Wednesday 12/2/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

French Ligue 1 TODAY 18:00

Monaco

v

Caen

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		19/20	12/5	16/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MONACO	RECENT FORM
HWADALHWHLAD​ Most recent​	2 - 2 0 - 1 2 - 2 1 - 1	HLHLALHWHDAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Monaco have failed to score more than one goal in their last seven home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Surprise package Caen are not close to the summit through luck. Their amazing results will almost certainly dip but performances have been good enough to suggest they can get a draw at Monaco, who give away too many chances. The hosts allow an average of 13.6 shots per game – only bottom-of-the-table Troyes concede more.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

Capital One Cup TODAY 19:45

Southampton

v

Liverpool

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		7/4	12/5	7/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SOUTHAMPTON	RECENT FORM
ADHWHWAWHLAL​ Most recent​	0 - 2 0 - 3 3 - 1 2 - 0	AWAWHLAWHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Only Spurs have drawn more games than Southampton and Liverpool this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Liverpool’s players are firmly buying into Jurgen Klopp’s gegenpressing system and will be confident they can reach a League Cup semi-final but they could also be weary having played plenty of matches in recent weeks. A trip to St Mary's is not easy and Southampton can take this to extra-time.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
2

 

[superbeets]

French Ligue 1 TODAY 20:00

Lille

v

St-Etienne

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		6/4	2	11/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LILLE	RECENT FORM
HLHWADHDADAL​ Most recent​	1 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 1 3 - 0	HWHWALHLADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Lille have won just two of their 15 league matches this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Lille are struggling in Ligue 1 and are yet to show real improvement since the appointment of Frederic Antonetti. They’ve won just twice this season and look a skinny price against St-Etienne. The visitors' form has dipped in recent weeks but they might still be too good for the hosts.

RECOMMENDATION: St-Etienne
1

 

[superbeets]

Portuguese Liga TODAY 20:00

Uniao da Madeira

v

Porto

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		12	11/2	1/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT UNIAO DA MADEIRA	RECENT FORM
ADHDALALHLAD​ Most recent​	Unknown	HWHDAWHWHLAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Uniao’s last four home games have featured just two goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Porto are a short price to win this and it may pay to look to the goal markets rather than the match betting. Uniao will probably be scrapping for their Primeira survival this term but they have made their home ground a tough place to visit and can keep the scoreline respectable.

RECOMMENDATION: Porto to win 2-0
1


REFEREE: Bruno Miguel Duarte Paixao STADIUM: Estadio Centro Desportivo da M

 

[superbeets]

French Ligue 1 Th 3Dec 20:00

Rennes

v

Marseille

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		21/10	21/10	29/20	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT RENNES	RECENT FORM
ADAWHLAWHDAD​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 1 1 - 1 2 - 2	AWHWHLAWHWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Marseille have won their last three away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Rennes have become the Ligue 1 draw specialists and that result could come into consideration when Marseille visit Roazhon Park. However, OM have steadily improved since Michel took charge and they are capable of inflicting a fourth defeat of the season on the home side.

RECOMMENDATION: Marseille
1

 

[superbeets]

Championship Th 3Dec 20:00

Reading

v

QPR

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		11/10	5/2	11/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT READING	RECENT FORM
ALHDHDALHWAL​ Most recent​	1 - 1 0 - 0 0 - 1 1 - 0	HWALALHDALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: QPR have kept one away clean sheet

EXPERT VERDICT: Steve Clarke’s decision to stay on as Reading boss was greeted with a much improved home showing against Bolton and another home win beckons against goal-shy QPR. Rangers beat Leeds at home last time out but have struggled on the road.

RECOMMENDATION: Reading
3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jim Feist's Bonus Play for Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015

Take: (511) NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Wednesday, December 2, 2015 is in the NBA scheduled contest between the New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets. The Rockets have not played well this season at just 7-11 S/U and 4-14 ATS. At home they have been horrible for bettors, going a dismal 1-10 ATS in 11 tries. The Rockets defense has been horrible, allowing over 100 points in every game this season but one. In fact, they have allowed 110 or more in three straight games, including Monday's loss at Detroit, 116-105. New Orleans hasn't been very good either, going 4-13 S/U and 6-11 ATS. However, the Pelicans have covered four of their last six games and won three of their last five. New Orleans has done well against the Rockets, covering five of the last seven and going 15-6-1 the last 22 meetings. As long as this Houston defense is this bad, they will continue to fail covering spreads. I'm taking the Pelicans plus the points here on Wednesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Kings' Greene set for shoulder surgery
By The Sports Xchange

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Greene is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery on Thursday that will keep him off the ice indefinitely, the team announced.
Greene, 32, has played in just three games earlier this season after initially injuring the shoulder during the preseason. He is scoreless and has eight penalty minutes.
In 589 career games with the Kings and the Edmonton Oilers, Greene has logged 78 points (16 goals, 62 assists) and 644 penalty minutes.

