Tuesday 12/13/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 19:45

Bournemouth

v

Leicester

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

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BOURNEMOUTH	RECENT FORM
A LH LA WA LH WA L​ Most recent​	1 - 1 0 - 1 2 - 3 2 - 1	A LH WH DA LA LH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Leicester have taken one point from seven away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Bournemouth were under the cosh before recovering to stun Liverpool in their last Dean Court outing, but that result will have done wonders for confidence. The Cherries have been a tidy attacking unit since arriving in the top flight, but now must feel like truly belong, while Leicester have been struggling on their travels

RECOMMENDATION: Bournemouth
1


REFEREE: Paul Tierney STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 19:45

Everton

v

Arsenal

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		16/5	11/4	10/11	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT EVERTON	RECENT FORM
H WA LH DA LH DA L​ Most recent​	0 - 2 2 - 2 3 - 0 1 - 1	H DH WH LA WA WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Arsenal have won seven of their last eight away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Arsenal are unbeaten since the opening day of the season and it is hard to see them relinquishing that record when they visit Goodison Park. The Gunners have played well in recent weeks, securing comfortable wins over Bournemouth, West Ham, Basel and Stoke and can beat out-of-form Everton.

RECOMMENDATION: Arsenal
3


REFEREE: Mark Clattenburg STADIUM:

French League Cup TODAY 20:00

Sochaux

v

Marseille

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		12/5	12/5	11/10	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SOCHAUX	RECENT FORM
A DH WA LH WA DA D*​ Most recent​	0 - 1 1 - 1 3 - 1 1 - 0	A LH WA LA DH WA W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Only three of Sochaux’s last 14 matches have gone over 2.5 goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Marseille are on the march under Rudi Garcia with only two defeats in their last 12 matches and they should be capable of beating Ligue 2 Sochaux in the League Cup. The hosts have scored more than one goal just once in their last 14 games and Marseille’s superior firepower can be the difference.

RECOMMENDATION: Marseille
1

Premier League We 14Dec 19:45

West Ham

v

Burnley

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		4/6	3	19/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST HAM	RECENT FORM
H DA LA DA LH LA D​ Most recent​	1 - 0 1 - 2 5 - 1 5 - 3	A DH WA LH LA LH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Burnley have lost five of their six away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: West Ham’s home troubles continued when they lost 5-1 against Arsenal but that pales in comparison to Burnley’s travelling woes. The Clarets have picked up just one point away from Turf Moor and it’s hard to make a case for them. It won’t be easy for the Hammers but they should get the job done.

RECOMMENDATION: West Ham to win 1-0
1


REFEREE: Robert Madley STADIUM:

Premier League We 14Dec 19:45

Sunderland

v

Chelsea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		9	19/4	1/3	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SUNDERLAND	RECENT FORM
H LA WH WA LH WA L​ Most recent​	3 - 2 0 - 0 2 - 1 3 - 4	A WH WA WH WA WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Chelsea haven’t won in their last three Wearside visits

EXPERT VERDICT: Chelsea are flying but they could suffer a surprise setback at Sunderland. The hosts have found some form and confidence, winning three of their last five games, and, despite bumping along near the bottom in recent seasons, have a proud tradition of ruffling fancy feathers at the Stadium of Light.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Neil Swarbrick STADIUM:

Premier League We 14Dec 19:45

Middlesbro

v

Liverpool

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		5	10/3	3/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MIDDLESBRO	RECENT FORM
H WA DH LA DH WA L​ Most recent​	2 - 0 1 - 1 0 - 0 0 - 0	H WA DH WH WA LH D​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Liverpool have conceded 14 goals in eight away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Liverpool’s defensive troubles contributed to the 4-3 defeat away at Bournemouth and the 2-2 draw with West Ham but Middlesbrough are light on attacking threat so might not cause quite as many issues for the Reds. Jurgen Klopp’s team are vulnerable but they are the likely victors so back them to win with both teams getting on the scoresheet.

RECOMMENDATION: Liverpool to win 2-1
1


REFEREE: Jonathan Moss STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tuesday's EPL Tip Sheet
By Chris David

The English Premier League kicks off Matchday 16 on Tuesday with a pair of games and concludes on Wednesday with an additional eight matchups.

Let’s take a quick look at the first two, which both start at 2:45 p.m. ET.

Leicester City (4-4-7) at Bournemouth (5-3-7)

The biggest surprise of Matchday 15 came at King Power Stadium as Leicester City posted a wire-to-wire 4-2 home victory over Manchester City. Despite being the defending EPL champions, the Foxes have struggled mightily this season and entered last week’s game on a 0-1-3 skid.

The Foxes have been much better at home (4-3-1) this season than on the road (0-1-6) and Tuesday’s matchup is at Bournemouth.

The Cherries (+145) are listed as slight favorites over Leicester City (+190) while the draw is +240.

Bournemouth sits just above Leicester City in the latest table with 18 points and similar to the Foxes, the Cherries have been better at home.

The club has earned 13 out of a possible 21 points at Vitality Stadium and they’re coming off an impressive 4-3 victory over Liverpool in Matchday 14. Including that win, the Cherries are 4-1-1 in their last six league games at home.

Total bettors are starting at a number of 2 ½ for this matchup and it’s shaded slightly to the ‘over’ (-125). I expect the price to go up and wouldn’t be surprised if the number moved to 3 just based on the form of both teams.

Bournemouth has seen a combined 16 goals scored in its last three league games and it has conceded three times in each of those contests. Leicester has allowed 18 away goals in seven games and that poor production has helped the ‘over’ go 6-1. Bournemouth has seen the ‘over’ go 4-3 at home.

The Cherries were one of only three sides to remain unbeaten against Leicester City in league play last season, earning a pair of draws (1-1, 0-0). The ‘under’ connected in both games.

Arsenal (10-4-1) at Everton (5-5-5)

The Gunners (-115) have been installed as road favorites over Everton (+325) for this midweek clash and it’s hard to make a case for the home squad.

After starting the season with 13 (4-1-0) out of a possible 15 points, the Toffees have gone 1-4-5 in their last 10 games and they’ve been held to one goal or less in eight of those matches.

