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ACCESS
PICKS FOR TODAY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2019 |
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NBA |
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12/10/2019 |
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FOUND
4
GAMES |
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COMING
UP
7:05 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-133
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-2.5 (-105)
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Over 229 (-109)
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+120
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+2.5 (-105)
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Under 229 (-101)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 09, 2019A couple of teams that have numerous defensive issues to sort through meet Tuesday night at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N. C.The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are coming off losses that tended to be defined by shortcomings on defense."Lack of focus at the end of the floor in our coverages," Hornets coach James Borrego said.The Hornets allowed 71 second-half points in a 122-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Wizards were drilled in a 135-119 setback to the Los Angeles Clippers."Our biggest problem right now is defense," said Wizards guard/forward Troy Brown Jr.Washington has won only one of its past six games. The Wizards have allowed at least 125 points in four of those losses.The Hornets tend to have waning aggression at times and that has allowed openings for opponents."It caught up to us in the end," Hornets forward Miles Bridges said. "We have to come out more aggressive. When we're playing aggressive, we're playing at our best." So even for a Charlotte team that has evolving lineups and some glitches on offense, particularly when perimeter shots aren't falling, it tends to come back to what's going on defensively."We'll come in, work on our defense some more and get after it another day," Borrego said.Part of the problem from a defensive standpoint came on the perimeter during the weekend, with Atlanta knocking in 18 shots from 3-point range."We have to do a better job of getting in there, being on task and staying with the game plan," rookie forward P. J. Washington said.Bridges, who scored 31 points in a loss to Washington last month, said, "Defense has been our main focus the whole year, but we'll try to get it back next game." Washington, who scored 20 points in Sunday's game, exited in the fourth quarter with a sprained right ankle. His status might be unclear for this week.Borrego is trying different combinations, even without injuries impacting rotations. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who hadn't been on the court for 10 straight games, was used in Sunday's game."He stayed ready," Borrego said. "He's working." The Hornets are 1-3 as part of the five-game homestand that closes with the Washington game.Defense has continued to let down the Wizards, who average the second-most points per game in the Eastern Conference with 118.2. That production often goes for naught when Washington can't get the job done at the other end of the court.Frustrations have boiled in recent games, with some of the angst directed at officials. Not allowing that to become a distraction is something the Wizards are working on."We're all in this together," guard Bradley Beal said. "We've obviously got to continue to play basketball." This is the beginning of a three-game stretch of road games for the Wizards, who've lost their past three road games. Each of the three opponents in the upcoming stretch is below .500 and none of them have reached the 10-win mark for the season. Of course, the Wizards, with a 7-15 record, are also in that category.--Field Level Media
 Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
8:05 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 8:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+169
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+5 (-111)
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Over 208.5 (-111)
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-189
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-5 (+100)
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Under 208.5 (+101)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 09, 2019The Philadelphia 76ers will attempt to remain undefeated at home when they host the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.The Sixers improved to 12-0 at home with a 110-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. Philadelphia held on despite committing 11 turnovers in the fourth quarter and seeing the Raptors go on a late surge.Tobias Harris scored 26 points, rookie Matisse Thybulle added a career-best 20 and Ben Simmons had 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.Every home win during the run hasn't been picturesque, but the Sixers simply continue to grind out victories at Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia also has won six of its past seven games overall."I think we're getting different nights from different guys that are stepping up," Harris said following the Sunday game. "Ben (on Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers) was just dominant, and I think everyone was flowing off of that (Saturday). Today, we just came out to get another win, and we look to do that next home game." All-Star center Joel Embiid struggled Sunday and was benched in the fourth quarter by coach Brett Brown. Embiid committed seven turnovers but did contribute 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists."I think that his energy and his presence tonight was good," Brown said of Embiid. "At the end, they pressed and he had some rough decisions. It's unfortunate because for the large part of the game, he's one of the main reasons we won. It won't jump out to you on the statsheet, but it's Joel Embiid and his length. You can feel his presence really affected their rim work." Thybulle knocked down five 3-pointers and helped carry the Sixers on a night Embiid was off. The University of Washington product has hardly looked like a rookie in recent games."I think I'm incredibly blessed," Thybulle said. "I'm so grateful, and to have the guys that we have on this team and to have the opportunity that I have is nothing short of a blessing." The Nuggets, who already defeated the Sixers earlier this season in Denver, enter play Tuesday having lost four of their past five games.Denver fell 105-102 on the road against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday as Jamal Murray missed a potential game-tying 3-point attempt as time expired. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists while Murray added 21 points.Jokic averages a double-double (16.1 points and 10.1 rebounds) and also leads the team in assists at 6.1 per game.Denver's defense allowed 66 points in the paint against the Nets, which was a crucial reason the Nuggets lost again."It can't be that easy. We've just got to be stronger down there," Murray said of the team's interior defense. "If you've got to take a foul, take a foul, but that was just the whole game." The Nuggets have had a difficult time recently getting their offense and defense to mesh in the same game, even though they are holding opponents to an NBA-low 101.9 points per game. Forwards Paul Millsap and Will Barton ranked among the top five in the league's defensive rating stat through the weekend, trailing only Embiid and the Milwaukee Bucks duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe.Millsap has arguably been the Nuggets' most consistent player all season. It won't always show in the statistics (13 points, 5.9 rebounds per game)."He's been the quiet unsung hero of our team," coach Michael Malone said. "We've had a lot of younger guys who have been up and down, inconsistent. If you looked at our first 20 games, Paul has been Mr. Consistency for us, and that's what you expect from a 14-year veteran." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
8:05 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 8:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+325
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+8.5 (-105)
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Over 218 (-109)
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-390
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-8.5 (-105)
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Under 218 (-101)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 09, 2019The Miami Heat can expect to have a slightly different obstacle in their path Tuesday night when they seek to complete an early season hat trick over the visiting Atlanta Hawks.The Heat beat the Hawks twice in a three-day, home-and-home series in October, prevailing 112-97 at home on a night when Atlanta star Trae Young suffered a sprained right ankle, then 106-97 two days later in Atlanta when Young had to take the night off.The Heat figure to see a fully healthy Young this time around, with the second-year scoring machine having gone for 39 and 30 points in his last two outings.Young is averaging 34.4 points over his last eight games.The Hawks lost the first five of those eight, but have since won two of three, including 122-107 at Charlotte on Sunday in the opener of a three-game trip.Young admitted over the weekend that's it's no consolation winning individual scoring duels when his team suffers a defeat."I hate that feeling when I play good individually, numbers-wise, but we don't win," he insisted. "Because you can't enjoy it, especially if you're a competitor like me." Young lasted just 11 minutes, scoring five points, before suffering his ankle injury when the Hawks lost the opener of their earlier double-header against the Heat. He then had to watch Miami rookies Tyler Herro (29) and Kendrick Nunn (17) combine for 46 points in the run-away win.Two nights later, it was much of the same -- except that Young was a fulltime observer. Nunn had 28 points and Herro 17 to complete the sweep.The early attention-grabbers were the start of something big for the two rookies, one (Herro) a high-profile collegian at Kentucky who was a first-round pick, the other (Nunn) a relative unknown at Oakland University who went undrafted.Among rookies, Nunn began the week third in scoring at 15.3 points per game, one spot ahead of Herro (14.5). Nunn also ranked second in assists (3.4), while Herro was tied for eighth in rebounds (4.0).It's probably a stretch -- short of a sooner-than-expected comeback by Zion Williamson -- for anybody other than Ja Morant to believe they can win Rookie of the Year honors this season given the start that the Memphis standout has experienced, but Nunn surely hasn't given up the fight."I definitely feel like I'm the Rookie of the Year," he boasted recently to reporters. "It's early, but the way I've been performing, definitely, I'm in the running for that." Nunn also is in the running for the unofficial title as Greatest Undrafted Rookie in NBA History.It's been 10 seasons since any undrafted rookie averaged 15 or more points in his first season (Reggie Williams finished at 15.2 in 2010), and 70 since one averaged more than Nunn's current 15.3 (Frankie Brian, 17.8 in 1949-50).Miami's three-headed rookie monster includes Chris Silva, who ranks first in rebounds (84) and blocks (14), and third in total points (82) among the NBA's current two-way players.Silva totaled eight points and seven rebounds in the two earlier wins over the Hawks.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
10:05 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 10:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+353
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+9 (-104)
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Over 223 (+101)
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-428