---A strained oblique will sideline New York Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein for possibly two to three weeks.
Klein was injured Monday night after playing just over two minutes in the Rangers' 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
In 25 games this season, Klein has contributed six points (three goals and three assists) and 13 penalty minutes and also is a contributor on the Rangers' penalty kill.

---The Toronto Maple Leafs placed forward Joffrey Lupul on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 28 with a lower body injury and recalled forward Rich Clune from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on Tuesday.
Lupul will be out for a minimum of seven days. He has eight goals and three assists this season.
The 28-year-old Clune has no points in two previous games for the Maple Leafs this season. In 15 games with the Marlies, he has two goals, four assists and 59 penalty minutes this season. Clune has seven goals, 11 assists and 310 penalty minutes in 122 career-regular-season games. He signed with the Maple Leafs on Oct. 29.

---The San Jose Sharks recalled defenseman Karl Stollery from the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old Stollery has one goal and two assists in 17 games this season with the Barracuda. He came to the Sharks from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade for center Freddie Hamilton in March.

---The Anaheim Ducks reassigned defenseman Shea Theodore to the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League.
The 20-year-old Theodore was recalled from San Diego on Nov. 29 but did not play in a game for the Ducks. In 19 games for San Diego this season, he has two goals and nine assists. He ranks fourth among AHL defensemen in scoring and assists.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Maple Leafs (6-11) at Jets (11-12)

Date: December 02, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Winnipeg Jets continue to have trouble slowing their opponents down, and that's making it difficult to build any momentum.

Winnipeg is returning home after a much-needed break, however, and can win the season series with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the third time in four years Wednesday night.

The Jets (11-12-2) have allowed 3.7 goals per game while going a league-worst 3-8-1 since Nov. 5. They lost 5-3 at Colorado on Saturday to close a three-game trip, already the 12th time they've surrendered four or more goals. They're 1-10-1 in those games.

Winnipeg has been idle since that night, a welcomed three days off for a club which is struggling and has played 11 of its past 15 games on the road.

"It's important to take that mental break away from the game, especially when things aren't going right," center Bryan Little told the team's official website. "It's good to get away and not have hockey on your mind all the time. It's good to get some rest and some practice days to actually work on some stuff.

"We're just happy to be home and we're trying to re-focus right now."

Winnipeg's 10 home games played are tied for the league's fewest.

In 14 games during November, the Jets went 4 for 45 on the power play while giving up 15 goals in their opponents' 56 chances (26.8 percent).

"The fatigue sets in for everybody," coach Paul Maurice said. "Everybody's got their stretches. We went through ours, didn't get great results, so we've got lots of places to get better."

Andrew Ladd, though, has come to life with two goals and two assists in his last four games following a four-game point drought. He scored Saturday as did Blake Wheeler, who tied Little for the team lead with his ninth goal.

Wheeler has keyed the Jets dominating this series of late, totaling five goals and six assists in the last seven meetings as they've gone 6-0-1. That stretch includes a 4-2 road victory Nov. 4.

Toronto (8-11-5) ended a three-game losing streak in a 3-0 home win over Edmonton on Monday. With James Reimer out with a lower-body injury and Jonathan Bernier struggling, Garret Sparks was called up from the club's AHL affiliate and recorded 24 saves, becoming the franchise's first player with a shutout in his debut.

"Going into the third period (a shutout) is definitely on your mind," Sparks said. "You just want to be on and make sure if they're going to beat you they have to really beat you. The guys in front of me kept everything outside, kept it manageable and I have them to thank."

Coach Mike Babcock said he expects Sparks to get the nod again Wednesday unless Reimer can play.

"Good for the kid," Babcock said. "Life's about opportunity and how you respond to that opportunity, obviously he must have some swagger about him, some confidence. He played well, we got a win."

Leo Komarov scored twice, giving him four goals in his last three games and a team-high 10 on the season. Second-leading scorer Joffrey Lupul, who has eight goals, missed his first game due to an undisclosed injury.