A lot of those struggles for Everton have come on the road and not at Goodison Park, where the club is unbeaten (3-4-0) in seven league games. They’ve only allowed five goals at home and that’s helped produce a 6-1 mark to the ‘under.’

Containing Arsenal won’t be easy and it’s been next to impossible for opponents in the Premier League. The Gunners opened the season with a 4-3 home loss to Liverpool and quickly made bettors forget that outcome with their current 14-game unbeaten run (10-4).

Arsenal is ranked second in league play with 36 goals and it’s been consistent with equal goals (18) coming both on the road at the Emirates Stadium.

Defensively, Arsene Wenger’s team has surrendered a league-best five away goals this season and that effort has tempered the ‘over’ to a 4-3 away mark.

Historically, the numbers lean to Arsenal as well with the club owning 29 all-time wins over Everton in the Premier League.

The midweek matchup also could have you leaning to the visitor with Arsenal going 10-7-0 in its last 17 EPL games on a Tuesday, dating back to 2006.

NBCSN will provide national coverage of this game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Bruins top Canadiens in OT
By The Sports Xchange

MONTREAL -- Ryan Spooner scored at 3:20 of overtime to lift the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night at the Bell Centre.
Tukka Rask made 29 saves for Boston, which snapped a three-game winless streak. Carey Price stopped 27 shots for the Canadiens (19-6-3).
Austin Czarnik scored in regulation for the Bruins (15-12-2) and Paul Byron replied for the Canadiens.
Czarnik broke the scoreless draw with 1:05 left in the second period. Adam McQuaid forced a turnover in the Bruins' end and got it over to Czarnik, who drove up the left side and fired from the circle to put Boston ahead 1-0. Byron tied the score at 16:48 in the third period when he picked up a loose puck in a scramble in the slot and fired a backhander past Rask.

Penguins 7, Coyotes 0
PITTSBURGH -- Matt Murray had a 32-save shutout and seven players scored as Pittsburgh overwhelmed Arizona for its season-high sixth win in a row.
Murray, still a rookie in terms of Calder Trophy eligibility despite helping Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup last season, improved to 11-2-0 with his second shutout of the season, the third of his career. Pittsburgh (19-7-3) also owns a season-best, five-game home winning streak and has scored 30 goals during that stretch.
Scott Wilson scored the only goal of the first period before Nick Bonino, Trevor Daley, Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby scored in the second for a 5-0 lead. Phil Kessel and Justin Schultz added goals in the third period. Evgeni Malkin had two assists to extend his point streak at home to 12 games. Crosby, who scored for the fourth straight game, has an eight-game point streak.
The Coyotes (9-14-5) fell to 1-4-2 in their past seven games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (16-7) at Islanders (11-10)

Date: December 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- A lopsided loss Saturday night reminded the New York Islanders just how far they are from seriously contending for an Eastern Conference playoff berth. The Washington Capitals can make the task even tougher for the Islanders on Tuesday night, when the Metropolitan Division rivals meet at Barclays Center.

The Islanders' point streak was snapped at six games Saturday, when they gave up four unanswered goals in the third period of a 6-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Capitals extended their winning streak to four games -- and their point streak to five games -- Sunday with a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks.

"I think we seem to be trending in the right direction," Capitals right winger Justin Williams told the team's website. "We've won four in a row, but we've played better in every game we've won so far."

The game Tuesday is the first of a two-game Metropolitan road trip for the Capitals, who visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

"I'm happy we were able to shut down the game tonight as we did," Williams said. "And now we'll go on the road."

The Capitals (17-7-3) occupy the second wild card in the East but are seven points ahead of their nearest foes and 10 points ahead of the Islanders (11-12-5), who are in last place in the Metropolitan and tied for the second-fewest points in the conference.

While the Islanders have made up ground over the last two weeks -- they were last in the entire NHL at the end of Thanksgiving weekend -- the loss to the Blue Jackets provided another lesson about how tiny their margin for error is with nearly three-quarters of the season remaining."

"You can't focus on the negative," Islanders head coach Jack Capuano told Newsday following practice on Monday. "We fell asleep for five to eight minutes and it cost us the game. There's four (games) in six (days) coming up, we're on to the next one. (They'll) continuously work and hopefully win some games."

Defenseman Johnny Boychuk is expected to return to the Islanders' lineup Tuesday. Boychuk left in the third period Saturday after being hit in the hand by a puck.

Goalie Jaroslav Halak was the first New York goalie off the ice Monday, an indication he'll draw the start Tuesday. Halak, who was pulled after allowing the last Blue Jackets goal on Saturday, recorded the Islanders' lone shutout of the season the last time they faced the Capitals on Dec. 1, when he made 38 saves in a 3-0 win at Verizon Center.

Halak will likely be opposed by Braden Holtby, who stopped all 20 shots he faced in Sunday's victory. Holtby was also in net for the Capitals on Dec. 1, when he made 25 saves.

This is the third of five games this season between the Islanders and Capitals. The two teams play again at Barclays on Dec. 27 and Jan. 31. Washington won the first meeting, 2-1, at Verizon Center on Oct. 15.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blackhawks (17-8) at Rangers (19-9)

Date: December 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- When the Chicago Blackhawks take the ice at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, they will face one of the top goaltenders in the league.

It is just a matter of which one New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault decides to start.

For the first time in more than a decade, there is a genuine goaltending controversy with the Rangers, who will face the Blackhawks for the second time in less than a week. With Henrik Lundqvist struggling, Vigneault handed the reins to backup Antti Raanta for three consecutive starts. Raanta rewarded his coach's faith by going 3-0-0 with two shutouts, including one in Chicago on Friday.

After Raanta made 19 saves in a 5-0 home win against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, he became the first Rangers goaltender since 2003 to record back-to-back shutouts.

So who will Vigneault have in net against the Blackhawks?

"Do I know who I'm going to start next game?" Vigneault asked aloud Sunday. "Yes, I do. But I haven't told them."

With the Rangers keeping it secret from the media Sunday and not practicing Monday, no one knows if it will be Raanta for a fourth straight start or if Lundqvist will reassume the net.

"Hank's like all our players: team-first attitude," Vigneault said Sunday morning to the New York Daily News. "And right now there's no doubt that Antti's playing real well and deserves to play. I love Hank, but I love the team more, and right now Antti is on top of his game."

