Wednesday 2/1/17 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 19:45

West Ham

v

Man City

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		5	15/4	8/15	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST HAM	RECENT FORM
AWALHLHLHWAW​ Most recent​	0 - 5 2 - 2 2 - 1 0 - 3	ALHWAWALHDAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: West Ham have not won a league game against a team who started this round of fixtures above them

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester City responded to their humiliation at Everton with a draw against Tottenham and convincing win against Crystal Palace and they can return to the winner’s enclosure at West Ham. The Citizens dominated the stats in Spurs stalemate and a repeat of that effort may dismantle the Hammers, who were thrashed 5-0 by Pep Guardiola's side in the FA Cup.

RECOMMENDATION: Man City
3


REFEREE: Kevin Friend STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 20:00

Stoke

v

Everton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		15/8	12/5	13/8	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT STOKE	RECENT FORM
ALALHWHLAWHD​ Most recent​	0 - 3 2 - 0 1 - 1 1 - 1	AWADHWHLHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Stoke have lost just one of their last nine home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Everton travel to Stoke unbeaten in five Premier League matches but they may have to settle for a point at the bet365 stadium. The Potters are becoming incredibly tough to beat on home soil and, having held Southampton and Manchester United, can extend that sequence.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
2


REFEREE: Craig Pawson STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 20:00

Man Utd

v

Hull

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		2/11	7	16	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN UTD	RECENT FORM
HWHWHDADALHW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 3 - 0 3 - 1 4 - 0	HWALHWALHWAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Hull have lost their last nine Premier League away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester United beat Hull 2-0 in their EFL Cup semi-final first leg at Old Trafford and a repeat looks the best bet in their Premier League rematch. The toothless Tigers have scored once in their last eight away matches against top-flight opponents and United should continue their push for Champions League qualification.

RECOMMENDATION: Man Utd to win 2-0
1


REFEREE: Mike Jones STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Wild extend road streak with win in Edmonton
By The Sports Xchange

EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Minnesota Wild issued a rather convincing statement Tuesday in the form of a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, extending their streak to 12-0-2 in their last 14 road games.
In a clash between two of the hottest teams in the NHL, the Wild cooled the Oilers off in a hurry, jumping out to a 3-0 lead before the game was 25 minutes old and then beating back a couple of comeback attempts before putting the home team away for good.
Tyler Graovac scored twice and Jason Zucker, Zach Parise and Chris Stewart added singles as the Wild and Anton Slepyshev and Leon Draisaitl (on the power play) replied for the Oilers.

Hurricanes 5, Flyers 1
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Sebastian Aho scored twice in the first period and added a third goal late in the second for the rookie's first hat trick as Carolina snapped its five-game losing skid with a victory over Philadelphia.
Jeff Skinner and Justin Faulk also scored for the Hurricanes.
Brayden Schenn scored his NHL-leading 12th power-play goal for the Flyers lone tally.

Jets 5, Blues 3
ST. LOUIS -- Mark Scheifele scored one goal and assisted on two others to lead Winnipeg over St. Louis.
Jacob Trouba, Blake Wheeler, Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored for the Jets.
Alexander Steen, Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko scored for the Blues.

Panthers 6, Senators 5
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Jonathan Marchessault scored the tie-breaking goal with 6:03 left in the third period to lead Florida past Ottawa at the BB&T Center.
Michael Matheson scored twice and Jason Demers, Mark Pysyk and Colton Sceviour scored for the Panthers.
Ryan Dzingel scored twice, and Derick Brassard, Dennis Wideman and Erik Karlsson had goals for the Senators.

Bruins 4, Lightning 3
TAMPA, Fla. -- Boston came out of the All-Star break with a key road victory, topping Tampa Bay at Amalie Arena.
Zdeno Chara, Frank Vatrano, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci scored for the Bruins.
Alex Killorn scored twice and Brayden Point scored once for the Lightning, who managed only 21 shots, their second-lowest total of the season and lowest since November.

Devils 4, Red Wings 3
DETROIT -- Adam Henrique and Kyle Palmieri scored shorthanded goals and New Jersey won its fifth straight road game, downing Detroit.
Palmieri added an even-strength goal, as did Stefan Noesen, for the Devils, who are 7-0-1 away from home since Dec. 29.
Nick Jensen, Tomas Tatar and Henrik Zetterberg scored for the Red Wings, who fell to 0-2-3 in their last five games to equal a season-high winless streak.

Canadiens 5, Sabres 2
MONTREAL -- Max Pacioretty recorded his second hat trick of the season -- and sixth of his career -- to lead Montreal over Buffalo at the Bell Centre.
David Desharnais and Paul Byron also scored for the Canadiens.
Dmitry Kulikov and Brian Gionta replied for the Sabres.

Penguins 4, Predators 2
PITTSBURGH -- Patric Hornqvist scored twice as Pittsburgh reeled off four unanswered goals en route to a win over Nashville at PPG Paints Arena.
Chris Kunitz and Trevor Daley also scored for the Penguins, who broke a two-game losing streak by winning their first game after the All-Star break.
Calle Jarnkrok had a goal and assisted on Colin Wilson's goal for the Predators.

Blue Jackets 6, Rangers 4
NEW YORK -- Seth Jones scored twice as Columbus defeated New York at Madison Square Garden.
The Blue Jackets grabbed a 6-0 lead early in the third period on a Matt Calvert goal before Jimmy Vesey, Chris Kreider, Michael Grabner and Kevin Klein scored for the Rangers to make the game appear closer than it was.
Alex Wennberg had a goal and two assists from the Blue Jackets, who also received goals from Nick Foligno and Brandon Saad.

Islanders 3, Capitals 2
NEW YORK -- Ryan Strome scored the tiebreaking goal 6:31 into the third period as New York remained red hot by beating Washington at Barclays Center.
Alan Quine scored in the second period and Johnny Boychuk added an empty-netter with 1:08 left for the Islanders, who won their third straight and finished 5-0-1 on a season-high, six-game homestand.
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored in the first period while Alex Ovechkin added a goal with 46.5 seconds left in the third for the NHL-leading Capitals, who lost for just the third time in 16 games.

Stars 6, Maple Leafs 3
DALLAS -- Brett Ritchie and Devin Shore had a goal and an assist each and Kari Lehtonen made 40 saves, including 14 in the third period, to help Dallas defeat Toronto at American Airlines Center.
The Stars also got goals from Radek Faksa, Lauri Korpikoski, Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. Dan Hamhuis and Tyler Seguin each had two assists.
Mitchell Marnier had a goal and assist for the Maple Leafs, who also got goals from Nikita Soshnikov and Tyler Bozak.

Kings 3, Coyotes 2
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Anze Kopitar had a goal and two assists, Jordan Nolan had a goal and Jeff Carter set up Jake Muzzin for the game-winning goal on a power play with 1:49 left in regulation as Los Angeles defeated Arizona for its third straight win.
The Kings moved into the first wild-card spot from the Western Conference, one point ahead of the St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames.
Jordan Martinook and Ryan White scored for the Coyotes, who got 37 saves from Mike Smith but saw its season-high, three-game winning streak end.

