Tuesday 1/3/17 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 19:45

Bournemouth

v

Arsenal

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		4	3	3/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BOURNEMOUTH	RECENT FORM
HWALHWHLALAW​ Most recent​	0 - 2	AWHWALALHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Arsenal have won the three previous league meetings by an aggregate 7-1

EXPERT VERDICT: Arsenal have scored in their last 12 away matches but recent road performances have not been good enough with successive road defeats. Both teams have scored in Arsenal's last seven matches away from the Emirates and that looks a good bet to continue despite Bournemouth missing on-loan Jack Wilshere.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Michael Oliver STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 20:00

C Palace

v

Swansea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		5/6	11/4	15/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT C PALACE	RECENT FORM
HWADHLHLADAL​ Most recent​	0 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 2 0 - 3	ALHWALALHLHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Swansea have gained one point from their last eight away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: This is a massive match at the bottom of the Premier League and the draw looks the best bet. Sam Allardyce may have made a mistake in selecting his best team for Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on a heavy pitch and they may not recover quickly enough to beat Swansea in their first match under Paul Clement.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Paul Tierney STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 20:00

Stoke

v

Watford

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		3/4	11/4	17/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT STOKE	RECENT FORM
HWALHDHDALAL​ Most recent​	0 - 2 0 - 0 0 - 3 0 - 1	ALHWALALHDHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Watford have lost five of their last seven matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Watford put in a terrible performance against Tottenham on Sunday where they were lucky to lose 4-1 and Stoke can heap the misery on the injury-hit Hornets who are missing a number of influential performers. The Potters played well in spells against Chelsea on Saturday and the extra rest can aid their cause.

RECOMMENDATION: Watford
2


REFEREE: Neil Swarbrick STADIUM:

Premier League We 4Jan 20:00

Tottenham

v

Chelsea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		7/4	23/10	9/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT TOTTENHAM	RECENT FORM
HWALHWHWAWAW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 5 - 3 1 - 1 2 - 4	AWHWAWAWHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Tottenham lost two Premier League home matches in 2016

EXPERT VERDICT: Chelsea's quest to equal the Premier League record of consecutive victories could fall just short at White Hart Lane. The Blues have been brilliant to win their last 13 top-flight games and hit the Premier League summit in the process but this London derby is going to be tough against in-form Tottenham, who are unbeaten at White Hart Lane this season.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
2


REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CAPPERS ACCESS

(CBB) Indiana
(CBB) Clemson
(NBA) Pistons

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

BEN BURNS
NBA | Jan 03, 2017
Pacers vs. Pistons
Pistons-4½ -105

I've had success with both these teams recently. This one should favor the Pistons. While the Pacers did win here earlier, a 105-90 victory a few weeks ago, they're still an ugly 4-13 ATS/SU on the road for the season. That includes a 1-3 ATS mark as road underdogs in the 3.5 to 6 range. The Pistons, on the other hand, are 6-3 SU/ATS as home favorites in the -3.5 to -6 range. They're also 5-2 ATS the last seven times that they attempted to avenge a home loss. They're going to be hungry and I like their chances. Consider laying the points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Blues take it outside to whip Blackhawks
By The Sports Xchange

ST. LOUIS -- Vladimir Tarasenko scored two goals 1:53 apart in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and lead the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday in the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium.
Tarasenko's first goal at 12:05 of the third period came as he attempted to make a backhand centering pass and it deflected off the skate of defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson and into the net. He scored again at 13:58 for his 18th goal of the season.
It was the fifth outdoor game for the Blackhawks, the most of any NHL team, but they fell to 1-4 in the Winter Classic. It was the first played by the Blues. Chicago is 1-4-1 in its last six games.
The game drew a sellout crowd of 46,556. Game-time temperature was 46 degrees. Much of the game was played in a light rain.

Canucks 3, Avalanche 2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Sven Baertschi scored his second goal of the game at 16:23 of the third period and Daniel Sedin collected his 600th NHL assist as Vancouver defeated Colorado to extend its winning streak to four.
The winning goal came on a power play after Colorado's Cody Goloubef was called for delay of game after shooting the puck over the glass. Sedin received a pass from brother Hendrik Sedin and took a shot that goalie Calvin Pickard stopped. Baertschi was there to put in the rebound. Bo Horvat also scored for the Canucks (18-18-3).
Mikko Rantanen, on the power play, and Tyson Barrie scored the Avalanche, who lost their fourth straight. The Avs (12-24-1) have one win in their last 10 games (1-9-0).

Devils 3, Bruins 0
NEWARK, N.J. -- Cory Schneider stopped 22 shots in his first start since Dec. 27 as New Jersey blanked Boston.
It has been a nightmare season for Schneider, who entered with a 10-12-4 record and a career-worst .904 save percentage. But he was strong and made a huge save on Brad Marchand in dying seconds of the first period to preserve a one-goal lead.
Taylor Hall, PA Parenteau and Sergey Kalinin each scored a goal for the Devils, who won in regulation for the second time in their past 13 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Oilers (19-12) at Blue Jackets (26-5)

Date: January 03, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

Think back to when Americans sat down for Thanksgiving dinner in late November. That seems ages ago now, but that's how long it has been since the Columbus Blue Jackets lost a game.

The NHL's hottest team puts a 15-game winning streak on the line again Tuesday night in Nationwide Arena against the visiting Edmonton Oilers and young star Connor McDavid.

The last time the Blue Jackets didn't come away with a point was a 2-0 loss to the Calgary Flames on Nov. 23. Their 26-5-4 record is the best in the NHL.

Columbus extended the second-longest run in NHL history with a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on New Year's Eve in an unprecedented meeting between teams with long win streaks.