Lundqvist said all the right things while riding the bench.

"If (Raanta) didn't play that well and I'd still be sitting here, that'd be harder to accept," Lundqvist told the Daily News on Sunday. "Obviously I understand it when he's playing that well. Again, it comes down to what's best for the team. I'm not gonna try to convince anyone when (Vigneault) believes this is the best for the group right now."

The Blackhawks are in a similar situation, as they are riding backup goaltender Scott Darling with Corey Crawford out two to three weeks after an appendectomy. In five starts since taking over for Crawford, Darling is 2-2-1 and has allowed just seven goals. He has given up two goals on 83 shots in his past three starts.

Tuesday could provide a rematch of the 1-0 overtime thriller between the teams that saw Raanta outduel Darling, two players who found themselves vying for the backup job in Chicago before Raanta was traded to New York in June 2015.

"It kind of builds your intensity," Darling said to the Chicago Sun-Times of facing Raanta. "He's making big saves. You don't want to be the guy to let one in. It's like we're going against each other."

The Blackhawks aren't just depleted by injury in net.

Jonathan Toews missed the past nine games with a back injury, although he skated Sunday morning before the Blackhawks' 3-1 win against the Dallas Stars. Brent Seabrook sat out his second consecutive game with an upper-body injury, but he also skated Sunday and feels as if he could play Tuesday against the Rangers.

"I thought it was better," Seabrook said Sunday to the Chicago Sun-Times. "I felt better waking up this morning and getting back out there, passing pucks and a little skate ... at the end I thought was good. Felt good."

Both Toews and Seabrook joined the team in New York, so their status likely will be decided Tuesday morning.

"Certainly good to get him on the ice," coach Joel Quenneville said to the Chicago Sun-Times of Toews. "We feel he can be close, but then again we want to make sure that there's some certainty that he's going to be fine and we're not going to go backwards on this one. So let's make sure we're all clear going forward."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canucks (12-13) at Hurricanes (11-10)

Date: December 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Two teams anxious about going home will meet Tuesday night.

The Carolina Hurricanes will be back on home ice after a West Coast trip, while the Vancouver Canucks will be finishing what so far has been a frustrating stretch on the road.

"We've been a team that takes pride in playing well at home," Hurricanes right winger Lee Stempniak said. "We've got to come out and make hay when we can."

Carolina has returned from a three-game swing that produced a 1-1-1 record, yet there could have been much more.

The Hurricanes were engaged in a few high-scoring games, something out of character for the team.

"We're not used to playing those 4-3 games," defenseman Matt Tennyson said. "Maybe it threw off guys trying to do something else."

The Canucks are 1-3-0 as they complete a five-game road swing with the game at PNC Arena.

Vancouver was within a goal of the Washington Capitals in the third period of Sunday's 3-0 loss.

"On the road, I think that's a good position to be in," left winger Daniel Sedin said. "I think we are in every game."

Other than the one victory, the Canucks have been sluggish too often on the trip, particularly on power plays. That's a trend that coach Willie Desjardins would like to see reversed.

"If you look at the 5-on-5 play, we were pretty good," Desjardins said. "We just didn't find a way to score."

It has been a bit of the opposite at times in the past week for the Hurricanes, who excelled in some special team situations. Carolina coach Bill Peters said the Hurricanes need better play, particularly early in games, in 5-on-5 set-ups.

The Hurricanes held an 11-10 edge in goals in the past three games. That accounts for more goals than any three-game span of the season for Carolina, which had 11 total goals in its previous seven games before the outburst on the West Coast.

Now, it's a chance for a string of home games. Carolina plays five of its next six at home.

"It feels nice to be back in North Carolina and in our home rink and in front of our own fans," center Derek Ryan said. "We've been good there."

The Hurricanes could receive a boost with the potential return of center Jordan Staal, who has missed seven games because of a concussion. The team seemed to set up Staal's comeback by sending forward Phil Di Giuseppe to Charlotte of the American Hockey League on Monday.

The Canucks and Hurricanes are both near the bottom of their respective divisions, so it's time to make moves.

"We are not earning enough bounces," Vancouver goalie Jacob Markstrom said. "It's tough right now."

The Canucks have been shut out in three road games this season. Sedin said picking up the scoring pace takes a certain process.

"You can't just look for shots all the time, you've got to play the game," he said.

Vancouver produced a 4-3 overtime home victory against Carolina during the first week of the season in October. The Hurricanes failed to hold a three-goal lead in that game.

Tuesday's game will mark the only game in Raleigh for former Hurricanes center Brandon Sutter, who scored the winning goal in the first matchup of the season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (13-11) at Sabres (10-11)

Date: December 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Los Angeles Kings have survived the first third of the season without starting goaltender Jonathan Quick. They'll be pushed to the limit, however, as they embark on a nine-game road trip that begins in Buffalo on Tuesday night.

"It's fun. It's a little different," said center Tyler Toffoli, according to the Los Angeles Times. "We've been at home for so long, so going on the road is going to feel weird at first but we've got to start off the trip right, with a win at Buffalo, and just keep going from there."

The road trip will indeed be quite the test for Los Angeles (14-11-2). It includes two back-to-back scenarios before wrapping up in Edmonton just before the start of the new year on Dec. 29.

The Kings played eight of their past 10 games at home, posting a 6-2-1 record. They'll hope to fare better than they did in their most recent long road trip; Los Angeles went 1-3-1 in a five-game road trek in mid-November.

"I know it might not be mathematically the midseason break, but it feels like that, especially for the players," defenseman Matt Greene said, according to the L.A. Times. "Once you hit Christmas the pedal goes down until the All-Star break and it goes down a little bit more after that, so you've got to eat up these points and get into the holiday break."

Center Jeff Carter leads the Kings in points with 22 (12 goals, 10 assists). Peter Budaj has performed admirably in place of the injured Quick, who has been out of action since the very first game of the season. Budaj has a record of 13-7-2, along with 2.18 goals against average and .910 save percentage.

Los Angeles is coming off a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

The Sabres (10-11-6) are hoping to have the services of forward Kyle Okposo against the Kings. Okposo missed Monday's practice due to an illness.