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-9 (-106)
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Under 223 (-111)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 10, 2019The New York Knicks lost by just a single point in interim coach Mike Miller's first game on the job.That doesn't seem so bad when you consider the club lost by 44 and 37 in David Fizdale's last two contests before being dismissed.Miller seeks his first NBA coaching victory and the Knicks attempt to halt a nine-game skid when they visit the struggling Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.Miller, a former college and G League head coach, got the Knicks to play well in his debut on Saturday night before they succumbed 104-103 to the visiting Indiana Pacers. Knicks forward Julius Randle split two free throws with 0.1 seconds to play as New York came up short."You get in those games, you've got to make another play, and we just didn't make another play," Miller said afterward. "Loved the effort. That was fun." Fun hasn't often been a word used to describe anything about the Knicks, who own the worst record in the NBA at 4-19.New York has lost seven games by 20 or more points and hasn't notched a victory since defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 18.The stop in Portland is the first of a road trip in which the Knicks play four games in six nights. Games against the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets follow.Miller is hoping the club can stem periods of inconsistency that plague its chances of recording victories."Our focus has been on the consistency on both ends of the floor, that's where it's at," Miller said. "The players, we have a high character group of players, they're professional, they come in and work every day. The message is we want to be more consistent. And we're going to be more consistent in what we do and how we work play to play and possession to possession." The Trail Blazers have problems of their own as they have lost three of four games and rank as one of the league's biggest underachievers with a 9-15 record after reaching the Western Conference finals last season.Their troubles continued on Sunday night when they took a 108-96 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.Portland shot just 36 percent from the field, including 9 of 33 from 3-point range, in a game in which it was outhustled by the Thunder. Making it more maddening to star point guard Damian Lillard is that the Trail Blazers previously defeated Oklahoma City twice this season, including a solid 136-119 home win on Nov. 27."I just thought our urgency wasn't where it needed to be," Lillard said afterward. "You come out with an opportunity to get some momentum going into another home game with another opportunity to win against a team that we just played a few games ago and blew them away, played a great game."Then the ball's not going in, so we don't lock in and stay sharp on the defensive end. We just allowed them to do pretty much what they wanted." Lillard scored 26 points, but he was one of the cold shooters, going 8 of 24 from the field, including 2 of 12 from 3-point range.Forward Carmelo Anthony shot 4 of 18 while scoring nine points, guard Kent Bazemore was 3 of 11 while also scoring nine points and shooting guard CJ McCollum made 8 of 21 shots while tallying 20 points.There is plenty of time for the Trail Blazers to turn things around, but there are some team habits that Lillard doesn't like."I think we kind of just play well in stretches, and we don't really have the luxury of playing well in stretches," Lillard said. "We're a team that if the ball's not going in, we gotta be getting to the 50-50 balls, we can't be letting teams get second and third opportunities. We foul every 30 seconds."I mean, we are doing a lot of things as a team that are putting us at a disadvantage." Portland has fared well against the Knicks of late, winning the past five meetings.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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NCAAB |
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12/10/2019 |
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FOUND
22
GAMES |
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IN PROGRESS |
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12/10/2019 12:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+177
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+5 (-117)
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Over 131.5 (-107)
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-210
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-5 (+101)
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Under 131.5 (-124)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+1349
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+20 (-111)
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Over 144.5 (-120)
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-3171
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-20 (-105)
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Under 144.5 (-101)
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+455
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+11 (-113)
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Over 149 (-113)
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-605
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-11 (-103)
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Under 149 (-107)
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+452
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+11 (-113)
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Over 146.5 (-110)
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-602
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-11 (-103)
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Under 146.5 (-110)
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-274
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-6 (-113)