Ducks 5, Avalanche 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jakob Silfverberg had two goals and an assist to lead over Colorado at the Honda Center.
Cam Fowler, Rickard Rakell and Korbinian Holzer added goals for the Ducks. Corey Perry contributed his 700th career assist and goalie John Gibson stopped 28 shots.
Mikko Rantanen scored for the Avalanche, who suffered their eighth consecutive loss. Calvin Pickard made 26 saves.

Sharks 3, Blackhawks 1
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Tomas Hertl scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:03 remaining to give San Jose a victory over Chicago.
Patrick Marleau scored his 499th career goal, Joe Pavelski added an empty-net goal with 45.5 seconds left and Martin Jones stopped 24 shots for the Sharks.
Dennis Rasmussen scored his fourth goal of the year for the Blackhawks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (26-21) at Capitals (33-11)

Date: February 01, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- The Boston Bruins will go for their fourth straight win when they travel to Washington to face the league-leading Capitals on Wednesday night.

Both teams began post All-Star break play Tuesday night with visiting Boston winning the first of its back-to-backs, 4-3 over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Bruins got third-period goals from Zdeno Chara and Frank Vatrano to break a 2-2 tie. Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci also scored for Boston (26-21-6) as the Bruins equaled their season-high winning streak, and Tukka Rask made 18 saves.

"We seem to be finding our scoring touch. It's been better now than it was. If other teams are getting dry, then that's great -- time for us to start scoring goals," Bruins coach Claude Julien told the Boston Globe. "But again, we have to make sure we keep doing it -- because it's not going to get any easier."

Boston converted 1-of-3 with the man advantage, while killing off all four Lightning power plays.

The Bruins boast the league's second-best penalty kill, while the Capitals rank fourth.

"Our power play has been much better of late, our penalty kill again does a great job tonight against a pretty powerful power play," Julien said. "Special teams played a big role in tonight's win."

Bergeron has 10 goals and 24 assists in 39 games against the Capitals.

Washington (33-11-6) lost for the second time in three games when they dropped a 3-2 decision to the New York Islanders in Brooklyn.

Evgeny Kuznetsov gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead 4:41 into the game, but Washington didn't light the lamp again until Alex Ovechkin's goal with 46.5 seconds left. Philipp Grubauer made 26 saves.

"I wouldn't categorize that as a crisp game for either team," the Capitals Daniel Winnik told the Washington Post.

The Islanders took a 2-1 lead after Jay Beagle turned the puck over behind the Capitals net and it resulted in Ryan Strome's goal at 6:32 of the third period.

"It was going to be one mistake, (and) we made a mistake in our own end and turned the puck over, and they right away capitalize on it," Capitals coach Barry Trotz told NHL.com.

Despite the recent losses, Washington leads the NHL in points and is 20-4-3 in its last 27 games. The Capitals have taken at least a point in 14 of 16 games (13-2-2).

Washington has scored 98 goals in 27 games (an average of 3.63 per game) and they've allowed 52 (1.92 per game).

All-Star Braden Holtby (24-8-4 with a 1.96 goals against average) starts Wednesday. He is 10-2 with a 1.69 GAA and .948 save percentage against Boston.

Ovechkin has 17 goals and 22 assists in 40 games versus Boston and Nicklas Backstrom has five goals and 26 assists in 29 games.

Kuznetsov has five goals and six assists in his last 10 games overall.

Washington defenseman John Carlson returned Tuesday after missing six games with a lower body injury.

Washington won the teams' first meeting 4-3 at home on Dec. 7.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wild (33-11) at Flames (25-24)

Date: February 01, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

CALGARY, Alberta -- Brian Elliott was brought into Calgary this season to solidify the Flames' problematic goaltending situation, but it hasn't happened.

As the NHL regular season heads into final two full months of the regular season, Elliott is still struggling to find his game. He's 9-12-2 with a 2.88 goals-against-average and an .892 save percentage. His colleague Chad Johnson, who was brought in to be the No. 2 man, has fared better with a 16-12-1 record, 2.50 GAA and .913 save percentage but neither had taken the reigns.

Elliott gets another chance on Wednesday as he makes his second straight start as the Flames (25-24-3) face the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Wild (33-11-5) at 8 p.m. Head coach Glen Gulutzan recently instituted a win-and-stay-in policy for his goaltenders.

"That's what this league is all about, really -- you have to perform to be able to play," Elliott told Postmedia News. "Anytime we get in there, you want to get that win. And when you're not in there, you want the guys to do the best they can. You put more pressure on yourself than anybody else can put on you, so it's no change in mindset for us. It's just go out there and perform."

Elliott cost the Flames a 2016 second-round pick and a 2018 conditional third-round pick in a deal done at the 2016 draft, so he's been heavily scrutinized because a decent price was paid to get a goalie who has underperformed.

Elliot earned the Minnesota game because he was in goal for the final game before the all-star break and he won in overtime in Ottawa.

The two Flames goalies outwardly have accepted Gulutzan's plan to stick with the winning goalie the next time out.

"There's been highs and lows with the team and we need wins," Johnson said. "We need wins so whether it's me or Els or a 10-year-old kid who comes to play, if you win you're in and that's how it is.

"This is the NHL. It's about winning."

The Wild don't have a similar problem with their goaltending. They will start Devin Dubnyk on Wednesday. Dubnyk is 18-2 in his last 20 starts and leads the NHL with a 1.88 GAA and .936 save percentage.

Dubnyk got the night off in Edmonton on Tuesday because he took part in the All-Star festivities in Los Angeles on Sunday. His backup Darcy Kuemper made 41 saves to stop the Oilers 5-2, giving Minnesota its fifth win in its past six games and moving them seven points up on the San Jose Sharks for the conference lead.

"We've done a good job of trying to break everything down by the week and be over .500 on the weeks and trying to win the weeks and I don't think our mentality has changed with that," said Wild center Zach Parise.

The Flames dropped a point out of the second and final wild card spot in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Kings' 3-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (13-32) at Kings (25-21)

Date: February 01, 2017 10:30 PM EDT

A change in the calendar to 2017 has resulted a big upturn in Anze Kopitar's production for the Los Angeles Kings.

Kopitar tries to help the Kings win their fourth straight game and avoid a fourth straight loss to the league-worst Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night at Staples Center.

Kopitar averaged 24.3 goals and 44.1 assists over his first 10 seasons, but couldn't find that form over the first 2 1/2 months of the season. In 32 games from Oct. 12 through Dec. 31, Kopitar had three goals and 13 assists, and Los Angeles was 15-14-3 in those contests with three three-game losing streaks.

As of Jan. 1, though, Kopitar nearly matched that production with three goals and 11 assists in 12 games, as Los Angeles went 7-5-0. The Kings captain tied a season-high with three points on a goal and a pair of helpers in a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.