"When I was hurt I got to watch him a lot and learned a lot about how he plays," center Jack Eichel said of Okposo, according to the team's website. "I think he's probably one of the most underrated players in our league, just how good he is with the puck, without the puck, in all areas of the game. He's strong on it, he's very skilled, and he can make passes."

"He was not feeling well last night and just had to stay at home," Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma said, per the team's website. "We hope he recovers and does well and can play."

If Okposo does play, he's expected to be on a line alongside Eichel and Evander Kane. He switched places with Sam Reinhart in the lineup at Sunday's practice.

Buffalo is coming off a disappointing 4-1 home loss to Washington on Friday. The Sabres are 1-2-1 in their last four games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (15-11) at Maple Leafs (10-10)

Date: December 13, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The irritated Toronto Maple Leafs will try to shake off their slump when they play host to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre.

The Maple Leafs did everything they could Sunday but were unable to overcome a hot goaltender in losing to the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto's fourth defeat in the past five games.

The Sharks defeated the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday after losing their previous two games.

The Maple Leafs (11-11-5) had a season-high 52 shots at Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov but scored only on a third-period power play in a 3-1 loss.

"Frustrating is definitely the right word," Maple Leafs left winger James van Riemsdyk said. "Their goalie played really well, and he can get hot like that at times throughout his career. Unfortunately, we couldn't get another one by him."

Toronto posted a season-high shot total for one period with 21 in the first 20 minutes, then matched that mark in the third period.

"I'm pleased with our effort, how we played and how we went about it," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said.

The game against the Sharks will be the Maple Leafs' second on a five-game homestand. Toronto is 8-5-0 at home.

Babcock has an obvious objective on the homestand.

"I want to win, we've got to win, it's an opportunity for us," he said. "(Sunday) was a big game for us, obviously, to not get a win. Now we've got a real good team in San Jose, and we've got to get ready for them."

Toronto goaltender Antoine Bibeau made his NHL debut and allowed two goals while stopping 26 shots against Colorado. Babcock was pleased with the rookie's performance.

No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen is the probable starter against the Sharks.

The Sharks (16-11-1) are starting a four-game road trip with the game in Toronto.

Kevin LaBanc scored for the second straight game, collecting what proved to the game-winner Saturday in San Jose's 4-3 victory over the visiting Hurricanes.

The 21-year-old has four goals and two assists in 15 games.

"For a team that's had trouble scoring, he's one guy that's consistently scored for us," Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. "The puck follows him around. I also like other parts of his game. He hounds it, he's on top of the other team. He works away from the puck. He's done a great job and he's a hard guy to remove from the lineup just because of how he's playing and how he's contributing."

The best thing DeBoer took from the game Saturday was the result.

"I think when you look at the week, out of the three games we played, it was probably our poorest of the three," DeBoer said. "But we found a way to win, and the other two we lost, maybe we deserved better."

It was the fourth time in the past 13 games in which the Sharks scored more than two goals. The four goals Saturday equaled their season high.

Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic left the game Saturday with a lower-body injury, and it was not known if he would be able to play Tuesday.

"I'm not thinking ahead. I'm thinking today, and today I'm trying to get better," Vlasic said Sunday. "We'll see tomorrow, and it's going to be the same thing.

"I'm not thinking, 'Oh, I'm going to play on Tuesday.' I'm thinking I need to get better today."

Defenseman David Schlemko missed the past three games with a lower-body injury and appears near to a return.

As insurance, the Sharks recalled defenseman Mirco Mueller from their American Hockey League team, the San Jose Barracuda, on Monday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (8-13) at Red Wings (13-12)

Date: December 13, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings and the Arizona Coyotes are both coming off shutout losses.

Detroit hosts Arizona on Tuesday night at Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings (13-12-4) lost 1-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime at home on Sunday. The Coyotes (9-14-5) lost 7-0 to the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Monday night.

The Red Wings have dropped the first two games of their five-game homestand and continue to struggle at home (2-7-3 in their past 12 and 6-7-3 overall). They have only 20 goals in their last 12 games at home.

Offense is the main issue for the team, which ranks 26th in the league in goals per game (2.28). And part of the problem is a lack of shots. They rank 29th at 28.1 shots per game.

"We just got to do a better job of going to the net and shooting more pucks," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill told www.mlive.com. "We were passing up shots (against Philadelphia). I think the shot attempts after the second were almost even. We had three times the zone time as them in the first (period), but we don't end up outshooting them because we don't shoot the puck enough.

"So we got to decide if we want to shoot the puck, we got to decide if we want to go to the net. It's been an issue here for three years, five-on-five offense, and we got to decide if we're going to change it. Until we do that, we're not going to score enough."

Detroit not shooting enough goes back to when Mike Babcock was the team's coach in 2014-15.

"We have to drill it, we have to show it, anyway we can to try to make sure we do that," Blashill said. "I don't know if it's that easy, but that's what teams do in the league that score.

"We played one tonight, we played one the other night in Columbus. They don't over-pass, they don't over-make plays, they shoot the puck and they go to the net hard. That's just the NHL today."

The Coyotes have lost seven of their past eight games (1-4-3). Mike Smith allowed four goals on 22 shots before being replaced by Louis Domingue, who made nine saves on Monday night.

"They're struggling at their execution," Arizona coach Dave Tippett said. "There's a standard you have to play to in the NHL, whether you're a young guy or a veteran. We didn't play or compete at an NHL level tonight. That's the score you get and that's where we're at."

Forward Josh Jooris played 8:46 in his Coyotes debut after being claimed off waivers from the New York Rangers on Sunday.

"We have to be way better than how we just played," Arizona defenseman Michael Stone said. " ... I think we have to learn from this, learn that every team is good in this league and you can't take any nights off, no matter who you're playing."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (16-8) at Predators (12-10)

Date: December 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

This December is looking a lot like last December for the Nashville Predators, which is not a good thing.

A season ago, Nashville went 5-6-3 in December, kicking off a stretch of just over two months featuring inconsistent play and resulting in real doubts as to whether the Predators could make the playoffs.

This season, Nashville has lost four of its first five games in December, picking up just three points. That includes a 5-4 loss Dec. 3 to the New Jersey Devils in which the Predators coughed up a 4-1 third-period lead, and back-to-back losses on a brief road trip to Dallas and Arizona.