Winnipeg goaltender Ondrej Pavelec (lower-body) is expected to miss a fifth consecutive game. Michael Hutchinson has struggled in three starts with Pavelec sidelined, giving up 12 goals. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 14 shots in a 3-1 win at Minnesota on Friday in his debut.

Little has five goals and 15 assists in his last 14 meetings with Toronto.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (16-6) at Islanders (13-8)

Date: December 02, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers got back on track after an ugly three-game losing streak, but hardly in encouraging fashion.

A similar effort probably won't be nearly good enough to beat the surging New York Islanders when the storied rivalry makes its Barclays Center debut Wednesday night.

The Rangers (17-6-2) held on to beat Carolina 4-3 on Monday to stop a disheartening skid in which they were blown out by Montreal, lost a late lead at Boston and were blanked by Philadelphia. Their 18th win in 19 games against the Hurricanes, though, came after they built a 4-1 lead despite being outplayed for much of the game. New York was outshot 36-22.

Mats Zuccarello and Oscar Lindberg had first-period power-play goals and Chris Kreider and Derick Brassard also scored, while Henrik Lundqvist made 33 saves.

'A win is always big, even though it's not perfect,' Lundqvist said. 'It's something you can build on. The finish was more important than the start.'

Brassard, who added an assist, ended a six-game goal drought, while Kreider scored for the first time in eight games.

"The second half of this game was just us kind of hanging on," defenseman Dan Boyle told the team's official website. "We're not happy with the way we played down the stretch, but we managed to get the two points and now we move on."

They'll do so without Kevin Klein, who had just been promoted to the top defensive pairing with Ryan McDonagh before he suffered a strained abdominal muscle early in the first period and is expected to miss two to three weeks. That means a bigger role for rookie Dylan McIlrath, who's expected to take Klein's spot in the lineup.

Klein is the second key Ranger to be lost to injury in the past week after top center Derek Stepan suffered broken ribs against the Bruins on Friday. He's out four to six weeks.

The Rangers' depth will consequently be tested by the Islanders (13-8-4), who are 3-0-1 in their last four. The fourth line sparked the Isles to a 5-3 victory over Colorado on Monday, as Cal Clutterbuck's goal 1:52 into the third period broke a 2-all tie and Casey Cizikas added a necessary insurance score.

Kyle Okposo, Mikhail Grabovski and Ryan Strome also scored and Thomas Greiss stopped 25 shots.

'Our goalie played extremely well there in the first period that kept the score where it was, or we could've been behind the 8-ball,' coach Jack Capuano said. 'The name of the game is to get points, so hopefully that will give the guys some confidence as we move forward.'

It didn't take long for the Islanders to turn their focus to their archrivals in Manhattan after the game.

"We've all had it circled for a while," Strome told the team's website.

The Brooklyn setting - and gleaming modern arena - certainly will present a different look after 33 years of suburban battles between the teams at the small, long-outdated but beloved Nassau Coliseum.

The Rangers have won the last two meetings, both on the road. Lundqvist, however, has dropped three straight starts in the series with a 4.88 goals-against average.

The Islanders' Jaroslav Halak, expected to start Wednesday, has allowed three goals on 45 shots in two outings since getting pulled in a 5-3 loss to Montreal on Nov. 20.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (12-8) at Oilers (7-15)

Date: December 02, 2015 9:30 PM EDT

Though far from complacent, the Boston Bruins are having a good time amid their longest winning stretch of the season.

The visiting Bruins will try for a sixth consecutive victory Wednesday night against the lowly Edmonton Oilers.

Things didn't look very bright while Boston (13-8-1) lost five of the first seven in November, but its collective attitude improved while winning the final five of the month. The Bruins last won six in a row during a 12-game run in March 2014.

"Winning's just fun," forward Matt Beleskey told the Bruins' official website. "Keeping that up is almost easy. You come to the rink, you're having fun - you've just got to stay focused.

"I think everyone likes that feeling in here, and being on a winning streak's great. So it's something we're going to have to keep working on."

Boston's surge has been keyed by a defense that's yielded 10 goals in the last five games after giving up 23 in the previous seven. The Bruins have killed 15 of 16 penalties during the five-game run after opponents converted 10 of 29 chances through the first seven of November.

"We've got to keep going, keep playing our game, and I think we see (in the dressing room) when we do it, good things happen," Beleskey said.

Boston hasn't played since showing its mettle by erasing a pair of one-goal deficits to score the final two of Friday's 4-3 win over the New York Rangers.