"He's a pretty powerful player," coach Darryl Sutter said of Kopitar. "Even if you look at the third period, all the faceoffs he won on that side of the ice and drew penalties. He was a pretty dominant player tonight."

Two of Kopitar's three-point games have occurred this month. He assisted on all three goals in the Kings' overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 14.

Kopitar has 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 36 career games versus Colorado. In the last eight matchups, Kopitar recorded at least one point, totaling two goals and seven assists.

Tuesday's victory wrapped up a five-game road trip in which Los Angeles went 3-2-0, and Kopitar is not the only player who's been standing out recently. Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty drew an assist Tuesday, giving him a goal with six assists in a five-game points streak.

"We have a few games in hand and we have to take advantage of that," said Jake Muzzin, who scored the game-winner with 1:49 remaining Tuesday. "That comes by winning in regulation, especially in your division, so we were able to do that tonight and we've got to get on the plane here, head back and get ready for Colorado tomorrow."

With the Kings (25-21-4) returning to the site of Sunday's All-Star game, their focus is on a team that's managed only 94 goals.

The Kings surrendered four power-play goals while being outscored 12-5 in three consecutive losses to the Avalanche. Los Angeles, playing without Kopitar because of an upper-body injury, dropped a 4-1 decision Nov. 15 in Denver -- a game Colorado coach Jared Bednar said was a high point of the season.

"It's our first chance to get to L.A. and play them in their building, but we did like our game (against the Kings) at home, it's one of the better games we played all year defensively, so hopefully the guys can dig deep and in their memory and try to find some positives out of that one," he said.

Colorado (13-32-2) opened a two-game stretch in Southern California with a 5-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. Mikko Rantanen scored for the Avalanche who have dropped eight in a row -- and 18 of their last 20.

The chances of ending the skid don't seem good as Colorado is 2-10-2 against Pacific Division foes.

Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon are Colorado's top two goal-scorers with 15 and 11, respectively. However, Duchene has two in his last 11 games -- both coming Jan. 17 in a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. MacKinnon hasn't scored in seven straight.

Scoring is not the only challenge the Avalanche are saddled with. With Semyon Varlamov out for the season with a groin injury and unless a trade for a veteran is made, Colorado will go with Calvin Pickard and Spencer Martin the rest of the way.

The pair has a combined 62 games of NHL experience with Pickard logging 60. He turned aside 26 of 31 shots Tuesday, and has surrendered 17 goals in his last five road games.

"Picks is going to play more games than he ever has before in his career at this level, and it's going to be a good learning curve for both of those guys," Bednar told the team's official website.

Los Angeles may have Tyler Toffoli back in the lineup after he missed the last 18 games with a lower-body injury. Toffoli, who took part in the morning skate Tuesday but didn't face Arizona, has eight goals and 12 assists in 32 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Wednesday’s games

Washington won its last seven games with Boston, with last two games in OT; Bruins lost last four visits here by combined score of 13-4. Under is 5-1-1 in last seven series games. Boston won its last three games, all by 4-3 scores; they lost four of last six road games- their last four games went over. Capitals won eight of last 11 games; they won last four at home. Over is 7-2-1 in their last ten games. Boston is 1-7 if they played the night before; Washington is 2-5.

Calgary won its last three games with Minnesota by combined score of 6-3, but Wild won three of their last four games in Saddledome. Under is 2-0-1 in their last three games. Minnesota is 9-2 in its last 11 games; they won last five road games, are 4-3 if they played night before- over is 8-1-1 in their last ten games. Flames lost six of last eight games, three of last four at home. Over is 4-2 in their last six games.

Colorado won its last three games with the Kings by combined score of 12-5; under is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Avalanche lost three of last four games in Staples Center. Avalanche lost their last eight games, scoring total of 8 goals in last five games- under is 3-1-1 in their last five road games. LA won its last three games, allowing total of three goals. Under is 4-1-1 in their last six games. Colorado is 3-2 if they played night before; the Kings are 4-4 (all on road).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Wizards win 15th straight at home
By The Sports Xchange

WASHINGTON -- Bradley Beal scored 28 points and the surging Washington Wizards defeated the New York Knicks 117-101 on Tuesday for their NBA-best 15th straight home victory.
Markieff Morris had 24 points and 10 rebounds while John Wall had 15 points and 13 assists for the Wizards, who won their last five games and 12 of 14 -- two against the Knicks. Washington shot 55.7 percent from the field and led by as many as 21 points.
Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points for New York, which played without Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose but it might not have mattered against one of the NBA's hottest teams.
Since Dec. 1, the Wizards are an Eastern Conference-best 22-9. Washington, which is 12-4 in January, matched the Golden State Warriors for the most wins in the month.

Raptors 108, Pelicans 106 (OT)
TORONTO -- Kyle Lowry made a step-back jumper with 4.3 seconds left in overtime to lift Toronto.
Lowry finished with 33 points and 10 assists as the Raptors won for only the second time in their past eight games.
New Orleans had a chance to win in regulation time when Jrue Holiday stole the ball off Lowry with 23.9 seconds to play and the game tied at 96. But Holiday could not convert a four-foot jump shot attempt as regulation time ended.
Jonas Valanciunas scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Toronto and Norman Powell added 18 points and Patrick Patterson had 10. Holiday led the Pelicans with 30 points while Anthony Davis had 18 points and 17 rebounds.

Spurs 108, Thunder 94
SAN ANTONIO -- Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points and grabbed eight rebounds as San Antonio shrugged off a ragged stretch of the third quarter to defeat Oklahoma City.
Leonard, who scored 30 or more points for the 15th time this season, outplayed the Thunder's Russell Westbrook, but the Spurs' bench was the difference, racking up 32 points to 22 for Oklahoma City's reserves. LaMarcus Aldridge added 23 points and was the only other San Antonio player in double-figure scoring.
Westbrook, who is the only player in the NBA averaging a triple-double, scored 27 points and dished out 14 assists but only had six rebounds as the pursuit of his first triple-double against the Spurs continues.

Rockets 105, Kings 83
HOUSTON -- Ryan Anderson recorded his second double-double of the season and Houston opened a four-game homestand with a victory over road-weary Sacramento.
Anderson finished with a team-high 25 points plus 11 rebounds as the Rockets appeared refreshed in their return from a five-game road trip. James Harden added 10 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Clint Capela posted a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) and reserves Nene and Eric Gordon combined for 28 points on 12 of 22 shooting as Houston improved to 3-0 against the Kings this season while winning 11 of the last 12 meetings.

Trail Blazers 115, Hornets 98
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Damian Lillard scored 27 points as Portland blew away Charlotte.
Allen Crabbe added 21 points off the bench and C.J. McCollum contributed 18 as the Trail Blazers won for the fourth time in five outings. Portland won the battle in rebounds 51-42 and points in the paint 44-22, and held the Hornets to 39.8 percent shooting. The Trail Blazers had only eight turnovers, one more than its season low.
Kemba Walker scored 22 points and Nicolas Batum collected 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Charlotte, which lost for the fifth straight time.