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Over 125 (-109)
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+227
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+6 (-103)
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Under 125 (-111)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 09, 2019Top-ranked Louisville has been rolling through the first third of its season but will have to be at its best when it plays Texas Tech on Tuesday in New York's Madison Square Garden as a part of the Jimmy V Classic.It's the first time the two programs have played in basketball, and the stage could not be brighter for the Cardinals, who have swept to nine wins in nine games. The Red Raiders, however, are looking to right their ship after three straight losses -- two of those in overtime.Louisville heads to the Big Apple on the heels of a 64-46 win at home against Pittsburgh that pushed the Cardinals to 2-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.Jordan Nwora had 19 points in the win and Malik Williams had 13 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. After letting a 14-point halftime lead dwindle to five points, Louisville went on a 13-0 run to take control of the game with a 60-42 lead with 4:39 left in regulation.Every player that played more than one minute made at least one 3-pointer as the Cardinals went 11 of 26 from behind the arc.Louisville is averaging 77.1 points per game by shooting 49.6 from the field and 39.1 percent on 3-pointers. Defensively the Cardinals are limiting opponents to 57.6 points per game and to 35.3 percent shooting.Don't expect the Cardinals to take Texas Tech lightly. Louisville coach Chris Mack understands that his team will have to play better than in past games to beat the Red Raiders."Texas Tech coach (Chris) Beard texted me today out of the blue and said he likes watching our team so he's trying to butter me up already, but I'm not having it," Mack said after the win over Pittsburgh. "You don't do what he's done, and what their program has done, if you're not an incredibly well-coached program. We have a lot of respect."We know they've lost three in a row, but they're going to defend better than any team we've played thus far and we're going to have to be ready." The Red Raiders (5-3) are coming off a 65-60 overtime loss to DePaul on Wednesday in Chicago. Freshman guard Terrence Shannon, Jr. led the Red Raiders in that loss with a career-high 24 points after going 9-for-18 from the field with two 3-pointers.Kyler Edwards added 12 points and Davide Moretti scored 10. The Red Raiders matched a season-high with 22 turnovers against the Blue Demons and were held to single-digit assists for the only time this season."We've been in three really close one-possession games where a basket or a stop there and our record and our mood feels a lot different," Beard said. "To me, you stay the course. We could be sitting here with an 8-0 record instead of three losses, but we're still the same team. The idea is to get better each game and I think we are doing that. It hasn't shown on the scoreboard yet, but I remain confident that it will." Texas Tech is second in the nation with 18.8 assists per game and is leading the Big 12 with 131 made free throws, 150 total assists and 323 total rebounds. The team is fourth in the conference by scoring 79.0 points per game by limiting opponents to 40.0 percent shooting.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-113
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OFF
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Over 141 (-106)
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-104
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OFF
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Under 141 (-114)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 09, 2019The No. 4-ranked Maryland Terrapins will be searching for their 11th consecutive victory to open the season when they visit Penn State on Tuesday.Maryland barely remained unbeaten following a 59-58 home win over Illinois on Saturday in its Big Ten opener. The Terrapins trailed by 15 points in the second half before rallying behind Anthony Cowan Jr., who tied the game with 19 seconds left and then made the winning free throw with 2.1 seconds remaining.Cowan led the way with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and Jalen Smith added 14 points and 13 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season.The Terrapins have already matched their best start since winning 10 straight to open the 1998-99 season. But they've lost in three consecutive seasons to Penn State.Though Maryland led for all of two seconds, it still managed to win again. Going on the road against a much-improved Penn State team will be another difficult challenge."In the end, it's a great win and we've got to enjoy it," Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon said. "But we've got to get our energy level back. We didn't have it today. Our defense carried us." If the Terrapins hope to remain unbeaten, they'll have to play a much cleaner game against the Nittany Lions, who are tough to defeat at home."We were really selfish again -- overdribbling, some bad shots, trying to play hero ball, trying to be the guy that gets us going," Turgeon told the Baltimore Sun. "We got a ways to go. We got a long ways to go offensively. But it's nice when you can win miracle wins and learn from it, and hopefully, we'll learn from it and be better on Tuesday." Penn State has won seven of its first nine games this season, but was throttled 106-74 at Ohio State in its conference opener.Sophomore guard Izaiah Brockington scored a season-high 19 points and Lamar Stevens added 11. Freshman Seth Lundy had 10 off the bench for the Nittany Lions, who were outclassed from start to finish. Even though Penn State closed within 10 midway through the second half, it never looked as if a win was likely."Obviously, Ohio State played great," Penn State head coach Patrick Chambers said