"We have to know that we can win games when we're down by a goal or two or three and we keep that resiliency going," winger Brad Marchand said.

David Krejci scored the winner late against the Rangers for his ninth of the season. He has two goals with seven assists in the last 10 contests.

Boston begins this three-game western Canadian trip at Edmonton, where it's 13-game series winning streak ended with a 4-3, 12-round shootout loss Feb. 18.

A winner of three in a row, Boston's Tuukka Rask is 4-0-1 with a 1.97 goals-against average against Edmonton.

The Oilers (8-15-2) concluded a 1-3-1 trip against Eastern Conference teams with a 3-0 loss to Toronto on Monday.

'I didn't think we were a very hard team,' said Edmonton coach Todd McLellan, whose team recorded eight shots in each period. 'I didn't think we stood over a lot of pucks. I didn't think we won a lot of battles along the boards. I didn't think we were competitive enough in a lot of areas to come up with the victory.'

Edmonton totaled six non-shootout goals and was shut out twice on the trek.

"It's frustrating," said forward Taylor Hall, who recorded one of his team-leading 25 points on the trip. "We're going to have to manage to get some wins on the board. ... We've been right there (on the trip), but it seems like we've been right there the whole season."

Hall has five goals and 10 assists in 10 home games, but one point in four overall against Boston.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (10-11) at Ducks (8-11)

Date: December 02, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

Expectations were sky high for the Tampa Bay Lighting and Anaheim Ducks after both advanced far in the playoffs last season.

Through the first two months, it's fair to say those expectations haven't been met.

The Lightning look to avoid a fourth consecutive road loss when they open a three-game California trip Wednesday night against the Ducks, who are coming off their most complete effort of the season.

With a deep offense led by superstar Steven Stamkos and the goaltending of Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay finished with a franchise-record 108 points in 2014-15 and reached the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Chicago in six games.

Naturally, the Lightning were expected to again be among the league's elite after bringing back virtually the same roster. Tampa Bay (11-11-3), however, wouldn't even qualify for the playoffs if the season ended today, and is much closer to the bottom of the Eastern Conference than the top.

"I think it's way too early to start looking at playoff pictures and stuff like that," coach Jon Cooper told the team's official website. "There's way too much hockey left."

Their biggest problem is an offense averaging 2.32 goals, a huge dropoff from last season's league-leading 3.16 mark. That decrease can be attributed to several struggling players, none more so than Tyler Johnson, who has four goals and 11 points after setting career highs with 29 and 72 last season.

It appeared Tampa Bay was turning the corner with three straight wins over quality opponents in the Rangers, Anaheim and Los Angeles but losses to Washington and the Islanders followed.

The Lightning's usually reliable penalty-killing unit was beaten five times on seven opportunities in those losses after having killed 44 of 49 over the previous 18 games.

Tampa Bay went 0 for 3 on the power play in Saturday's 3-2 defeat to the Islanders and is 4 for the last 32.

"Clearly, special teams was the difference in the game," Cooper said. "We play the whole game 5-on-5, we might have been OK, but special teams let us down a little bit."

Special teams were no problem for the Lightning in their 5-0 victory over the Ducks on Nov. 21. Stamkos scored one of his two goals on the power play and assisted on Jonathan Marchessault's man-advantage tally to back Bishop's 30-save performance.

It was Tampa Bay's third straight win against Anaheim and gave it at least one point in 10 straight meetings (6-0-4).

Bishop is 5-0-1 with a 1.04 goals-against average against the Ducks, while Stamkos has seven goals and 12 points in seven meetings.

This season has been a struggle from the start for Anaheim (9-11-5), which opened with four straight losses and finished October 1-7-2.

The Ducks, who lost Game 7 of the Western Conference finals to the Blackhawks in May after a 109-point season, picked up their play considerably in November with an 8-4-3 record. They did just about everything right in Monday's 4-0 victory over Vancouver, as John Gibson turned aside 25 shots and 10 players recorded a point.

'We haven't had one like this all year so it was good to be able to breathe in the last 5 minutes of the game,' coach Bruce Boudreau said.

Gibson could get another start with Frederik Anderson expected to sit again with the flu. Gibson stopped 28 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Lightning on Feb. 18 in the teams' most recent meeting in Anaheim.

After starting this season in an 11-game goal drought, Corey Perry has eight in his last 14 games. He has no goals in 10 contests against Tampa Bay.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Islanders won three of last four games.
-- Bruins won their last five games.