The Wild's 12-game streak ended with the loss on their home ice.

The Blue Jackets' 15 straight wins puts them in rare company. The 2012-13 Pittsburgh Penguins led by Sidney Crosby and the 1981-82 New York Islanders during their Stanley Cup run were the last teams to win 15 straight.

The record is 17 consecutive victories by the 1992-93 Penguins that included Mario Lemieux, Rick Tocchet, Ron Francis and Jaromir Jagr.

"I know we've won 15 in a row, and I know we want to win 25 in a row," Blue Jackets center Brandon Dubinsky said. "But we're not going to focus on the 25th game. We're going to get ready to play the 16th."

The Metropolitan Division leader is getting contributions from virtually everyone in the lineup, starting with stellar goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky.

Bobrovsky has a 1.95 goals-against average and .934 save percentage this season. He's 13-0 during the streak and leads the NHL with 24 victories.

Four Blue Jackets rank in the top 20 in scoring. Cam Atkinson is eighth with 37 points, Alex Wennberg is 17th with 33, and Brandon Saad and Nick Foligno are tied for 19th with 32 points.

The Oilers (19-12-7) certainly would like to be the ones to stop the streak in front of the Blue Jackets' fans.

The Blue Jackets beat the Oilers 3-1 on Dec. 13 in Edmonton, getting third-period goals from Atkinson and Matt Calvert in their seventh straight win.

Edmonton enters the rematch with several days of rest after a 3-2 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

"You've got to look forward to the challenge," Oilers winger Milan Lucic told the Edmonton Journal. "You have to embrace it. ... That's the fun in being a competitor and on a competitive team. It's playing the best of the best. Now that the (Ohio State) Buckeyes are out, the focus is on the Blue Jackets there and I'm sure it'll be rocking on Jan. 3."

A fourth consecutive home sellout in Nationwide is expected.

"It's great," Atkinson said. "That's what this organization has wanted since Day 1. It's a great feeling coming in knowing that teams won't take us lightly, they won't put in their backup goaltender, stuff like that. We definitely are up for the challenge. This is why you play the game."

After Tuesday night's game, the Blue Jackets hit the road to face the Capitals in Washington and then come back home to take on the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers in a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday night.

With such a demanding schedule this week, will the Blue Jackets come crashing down?

"The opportunity to end their streak is something we're all excited about," said Edmonton's Mark Letestu, a former Blue Jackets center. "To beat a team on top of their game and on top of the league would be a feather in our cap. They're scoring four or five every game lately and their (top-ranked) power play has been hot.

"The atmosphere's going to be as electric as we've had this season."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Maple Leafs (17-12) at Capitals (22-9)

Date: January 03, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs both enter Tuesday night's game trying to extend winning streaks.

Washington edged the Ottawa Senators, 2-1, on Sunday, thanks to an early third-period goal from Taylor Chorney, who's been scratched throughout much of this season. The Capitals now have won two in a row.

The Leafs won their fifth straight game with a 5-4 overtime victory against the Detroit Red Wings in the Centennial Classic outdoors in Toronto on Sunday, getting the game-winning goal from rookie sensation Auston Matthews on a slick back-hand shot.

For Chorney, Sunday's game was just his seventh this season. The defenseman continues working hard in practice and trying to be ready when called upon, and this goal was the third in his NHL career.

"Up here, you just try to go out there and be reliable and if you get a chance to score a few goals here and there, you kind of take them," Chorney said Sunday. "As defensemen, we can all skate and get out there and guys have been making that a point. It's been working out for us."

This will be the second game of a three-game homestand for the Capitals, who won back-to-back games on Saturday (beating the New Jersey Devils) and Sunday (against the Senators).

Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin are each closing in on milestones for Washington. Backstrom needs two more assists to reach 500 in his career. Ovechkin is six points shy of 1,000..

Both players have played their entire career with the Capitals.

Washington re-assigned Jakub Vruna back to the team's AHL affiliate in Hershey on Sunday. He's been moved up and down a few times already this season and could be returning shortly as he's already played 12 games with the Capitals.

Matthews again led the way for Toronto in Sunday's win. He finished the game with two goals, the rookie now has 20 and remains among the league leaders in that category.

The 19-year old said Sunday that scoring the game-winning goal in front of over 40,000 fans in the outdoor game was something he'll remember. It was Matthews' first overtime goal, and he's scored in four straight contests.

"It's definitely one of the best moments in hockey I've experienced," Matthews said. "It's pretty special."

Toronto coach Mike Babcock liked watching how his team battled to pull out the tough victory on Sunday. Detroit forced the overtime with a last-second goal in regulation before Matthews came through in the extra period.

The Leafs could not hold on to a three-goal, third-period lead but rebounded to win.

"At playoff time in the NHL ... you're either up one or down one," Babcock said. "You've got to love the duress. You've got to love digging in and knowing you're going to get it done."

The Leafs also achieved a bit of history on Sunday when the NHL named former goalie Johnny Bower to the first part of its list of the 100 greatest players. Bower was part of the first 33 players the league revealed in the group.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (15-16) at Hurricanes (16-13)

Date: January 03, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The New Jersey Devils are feeling relatively good about how they're playing, while the Carolina Hurricanes are dealing with the afterglow of a feel-good story.

The Metropolitan Division rivals meet Tuesday night at PNC Arena.

The Devils bring a stretch of two victories in three games into the tilt after defeating the visiting Boston Bruins 3-0 on Monday night. The team is still trying to make up from a miserable stretch earlier in the season.

"We have to not dwell on the past. We can't control that any more," goaltender Cory Schneider said. "It would be one thing if we didn't have the talent or the team here to get it done. But we've seen what we can do."