Lakers 120, Nuggets 116
LOS ANGELES -- D'Angelo Russell returned to score 22 points and hand out a career-high 10 assists, and Los Angeles captured a win over Denver.
Nick Young had 23 points and Lou Williams added 21 points and seven assists for the Lakers, who snapped a seven-game skid to the Nuggets at Staples. Russell missed the previous three games with a mild MCL sprain in his right knee and a strained right calf. Los Angeles rookie Ivica Zubac scored a career-high 17 points.
Wilson Chandler collected 26 points and nine rebounds for the Nuggets, who had their three-game winning end. Gary Harris and Danilo Gallinari contributed 17 points apiece.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'NBA Underdogs'

NBA Underdogs were the right choice this past week. Heading into Monday action, Underdogs had cashed a whopping 62.9% of tickets posting a 34-19-1 record against the betting line. For sports bettors focusing strickly on double digit K9's it was almost automatic money with the Big Dogs going 8-2 against the betting line. It does take a firm determination to 'Play-On weaker teams in the Association. But, those with resolve were rewarded in kind.

It started Monday (1/23) when Warriors were upended in Miami laying 11.5 and Cavaliers losing to Pelicans as 10.0 point road favorites. Then Wednesday, Cavaliers dropped its second of the week against Kings handing Sacramento 11.0 points of offense while Sixers knocked off Bucks as 11.0 point road dogs.

The winning ways for double digit dogs continued Thursday as Jazz were unable to cover the 14.0 point spot against visiting Lakers. Friday, King-James and his Cavaliers were at it against, although they defeated lowly Nets, covering the massive 17.0 point was simply not in the cards.

By Saturday, DD Dogs were all bark no bite as both Warriors (-13), Twolves (-11.0) covered respective games. Sunday, Big Dogs were howling once again as Orlando pulled a trick out of its magic bag nipping Raptors as 11.0 point road underdogs. The week ended with Mavericks outlasting Spurs in San Antonio as 12.5 point road dogs.

Since the start of the 2016-17 season, there hasn't been much difference between Underdogs and Favorites. Pooches have sqeeked out a 356-352-9 (49.6%) mark at the betting window. Dogs with lot's of bite (Double Digits) have cashed at a 53.2% clip (65-57) with those protecting their own back yard a sparkling 17-6 ATS (73.9%).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA betting road map: Wizards continue to build bankrolls for backers
By BIG AL MCMORDIE

Underdogs barked loudly in the NBA last week, and especially at +2.5 (or higher) where they cashed 33 of 45 games. For the season, however, the split between underdogs and favorites has been right down the middle, with dogs showing a scant 357-350-10 ATS edge.

Let's look at the upcoming week to try to find some profitable situations.

Spread Watch

The Washington Wizards are 9-0 ATS their last nine, and 21-6 ATS in their last 27 games - they've also won their last four by double-digits. Their latest victim was the New Orleans Pelicans, who came into the game off a 119-103 rout of the San Antonio Spurs.

This week, the Wizards will be back home at the Verizon Center for three games, against the Knicks, Lakers and Pelicans, before finishing up their four-game home stand with a tilt against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers next Monday.

One reason for Washington's resurgence after a 7-13 SU/ATS start is the play of Markieff Morris. Morris had 21 points and eight rebounds vs. the Pelicans, and has four double-doubles in Washington's last 15 games (compared to just one in their first 32 games).

Washington has also topped 100 points in their last 14 games, and will be worth a look Tuesday versus the New York Knicks. The Wizards are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 versus the Knicks. Additionally, since 1990, NBA teams are 162-113 ATS coming off three SU/ATS double-digit wins in which they scored 105+ points, if they're not favored by more than 11 points. And if they're at home vs. an opponent off a SU loss, our 162-113 stat zooms to 30-14 ATS.

Totals Watch

For all of LeBron James' belly-aching about his team not having a third playmaker (after himself and Kyrie Irving), the real problem for the Cavs has been their defense. Until Sunday's 107-91 win versus Oklahoma City, Cleveland had allowed 12 straight opponents to reach 100 points. Not surprisingly, the Cavs had played five straight 'overs' (and eight of 12 'over') in those games.

In contrast, when the Cavaliers played their best basketball of the season (Dec 5 through Dec 25), they went 10-1 primarily because they defended extremely well and allowed just six opponents in that stretch to reach 100 points.

This week, Cleveland will have games against three bottom-feeders (Dallas, Minnesota and New York). If the Cavaliers decide to bring the effort and energy they showed Sunday versus the Thunder, all three games could sail 'under' the total. The game at New York on Saturday has all the earmarks of a low-scoring affair as these two teams have gone 'under' in eight of the last nine meetings.

Injury Watch

The injury bug has bit the Los Angeles Lakers once again. Starting point guard D'Angelo Russell has missed the last three games (all losses) with a sprained MCL in his right knee and a strained right calf muscle, and should be out at least another week. Meanwhile, Julius Randle is also now on the shelf with pneumonia. The Lakers are 1-5 this season without Randle in the lineup, so his absence in worth keeping an eye on.

This week, the Lakers will host the Denver Nuggets, who are suffering their own spate of injuries (Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Jokic), before hitting the road to play the red-hot Celtics and Wizards. The Lakers will actually be worth taking a look at versus the Nuggets, and especially if Jokic doesn't play (Mudiay has already been ruled out). This month, Jokic has taken a great leap forward, as he's averaging All-Star caliber numbers (23.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals). The Lakers lost the first meeting versus the Nuggets two weeks ago, 127-121, but NBA revenge-minded teams off 3+ losses are 38-18 ATS this season.

Schedule Watch

With their win at Portland on Sunday, the Golden State Warriors moved their record to 41-7 this season (23-24-1 ATS) and they're now 181-31 (115-92-5 ATS) in the regular season since Steve Kerr was hired as coach. Golden State is currently on a 7-2 ATS run, and by far its best pointspread role is at home versus foes off a straight-up win. The Warriors are an eye-popping 47-1 straight-up and 37-10-1 ATS in this situation the past three seasons. Even in the Playoffs, there's not much of a drop-off, as Kerr's men are 10-2 SU and 8-4 ATS at home versus foes off a win.

This week, the Warriors will host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday - one day after the Hornets play the Trail Blazers in Portland. If Charlotte bests the Blazers on Tuesday, look for the Warriors to take care of business at home the next night.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (19-29) at Cavaliers (32-15)

Date: February 01, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

Long after the games have ended, LeBron James is still shooting lately. At Phil Jackson, at his own team and most recently at TNT announcer Charles Barkley.

James is taking out his frustrations for the Cavaliers' 7-8 January on anyone he can find. His latest target is Barkley, who criticized James for wanting more help on the roster and insisting it means James doesn't want to compete. James originally dismissed Barkley's comments, but then returned serve on him following the Cavs' loss Monday at Dallas.