Cold teams
-- Maple Leafs lost three of last four games. Winnipeg lost nine of last 12.
-- Rangers lost three of their last four games.
-- Edmonton lost seven of its last nine games.
-- Tampa Bay lost four of its last five road games. Anaheim lost three of last five overall.

Series records
-- Jets won six of last seven games with Toronto.
-- Visiting team won four of last five Ranger-Islander games.
-- Oilers lost nine of last ten games with Boston.
-- Lightning won five of last six games with Anaheim.

Totals
-- Six of last eight Toronto road games stayed under.
-- Over is 4-1-2 in last seven Islander games.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Boston games.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Tampa Bay-Anaheim games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

Suddenly it's a great fall/winter to be a Washington, D.C. sports fan. OK, maybe not of the NBA's disappointing Wizards, but the NFL's Redskins are in first place in the NFC East and the NHL's Capitals are the hottest team in the NHL on a five-game winning streak and atop the Metropolitan Division. The Capitals have become favorites to win the Stanley Cup at +650, just surpassing Dallas (+700).

If I asked you who the Capitals' leading scorer is, you'd no doubt say Alex Ovechkin. And you would be wrong. He does lead the club with 12 goals, but center Evgeny Kuznetsov is tops on the club with 26 points as well as with a plus-minus rating of plus-14 (tied for NHL lead). The 23-year-old has had three multipoint games in his past five. He had only 37 total points last year, his first full season in the NHL.


The Capitals have outscored their opponents 21-10 in the last five games and they are 17-5-1, which is a pace for about 125 points (not happening). Washington has scored 10 power-play goals in the past nine games, with five coming in the last two alone, and seven of those goals have been from the second unit. Overall, the Capitals' power play is ranked third in the league (26.8 percent), behind the Bruins and Stars.

Braden Holtby is now one of the NHL's five best goalies and was named the league's Second Star for last week. Holtby, who has won his last seven starts, had a 1.75 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage in the four games last week. Holtby, who hadn't earned any such NHL honors since March 2011, leads the league with 15 wins and a 1.95 GAA.

Washington puts that winning streak on the line Thursday night against the Metropolitan Division-leading Montreal Canadiens. Speaking of the Habs...

Injury Report

Hopefully you didn't put any money down before the season on Montreal goalie Carey Price to repeat as the Hart or Vezina Trophy winner because that's not happening now. Price, who missed nine games earlier this season, re-aggravated a lower-body injury and now will be out at least six weeks, although he won't need surgery. That six-week timeline would end Jan. 11, or 18 games. Price thus will miss the Jan. 1 Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium against the Boston Bruins. GM Marc Bergevin says he has no plans to trade for a goaltender and will ride Mike Condon. The rookie is 8-2-3 with a 2.19 GAA and .916 save percentage; he went 5-2-2 with a 2.39 GAA and .903 save percentage when Price was first sidelined. Condon's backup is now prospect Zachary Fucale, who was recalled from the AHL on Monday when the team sent goalie Dustin Tokarski down. Remember, the Habs are without one of their best forwards, Brendan Gallagher, for the next five weeks or so due to fractured fingers.

Rangers winger Derek Stepan will miss 4-6 weeks due to broken ribs suffered on a hit by Boston's Matt Beleskey on Friday. The Rangers thought it was dirty, but Beleskey wasn't penalized and the league didn't discipline him. Still, expect retaliation when the teams play next. Stepan has six goals and six assists while averaging 16:47 of ice-time per game. Last season, Stepan ranked third on the team with 55 points in 68 games.

The Lightning's Tyler Johnson missed Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury but should play on the team's upcoming road trip. He missed a few games earlier in November with an upper-body injury. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said what kept Johnson out this time was not a recurrence of the previous injury. Johnson has 11 points in 21 games.

Former Calder Trophy favorite and No. 1 overall pick Connor McDavid is reportedly ahead of schedule in his rehab from a broken collarbone, but there's still no clear timetable for this return. Did you see the Cowboys' Tony Romo re-injure his collarbone on Thanksgiving? Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli did and that worried him the same thing could happen to McDavid if he's rushed back. Don't expect him until sometime in mid-January at the earliest.

Games To Watch

Tampa Bay at Anaheim, Wednesday: Johnson could be back for this game as the Bolts start their three-game challenge through California. These teams met Nov. 21 in Tampa, and the Lightning played perhaps their best game of the season in a 5-0 rout. Steven Stamkos had two goals and an assist and Ben Bishop made 30 saves. Bishop is 5-0-1 in his career against the Ducks. Anaheim star winger Corey Perry has now failed to score a goal in 10 games vs. Tampa Bay. The disappointing Ducks just can't put together a winning streak, but Ryan Kesler essentially guaranteed his team would make the playoffs. Kesler is one reason why this team is 29th in the league in scoring as he has only three goals entering the week.