The Hurricanes are coming off Saturday night's game at Tampa Bay when equipment manager Jorge Alves, 37, was pressed into duty as the backup goaltender. He saw action in the waning seconds of the team's 3-1 loss.

It created a huge amount of buzz for the Hurricanes, given the unusual nature of the situation after goalie Eddie Lack became ill earlier in the day. The team had few options because of the late notice.

Alves' moment came in the last 7.6 seconds when he replaced Cam Ward.

"It was a perfect storm situation the way it unfolded," Carolina coach Bill Peters said. "It seemed to be the right thing to do. ... He has his heart in the right place and he wants to do what he can do to help us."

This became a far bigger situation for Alves than when he played in some low minor leagues years ago. Even now, he sometimes fills in at practice if the Hurricanes are down a goalie.

Yet it's extremely unlikely that Alves will be used again when New Jersey visits.

The setback at Tampa Bay can't be dismissed.

"We'll learn from it," Peters said.

The Hurricanes look to increase an 11-game home point streak (10-0-1). At least one point Tuesday night would match the second-best home point streak in franchise history.

New Jersey's Taylor Hall is back after a two-game absence to address an injury. It's his hope to ignite a lagging power play.

"I think we have to reset and come out with a new mindset," he said of the special teams.

When the Devils have had some success, such as Monday night, there's an element of optimism that's easy to identify.

"When everyone plays well, it's easy to find a rhythm," defenseman Steven Santini said.

New Jersey won the first two meetings with the Hurricanes this season, claiming decisions by 4-1 and 3-2 in a shootout.

Lack's status remained uncertain Monday, but it figures that the Hurricanes would call up Michael Leighton from Charlotte of the American Hockey League. Leighton had some outings in Lack's absence several weeks ago when he was out with a concussion.

So this means that the Hurricanes will almost assuredly stick with Ward in goal

Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin will play in his 100th career game. He leads the team in ice time by averaging more than 23 minutes per game this season.

Hurricanes forward Lee Stempniak played part of last season with the Devils.

The trip to Raleigh will be the only road outing for the Devils during a six-game stretch.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (13-15) at Rangers (26-12)

Date: January 03, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

When the Buffalo Sabres started slowly, some of it could be attributed to playing without Jack Eichel. The Sabres were 7-9-5 without the budding superstar but went 5-2-1 in his first eight games back from a leg injury and suddenly there was optimism about the season.

But as the Sabres come to New York to face the Rangers on Tuesday night, a 1-4-2 stretch has Eichel looking for answers.

"At the end of the day, it's about one thing and one thing only, and that's winning hockey games," Eichel told The Buffalo News. "However that needs to happen, it needs to happen.

"I don't think we've hit the halfway point yet. I'm sure not giving up on this, and I don't think anyone else is. Have we frittered away some good opportunities for ourselves to put ourselves in a good position? Yes, but there's still a lot of hockey to be played."

It starts with a tough road game against the Rangers, who have won three straight since the holiday break despite playing without Rick Nash in all three games and starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist in two games. Nash could return against the Sabres, but if he doesn't, he should be back soon along with Mika Zibanejad, who has been out since Nov. 20 with a broken leg.

Even without two of their best forwards, the Rangers have scored 16 goals in their past three games. They've received hat tricks from Chris Kreider and Matt Puempel, who has five goals in 13 games since the Rangers claimed him off waivers from the Ottawa Senators.

Even J.T. Miller, who found himself on the fourth line before moving to the third line during this streak, has three goals in his past two games.

"Much higher percentage," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said to the New York Daily News after Saturday's game regarding Miller's decisions during the team's two-game road trip.

"Trustworthy is probably the word that comes to mind these last two games. We've been telling him to shoot the puck and his first goal coming down the wing, that's the old-time hockey Guy Lafleur coming down and just woofing one there. It was good for him and he's got to continue to play that way."

Miller told the Daily News, "I like to make plays. I'm confident I can make the high-percentage play, but like me and AV have talked about over the last few years, sometimes that's not it. It's on paper that I'm making more bad plays than good ones. It is what it is, and I've got to put my head down and play well after that."

The Rangers have overcome obstacles of late. The Sabres will need to do the same or any chance of the playoffs will disappear before the All-Star break.

"As a whole team, everyone needs to look in the mirror and we all need to get a lot better," Eichel told The Buffalo News. "I think I speak for the team in saying that we're all frustrated with where we're at, and I don't think I'm the only person in the locker room that's not satisfied."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (17-19) at Lightning (19-15)

Date: January 03, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. -- Andrei Vasilevskiy has played six straight games since goalie Ben Bishop went down with a lower-body injury on Dec. 20, and the Tampa Bay Lightning are 4-1-1 since then heading into a home game against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

"Vasy is getting better and better and better, and that's what you like to see," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said of his 22-year-old, who has played as Bishop's backup for the last two seasons.

"He was in command of his game (Saturday) and there's a calm of confidence that goes over your bench. We've been seeing that out of him."

Winnipeg (17-19-3) has less momentum entering its first game of 2017, having taken a 5-3 loss to Columbus and a 6-2 loss to the New York Islanders in its last two games as it opens a three-game road trip that includes a back-to-back with Tampa and the Florida Panthers.

The Jets had won four of five games before their recent setback, but coach Paul Maurice said his players aren't too caught up in the standings right now.

"Coaches and fans probably look at the standings more," Maurice said Monday. "(Players) just want to get a good feeling and a consistent game."

Winnipeg has a young scoring nucleus as part of a developing roster -- Patrick Laine, just 18, was the No. 2 pick in last year's draft and leads the team with 19 goals to go with 12 assists; second-year forward Nikolaj Ehlers is only 20 and adds 10 goals and 21 assists, and 23-year-old Mark Scheifele leads the team in total points with 15 goals and 18 assists.