"I'm not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that," James told ESPN. "I'm not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid. I never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas. I never said, 'I'm not a role model.' I never showed up to All-Star weekend on Sunday because I was in Vegas all weekend partying.

"All I've done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that."

James concluded by announcing to the world there is "a new sheriff in town" and made it clear he's not biting his tongue any longer. His latest outburst will take the focus off the fact the Cavs simply aren't playing well as they begin February by hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. Consecutive wins against the Nets and Thunder last week seemed to reattach the wheels, but Monday's loss at Dallas proves the Cavs still haven't found their rhythm.

Cavs general manager David Griffin ripped his team recently for not creating a defensive identity and for appearing too complacent at times on the court. James, meanwhile, seems to keep one eye on the Warriors at all times and can't like what he sees.

Golden State has seven losses all season; Cleveland lost eight games in January alone.

"We didn't play well in the month of January," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "We have to be better in February."

The Timberwolves, conversely, are trying to climb back into the playoff race by winning five of their last six and eight of 11 following a miserable start to the season. They beat the Magic in overtime Monday at home behind Andrew Wiggins' 27 points.

Wiggins always plays with an edge against the Cavs, the team that drafted him first overall in 2014, only to trade him to Minnesota after James returned to Cleveland in exchange for Kevin Love.

Love will not play against his former team Wednesday because of back problems. An MRI on his back this week showed no structural damage, but the Cavs held him out against the Mavericks and will hold him out against the Timberwolves. They don't play again until Saturday at the Knicks.

Wiggins, meanwhile, averages 28.8 points against the Cavs -- his highest scoring average against any team in the league.

"The thing that we've wanted since the beginning was to get in a rhythm and we're starting to find one," Karl-Anthony Towns told the Star Tribune. "Now it's just about staying disciplined, staying with the method that has been working and not deviating from the path."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (25-22) at Magic (19-31)

Date: February 01, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

Paul George beat Trevor Ariza off the dribble and had one more roadblock in front of him to the rim -- 7-foot Clint Capela.

The atmosphere rose, as did George. He seemed to gain more air as he bumped Capela, climbing higher over the 7-foot center. Then his right hand came down for a massive jam that put an exclamation point on a 120-101 victory over the Houston Rockets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday.

Those watching said it was the first time they had seen George dunk over someone like that since his devastating leg injury in 2014 during an exhibition with Team USA. His 33 points on 13-for-23 shooting was also a sign of his return to All-Star form -- he was selected as an Eastern Conference All Star last week.

"He had the ankle injury (earlier this season) and I think he's finally getting back to himself that I saw in the summer time in being really athletic in getting to the rim," Jeff Teague told reporters after George's spectacular dunk. "That dunk was special."

He is starting to look like the Paul George of old having scored 30-plus points in four straight games. He is shooting 52.4 percent in those four games.

George has gotten better as the season goes on. In January, the Pacers were plus-6.8 points per game with George on the floor.

His return to a superstar form has the Pacers in position to return to the playoffs despite an offseason of roster and coaching changes.

George will present a big challenge to the Orlando Magic when they host the Indiana Pacers at Amway Center on Wednesday.

The Magic's defense has struggled throughout the season and against the Pacers in two previous losses against by 19 and 13 points.

For the Magic, they got some good news Monday with Evan Fournier's return after missing the last eight games with a heel injury. Fournier is the team's leading scorer, averaging 16.8 points per game and provides a threat from beyond the arc.

Orlando certainly will welcome him back.

Fournier struggled some in his first game back, missing his first five shots. But he got into a rhythm and attacked although the Magic fell 111-105 in overtime at Minnesota.

"In the second half, it was pretty good," Fournier told the Orlando Sentinel. "I thought I had my legs. I was feeling pretty well. The first five minutes was tough, though. When you don't touch the ball 1/8as you recover from an injury 3/8 and you don't really get to run up and down the court, it's tough. But after those five or six first minutes I thought it was pretty good."

Fournier might not be the threat that George is for the Pacers, but his return should boost Orlando's offense significantly.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (28-20) at Heat (19-30)

Date: February 01, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

MIAMI -- With eight wins in a row, including victories over the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, the Miami Heat has the NBA's attention.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks (28-20), who are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference -- 9 1/2 games ahead of the Heat (19-30) -- likely are getting ignored in their own city, this week at least.

That's because Atlanta sports fans are surely focused on Sunday's Super Bowl between their Falcons and the AFC champion New England Patriots.

Too bad for the Hawks, who are coming off a memorable four-overtime win over the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon.

Hawks All-Star forward Paul Millsap tied a franchise record by playing 61 minutes in that game, scoring 37 points, grabbing 19 rebounds and dishing seven assists.

"There was no way I was coming out," said Millsap, who played every minute of the fourth quarter and all four overtimes.

It remains to be seen if the Hawks have recovered mentally and physically from the stress of what was just the 11th four-overtime game in NBA history.

The Hawks had three other players log a career high in minutes, including point guard Dennis Schroder who had 23 points and 15 assists in 55 grueling minutes. The others were shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (58 minutes) and forward Kent Bazemore (50 minutes).

Atlanta is the only team with a winning record on the Heat schedule until Feb. 15, when Miami visits Houston.

If Miami gets past the Hawks and beats the teams with losing records, their streak would bulge to 15 games, which is not as ridiculous as it might sound given how well the Heat is playing at the moment.

"We're not even thinking about the streak," Heat center Hassan Whiteside said. "We've got to keep building. We want to make a playoff run. That's always been on our goal."

Whiteside said the Heat have bonded.

"I love these guys," he said. "They care about winning. We're building habits. It's not about having big stats. We keep saying 'winning plays'."

In Monday's win over the Brooklyn Nets, the Heat got combo guard Tyler Johnson back from the injured list.

Johnson, who scored just three points in 20 minutes and made only 1-of-7 shots, has been a key member of the Heat's bench crew all season. He should be able to round back into form soon.

The other key member of the bench is James Johnson (no relation), the bruising forward who had 17 points including a spectacular last-minute put-back dunk against the Nets.

He suffered a stinger on his right shoulder in the final play of the Nets game as he tried to block a shot, but he is expected to play against Atlanta.

"The biggest thing is that most of our guys are now on the court and not injured," Whiteside said. "Now that we're healthy, you can actually see our team coming together."

Hey Hawks fans, take a break from Super Bowl prep. This might be the last serious chance for a team to knock off the Heat for a while.

Heat starting forward Luke Babbitt, who suffered an ankle injury on Monday, is questionable for the Hawks. He did not practice on Tuesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (21-29) at Nets (9-39)

Date: February 01, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- On one side of the East River, the New York Knicks frequently infuriate fans with disappointing performances.

On the other side, the Brooklyn Nets are paying the price for moves that did not work and are engaged in a massive rebuilding.