Pittsburgh at Los Angeles, Saturday: The NHL would love it if this were a Stanley Cup Finals matchup this summer between the league's biggest star and the No. 2 media market team. It appears that Pens star Crosby is starting to wake up. He has only five goals and 10 assists but extended his point streak to five games Saturday with an assist against the Oilers. Fellow star Evgeni Malkin also is heating up as he has seven goals and three assists in his past six games. The Kings are 9-1-0 this season when scoring three goals or more and 4-7-1 when scoring two or fewer. The Kings were unable to score last season in losing both games to Pittsburgh.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Pistons' Jackson fined for profanity
By The Sports Xchange

Detroit Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson was fined $25,000 for his profane outburst toward a fan in Oklahoma City.
Jackson, acquired from the Thunder last season after spending more than three seasons with the team, said fans are often reckless and allowed to say anything.
"They feel protected in the stands. Some fans need to be tossed," Jackson said, two days after the incident, which went viral when a cell phone video showed Jackson barking at a fan near the bench.

---Officially, Luke Walton has a 0-0 record as Golden State's interim coach, but he still received an award. Walton, who is filling in for ailing Steve Kerr, was named Western Conference coach of the month for November after guiding the Warriors to a 19-0 record, the best start in NBA history.
Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt received the award in the Eastern Conference after the Cavs posted a 13-4 record.
The league said in a statement that per NBA rules the wins to go Kerr, but Walton was eligible for the award. Kerr left the team during training camp after suffering complications from back surgery. His return to the team is still undetermined.

---New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans planned to make his season debut on Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
After undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in October, Evans announced on Instagram that he's ready to give it a go, confirming coach Alvin Gentry's comments from Monday that he believed the guard would play against the Grizzlies.
The six-year veteran has spent the past two seasons with the Pelicans. In 2014-15, he played in 79 games and averaged 16.6 points, 6.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (2-15) at Wizards (7-8)

Date: December 02, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

An eight-game road trip is serving as the start of Kobe Bryant's farewell tour. The first stop of it couldn't have gone much worse.

The Lakers try to avoid an eighth straight loss Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards, who are coming off their most impressive performance of the season.

Los Angeles (2-15) owns the worst record in the Western Conference as it continues its rebuilding phase. Bryant won't be part of the project beyond this one, announcing Sunday that he's retiring at the end of the season.

The Lakers may have had their best chance for a victory Tuesday against winless Philadelphia, Bryant's hometown. Although Bryant hit his first three shots - all from 3-point range - he finished with 20 points on 7 of 26 from the field and watched as the 76ers earned their first win of the season, 103-91.

Philadelphia ended a 28-game losing streak - a record in major U.S. pro sports - as the sellout crowd cheered Bryant throughout the game.

"I wasn't expecting that type of reaction, ovation," Bryant said. "Deeply appreciative beyond belief. It was really, really special."

Similar receptions are expected for Bryant, but the Lakers have bigger concerns and chief among them is a seven-game losing streak and an eight-game skid on the road.

This entire season has been a struggle for the retiring superstar but Bryant's last four games have been particularly alarming. He's averaged 14.5 points on 23.8 percent (19 for 80) shooting, including 8 for 36 (22.2 percent) from beyond the arc.

Facing Washington (7-8) isn't likely to help. Los Angeles has surrendered an average of 109.0 points while losing five straight to the Wizards.

Bryant missed three of those matchups because of injury, totaling 50 points over the other two.

Washington ended a four-game losing streak in the unlikeliest of places Tuesday, winning 97-85 at Cleveland to send the East-leading Cavaliers to their first home loss. John Wall had a season-high 35 points, 10 assists and five rebounds for the Wizards, who scored the game's first 10 points and went on a 9-0 run to begin the second half.

"We are an unpredictable team," said center Marcin Gortat, who had 15 points and 11 boards. "Last year, we proved we could beat good teams by 20, but we can lose at Philly. We are a crazy team."

Wall's performance came after he averaged 13.6 points and shot 33.8 percent from the floor in the five previous games.

'Every team is trying to make me make jump shots this year, so I was just being aggressive and getting to the basket. I got into a rhythm early and it helped us get going,' he said.