"Obviously, we didn't play the way we wanted in the last two," Scheifele said. "We're together as a team, we're in Florida. We have to hit the reset button a little and know those games are in the past."

Tampa Bay (19-15-4) could get some break from a rash of injuries. Forward Ryan Callahan is now day to day and could return from a hip injury, though forward Cedric Paquette remains out and Brian Boyle is "doubtful" with the team's most recent injury, leading to yet another callup in forward Adam Erne.

The Lightning have been led by their power play, ranking third best in the NHL, and it generated two first-period goals in Saturday's 3-1 win over Carolina, scored by Boyle and Jonathan Drouin.

That lines up with a weak spot for Winnipeg, whose penalty kill ranks 27th in the NHL, stopping only 76 percent of opposing power-play opportunities.

The Lightning have one more game in a five-game homestand, trying to work their way back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

The Jets haven't had the same success, but the way the current standings fall, both are three points out of the final wild card on their side of the playoffs with more than half the season still ahead.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (22-9) at Predators (16-14)

Date: January 03, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

On June 29, the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators shook the hockey world with a one-for-one trade no one could have imagined.

Shea Weber to La Belle Province. P.K. Subban to Music City. The Predators' captain swapped for the Canadiens' best player. Superstar for superstar, both at or approaching the peak of their careers. The type of deal you only see in fantasy leagues.

On Tuesday night, the teams meet in Bridgestone Arena for the first time since that trade. With Subban on injured reserve for at least the next two weeks with an upper-body injury that has sidelined him since Dec. 17, the spotlight will be solely on Weber.

The man whose 108 mph slappers, crunching body checks and quiet leadership became the face of one franchise will now face that team for the first time in his 12-year career. It will feel emotional and strange for everyone involved, Weber included.

"It will be weird for me to get ready for a game on that side of the arena for sure," Weber said to the Canadiens' website after practice Monday in suburban Brossard, Quebec. "It's tough to say what I'm going to feel because I don't know right now."

Weber isn't an emotional player by any means, but if the welcome home for former Nashville coach Barry Trotz in January 2015 is any indication, the expected tribute video during a first-period timeout might tug at Weber's heartstrings.

When Trotz, the Predators' coach for the first 16 years of their existence, brought Washington to town for the first time since his April 2014 departure, he was honored with a video that made him and many others look like they were chopping onions.

Nashville general manager David Poile elaborated on what Weber meant to the franchise during his 11 seasons.

"I believe he's been the most important player in our franchise," Poile said to NHL.com. "He did everything for us. I think it's going to be emotional for so many people, including myself, to have him back in our building. He did it all. We miss him a lot."

While Subban has played well at times with seven goals and 10 assists in 29 games before his injury, Weber has lifted Montreal to a 22-9-6 record with nine goals -- eight on the power play -- 12 assists and a plus-16 rating in 37 games.

But the Canadiens arrive in town fresh off an aggravating 4-3 overtime loss on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, where they hacked up a late lead and fell to 1-1-2 on a seven-game road trip.

Meanwhile, the Predators (16-14-6) are coming off one of their best games of the season, finishing 2016 with a 4-0 beating of St. Louis at Scottrade Center.

Rookie Juuse Saros stopped 25 shots for his first career shutout and Viktor Arvidsson capped a three-goal second period with a highlight-reel goal that featured speed and fancy puck-handling as he walked around Jay Bouwmeester.

Some of Weber's former teammates were planning to meet him for dinner Monday night after Montreal arrives in town. Weber admits he has been receiving texts from them for a week, but that friendship ends when the puck drops Tuesday night.

"I've had a lot of good times there, for sure," he said. "I made a lot of friends there. Those friendships endure now -- we still stay in touch. But at the same time, we'll have no friends out there tomorrow. We want to win the game, hopefully more than they do."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (18-15) at Sharks (23-13)

Date: January 03, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks will be short-handed on defense for at least two more games.

With Marc-Edouard Vlasic still sidelined, the Sharks hope to earn a split of their home-and-home series with the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night at SAP Center.

Vlasic was placed on injured reserve Monday after taking a puck to the face in Friday's 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. He will miss this contest and Thursday's matchup at home with the Minnesota Wild.

Vlasic leads the team with 69 blocked shots, and has three goals, including two game-winners, and six assists in 35 games.

In a corresponding move, the Sharks have recalled Mirco Mueller from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. Mueller, who will be playing with San Jose for the first time this season, has eight assists in 25 games in the minors this season.

Vlasic did not play in Saturday's 3-2 Sharks loss at Staples Center that snapped Los Angeles' three-game skid and San Jose's four-game winning streak.

"There's no doubt the better team won tonight," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said.

However, San Jose is 2-1-0 versus the Kings, including an opening-night 2-1 victory on Oct. 12 in northern California. Brent Burns snapped a 1-all tie early in the third period and Martin Jones finished with 21 saves.

Burns scored his team-high 15th goal Saturday, and his 35 points are one more than Joe Pavelski's total.

Burns was the league's top scoring defenseman in the 2016 calendar year, finishing with 77 points, four more than Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators. During 2016, Burns also scored 27 goals -- no other blueliner had more than 18.

Pavelski, who needs three points for 600 in his NHL career, has one assist in three games this season against Los Angeles.

If Jones starts, he will try to notch his 20th win against the team he broke into the league with in 2013. After surrendering seven goals while losing his first two career starts against Los Angeles in San Jose, Jones has allowed three goals while winning twice at home versus the Kings.

Before opening a season-high seven-game homestand, Los Angeles looks to post its second win in seven road games. Overall, the Kings are 7-11-3 away from home -- and 1-9-3 on the road when held to two goals or less.

