Bradley Center.
Antetokounmpo scored 15 points to go along with 12 rebounds and 11 assists in 40 minutes.
Parker scored 10 of his points in the third quarter, hitting 4 of 8 shots as the Bucks connected at a 61.1 percent clip and took a nine-point lead into the fourth.

Nets 116, Nuggets 111
NEW YORK -- Brook Lopez scored 24 points as Brooklyn blew most of a 29-point lead and held on for a victory over Denver.
Lopez was among five starters in double figures for Brooklyn, which wobbled to the finish of its second win in 10 games.
The Nets held a 92-63 lead with 5:56 remaining in the third quarter but were outscored 48-24 the rest of the way. Brooklyn never trailed but misfired on 20 of 24 shots in the fourth quarter.

Celtics 117, Magic 87
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Avery Bradley scored 23 points in leading Boston to a victory over Orlando at the Amway Center.
The Celtics were without leading scorer Isaiah Thomas, who missed the game with a groin strain, but they still dominated the second half. The Magic never got closer than 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Reserve Terry Rozier scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds. Amir Johnson scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds. Jae Crowder had 15 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Marcus Smart, starting in place of Thomas, scored 13 points. Rookie Jalen Brown had 13 points.

Hornets 87, Pistons 77
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kemba Walker scored 25 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and Charlotte ground out an ugly win over Detroit at the Spectrum Center.
The Hornets shot just 34.1 percent from the field (30 of 88). However, they committed only five turnovers all night and made 16 more free throws than the visitors, going 21 of 29 from the line to Detroit's 5 of 8.
Charlotte gained a bit of revenge after the Pistons rolled to a 112-89 win at Spectrum Center eight days earlier.

Cavaliers 126, Knicks 94
NEW YORK -- Kyrie Irving continued his mastery over New York at Madison Square Garden, scoring 28 points in Cleveland's win over the Knicks.
Irving is averaging 28.4 points in six games at Madison Square Garden, his highest scoring average among all NBA arenas.
LeBron James added 25 points and Kevin Love contributed 21 points in the Cavaliers' second straight road win. Cleveland knocked off the Toronto Raptors 116-112 on Monday.
It was the sixth time this season and the 16th time since the 2014-15 season that Irving, James and Love all scored at least 20 points in a game.

Kings 120, Mavericks 89
DALLAS -- DeMarcus Cousins flirted with a triple-double to lead Sacramento past Dallas at American Airlines Center.
The Kings snapped a three-game losing streak and completed a 2-3 road trip with their largest margin of victory (31) this season. Sacramento has also won four of its last five meetings against Dallas.
The first of three matchups this season was iced before the fourth quarter, as the Kings turned a close game at halftime into a rout. Sacramento was up just 56-52 at the break before racing out to as much as 23-point lead in the third.

Pacers 109, Suns 94
PHOENIX -- Paul George scored 25 points and Indiana pulled away in the fourth quarter for a win over Phoenix.
Myles Turner had 20 points and Jeff Teague added 19 for the Pacers, who rebounded from a 36-point loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday by splitting the season series with Phoenix.
George sat out the 116-96 loss to the Suns in Indiana on Nov. 18 with an injury but collected 13 rebounds and capped off the win by banking in his only 3-pointer of the night with 14 seconds left.

Warriors 115, Clippers 98
LOS ANGELES -- Klay Thompson scored 24 points and Draymond Green added 22 as Golden State beat the Clippers for the seventh time in a row.
Stephen Curry missed all eight 3-point attempts but still tallied 19 points, seven steals and six assists for the Warriors, who have won the last four meetings at Staples Center.
Jamal Crawford led the Clippers with 21 points. Chris Paul recorded 15 points, six rebounds and five assists for Los Angeles, which has dropped five of its last seven contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (6-15) at Raptors (14-7)

Date: December 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Toronto Raptors and the Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off losses to two of the NBA's powerhouses.

The Raptors lost 116-112 to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday and the Timberwolves lost 105-91 to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

Minnesota and Toronto play Thursday night at the Air Canada Centre.

The Raptors (14-7) hope to finish a six-game homestand with a win, which would give them a 5-1 record during that span as well as seven wins in their past eight games overall.

The Wolves (6-15) will try to prevent the kind of second-half fade they had against the Spurs.

The Timberwolves led after the first half against the Spurs but were outscored 29-18 in the third quarter as they failed to carry their first-half defense into the second half.

Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau approved of the way his team played in the first half. The Timberwolves held the Spurs to a season-low 19 points in the first quarter.

"I thought our shell was tight, I thought we challenged shots well, I thought we got back in transition well," Thibodeau said. "(In the third quarter) we just got outplayed in every aspect. ...

"In the second half, you have to have discipline. You have to stick with your team, you have to understand what your job is, then you have to do your job. When you randomly make it up, the results aren't going to be good. That's where we need to grow and improve."

One bright spot from Tuesday for Minnesota was the play of rookie point guard Kris Dunn, who came off the bench to score 15 points in 17 minutes on 6-for-7 shooting.

"Kris is playing really well," Thibodeau said. "It's a good sign."

The Raptors had their six-game winning streak stopped by the Cavaliers, who have defeated Toronto in their three games this season. The NBA champions defeated the Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals last season.

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry took an elbow to the face during the first quarter on Monday and required treatment but returned before the opening stanza had been completed and scored 24 points and had nine assists.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey talked about the mental part of the game after the loss.

"I thought our guys competed," Casey said. "But now we have to put the mental part within the game."

Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas scored four points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the Cavaliers but struggled enough that he did not play the fourth quarter with his backup, Lucas Nogueira, playing only four minutes and Patrick Patterson and Terrene Ross each playing the full 12 minutes.

Starting power forward Pascal Siakam also did not play in the fourth quarter.

In the past five games, Valanciunas has averaged six points and 7.4 rebounds.

"Jonas is fine," Casey said. "It's a matchup league.

"I thought Lucas did a little bit better job of guarding (Channing) Frye, which is a hard matchup for any (center) in the league, not just Jonas and Lucas. He's really a four playing the five and that's why we decided to go small, that kind of got us going a little bit toward the end but, again, you give up something."

The Raptors are 8-4 at home. The Timberwolves are 3-8 on the road.