Wall is averaging 24.2 points while shooting 50.0 percent from the field over the last five meetings with the Lakers.

Bradley Beal is scoring 21.3 points per game during the past three matchups. He had 27 points and connected on 11 of 19 field-goal attempts while Wall scored 17 with 16 assists in a 111-95 home victory over Los Angeles on Dec. 3.

The Lakers are getting 20.0 points per game out of Jordan Clarkson over the past three contests. The second-year guard had 18 against the Wizards in January.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (19-0) at Hornets (10-7)

Date: December 02, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Charlotte Hornets have played their best basketball of the season on this homestand, though the biggest challenge of all lies ahead.

The Golden State Warriors look to extend the best start in NBA history when the Hornets conclude their seven-game home stretch against the defending champions Wednesday night.

Golden State withstood a strong challenge from improving Utah and moved to 19-0 on Monday, winning 106-103 on the road. Stephen Curry snapped a tie with a 3-pointer with 51.9 seconds left, then made two critical free throws after the Jazz's Rodney Hood missed a potential go-ahead shot with 5.9 remaining.

Curry scored 10 of his 26 points in the final 6:20 to lead the Warriors to a 23rd straight regular-season win.

"What gets lost in the record is the tough games we've had to claw our way out of like (Monday's)," he said. "Just because we are 19-0 doesn't mean we can just show up and blow teams out and guarantee a win, we actually have to do something about it.'

The victory opened a seven-game trip that continues with Curry's return to his hometown of Charlotte, where he's averaged 29.0 points in five visits. He scored 43 in a 115-111 loss there Dec. 9, 2013.

He'll face a surging Hornets team that's tightened up defensively on its homestand. Charlotte has limited four of its last five opponents to 95 or fewer points and held its past three to 42.0 percent shooting or below.

The Hornets held Milwaukee to 36.1 percent over the final three quarters in rallying for an 87-82 win Sunday, their fifth in six games.

Stopping the Warriors, the league's highest-scoring team at 115.3 points per game, figures to be a considerably tougher task. Golden State has shot under 42 percent once on the season and has reached the 100-point mark in every game.

Curry was 1 of 10 from 3-point range and the Warriors made 42.4 percent from the field in last season's visit to Time Warner Cable Arena, but they won 106-101 on Nov. 28, 2014 behind reserve forward Marreese Speights' 27 points.

Charlotte won't have one of its top scorers available for Wednesday's matchup, however, as center Al Jefferson will be sidelined two to three weeks after straining his left calf against the Bucks.

With Jefferson out and backup point guard Jeremy Lin uncertain with a sprained right ankle, the Hornets will rely more heavily upon their perimeter trio of Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lamb. All three players are shooting 36.1 percent or better from beyond the arc.

Walker has gone 15 of 31 from 3-point range while averaging 23.4 points in his last seven games, while Lamb continues to produce in his sixth-man role, averaging 12.8 points on the season.

"It's been a great month for us,' Walker said. 'We've got great depth now. Guys are always willing to step up and make plays.'

Golden State will play a third straight game without Harrison Barnes due to a left ankle sprain he sustained Friday at Phoenix.

The Warriors swept the 2014-15 season series, also winning 112-87 at home last Nov. 15.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Suns (8-10) at Pistons (9-9)

Date: December 02, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Coach Stan Van Gundy figured the Detroit Pistons were going to take their lumps navigating through a difficult first portion of the schedule with Brandon Jennings still recovering from offseason surgery.

That's why he considers it an accomplishment to be heading into December sitting at .500.

Detroit continues its homestand Wednesday night against a Phoenix Suns team going through a rough patch that has dropped it below the break-even mark.

Jennings hopes to return at some point this month after suffering a torn left Achilles last season that forced him to miss the final 38 games and the first portion of this campaign, but the Pistons (9-9) have been playing decent basketball without him.

They won five of their first six before a three-week slump, then capped November with Monday's 116-105 victory over Houston to begin a four-game homestand. Being at .500 is more than respectable considering Detroit has played 11 road games, tied for the second-most behind Toronto's 12.

"We got through a difficult month and a week," Van Gundy said. "When I looked at the schedule in the summer - with all the new guys and the young guys and all of that - 9-9 would've been pretty good."

Reggie Jackson agrees. The Pistons rank near the bottom of the league in field-goal percentage at 41.5 and points per game with 96.6, but they put that aside Monday.

Detroit shot a season-best 52.9 percent and Jackson finished with 31 points while Andre Drummond had 24 and 13 rebounds. Rookie Stanley Johnson had his first double-double with 19 and 10.