This is the state of pro basketball in New York City and it's on display Wednesday night when the Knicks visit the Nets.

The Knicks (21-29) are on course to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season and 12th time in 17 campaigns since trading Patrick Ewing in September 2000. Back then, the Knicks traded their franchise icon for players and contracts who crippled the salary cap situation.

And now comes rumors of another star being dealt in Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks are nearing the six-year anniversary of obtaining Anthony from the Denver Nuggets but in recent weeks talk about Anthony's future has swirled around the star forward, who reportedly would only waive his no-trade clause to join the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers or Boston Celtics.

The talk and speculation stems from his relationship with Phil Jackson, who became team president in March 2014. One of Jackson's first orders of business was re-signing Anthony and giving him a no-trade clause.

The relationship has always been tenuous but things picked up steam when Jackson's confidant Charley Rosen criticized Anthony in an article. Anthony was forced to deal with the story and it resulted in a meeting with Jackson.

New York began the season with a promising 16-13 record through Dec. 22. Starting with a Christmas Day home loss to the Boston Celtics, the Knicks are 5-16, which is a similar skid that derailed a respectable 22-22 start last season.

The Knicks are 3-8 on the road in this skid and Tuesday's 117-101 loss at Washington marked the 19th time they allowed 100 points in the last 21 games.

Anthony scored 26 and Brandon Jennings added 21 but the Knicks shot 36.6 percent -- their second-lowest shooting percentage of the season.

"Goodbye, January," Anthony said. "You got to find it every night. You got to dig deep and find it. Find energy every night. Even when you don't have it you got to find it."

The Knicks also allowed the Wizards to shoot 55.7 percent and it was their worst percentage allowed. It also was New York's ninth time allowing an opponent to shoot 50 percent or better -- the Knicks are 1-8 in those games -- and compounding the problem was the 62 points Washington scored in the paint.

"We just didn't look like we had energy," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said.

New York also played shorthanded as Kristaps Porzingis was a late scratch because of illness and Derrick Rose missed his second straight game with an ankle injury. While Porzingis may not play Wednesday, Rose will likely miss his ninth game of the season and the Knicks are 1-7 when he does not play.

The Nets are in their first full year of rebuilding as they approach the one-year anniversary of Sean Marks becoming general manager. Marks was brought in to replace Billy King, who traded multiple first-round picks to the Boston Celtics for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in 2013.

The deal resulted in the Nets getting a year of Pierce and a year and a half of Garnett to go along with five playoff wins.

Now barring a massive turnaround, the Nets will be the league's worst team. In any other year it would put them in position for the top overall pick but this year the Celtics stand to benefit.

The Nets are on a six-game losing streak and it is their third skid of at least that long this season.

Brooklyn stopped an 11-game losing streak Jan. 20 at New Orleans but during its latest slide, teams are scoring 115 points against the Nets and shooting 49.2 percent.

The Nets allowed 100 points for the 24th straight game in a 104-96 loss Monday when the Miami Heat.

The point total represented a slight improvement but it came on a night when the offense misfired, especially after getting a 50-39 lead. The Nets shot 42.6 percent and a season-low 15.4 percent from 3-point range.

"The energy was better, we were better defensively. We didn't make enough shots, didn't shoot it well," Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said.

Bojan Bogdanovic led the Nets with 16 points but Brook Lopez was held to 14 points and shot 5 of 17.

"I'm very disappointed in myself," Lopez said. I don't think I went out there and put my best foot forward. I hurt our team a lot. I need to be better. I can't have nights like this, and I have to have better focus, be more aggressive and be the player I know I can be."

The Nets held a double-digit in the first meeting Nov. 9 in New York but the Knicks wound up with a 110-96 victory. The Nets held Porzingis to 11 of 32 shooting in taking both home meetings last year as Lopez scored 53 points in those games.

Since the Nets relocated from New Jersey in 2012, they have a 9-8 edge in the series and are 5-3 at home.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (19-30) at Pistons (21-27)

Date: February 01, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

Anthony Davis had a career day the last time he visited The Palace of Auburn Hills. Considering how the Detroit Pistons have played defense lately, Davis might approach those numbers once again on Wednesday.

The New Orleans big man overwhelmed Detroit with a career-high and franchise-record 59 points and 20 rebounds in a 111-106 Pelicans victory last February.

Davis knocked down 24 of 34 shots from the field and 9 of 10 free throws while setting the record for the most points scored at the arena, which opened in 1988 and will close after this season.

If Davis isn't too worn out from playing the second game of a back-to-back, he could have a field day against a Detroit defense that has struggled to get stops while losing three straight.

Davis was held to 18 points on 4-of-18 shooting from the floor at Toronto as the Pelicans dropped a 108-106 overtime decision to the Raptors on Tuesday night.

The Pistons have given up an average of 112.7 points during their losing streak, including a 113-109 loss at Boston on Monday night.

Celtics star guard Isaiah Thomas poured in 41 points, offsetting a 28-point, 22-rebound performance by Detroit center Andre Drummond.

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy blamed himself for the loss.

"I didn't do a very good job in the fourth quarter," he said. "I should have come up with something better than what we were doing. I should have had two guys on him or something. I didn't do a good job; that one is on me. Fourth quarter is on me."

Detroit (21-27) also has to figure out its perimeter woes in order to end its skid. The Pistons made just 3 of 27 3-point attempts against the Celtics.

"We kept fighting all game," forward Tobias Harris said. "Obviously, there were no moral victories, but we know as a team we've got to shoot better.

"It was one of those nights for us that we just couldn't get shots to fall. I thought we did a great job of holding our composure and continuing to keep battling. We just got to stay strong and stay positive and hopefully, sooner or later, we are going to have a full-package game."

The Pistons have been unable to do that against the Pelicans in recent years. New Orleans has won eight straight in the series, sweeping Detroit four straight seasons. The Pistons' last victory over the Pelicans was Feb. 4, 2012, when they eked out an 89-87 win.

The Pelicans began a stretch on Tuesday where they will play nine of their next 12 games on the road. They are 6-16 on the road with the loss at Toronto.

New Orleans should have shooting guard Tyreke Evans back in action. He was rested in the first game of the back-to-back.

The Pelicans (19-30) are clinging to playoff hopes despite a woeful start.

"We proved we can play with anybody if we play the right way," Davis told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "We just dug ourselves a hole and we've gotta come out and play desperate each and every game. ... We're battling for the eighth spot and a lot of other teams are battling as well. We've gotta do a little bit more."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (30-19) at Celtics (30-18)

Date: February 01, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

BOSTON -- The Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics open their February schedules against each other in a midseason game that has double meaning Wednesday night.

And the struggling Raptors will have to do it without All-Star starter DeMar DeRozan.

The teams are fighting it out for first place in the Atlantic Division and second and third in the Eastern Conference, which brings us to the other thing that makes this a big game.