If the Predators (12-11-4) are to get back on course, a win Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues in Bridgestone Arena would be a good way to do it. It would, if nothing else, erase the taste of a 4-1 defeat against the lowly Coyotes on Saturday night.

"We've got to play faster and be better than what we were," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said after his team's second defeat to the Coyotes in just over a month.

Getting back home could help the Predators in that regard. They are 9-2-2 in Bridgestone, including a 3-1 win over St. Louis on Nov. 10. That game came during a stretch in which Nashville won six straight home games and went 9-3-2 in November.

Nashville might also get top-four defenseman Ryan Ellis back from an upper-body injury that caused him to miss the past eight games. Both Ellis and center Colton Sissons, out for seven games with an upper-body injury, practiced Monday.

"It stinks when you're sitting on the sidelines, whether you're winning or losing," Ellis said. "Either way, it's not fun when you're hurt or you're out. You always hope the team can pull through for you, but at times if they don't, if they do, it's tough either way."

The Blues (16-9-4) are a bit like Nashville in that they are world-beaters at home and something resembling mop water on the road. St. Louis is coming off a 3-1 loss Sunday in Minnesota, falling to 1-2-0 on its four-game road trip and 2-7-0 in its past nine away games.

Two quick second-period goals doomed the Blues against the Wild. St. Louis controlled play in the first period with an 11-6 advantage in shots on goal, but once the Blues had to chase the game against impenetrable Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk, they were in a position they couldn't escape.

"All these games are right there, but we're not getting a big enough push-back against these teams that really check hard," St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. "They checked hard. We really checked them hard, but as the game wore on, they started to get a little bit control of it."

Jake Allen will get the start in net for the Blues. Allen stopped 22 of 24 shots Sunday but took the loss, falling to 14-5-3 with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .910- save percentage.

He probably will be opposed by Pekka Rinne (11-7-4, 2.45), who has given up 16 goals in four December starts after earning the NHL's First Star for November. Rinne still sports a .920 save percentage.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (12-12) at Wild (14-8)

Date: December 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- In some ways, it will be the same old thing for Eric Staal to face the Panthers on Tuesday, just like he did dozens of times when he skated for the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida was a rival in the old Southeast Division.

And in other ways, everything is different for the Minnesota Wild's newest offensive threat.

Staal, in his first season in Minnesota after signing as a free agent over the summer, enters this game having recently reached a major milestone. His assist on an empty net goal late in the Wild's 3-1 win over St. Louis on Sunday gives Staal 800 career points. He seems anything but satisfied with the round number.

"It's a nice feeling," said Staal, who will be facing the Panthers for the 67th time in his career on Tuesday. "Honestly, I'm hoping for a lot more as my career moves on. But nonetheless, very grateful and honored to one, make the NHL and to play as long as I have and to put up that kind of number is special."

The Wild have been playing well at home generally, and host a Panthers team that has never won a regulation game in Minnesota, going 0-7-2 all-time at Xcel Energy Center.

The Panthers went through a rough stretch in late November and early December, but come to Minnesota on a winning note after beating the Canucks 4-2 at home on Saturday. They're solidly in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic Division, making every available point critical.

"It feels like they're all must-wins. This early in the season everybody's all bunched together," said Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, who had a long string of rough outings in Minnesota when he played for the Canucks and battles with the Wild were common in the old Northwest Division.

"That being said, you want to take it one game at a time, you don't want to look at the big picture or what's ahead, you just want to look at the next game coming up."

The win over the Canucks was the latest chapter in the resurgence of Alexsander Barkov, who had a goal and an assist versus Vancouver and now his nine points in his past nine games.

"I think when your best players are your best players they kind of lead the troops and get everything going in the right direction," said Panthers interim head coach Tom Rowe, who took over the reins on Nov. 27 when Gerard Gallant was fired.

Another Panthers newcomer, Seth Griffith, who was claimed by Florida off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs in early November, got an assist versus the Canucks and said he's feeling more comfortable in the new setting.

"Coming to a new team and guys saying they believe in you goes a long way toward your confidence," Griffith said. "But it's easier said than done. You have to come here and work every day and that's what I'm trying to do, to soak it all in."

It will also be the annual homecoming of former University of Minnesota stars Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau, both of whom skate for the Panthers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (14-9) at Stars (11-11)

Date: December 13, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

DALLAS -- Much has changed since the last time the Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars met on Oct. 13 at American Airlines Center to start the 2016-17 regular season.

Dallas won that night 3-1, but the Stars are languishing in the middle of the Central Division standings with an 11-13-6 record. The Stars just completed an 0-2-0 road trip that saw them lose back-to-back games at Philadelphia on Saturday and at division rival Chicago on Sunday.

The Stars, who are 7-4-2 at home, have allowed 96 goals so far this season, tying them with the Jets for most in the NHL.

But as Dallas returns home to begin a stretch where eight of its next nine games are on home ice, coach Lindy Ruff knows the time is now for his inconsistent club to start righting the ship.

"This will be the season for us," Ruff said after Sunday's 3-1 loss in Chicago. "We've got to try to build some momentum (at home). I think all of the season is going to land on this homestand."

The Stars got a boost Sunday from the return of injured defenseman Johnny Oduya, who had missed the previous 10 games with a lower-body injury, and of veteran forward Jiri Hudler, sidelined the previous 20 games due to illness.

However, on Tuesday, Dallas will be without young defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who will be serving the final game of a two-game suspension for a check to the head of Philadelphia's Chris Van de Velde on Saturday.

Even with Oleksiak unavailable, Stars captain Jamie Benn knows it's now or never for him and his teammates to start racking up points and improving their mediocre record.

"We've got a lot of catching up to do. We put ourselves in a tough spot, but no reason why we can't turn this around," Benn said. "We've got to find a way to dig deep here and give ourselves a chance to get back in this."

Anaheim (15-9-6), on the other hand, heads into Tuesday's game on a three-game winning streak and occupying first place in the Pacific Division.

On Sunday at Honda Center, the Ducks defeated Ottawa 5-1 to finish their three-game homestand a perfect 3-0-0.

Corey Perry and Antoine Vermette each had a goal and an assist for Anaheim, who is 5-5-4 on the road so far this season.