following the 32-point loss. "They shot the ball really well in the second half. They have a lot of firepower, very explosive. I thought the second half we were playing much better, obviously, until Lamar picked up his fifth foul. And even so, those couple of minutes there, I thought we really competed, we did some good things. ... To be an elite team, to win versus top-10 teams, we are going to need everybody to play well." Penn State will have another big test against Maryland with a chance for redemption. Unlike the loss against Ohio State, Penn State will now have the advantage of its home court."I think we're doing a good job of getting ourselves mentally and physically prepared to play these couple Big Ten games that are coming up here," Chambers said. "There are no easy wins in this conference. ... It's going to be a great litmus test of where we are and what we have to work on when you're playing a top team like Ohio State and Maryland. But we'll see where we are." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+241
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+7 (-103)
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Over 133.5 (-102)
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-293
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-7 (-113)
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Under 133.5 (-119)
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+144
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+3.5 (-110)
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Over 143 (-110)
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-169
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-3.5 (-106)
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Under 143 (-110)
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+355
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+8.5 (-105)
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Over 127 (-112)
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-451
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-8.5 (-111)
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Under 127 (-108)
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+954
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+16 (-110)
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Over 146.5 (-104)
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-1672
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-16 (-106)
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Under 146.5 (-116)
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COMING
UP
7:30 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+166
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+4.5 (-110)
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Over 132.5 (-114)
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-196
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-4.5 (-106)
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Under 132.5 (-106)
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COMING
UP
7:30 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 7:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-101
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+1.5 (-108)
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Over 138 (-110)
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-116
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-1.5 (-108)
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Under 138 (-110)
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COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 8:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+384
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+9.5 (-112)
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Over 157 (-118)
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-494
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-9.5 (-104)
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Under 157 (-102)
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COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
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12/10/2019 8:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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OFF
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+26 (-104)
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Over 138 (-110)
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OFF
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-26 (-112)
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Under 138 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 09, 2019Worries are only natural for any college basketball team attempting to navigate a long schedule. For players, though, identifying the most pressing concerns can be essential.Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji struggled with a sub-40 percent shooting clip through the Maui Invitational, which the No. 2 Jayhawks captured to help fuel their current seven-game win streak.In response to Agbaji's early shooting slump, coach Bill Self stressed the need for the 6-foot-5 sophomore to crash the glass because of his length and also defend better by using his athleticism.That seemed to make Agbaji quit fretting over his jumper as the Jayhawks (7-1) prepare to play host to Milwaukee (5-4) on Tuesday. Agbaji collected 20 points and 12 rebounds as Kansas smothered then-No. 20 Colorado 72-58 on Saturday."It was more on the defensive end, getting confidence there," Agbaji said. "It was nice seeing the ball going in, but I tried to focus on both. Coming into this game, I had a different mindset. I didn't really care if my shot was falling in or not, I just focused defensively because that's where I get my energy from." Self agreed, beginning a remark by noting "you worry about the right things, and ..." before commenting on Agbaji's 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range against the Buffaloes.The contribution Agbaji provided shows he can be a