Neither team generates much in the way of offense. Los Angeles is tied for 21st in the league with 2.46 goals per game while San Jose is 20th with 2.49 per game.

Kings coach Darryl Sutter praised his team despite watching them go 6-5-3 and winning back-to-back games just once in December.

"We showed perseverance and focus and all that stuff. It was a tough month in terms of everything to do with the schedule," Sutter told a team-owned website.

In recent years, January has been difficult for the Kings, who have gone a combined 14-17-7 in the month over the last three seasons.

Including the postseason, Los Angeles has won six of its last 10 in San Jose. Three losses have come in the last four meetings.

"It's always a battle against them," said the Kings' Peter Budaj, who has surrendered nine goals in his last seven games but has a 3-3-1 record in that span. Two of the wins have come via shutout.

Budaj is 1-1-0 with a 2.51 GAA and .884 save percentage in San Jose this season.

If Jeff Zatkoff starts, it would be his first game action since Dec. 23. He replaced the injured Jonathan Quick on opening night, and stopped 15 of 16 shots in the loss to the Sharks.

Jeff Carter, who scored his 20th goal and league-best seventh game winner Saturday, will try to build off a month in which he carried the team. In 14 December games, Carter had 10 goals and 12 points. Drew Doughty, Trevor Lewis, Nick Shore and Tyler Toffoli were tied for second with only three goals each.

Toffoli is currently on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

The Sharks will try to win three straight in regulation at home from their division rivals for the first time since April 1, 2008 to Feb. 19, 2009.

The teams will meet for the final time in the regular season on Jan. 18 in Los Angeles.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - January

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
1/1 3 16 19 OVER
1/2 3 15.5 13 UNDER
1/3 7 - - -
1/4 6 - - -
1/5 7 - - -
1/6 6 - - -
1/7 12 - - -
1/8 6 - - -
1/9 4 - - -
1/10 7 - - -
1/11 4 - - -
1/12 9 - - -
1/13 7 - - -
1/14 12 - - -
1/15 4 - - -
1/16 7 - - -
1/17 9 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 6 - - -
1/21 11 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 6 - - -
1/24 10 - - -
1/25 4 - - -
1/26 13 - - -
1/27 No games scheduled - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 14 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Tuesday’s games

Blue Jackets won five of last six games with Edmonton; Oilers last last four visits to Ohio. Over is 8-1 in last nine series games. Edmonton won four of last six games, but is 2-3 in last five on road. Under is 7-0-1 in Oilers’ last eight games. Columbus won its last 13 games, outscoring foes 22-9 in winning last five home games; four of their last five games went over total.

Washington won seven of last nine games with Toronto; four of last five series games here went under the total. Maple Leafs lost their last five visits here (under 4-1). Toronto won its last five games with last three wins in OT/SO; they won last four road games, allowing total of five goals.*Under is 8-2 in their last ten games. Washington won its last two games 6-2/2-1; under is 4-2-1 in their last seven games.

New Jersey/Carolina split their last ten games; Devils lost three of last five visits here. Under is 5-1-4 in last ten series games. New Jersey lost eight of last ten games, losing five of last six road games. Under is 3-0-1 in their last four road games. Hurricanes won four of last six games; they’re 4-1 in last five home games. Under is 4-0-2 in their last six games.

Buffalo won last two games with Rangers after losing previous eight series games; Sabres lost four of last five visits to Manhattan. Last four series games went over total. Buffalo lost six of last seven games, scoring total of 12 goals; they lost four of last five road games. Three of their last four games went over total. New York won its last three games, scoring 16 goals; their last five games went over total.

Lightning won four of last five games with Winnipeg; Jets won three of last four visits here, in a series where visitor won five of last six series games. Four of last five series games went over total. Winnipeg lost 5-3/6-2 in last two games; they’re 2-3 in last five road games. Under is 2-0-2 in their last four road games. Tampa Bay won four of last six games, four of last five at home. Three of their last four games stayed under.

Nashville won its last three games with Montreal; Canadiens lost three of last five visits to Music City. Under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games. Montreal lost four of last five games; their last three games were all decided in OT. Four of their last six games went over total. Predators lost three of last four games overall; they lost last five at home. Under is 4-1-2 in their last seven games.

Kings lost seven of last nine games with San Jose, losing three of last four visits to Shark Tank. Under is 3-1-3 in last seven series games. Los Angeles lost five of last seven games, scoring total of four goals in losing last three road games. Under is 7-0-1 in their last eight games. San Jose won four in row at home, eight of last ten overall. Under is 1-0-5 in their last six games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Butler's 52 points carries Bulls
By The Sports Xchange

CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler had 52 points, 12 rebounds and six assists as the Chicago Bulls defeated the Charlotte Hornets 118-111 on Monday night at the United Center.
Doug McDermott, starting in place of injured guard Dwyane Wade, scored 11 points for the Bulls (17-18), who also got 12 points off the bench by Nikola Mirotic. Michael Carter-Williams, starting in place of benched point guard Rajon Rondo, had 10 points.
The Bulls won for just the fourth time in their last 12 games and snapped a two-game losing streak.
Kemba Walker led Charlotte (19-16) with 34 points and 11 rebounds to go along with 19 points by Nicolas Batum. Jeremy Lamb (15 points) and Spencer Hawes (10 points) reached double figures for the Hornets.
Butler, who was 15 of 24 from the field and 21 of 22 from the free-throw line, took over in the final minutes when the Bulls created some distance from the Hornets.