"We came out, we were energized, we were ready to play," Perry said. "Everybody in here knew what was at stake. It was our last one before we go on the road for a tough stretch. You need those two points."

The Ducks are starting a six-game road trip that after Dallas will take them to Boston, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa before returning home to host San Jose on Dec. 27.

First-year Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle likes how his club has been playing of late, but there are still areas where he'd like to see additional improvement.

"Our ability to play fast and execute fast is getting better. I'm not saying it's where it needs to be, but it's getting there," Carlyle said.

Since it was coming off a back-to-back, Dallas had Monday off. But one story line to track during morning skate on Tuesday will be whether Ruff sticks with Kari Lehtonen in goal, who is 2-3-0 with a 2.20 goals-against-average over his five straight starts, or if he goes back to Antti Niemi.

But regardless of who Ruff puts between the pipes, Dallas' ongoing defensive woes continue to put it squarely behind the eight ball. Last season, when the Stars led the NHL in goals scored, their defensive deficiencies were covered up by the fact they could outscore most foes.

However, with Dallas' goals for down this season, those weaknesses in the back end have become much more glaring because those mistakes are now leading to more losses.

"Yeah, I think that our guys feel a lot of pressure," Ruff said. "We got out of a lot of games last year, especially in the first 50, where we were winning games 5-3 and mistakes weren't killing us. Right now, with our scoring being down, the big mistakes are really standing out."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (16-5) at Oilers (14-11)

Date: December 13, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Edmonton Oilers are playing nail-biters. The Columbus Blue Jackets are making a habit of winning big. Something has to give when the teams meet Tuesday night at Rogers Place.

The Oilers' previous six games have each been decided by a goal. Four of them have ended in either overtime or a shootout.

The Blue Jackets arrive in Alberta's capital on a six-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents by a combined 25-9 during that stretch.

Former Oiler Sam Gagner has 18 points in the Blue Jackets' last 20 games.

Columbus has a winning percentage of .731 under coach John Tortorella. The Blue Jackets beat the New York Islanders in Columbus on Saturday, but unlike most teams heading west, the team elected to stay in Ohio and practiced there on Monday before traveling northwest to Alberta.

Usually, if the schedule allows, a team will skate in Edmonton the day before the game. Tortorella also has done away with the morning skate, and the Blue Jackets are proving that practice just might not make perfect.

But Tortorella said his team has a far different attitude than last season.

"We've talked about this last year; it's hoping versus almost a mindset of knowing," he said. "I think when you have some success, and we've had some success early in the season here, you do get that belief.

"The question is going to be when there's a couple of struggles and maybe something happens with a lead in the third period, it goes the other way, which is going to happen in a 82-game schedule - how do you react, there?"

And the Blue Jackets are doing it without leaning on any one line.

"Yeah, we're a team that rolls four lines," said right winger Cam Atkinson, who has six points in his last three games. "That's how we have success. Everyone is involved, that's what we've been doing, and it's been great."

On Monday, Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli announced that defenseman Darnell Nurse had undergone successful surgery to repair ligament and bone damage in a foot. He is expected to be out for another 12 weeks.

But help is on the way. Coach Todd McLellan said defenseman Brandon Davidson, who has been on injured reserve for all but one game this season, could be activated in time for Tuesday's game.

"I think the next game is a good possibility," said Davidson, who played 51 games for the Oilers last season. "I'm just kind of waiting on the last call, but I think things went well on the ice today in practice and over the last little while. I feel I will be available for tomorrow."

To make room, the team sent down defenseman David Musil, son of former Oiler Frantisek Musil, to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, Calif.

McLellan said Davidson will need time to readjust to the pace of the NHL game.

"I feel that the call-up players have a better chance of success than the injured players," McLellan said. "They've been playing and they're somewhat up to pace, where Davie will go into the lineup and I think he's played six or seven minutes all season. It will be an adjustment for him, the game is moving pretty fast for him, at least for how he remembers it."

 

[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 20.5 29 OVER
12/8 10 54.5 58 OVER
12/9 6 30.5 26 UNDER
12/10 10 53 68 OVER
12/11 8 42 32 UNDER
12/12 2 10.5 10 UNDER
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

Tuesday’s games

Home side won last six LA-Buffalo games (under 5-0-1); Kings lost last five visits to western NY, outscored 15-5. Los Angeles lost three of last five games overall; they’re 2-4 in last six road games. Over is 5-2-3 in their last ten games. Buffalo lost three of last four games; over is 3-1-2 in their last six. Sabres are 4-3 in their last seven home games.

Islanders lost five of last seven games with Washington; under is 6-1-1 in last eight series games. Caps won three of last four visits to Brooklyn (under 3-0-1). Washington won its last four games, allowing 16 goals; under is 3-1-2 in their last six. Washington lost four of its last five road games. Islanders won five of last seven games, four of last five at home; three of their last four games went over the total.

Road team won last five Ranger-Chicago games; three of those ended 1-0. Under is 5-1-1 in last seven series games. Blackhawks won three of last four visits to Manhattan. Chicago lost three of last five games; they’re 1-3 in last four road games. Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Chicago games. Rangers won four of last five games; under is 2-0-1 in their last three games. New York won its last three home games.

Vancouver won its last seven games with Carolina; under is 3-1-2 in last six series games. Canucks won their last three visits to Raleigh. Vancouver lost three of last four games; under is 3-2-1 in their last six- they’re 2-4 in last six road games. Hurricanes lost seven of last 10 games, but they won their last six home games. Under is 7-3-2 in their last 12 games.

Sharks won nine of last ten games with Toronto; they won last five games in this building, with three of five wins by one goal. Over is 4-2 in last six series games. San Jose won seven of last ten games; over is 2-0-1 in their last three. Maple Leafs lost four of last five games, three of last four at home. Last five Toronto games stayed under the total.

Coyotes lost 7-0 in Pittsburgh last nite; they’re 0-4 if they played the night before. Red Wings won three of last four games with Arizona; over is 4-1-1 in last six series games. Teams split last four games played here. Coyotes lost six of their last seven games- they lost last four road games, outscored 17-2; under is 8-1 in their last nine games.