positive influence who presents opponents another challenge when facing the talent-rich Jayhawks.Senior center Udoka Azubuike is a 7-footer who ranks as the nation's most accurate shooter (.803) because of mismatches he poses underneath. Sophomore guard Devon Dotson runs the floor and leads the Big 12 with a 19.5-point average.Yet Kansas possesses many additional threats, all of whom can heat up in any given game while trying to comply with Self's defensive mandates."Moving forward, I'm not really trying to worry about if (the ball) goes in or not," Agbaji said. "Defensively, I'm just focusing off of that and getting any energy I can on that." Opponents are shooting 37.7 percent against the Jayhawks, who are winning by an average of 17.7 points."We're getting better defensively," Self acknowledged.Each of Milwaukee's defeats have been by margins of six points or fewer, including a 56-53 loss at Drake on Dec. 3 in the Panthers' first true road game. They were coming off a sixth-place finish at the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase."We made enough plays to win," Milwaukee coach Pat Baldwin said of the loss at Drake, where the Panthers forged a tie with 17.8 seconds remaining on a layup by senior guard Darius Roy."Unfortunately, we had some plays we wish we could have back. It's a learning lesson for us, and we're just going to get back to the drawing board and get better." Four Panthers average double figures in scoring, led by junior guard Te'Jon Lucas, who missed the game at Drake. The Illinois transfer, who is from Milwaukee, averages 15 points and a team-high 4.5 assists. Junior backup guard Tyler Behrendt provided a spark with a career-high nine points against the Bulldogs."It's not about one or two guys on our team; it's about the collective whole," Baldwin said. "We had some guys come off the bench and made some huge plays for us." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 8:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+240
|
+6.5 (-103)
|
Over 138.5 (-119)
|
|
|
-291
|
-6.5 (-113)
|
Under 138.5 (-102)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 8:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+301
|
+8.5 (-112)
|
Over 137.5 (-111)
|
|
|
-374
|
-8.5 (-104)
|
Under 137.5 (-109)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 9:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+187
|
+5.5 (-106)
|
Over 131 (-109)
|
|
|
-222
|
-5.5 (-110)
|
Under 131 (-111)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Dec 10, 2019If there are any questions about No. 11 Baylor's readiness for the upcoming gauntlet that is the Big 12 Conference season, the Bears are answering them on a game-by-game basis.The latest such affirmation came on Saturday when the Bears beat previously undefeated Arizona 63-58.And yet for all that good work, Baylor (7-1) will have to step things up a notch on Tuesday when it hosts No. 18 Butler, another team without a loss and the Bears' third ranked opponent over the first five weeks of the season."It's one of those things where you are going to have, (in) conference games, one-possession games, and the key is to make sure that one mistake or one play doesn't lead to another," Baylor coach Scott Drew told reporters after the Arizona win."This game was similar to Washington (which handed Baylor its lone loss) where we had a lead, and we weren't able to finish them off at the end of the game. We did a better job (against Arizona), so we are growing and learning." MaCio Teague finished with 19 points to lead three Baylor players in double figures against the Wildcats. Freddie Gillespie had an impressive double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds, and guard Jared Butler finished with 13 points.The then-No. 12 Wildcats were the second-highest ranked nonconference opponent Baylor ever beat at home, behind only a win over No. 7 Xavier in 2016.The Bears led by as many as 12 points in the second half -- and at least six for much of the final 20 minutes -- until Arizona got hot from 3-point range and made a slew of free throws to get back in the game."It was really big getting us to the free-throw line because that's how they got back into the game," Drew said. "It was important. But the big thing was down the stretch they were held to 2-for-19 from the field." Baylor has won six straight games, its longest nonconference win streak since starting 15-0 in 2016-17. The Bears are 2-0 this season vs. AP Top 25 teams.Butler heads to Waco after defeating Florida 76-62 in Indianapolis on Friday as Aaron Thompson and Seam McDermott scored 16 points apiece. Thompson added a game-high seven assists, and the Bulldogs assisted on 19 of their 25 made baskets in the game."Nobody cares who scores, we're just trying to get the best shot on that possession," Thompson said. "As long as we are getting good shots, everyone is happy." Jordan Tucker scored 13 points off the bench for the Bulldogs, and Kamar Baldwin added 12.The Bulldogs are 9-0 for the first time since starting 10-0 in 2006-07. Their resume features wins over Minnesota and Stanford as well as a 3-0 record against the Southeastern Conference with wins over Missouri, Mississippi and Florida.The result against the Gators stretched the nation's longest home nonconference winning streak to 56."I'm proud of our guys for fighting every possession." Butler coach LaVall Jordan said. "Nineteen assists on 25 field goals shows how connected this group is. We didn't handle (Florida's) pressure well late, but it's great to come away with a win while still having some things we can learn from." The game against Baylor will be Butler's fifth in a row against a power-conference opponent, with four of them away from home.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 9:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+276
|
+8 (-115)
|
Over 152.5 (-110)
|
|
|
-340
|
-8 (-101)
|
Under 152.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 9:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+346
|