Rockets 101, Wizards 91
HOUSTON -- Eric Gordon scored 31 points off the bench and James Harden recorded his third consecutive triple-double as Houston erased a 15-point deficit in its win over Washington.
After combining for 22 points in the turnaround third quarter, Gordon and Harden totaled 17 points in the fourth. Gordon shot 11 for 18 in 36 minutes while Harden overcame a poor shooting night to post 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Houston stretched its winning streak to five games.
Bradley Beal paced the Wizards with 27 points while his backcourt mate John Wall added 18 points and 12 assists.

Magic 115, Knicks 103
NEW YORK -- After watching film of the previous night's loss to the Indiana Pacers, Frank Vogel challenged his Orlando Magic team to put forth a better collective effort against New York.
The Magic responded with a lopsided win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in which two players recorded double-doubles, three players scored at least 20 points and six players netted 10 or more points.
Nikola Vucevic and Elfrid Payton came off the bench to record their 17th and third double-doubles, respectively, this season. Vucevic scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Payton contributed 13 points and a career-tying 14 assists for the Magic.

Jazz 101, Nets 89
NEW YORK -- Gordon Hayward scored 13 of his 30 points in the third quarter and Utah overcame sluggish offense at times, increased its defense and opened a five-game road trip with a victory over Brooklyn.
Utah began its second five-game trip of the season ranked first in points allowed and third in defensive rating but gave up 52 points by halftime.
The Jazz held the Nets to 11 points in the first six-plus minutes of the third quarter but missed 10 of its first 11 shots and fell into a 62-53 hole.

Bucks 98, Thunder 94
MILWAUKEE -- Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook put forth his usual contributions with a game-high 30 points, but it was Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo who came out on top. He scored 26 points and had 10 rebounds and five assists to lead the Bucks to a victory in front of 17,423 at the Bradley Center.
Westbrook, the NBA leader in triple-doubles this season, led all scorers but had to work for every point as he went 9-for-28 from the floor and just 2-for-10 from beyond the arc.

Cavaliers 90, Pelicans 82
CLEVELAND -- Cleveland's Big Three has been shipped to the sick bay, yet they still scraped out a win over New Orleans on a night both teams struggled shooting.
LeBron James scored 26 points despite being the latest victim to the NBA's flu epidemic and Channing Frye, who has been sick for the last week, added 14 off the bench.
Kevin Love scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds before departing for the locker room late in the fourth quarter due to a bout with food poisoning. He shot just 5 of 19 from the floor and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts.

Warriors 127, Nuggets 119
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Reserves Andre Iguodala, David West and Shaun Livingston hit consecutive hoops during a key stretch of the fourth quarter, allowing Golden State to stave off Denver for a victory.
Draymond Green posted his second triple-double of the season with 15 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, and Klay Thompson (game-high 25), Stephen Curry (22) and Kevin Durant (21) all topped 20 points as the Warriors became the NBA's first 30-game winner with the 10th victory in their last 11 games.
After using 54.2 percent shooting from the field to hang within 68-64 at halftime, the Nuggets (14-20) dropped back by as many as 14 points late in the third quarter before mounting one last charge.

Clippers 109, Suns 98
LOS ANGELES -- J.J. Redick scored 22 points and Jamal Crawford contributed 18 more, and Los Angeles snapped a six-game skid with a victory over Phoenix at Staples Center.
Raymond Felton scored 16 points and DeAndre Jordan pulled down 20 rebounds to go with nine points for the Clippers. Luc Mbah a Moute chipped in 13 points.
T.J. Warren had 24 points with eight rebounds for the Suns, who lost for the fourth time in five games and the eighth time in the last 10. Eric Bledsoe just missed earning a triple-double, finishing with 22 points, nine assists and eight boards.
Clippers point guard Chris Paul sat out his third straight contest with a sore left hamstring.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (11-23) at 76ers (8-24)

Date: January 03, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

There was some expectation heading into this season that the Minnesota Timberwolves would be able to challenge for a playoff berth under first-year coach Tom Thibodeau.

Instead, the Timberwolves are trying to dig out from the rubble of a wretched start heading into Tuesday's game in Philadelphia.

Minnesota (11-23) has split its last 10 games but frittered away a 12-point halftime lead on Sunday en route to a 95-89 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Blazers guard C.J. McCollum poured in a career-high 43 points and Portland outscored Minnesota 32-15 in the third quarter to take command.

Thibodeau, the former Chicago Bulls coach, said his team had "a total breakdown" in the third quarter.

Minnesota is now 9-11 in games in which it has established a double-figure lead.

"The thing that is concerning is the big halftime leads that we don't protect," he said, "and we don't come out with the urgency and the understanding of playing a whole 48 minutes and how important that is and how hard you have to play."

The Timberwolves do not have any problems at the offensive end. Andrew Wiggins (22.1), Karl-Anthony Towns (21.5) and Zach LaVine (20.9) are all among the league scoring leaders, and Towns also averages 11.5 rebounds per game.

Rather, Minnesota has struggled on defense, which has always been Thibodeau's forte. The Timberwolves are 26th in the league in defensive efficiency, allowing 108 points per 100 possessions.

Defense is just one of the many problems facing the Sixers (8-24), who are tied with Brooklyn for the league's worst record. Philadelphia is 21st in the league in defensive efficiency (106.0) but dead last in offensive efficiency (99.1).

Rookie center Joel Embiid continues to excel, leading the team and all first-year players in scoring (18.9), rebounding (7.3) and blocked shots (2.4). He has been particularly effective starting alongside veteran forward Ersan Ilyasova (14.8).

Philadelphia is 4-5 when the two start together. That includes last Friday's 124-122 victory in Denver, in which both scored 23 points, allowing the Sixers to salvage the finale of a four-game road trip.

"Oh, man, he brings a lot since he got here," Embiid said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer, of Ilyasova, who was acquired in a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 1. "He's a stretch four who plays defense all over the place, taking charges. He's all over the place.