Home side won seven of last nine St Louis-Nashville games; Blues lost 5-0/3-1 in last two visits to Music City. Under is 5-1-1 in last seven series games. St Louis lost three of last four road games; they’re 3-0 in game after their last three losses. Under is 2-0-1 in their last three games. Predators lost four of last five games but are 4-2 in last six at home; over is 7-2 in their last nine games.

Home side won six of last seven Minnesota-Florida games; Panthers lost last four visits to Twin Cities, outscored 11-6 (under 3-0-2 in last five). Under is 4-0-2 in last six series games. Florida lost six of its last eight games, five of last six on road; over is 3-0-1 in their last four. Minnesota won tis last four games, allowing six goals- they won last four at home. Under is 3-0-1 in their last four games.

Ducks won six of last nine games with Dallas; home side won last four meetings. Three of last four series games went over total. Anaheim lost 4-3/4-2 in last two visits here. Ducks won three in row, six of last eight games, scoring 14 goals in last three- over is 3-0-1 in their last three games. Dallas Stars lost three of last four games; under is 5-2 in their last seven home games.

Blue Jackets lost three of last four visits to Edmonton, giving up 21 goals; Columbus won four of last five series games overall, with last eight series games going over total. Home side won seven of last eight seres games. Blue Jackets won their last six games, allowing 11 goals; under is 2-0-2 in their last four road games. Edmonton lost four of last five games, with three losses in OT/SO; under is 4-1 in their last five home games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

StatFox Super Situations

NHL*|*SAN JOSE*at*TORONTO
Play Against - Road teams against the money line (SAN JOSE) off a close home win by 1 goal, winning between 51% and 60% of their games on the season in the first half of the season
50-17*over the last 5 seasons.**(*74.6%*|*32.9 units*)
9-3*this year.**(*75.0%*|*6.4 units*)

NHL*|*WASHINGTON*at*NY ISLANDERS
Play On - Road Favorites of -200 or less against the money line (WASHINGTON) off a home win where they shut out their opponent, with a winning record on the season playing a losing team in the first half of the season
48-12*since 1997.**(*80.0%*|*31.3 units*)
1-0*this year.**(*100.0%*|*1.0 units*)

NHL*|*ANAHEIM*at*DALLAS
Play Against - Road teams against the money line (ANAHEIM) off 2 or more consecutive home wins against opponent off 2 or more consecutive road losses
52-22*over the last 5 seasons.**(*70.3%*|*31.4 units*)
4-1*this year.**(*80.0%*|*3.1 units*)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: DeRozan scores 30 as Raptors roll
By The Sports Xchange

TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and was 15-for-15 from the free throw line to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 122-100 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.
Terrence Ross added 25 points off the bench for the Raptors, who won for the ninth time in their past 10 games, including the past three in a row.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and had eight rebounds for the Bucks, who lost their third in a row.

Heat 112, Wizards 101
MIAMI -- Goran Dragic scored 34 points as Miami snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating Washington at AmericanAirlines Arena.
It was Dragic's highest-scoring game since he joined the Heat two years ago. The Heat was a game-high plus-25 points when Dragic was on the floor.
Heat center Hassan Whiteside added 17 points and 16 rebounds. Washington was led by its backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Wall had 30 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Beal had 29 points.

Pacers 110, Hornets 94
INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George and Myles Turner each scored 22 points, and Indiana made a season-best 17 shots from 3-point range to beat Charlotte.
Jeff Teague added 16 points and 11 assists for Indiana, which outscored the Hornets 34-21 in the fourth quarter.
Marco Belinelli had 14 to lead Charlotte, which shot only 33 percent from the field. Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams each scored 13 for the Hornets. Leading scorer Kemba Walker had 12 but made only 4 of 16 field goal attempts.

Rockets 122, Nets 118
HOUSTON -- Trevor Ariza delivered a blocked shot and a steal inside the final minute and Houston squeezed out a victory over Brooklyn at Toyota Center.
Ariza blocked a driving layup attempt from Nets guard Joe Harris before stealing an inbounds pass just before the final buzzer. Rockets guard Patrick Beverley added a deflected pass that resulted in a turnover with Brooklyn trailing by two points with eight seconds left.
The Rockets labored in extending their winning streak to seven games, missing 15 free throws to keep the Nets close. James Harden had 36 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, and Gordon added 24 points off the bench, including two free throws with 6.4 seconds left to seal with victory.

Mavericks 112, Nuggets 92
DALLAS -- It's been a long time since Dallas torched a team with the kind of firepower it put on display in a demolition of defenseless Denver at American Airlines Center.
Dallas was off and running early and buried the Nuggets in an avalanche of fast breaks and buckets from just about everywhere to build a double-digit lead that expanded to 22 points thanks to a 15-2 run to close out an electric first half.
The Mavs scored a season-best 65 points in the opening 30 minutes as a result of 66.7 percent shooting in the second quarter and 65.1 percent shooting in the first half that included going 24-of-32 inside the arc for a cool 75 percent. Forty of Dallas' first-half points came inside the paint and 20 came off 11 Denver turnovers.

Clippers 121, Trail Blazers 120
LOS ANGELES -- Blake Griffin scored 26 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out six assists, and Los Angeles held on for a victory over Portland.
Chris Paul contributed 21 points and 14 assists, while J.J. Redick chipped in 19 points for Los Angeles. Jamal Crawford added 14 points off the bench.
CJ McCollum paced the Trail Blazers (12-14) with 25 points, and backcourt mate Damian Lillard collected 24 points and eight assists. Lillard nailed a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left to cut the deficit to one point, but the Clippers were able to run out the clock for the win.

Kings 116, Lakers 92
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- DeMarcus Cousins scored 16 of Sacramento's 39 third-quarter points, and the Kings rode their best quarter of the season to a victory over Los Angeles.
The Kings, who endured a season-worst, eight-point fourth quarter in a Saturday night loss at Utah, won for just the second time in seven games. Cousins finished with 31 points, and Darren Collison added 10 of his 20 in the third to help the Kings turn a 58-49 halftime deficit into a 88-71 lead entering the final quarter.
Cousins also finished with 16 rebounds, and Sacramento handed the struggling Lakers their seventh consecutive defeat despite losing starting guard Ben McLemore to a bruised left thigh in the first quarter. D'Angelo Russell scored 17 points in 20 minutes to lead Los Angeles.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA betting road map: Revenge is a key angle early this season
By BIG AL MCMORDIE

Al McMordie is back with the latest edition of his weekly betting roadmap series, to take a look at the betting landscape in the upcoming week in the NBA.