+8.5 (-110)
|
Over 124.5 (-106)
|
|
|
-438
|
-8.5 (-106)
|
Under 124.5 (-114)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Dec 10, 2019The Colorado Buffaloes went to Kansas on Saturday to see where they stand against one of the top teams in the country. Although Colorado left with its first loss of the season the confidence is still there, as well as a top-25 ranking.The Buffaloes fell four spots in the AP rankings to No. 24 on Monday, but a solid showing at Allen Fieldhouse kept them rated, and to stay there they'll need to keep winning. First up is hosting Northern Iowa on Tuesday night in Boulder, Colo.The key for Colorado (7-1) is taking the lessons from its loss and building on those before the Pac-12 season starts. The Buffaloes forced 21 Kansas turnovers but hit just 30 percent of their field-goal attempts while struggling on offense for most of the night."We had a lot of good looks that didn't go in," Colorado coach Tad Boyle said after the game. "You have to make those shots. ... But I was really proud of our guys' fight and their toughness and competitiveness. But we couldn't make shots." The Buffaloes' defense will get another test with the high-scoring Panthers coming to town. Northern Iowa (8-1) is averaging 76 points per game and is coming off a 110-51 win over Division III Luther College on Dec. 2. This will be just the second true road game of the season for the Panthers.That's not to say Northern Iowa hasn't been tested. Its last game against a Division I team was a 78-72 win over South Carolina on Nov. 27 to take third place in the Cancun Challenge. The Panthers have played just one game since the Cancun Challenge, which has given the players the time get in some work."It's really important that we get back into our routines individually," UNI point guard AJ Green told reporters following the Luther game. "Just get back to getting in the gym, we'll work on a few things each person individually wants to get better at, and then have a few solid practices." Green and his teammates will have to stop Colorado's top players to escape with a win in Boulder. The Buffaloes are led by junior guard Tyler Bey, who is averaging 12.9 points and 11.5 rebounds a game, both tops on the team. His backcourt mate, McKinley Wright IV, is averaging 11.9 points, and D'Shawn Schwartz is scoring 11.3 points per game.Wright is the spark that keeps Colorado's offense going, but Boyle can go five deep on his bench, which is an advantage when teams are coming to play at altitude.Green leads Northern Iowa at 14.4 points per game while guard Trae Berhow is averaging 13.9 points. The Panthers will need big games from those two as well as contributions from others to have success on this two-game road trip that finishes up at Grand Canyon on Thursday."When we take the floor against Colorado, that 40 minutes is going to be challenging, it's going to be hard, but it's going to be fun," Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson said. "We're going to get some great stuff in those two games. It'll be good to add that to what we've done so far in terms of our experiences." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 9:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+258
|
+7 (-102)
|
Over 144.5 (-108)
|
|
|
-315
|
-7 (-115)
|
Under 144.5 (-113)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 9:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-695
|
-11 (-111)
|
Over 129 (-110)
|
|
|
+509
|
+11 (-105)
|
Under 129 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
9:30 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 9:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-140
|
-1.5 (-118)
|
Over 139.5 (-110)
|
|
|
+119
|
+1.5 (+101)
|
Under 139.5 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NHL |
|
|
12/10/2019 |
|
FOUND
12
GAMES |
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:08 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 7:08 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-107
|
-1.5 (+223)
|
Over 6.5 (-115)
|
|
|
-103
|
+1.5 (-255)
|
Under 6.5 (+102)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Two of the top offenses in the NHL will meet on Tuesday night when the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla.The Lightning, second in the league in goals per game (3.64), are powered by winger Nikita Kucherov (team-high 31 points), defenseman Victor Hedman (27 points) and center Steven Stamkos (26)."Our team is built to continue to press and use our speed," Stamkos told reporters before he scored Tampa Bay's only goal in the Lightning's 5-1 loss to the visiting New York Islanders on Monday night. "Then the skill takes over." Meanwhile, Florida, which has rested since a 5-1 win over the visiting San Jose Sharks on Sunday, is fourth in the league in goals per game (3.52).The Panthers are led by center Aleksander Barkov and winger Jonathan Huberdeau, each with 36 points. They are both on track to reach 100 points for the first times in their careers. Defenseman Keith Yandle is third on the Panthers with 26 points.Florida and Tampa Bay have not met since the first two games of the season, when the Lightning won at home 5-2 in the season opener and the Panthers won the rematch 4-3 two days later in Sunrise.If that home-ice mini trend holds true on Tuesday, it would bode well for the Panthers."We've got to take advantage of being at home," Huberdeau told reporters. "We're really starting to play some good hockey at home." Indeed, the Panthers are 3-1-0 so far on this nine-game homestand, the longest in franchise history.The Panthers are 9-4-2 at home this season. Tampa Bay is 7-5-2 on the road.Then again, perhaps a road trip is just what the Lightning need right now. Tampa Bay is 1-4-0 in its past five home games.Stamkos has 10 goals this season, including three in his past two games. However, Hedman had a goal taken away on Monday when a video challenge revealed that teammate Anthony Cirelli was offside. In addition, Tampa Bay went 0-for-3 on its power