"We'll take it. We'll take .500 right now," said Jackson, who shot a combined 8 for 36 over his previous two. "But we think we're a better team. We've got a long way to go. We've still got to prove to ourselves we're better than this. We've just got to shore up some things offensively. We feel like we're getting better, but still have a long way to go."

Jackson scored a game-high 23 points in a 100-92 win over the Suns (8-10) on Nov. 6, and Marcus Morris added 20 in his return to Phoenix after being traded in the offseason.

Morris' twin brother, Markieff, demanded a trade out of Phoenix following that deal but ultimately remained with the Suns and scored 18 points in the first meeting.

Markieff is coming off back-to-back rough outings, though, after going 3 for 11 from the field and scoring six points in Tuesday's 94-91 loss to Brooklyn. He made just 3 of 12 from the floor in Sunday's loss to Toronto that began a six-game road trip.

Former Piston Brandon Knight scored 26 points against the Nets and Eric Bledsoe added 17 for Phoenix, which has dropped six of eight following a three-game winning streak.

'We gave up a (nine-point) lead,' Knight said. 'We were up in the third (quarter), second half. We just stopped getting stops and they executed down the stretch, got the stops they wanted and they played better to close the game.'

Alex Len had 13 points and a career-best 14 rebounds starting in place of center Tyson Chandler for the third time in four games. Chandler first was dealing with an illness before suffering a right hamstring strain in Friday's loss to Golden State.

Chandler's status for this matchup is uncertain.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: 76ers (1-18) at Knicks (8-10)

Date: December 02, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

After finally ending their nightmare with an elusive first victory, the rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers are hoping they won't have to wait nearly as long for the next one.

As prized rookies Jahlil Okafor and Kristaps Porzingis meet for the first time, the visiting 76ers go after their first consecutive wins in 8 1/2 months Wednesday night against the New York Knicks.

Philadelphia (1-18), which hadn't won since March 25, snapped a 28-game slide that was the longest in major U.S. professional sports in Tuesday's 103-91 home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

'Finally,' said forward Nerlens Noel, who had 14 points and nine rebounds while coming off the bench for the second time this season.

Robert Covington led six double-digit scorers with 23 and hit 5 of 11 from 3-point range.

The third-year forward has found his rhythm after battling a knee injury earlier this season. He's averaging 18.8 points while hitting 21-of-47 (44.7 percent) from long range over his last six games.

Now Philadelphia can avoid the worst 20-game start in NBA history at 1-19, set by the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets, with its first back-to-back wins since March 18-20 versus Detroit and New York.

Noel led the way with 23 points and 14 boards in that 97-81 victory over the Knicks that marked the 76ers' only win over the last six meetings. They've lost three straight at Madison Square Garden.

"We're going to get greedy," coach Brett Brown told the team's official website. "We want a little bit more."

These once-proud franchises finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference last season, netting the third and fourth picks in the 2015 draft. Okafor, who went third to Philadelphia, leads all rookies with 17.2 points per game but has totaled 32 while shooting 35.1 percent over his last three while dealing with some off-the-court issues.

The center has been cited for reckless driving and driving at an excessive rate of speed, and also was involved in two fights while leaving nightclubs. Okafor has apologized for his poor decision making and Brown said the 19-year-old will be accompanied by team security on public outings.

Porzingis, however, has become a fan favorite after he was booed by hundreds of frustrated Knicks fans on draft night when he was announced as the team's fourth selection. The 20-year-old leads all rookies with 9.4 rebounds per game and ranks third with 13.7 points.

He's been more productive of late, averaging 17.0 points and 11.6 boards over his last five games. He posted his eighth double-double Sunday with 20 and 13 in a 116-111 overtime loss to Houston.

After shooting 35.7 percent over its previous three games, New York (8-10) shot a season-high 57.7 percent Sunday but committed a season-worst 23 turnovers in its fourth straight defeat.

"If we just kind of stay in our roles and allow each other to do what we do best, we'll have more successful nights," veteran guard Arron Afflalo said.

With Carmelo Anthony sidelined due to illness, Afflalo had his best game as a Knick with 31 points against the Rockets.

Anthony, averaging a team-high 22.1 points, is expected to return against the 76ers. The All-Star totaled 52 points and 18 rebounds while playing in two of the four meetings last season.

Brothers Jerami (Philadelphia) and Jerian Grant (New York), sons of former 76ers forward Harvey Grant, will face each other for the first time in the NBA.