We're through seven weeks of the NBA season, and home and road teams are virtually dead-even against the spread (home teams are 175-176-8 ATS), as are favorites and underdogs (favorites are 176-175-8 ATS). A big money-maker, though, has been revengers, as teams playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season have gone 56-29-1 ATS, including 33-12-1 ATS off a loss.

Let's take a look around the league to see if we can find some other wagering situations to line our pockets.

Spread Watch

The San Antonio Spurs own the league's second best record at 19-5. But when San Antonio lost their first road game last week at Chicago (following 13 road wins to start the season), coach Gregg Popovich called out his team's lack of effort. Indeed, San Antonio's been winning in spite of lackluster play. They've trailed by double-digits in seven of their last nine games, but have done just enough to go 7-2 in those games. So, Popovich criticized his team, and said, "It's your job. If you're a plumber and don't do your job, you don't get any work....If you're a basketball player, you come ready. It's called maturity."

Not surprisingly, the Spurs responded to their coach's words, and blew out Brooklyn, 130-101 on Saturday. It was the highest-scoring game for San Antonio this season, and was its biggest margin of victory since opening night, when it also won by 29 points.

That win improved the Spurs to a not-so-gaudy 6-4 at home (the Spurs were 40-1 at home last season). Patty Mills explained the team's mindset after the Brooklyn game, "We came into this game knowing we had to lace 'em up and do what we do. No more messing around."

This week, San Antonio will host Boston on Wednesday and New Orleans on Sunday, with a road game in between, at Phoenix. The Spurs have owned all three teams of late, with 10 straight wins vs. Boston, seven vs. Phoenix, and four vs. New Orleans. I look for the Spurs to string together a bunch of good games, as they're a veteran-laden team, and the "no more messing around" attitude should prevail, at least, for the short term.

Totals Watch

After going 44-38 last season, and earning a No. 5 Playoff seed, the Portland Trail Blazers have struggled out of the gate this year, and are just 12-13 SU and 9-16 ATS through 25 games. The Blazers have also gone 'over' the total in 17 of 24 games this season, including 9-2 'over' at home. The main reason has been a defense which has an NBA-worst Defensive Efficiency Rating of 1.13. Last year, the Blazers ranked 19th in Defensive Efficiency, and had a 1.08 Rating.

To kick-start this week, the Blazers will travel to Los Angeles to play the Clippers on Monday. The over/under line has been installed at 217.5, and that's key, as Portland has gone 'over' the total in all eight games this season when the line has been north of 217 points. Los Angeles has sailed 'over' in 15 of its 24 games, as well, so I look for a relatively high-scoring game on Monday.

Injury Watch

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their 6th game in a row on Sunday, when they fell to the New York Knicks, 118-112. And Los Angeles has surrendered over 115 ppg during this 6-game skein. But the good news for Purple-and-Gold fans is that their two leading scorers, Nick Young and D'Angelo Russell, returned to action - though in a limited capacity.

Russell had missed all but one of the Lakers' last 13 games due to a sore left knee, while Young had missed seven of nine games to heal his strained calf muscle. Against New York, Russell played just 17 minutes, and was ineffective (1-for-8 shooting; 5 assists; 4 turnovers). Young fared better in his 20 minutes, as he scored 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting. Going forward, the Lakers definitely need their starting backcourt duo on the court, if they're to be competitive.

This week, LA will play four road games vs. the Kings, Nets, 76ers and Cavaliers, so things might get worse before they get better. But there's reason for optimism in Los Angeles this season, if they can stay healthy, as LA was 7-5 before Russell succumbed to his knee injury.

Schedule Watch

The Houston Rockets are 17-7, and have outscored their opponents by 5.9 ppg - both of those stats place Houston among the top 5 in the league. Even better for our purposes, Houston is 17-7 ATS this year, and has covered the spread by an average of 4.29 ppg (both of which rank second behind the Raptors' 16-6-1 ATS mark and avg. pointspread differential of +5.28). And this success has come even though Mike D'Antoni's men have played the hardest schedule in the league thus far. Only nine of the Rockets' 24 games have come at home, so they're likely even better than their stats currently indicate.

This week, Houston will finish a 4-game home stand which started with Saturday's 22-point win over Dallas, as the Nets, Kings and Pelicans will visit the Toyota Center. Then, on Saturday, Houston will travel to Minnesota to face the T-Wolves. The Rockets will certainly be heavy favorites this week at home, so they'll likely own a 9-game win streak going into that game vs. the T-Wolves. And even though Houston's won seven in a row vs. Minnesota, don't be surprised if the Wolves upset James Harden & Co.

First, Houston will be unrested off a home game, and playing its third game in four nights vs. a very well-rested Minnesota club which will have had the three previous days off (it's worth noting that such teams have only covered 32% over the past 27 years, if they're also off back to back wins). And second, the Rockets will play that game with a revenge match vs. their rival, the Spurs, on deck. Assuming the Rockets go into that game on a nine-game win streak, I'll definitely fade Houston on Saturday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'NBA- Off one point exact loss'

After coming up one point short in an NBA regular season contest one would assume teams should have a chip on their shoulder and come out looking to make a statement next time they hit the court.

In testing the theory, surprisingly teams do not always have the ability to bounce back after the aggravating event. In fact, since 2012 teams are just 85-110 straight-up, 87-104-4 against the betting line after being nipped by one point exact on the scoreboard.

Breaking those numbers down further, a consistent long term patterns tells us to 'Play-On' any favorite running the hardwood against a team off a one point exact loss. That's because it will result in a money-making 62.0% hit rate as chalks are 67-39-2 against the betting line split between 46-25-2 ATS on home court, 21-14 ATS wearing road jersey's.

Although, a winning percentage of 62.0% is considered major success, we can improve the hit rate to a whopping 79.2% by 'Playing-On' any home chalk of -4.0 to -6.5 points facing a road team off a one point demoralizing effort (19-4-1 ATS).