With Tyronne Lue of the Cleveland Cavaliers not eligible to coach because he did it last year, Boston's Brad Stevens and Toronto's Dwane Casey are watching their teams battle it out through Sunday to see which coach will handle the East in the All-Star Game.

The Raptors, winners in overtime at home against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, trail the Celtics by a half-game and will be without DeRozan for the fifth time in six games because of a sprained right ankle. He returned and had swelling after Sunday's loss to Orlando and was ruled out for Tuesday and Wednesday.

DeRozan was sixth in the NBA in scoring through Monday, averaging 27.8 points per game, and had 41 in a win over Boston on Jan. 10. The Celtics blew leads in both games and DeRozan had plenty to do with it.

The Raptors won for only the second time in eight games Tuesday as Kyle Lowry, their other star guard, had 33 points, including the winner with 4.3 seconds left in OT, and 10 assists in another rugged display.

"He gets hit more than any All-Star I've ever been around ... he's Philly tough," Casey said of Lowry, joking his player could have been a running back for the Eagles. Lowry got a kick out of that, saying, "Yeah, I would've been really good for that team."

Lowry has three straight 30-point games, the first time he's done that in his career.

Lowry -- and not DeRozan -- will have to deal with Isaiah Thomas, who continues to run up amazing numbers.

Monday night, Thomas scored 24 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter to help his team, still playing without the injured Avery Bradley (Achilles strain), pull out a victory over the Detroit Pistons. The 41 left him one point shy of becoming only the third Celtic to average 33 points during a month.

Only Larry Bird (February, 1988, 33.1) and Paul Pierce (February, 2006, 33.5) pulled off the feat, but Thomas continues to amaze.

"People were saying that to me throughout the day, so I saw that," Thomas said after the game. "I was close but I wasn't trying. I was just trying to do what my team needed me to do."

Asked about being in the same neighborhood as Bird and Pierce, Thomas said: "That doesn't even seem real. It doesn't sound real. So many great players did it before me. To have my name up there with those legends is unbelievable."

It was his 32nd straight game with at least 20 points as he closes in on John Havlicek's club record of 40. He scored fewer than 20 only once this season and had 18 in that game.

Thomas scored at least 20 points in the fourth quarter four times this season while no one else in the league has done it more than once. He has also had a league-high nine 15-point fourth quarters.

In the last 11 home games, Thomas -- averaging 29.1 points per game, second only to Russell Westbrook's 30.8 -- has 396 points in 395 minutes.

Monday's win came in the start of a four-game homestand running through Sunday for Boston.

Both teams play Friday and Sunday, with the Raptors on the road for both.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: 76ers (18-29) at Mavericks (18-30)

Date: February 01, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

The Dallas Mavericks pulled something off that shouldn't be done by a lottery-bound team. On successive nights, they vanquished the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The latter being the defending champions. The former perhaps the most serious challenger to Golden State's Western Conference supremacy.

"It's two really gritty performances," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. " 1/8Sunday at San Antonio 3/8, we got down 15 in the first half and really had to claw back. 1/8Monday 3/8, we were playing even or in front most of the night.

" 1/8The Cavaliers 3/8 made runs, and we had answers. It was a great two days, great two nights. I'm really happy for the guys. With the things that we've gone through this year, to win two games like this gives you energy."

Not only are the Mavs (18-30) on a two-game winning streak after taking down a pair of heavyweights, they've won four of five and seven of 10 going into Wednesday night's clash with the upstart Philadelphia 76ers (18-29) at American Airlines Center.

The wins over the Spurs and Cavs have led to a different feeling in the Dallas locker room.

"We have grown a lot," Harrison Barnes said. "Lately we have been giving some good fight and we haven't always had the result we wanted, but 1/8Monday 3/8 we had a great group effort and we were able to get a win."

The Sixers are in much the same boat as the Mavs, albeit with considering younger players. Perhaps the shiniest of those pieces, however, won't be on the court against the Mavs.

Rookie of the Year favorite Joel Embiid didn't make the trip to Dallas. (He'll also sit out Thursday at San Antonio.) Embiid suffered a bruised left knee Jan. 20 and missed Monday's 122-119 win over Sacramento.

He hasn't played in five of the last six games, though he was on the floor in Friday's nationally-televised 123-118 loss to Houston. That appearance has led to speculation that Embiid was rushed back to face the Rockets with the nation watching.

"There isn't anything odd going on," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. "It's just that we feel like it's best for him to get him to where he needs to be and to keep him behind with the resources that we have here and the rest he can get while he's 1/8in Philadelphia 3/8.

"Nobody needs to feel like there's a conspiracy theory here. There isn't. We feel like we can do the best job for Joel in this environment."

Embiid's absence cleared the way for Jahlil Okafor, who's played sparingly lately but had 15 points and four rebounds against the Kings. Nerlens Noel scored 12 off the bench. Robert Covington led the team with 23 points.

Philadelphia was gone 11-4 since Dec. 30 and its 10 wins in January are the franchise's most in a month since going 13-4 in January 2012. The Sixers won only 10 games last season.

Dallas has been partially buoyed rookie point guard Yogi Ferrell, who was signed to a 10-day contract over the weekend and started the last two games. The undrafted Indiana product is averaging 14.0 points, 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals in 36.5 minutes in those two games.

The Mavs realize they're in no position to overlook Philadelphia, even though Dallas has won seven straight in the series and 17 of the last 20.

"Biggest thing for us is our consistent effort," Barnes said. "I think we are competing and defensively rotating, rebounding, and doing the extra things for extra possessions. I think as long as we keep that mindset, no matter who we are playing, whether Cleveland or Philly, we should be fine."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (21-26) at Jazz (30-19)

Date: February 01, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Jazz have been stung by three losses in their last four games. What hurts worse is how these setbacks are unfolding.

The Jazz feel like they took a step backward with defensive communication in their latest loss -- a 102-95 setback to Memphis on Saturday. It turned out to be an incredible game for the Grizzlies' top three players on offense. Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley combined to score 69 points on 61 percent shooting.

Every time Utah appeared poised to rally and overtake Memphis in the second half, one of those three players sunk the Jazz with a barrage of baskets across multiple possessions.

"Anytime we have breakdowns, it's because we're not talking to each other," said guard Rodney Hood, who finished with a team-high 20 points against the Grizzlies. "We're not helping each other out. I think that's the biggest thing. It's tough to lose when you know you can do better on that end."

Utah (30-19) normally makes life difficult for opponents at home. The Jazz have allowed just 93.5 points per game in 26 home games this season. Opponents in those games shoot 42.7 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from the perimeter.

The absence of Derrick Favors made a huge impact on Utah's ability to get stops in its most recent game. Without Favors in the post, Randolph and Gasol were able to muscle their way down low to get multiple easy baskets and get into an early rhythm.

"We missed his physicality as much as anything." Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "Boris (Diaw) fought like crazy. Trey Lyles fought. We went small because we thought we could try and stretch them and play a little differently."