"I love having him next to me."

The Sixers, who have a glut of young, highly drafted big men, had experimented with a lineup that included Embiid and Jahlil Okafor but went 1-5 in those games. Okafor did not play in Denver because of a sore left hamstring.

Sergio Rodriguez (left ankle sprain) also sat out that game. Richaud Holmes has missed the last four with a concussion, and Gerald Henderson has been out the last two with a sore left hip.

The Sixers will be looking to even the season series with Minnesota, having been routed by the Timberwolves 110-86 on Nov. 17. Wiggins scored 35 points and Towns added 25, and each claimed 10 rebounds. Embiid managed just 10 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (22-13) at Celtics (20-14)

Date: January 03, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Gordon Hayward played for Celtics coach Brad Stevens at Butler.

Celtics fans would clearly love to see the pair reunited next season.

Hayward is a potential free agent next summer, when even more NBA money becomes available. He would help numerous teams and there are likely several that could offer him a maximum contract.

Color the Celtics, who host Hayward and his Utah Jazz on Tuesday night, one of those teams.

The subject of free agency, and even this specific potential free agent, was broached to Stevens at practice Monday.

"We're not allowed to talk about that, as you know," Stevens said. "Certainly you have an idea on (the free agency landscape) generally, but I don't get into that stuff because (A) it's not the appropriate time and (B) out of respect for the other teams."

Hayward scored 30 points in leading the Jazz past the woeful Brooklyn Nets on Monday night and Utah comes to Boston with a four-game winning streak and a 22-13 record, fourth in the deep Western Conference.

"He's just getting better every year," Stevens said. "Again, I kind of go back to when we recruited him -- he was a skinny tennis player who could do some things on the basketball court. Now he's got a well-rounded game. I think their staff has really done a great job with him and I think he's continued to work and progress. He's a really good player."

Stevens knows what his team, which played 10 road games in December (going 6-4) and is getting ready for 10 home games in January, will face Tuesday: the league's stingiest defensive team. What the Boston coach doesn't know is how many bodies he'll have available.

A bug is going through the team; it caused Avery Bradley to miss Isaiah Thomas' 52-point explosion against the Miami Heat on Friday night. Bradley should be fine, but Marcus Smart (stomach bug) and Tyler Zeller (sinus infection) were hospitalized over the weekend and missed practice Monday.

The Celtics are hoping to win another home game after Friday's win got them to just 8-6 at home. But they have won two in a row at TD Garden and look to make it three straight for the first time this season.

Boston will also be looking to post its first win of the season against one of the league's better teams -- the Celtics are 0-9 against the top seven teams in the NBA standings.

The Jazz came into Monday night's game allowing a league-best 94.7 points per game and gave up 89 to the Nets -- the 14th time this season they have held an opponent under 90.

"It's about defense," coach Quin Snyder said after his 100th win as Utah's coach. "When you think of 'closing,' you think of offense. I think of defense like in baseball -- shutting people down and not letting them get on base and just getting outs. That's what we've got to be. ... We've just got to not let them score. (On offense) you make or miss, but defense is something you can count on."

They played without George Hill, who was experiencing concussion symptoms after getting elbowed in the face by Alex Len on Saturday in Utah's win over the Phoenix Suns, and Dante Exum (knee).

Hill is averaging a career-best 19.1 points per game and chipping in with 4.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds, but he has played in just 13 of the 35 games because of injuries.

Big man Rudy Gobert followed Saturday night's 18 points and 13 rebounds with 15 points and 16 boards at Brooklyn, his 23rd and 24th double-doubles of the season.

Thomas' 52 points capped a month that saw Boston's Little Big Man run wild. Asked about the league's player of the month award, he said, "Hell yeah. I should definitely get that award."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (17-18) at Pistons (16-20)

Date: January 03, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson led the Detroit Pistons to their first playoff berth in seven years last season. That duo needs to start producing like they did this past Sunday to reverse the team's fortunes this season.

Drummond, an All-Star center last year, had 25 points, 18 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in a 107-98 road victory over the depleted Miami Heat. Jackson, the starting point guard, scored a season-high 27 points and added four assists.

The Pistons, who had lost seven of their last eight games, will try to build off that victory when they host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

Drummond had not reached the 20-point mark in the previous 10 games. He took advantage of the absence of Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who was among five rotation players who sat out the game with injuries.

"It's just, again, for all of our guys, but for him too, trying to see if he can find that every night," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "When he does, he's a hard guy to deal with. Obviously, they didn't have Whiteside and that made a big difference, but that is what he should do in a game like that and he did it. That's what is important."

Jackson missed the first 21 games with a knee injury and is gradually returning to form. The Pistons haven't won back-to-back games since he returned to action.

Jackson and the Pistons' defense got off to a slow start at Miami, as they trailed 66-58 at halftime. Jackson sparked the offense after the break while the defense limited the Heat to 32 second-half points.

"Early we went out, thought it was going to be a little bit easy. And the times we did try to ramp it up, we still weren't communicating with each other," Jackson said. "We got lost on the defensive side. Second half, during halftime we talked about communicating and cranking up our level of intensity and I think that's something we did in the second half."

Drummond's usual backup may not be available on Tuesday. Aron Baynes suffered a sprained ankle against the Heat.

The Pacers are feeling better about themselves as well, winning their last two games after a four-game slide. Second-year center Myles Turner racked up 23 points and 12 rebounds in a 117-104 victory over Orlando on Sunday.

Indiana was up double digits most of the way, allowing coach Nate McMillan to hold his starters' playing time to 32 minutes or less.

Glenn Robinson III continues to start at shooting guard, even though Monta Ellis is back in action after missing eight games with a groin injury. McMillan told the Indianapolis Star that Robinson has earned the right to stay in the lineup.