Milwaukee heads to Salt Lake City on Wednesday with a slightly different goal in mind. The Bucks (21026) are looking for ways to get out to a stronger start and reverse a slump that has seen the team lose eight times in nine games.

Against Boston, Milwaukee had to rally from an 11-point deficit to force overtime. The Bucks expended too much energy in the rally and came up short down the stretch, falling 112-108 in overtime.

It has become a trend lately. Milwaukee has trailed by double digits at halftime in each of its last three games. The Bucks are just 4-17 when trailing at halftime this season.

"Teams get a lead on us," Bucks center Greg Monroe said. "We do a great job of continuing to fight and get back into the game, but those lapses early in the game cost us. Sometimes that one run early in the game hurts you."

This is the first meeting between the two teams this season. Utah has won four straight over Milwaukee after sweeping the Bucks each of the last two seasons.

The Jazz have also won 14 consecutive home games over Milwaukee since falling to the Bucks 119-112 on Oct. 30, 2001.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Grizzlies (29-21) at Nuggets (21-26)

Date: February 01, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

DENVER -- The Denver Nuggets may have played late Tuesday night, but there is no question they will be energized for a Wednesday matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Pepsi Center.

After how things played out in the first meeting between the teams, it would surprising if Denver isn't ready to play. The Grizzlies won a thriller on Nov. 8 when center Marc Gasol hit a buzzer-beater to down the Nuggets, 108-107.

The problem was Memphis should have never had the ball for Gasol to be the hero.

With time running out that night, officials on the court ruled that a ball went off Denver guard Emmanuel Mudiay with 0.7 seconds left. However, replays showed Mudiay never touched the ball, and the NBA later ruled that the Nuggets should have been given the ball.

The Nuggets thought the last 0.7 seconds should have been replayed, but the league office let the score stand.

Wednesday will be Denver's first chance to get the win it might have had early in the season.

A lot has transpired since that November night. The Nuggets (21-26) have transformed into one of the better offensive teams, and the Grizzlies (29-21) have found their defense.

In Memphis' 115-96 win at Phoenix on Monday, the Grizzlies held the Suns to 10 points fewer than their season average.

"We've taken a little more pride defensively," Memphis guard Mike Conley, who scored 38 points against the Suns, told The Commercial Appeal. "Earlier in the year, we were getting beat one-on-one too much and having to rely on Marc and our big guys to help too much. Our guards are doing a better job getting over screens and making it tough on the offensive side for them."

That defense will be needed again Wednesday night. The Nuggets are one of the hottest offensive teams over the past six weeks and are now third in the league in scoring at 110 points a game.

Memphis' backcourt held Phoenix's starting guards to 9-of-31 shooting on Monday. It was a big reason why the Grizzlies won consecutive games for the first time in three weeks.

"The last two games we've done a better job," Gasol told The Commercial Appeal. "Even in Portland (last Friday) -- the second half we were good. We've put together 10 quarters of good defense."

The Grizzlies will have their work cut out for them in Denver on Wednesday night. The high-scoring Nuggets haven't missed a beat despite not having their best player, Nikola Jokic, the past two games due to a hip injury and Mudiay for the past four because of lower back pain. In the Nuggets' 120-116 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Denver was even more compromised with the absence of guard Will Barton, who sat out due to an ankle injury.

The three are considered day-to-day, and their status for Wednesday was unknown as the Nuggets go for their sixth straight win at home.

Despite being short-handed, the Nuggets were able to score 116 points against the Lakers. A big reason is the play of their veterans, in particular Jameer Nelson and Darrell Arthur. Nelson has stepped into the starting point guard spot and delivered four solid games, and Arthur has provided offense and defense off the bench.

"He's a professional that works extremely hard," Nuggets coach Michael Malone told the Denver Post of Arthur. "People never see the time these players put in -- before practice, after practice, whatever it may be. Darrell is a great example of that."

Nelson, 34, is providing some veteran leadership with Denver's young guard rotation. His role has increased with Mudiay's injury, and he is making the most of his opportunity.

"You cherish these moments, and you make the best out of them," Nelson told the Denver Post. "And for me, I'm just going to be who I am. I'm going to go out there, try to play my hardest and try to help the team in different ways. I don't know if every night I'm going to score 17 points, but I can lead. I'm going to be a leader every day."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Clippers (30-18) at Suns (15-33)

Date: February 01, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Clippers are determined to rebound big-time from arguably their most embarrassing performance of the season when they visit the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

The Clippers fell flat on their faces in the NBA's showcase game on Chinese New Year on Saturday, getting drubbed 144-98 by the Golden State Warriors.

It was the Clippers' most lopsided loss of the season by a full 20 points.

"It's embarrassing," Clippers forward Blake Griffin said after the game. "For the most part, we didn't play with the right type of attitude or whatever you want to call it. We just kind of went through the motions."

The Clippers have had three days to turn the page. In fact, they had time to return home to Los Angeles in between visits to Oakland and Phoenix, even though Wednesday's game technically caps a five-game "trip."

Griffin returned for last Tuesday's game at Philadelphia. He's averaged 16.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in two games since a six-week absence during which he has arthroscopic knee surgery.

The Clippers are still without star point guard Chris Paul, who underwent thumb surgery earlier this month. He isn't expected back until March.

LA is just 3-8 without Paul in the lineup this season.

The Clippers began the season 14-2 and led the Pacific Division on Nov. 20. But they've struggled without Griffin and/or Paul, having gone just 16-16 since then to fall 11 games back of the Warriors.

One reason LA has been able at least to tread water the last two months has been the All-Star-caliber play of center DeAndre Jordan. The big guy leads the NBA in field goal percentage (69.3) and rebounds (13.8).

He's already had 19-point (Oct. 31) and 20-rebound (Jan. 2) games against the Suns this season, helping the Clippers record a pair of wins.

Jordan's visit is not good news for Suns center Tyson Chandler, who was dominated by Memphis center Marc Gasol in Monday's 115-96 home loss to the Grizzlies.

Chandler also has had to match up with Minnesota standout Karl-Anthony Towns and Denver hotshot Nikola Jokic in a grueling past 10 days.

Like the Clippers, the Suns are coming off a loss that was nationally televised. The game was the nightcap of TNT's Monday double-header.

If there was a bright spot for Phoenix, it was the play of rookie Marquese Chriss, who poured in a career-best 20 points.

"Somebody said I was in a slump; they said I hit the rookie wall," Chriss told reporters after the game. "No, I'm not tired at all. My body feels good.

"Playing in the game, playing the whole first quarter, I felt good, and I'm like, "Alright, I want to play the whole second quarter." Came out, went back in and my legs still feel fresh."

The 19-year-old Chriss wound up playing a season-best 34 minutes, during which he became just the third teen-ager to score 20 or more points in an NBA game this season.

Phoenix's Devin Booker (once) and Denver's Jamal Murray (four times) had accomplished the feat previously this season.

Booker turned 20 on Oct. 30.