"We're going to stick with it right now," McMillan said. "Glenn has done a real nice job. He seems to continue to improve defensively. ... Rebounding is something that we certainly need and he has gone in and really made an effort to help us on the boards. I like what I'm seeing from Glenn."

The team's franchise player, forward Paul George, sees signs that the team is developing chemistry.

"I think now we're finally using all of our weapons," he told the Star. "Everybody is comfortable in their role right now. It's fun. I know I personally lost that. This team lost that. Right now, it's fun again."

Indiana will be making its second trip to Michigan in less than three weeks. George scored 26 points in a 105-90 Pacers victory on Dec. 17.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (23-10) at Spurs (27-7)

Date: January 03, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

One of the top East versus West matchups of the new year is on tap Tuesday when the San Antonio Spurs host the Toronto Raptors at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Both the Spurs, of the Western Conference's Southwest Division, and the Raptors, from the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division, are atop their respective divisions and hold the second seeds in their conferences as the NBA season nears its midway point.

The Spurs fell to the Atlanta Hawks on the road 114-112 in overtime Sunday, a loss that ended San Antonio's four-game win streak. The loss was the first for San Antonio when leading after three quarters and was the only loss for the Spurs this season when Tony Parker has scored in double figures.

LaMarcus Aldridge was the Spurs' leading scorer in defeat, pouring in 27 points and hauling down 14 rebounds while pacing the San Antonio offense for the third time in the past four games. Parker added a season-high 22 points for the Spurs.

Despite Aldridge's recent scoring prowess and Parker's hot hand, neither player got the last shot for the Spurs (27-7) when it counted the most. When the game came down to a chance to win in regulation and to tie the contest at the end of overtime, San Antonio put the ball in the hands of Kawhi Leonard, who missed both opportunities.

Leonard scored just 13 points on 3 of 12 shooting from the floor after missing San Antonio's two previous games with a stomach illness. Leonard, who was listed as questionable for the game, started and played in his 32nd game of the season. He leads the Spurs with his average of 24.4 points per game and admitted afterward that he was "just trying to work my way back in" against Atlanta.

"Taking all that medicine and stuff made me a little weary out there," Leonard explained.

It was the first time in five tries that Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer has beaten the Spurs, for whom he was an assistant for 19 seasons.

"It was a great game -- I'm happy for him," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "Guys played well. If we're going to lose, it's good to feel like somebody on the other end was made happy. It was a good win for those guys. It would have been a good win for us. Both teams played pretty well."

Toronto will bring a full head of steam with it into the Alamo City after a 123-114 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Sunday. Kyle Lowry (who had 41 points) and DeMar DeRozan combined for 72 points as the Raptors snapped a two-game losing streak.

"If it's taking the extra shot or making more shots or creating more shots, it's just a chance to go out there and play basketball," Lowry said after he finished just two points shy of his career-high. "It was my time to go out there and be more aggressive."

The Raptors (23-10) forged a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter and extended their lead to 17 points at one point as Lowry scored 20 points in the final quarter.

"He took us down the stretch and really carried us home in a big-time way offensively," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "

It's the first of two regular-season meetings for the two teams this year (the Spurs will visit Toronto later this month). The squads split the two games they played last season, with both teams winning at home.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (16-17) at Mavericks (10-24)

Date: January 03, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

The Dallas Mavericks enter the New Year with new hope that a turnaround is around the corner. They're getting healthier and have looked better recently.

The Mavericks' first test of 2017 comes Tuesday night in the lone visit from the Washington Wizards this season to American Airlines Center.

Dallas (10-24) has won four of its last eight games, which is a considerable uptick for a team that entered Monday tied with Phoenix for last place in the Western Conference.

"I felt like the last couple of weeks we've been playing .500 ball, which is OK," Dirk Nowitzki said. "It's a lot better than what we started off, and now we'll get more healthy and hopefully take another step. We've got to let it rip. We're all competitors, and Coach obviously is pushing us every day."

The Mavs did begin Monday only 4.5 games behind Sacramento (14-19) for the last playoff spot in the West. The playoffs remain the goal.

"We obviously know we have a legit shot," Nowitzki said. "We've got to put a little string together and we've got to play better. We've got to find a way in close games to close some of those out and not always come out on the losing end."

The return of Nowitzki to the lineup is another reason for optimism. The league's sixth-leading career scorer has missed the majority of the season battling Achilles soreness, but Nowitzki has made the best of his limited court time lately.

Nowitzki has logged 70 minutes over his last four games and scored 45 points on 16-of-41 shooting.

The speculation that Dallas has an eye to the lottery hasn't filtered down to its franchise player.

"I don't think we're really playing for draft position," Nowitzki said. "We're playing to win every night."

The Mavs could be without starting point guard Deron Williams due to illness. Backup guard J.J. Barea (left leg muscle strain) is out.

The Wizards (16-17) saw their three-game winning streak snapped Monday night, 101-91 at Houston, and failed to move above .500 for the first time this season.

Bradley Beal did return after missing one game with a sprained ankle to score a team-high 27. John Wall, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, added 18 points and 12 assists.

The Wizards were up 29-14 after the first quarter and 53-41 at the half. Houston outscored Washington by 37-17 in the third period.

"We didn't come out with the same intensity offensively," Wall said of the second half. "We knew they were going to make shots and we weren't being aggressive. They did some switching, trying to trap me and Brad to get the ball out of our hands. We didn't do a great job of getting stops."

Wall averaged 24.3 points, an NBA-leading 13 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals in three games last week.

Washington snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Mavericks with last season's win in Dallas. The Wizards are 1-5 on the second night of back-to-backs this season.