play.Lightning backup goalie Curtis McElhinney took the loss on Monday, and his record fell to 3-3-2.It is likely the Lightning's starting goalie Tuesday will be Andre Vasilevskiy, the 25-year-old Russian who has led the NHL with 39 wins last season after tying for the lead with 44 victories in 2017-18.This season, Vasilevskiy is 11-8-1 with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.Florida is expected to start its own Russian, 31-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky, who won two straight games while stopping 63 out of 65 shots faced last weekend.Bobrovsky, who is 11-6-4 with a 3.24 GAA and an .893 save percentage, was surely grateful to have a day off on Monday after being in goal for two games in two nights against the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Sharks."Physically, you feel a little bit fatigued," Bobrovsky said, "but we stood together at the right time." It was the first time all season that the Panthers allowed fewer than two goals in consecutive games, and Florida will be looking for more quality defense on Tuesday to hold off the high-powered Lightning.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:08 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 7:08 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+131
|
+1.5 (-175)
|
Over 6 (-115)
|
|
|
-146
|
-1.5 (+157)
|
Under 6 (+102)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Going into Pittsburgh's Tuesday home game against the Montreal Canadiens, the Penguins' Evgeni Malkin has been reminding everyone that he is his club's other superstar center.In the 13 games that Sidney Crosby has missed because of a sports hernia that required surgery, Malkin has six goals and 14 assists.In addition to being a three-time Stanley Cup winner, Malkin is two-time winner Art Ross Trophy (top scorer) and a winner of the Calder Trophy (top rookie), Hart Trophy (regular-season MVP) and Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP). He knows his way around elite play on offense.Now he's adding other elements, and doing it at a high level."I'm thrilled with (Malkin's) game right now," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "The offense is obvious to everyone. But he's winning faceoffs. We're using him in (defensive) zone situations. ... He's playing with structure." Malkin made a stated point of upping his offseason workouts and preparation after what for him was a down season in 2018-19. Then he got hurt in the second game of this season and missed nearly a month.Now Malkin seems to be hitting the stride he was seeking."I see it," Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang told The Athletic. "I definitely do. He's improved his game on both sides of the puck so much this season."I think he's getting rewarded now. His defense is so good that it's creating a lot of turnovers and a lot of scoring rushes for us. Before, he was just trying to beat guys one-on-one all the time. That gets tough, no matter who you are. By playing better defense, he's helping himself." That also goes for the team. Pittsburgh is 7-3-3 without Crosby.The Canadiens, since going eight games without a regulation win (0-5-3) and getting outscored a collective 38-20, have won two of three by a combined 8-6, including a 2-1 victory Friday against the Rangers in New York."The last couple games we've been playing well, giving up way less chances, way less odd-man rushes," Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot said. "We haven't been getting necessarily the wins that we would want, but the way we've been playing is the right way to play -- a lot better structure defensively."And goal-scoring is going to have to come by committee with our team. It's not one guy or two guys. ... When we have those two things going for us, I think we're a pretty good team." As a goaltender, Montreal's Carey Price can appreciate the improved defensive performance."I think we're playing ... well, I know we're playing better on our side of the puck," Price said. "We're getting on top of their forwards coming back. It's all about just commitment." Despite the lull that Montreal seems to be overcoming, the team is still in the middle of the Atlantic Division pack."There's ups and downs," winger Brendan Gallagher said. "We know how quickly you can move up, how quickly you can move down. You've just got to be able to handle that. What we went through the last few weeks wasn't enjoyable. We've got to learn from it." On Sunday, Montreal recalled forward Riley Barber, a Pittsburgh area native who led Laval of the American Hockey League with 18 points in 21 games.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:38 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 7:38 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-129
|
-1.5 (+189)
|
Over 5.5 (-111)
|
|
|
+117
|
+1.5 (-214)
|
Under 5.5 (-101)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:08 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 8:08 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+143
|
+1.5 (-172)
|
Over 5.5 (+117)
|
|
|
-159
|
-1.5 (+154)
|
Under 5.5 (-131)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
The Minnesota Wild will look to start a new point streak when they play the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night in Saint Paul, Minn.The Wild had their 11-game point streak (8-0-3) snapped in a 6-2 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters after the loss that the Wild can't afford to relax, despite their recent climb in the Central Division standings."We did that 11-game thing to get even, not to advance," Boudreau said. "Now we push forward, and you've got to win two out of three if you want to succeed." Both teams hope to get more out of their special teams.Anaheim came into the week 30th in the league in power-play efficiency (10.5). On the penalty kill, the Wild were 21st (78.6) and the Ducks were 24th (76.8)."We've got to get our special teams straightened out, and we can't allow goals," Boudreau said. "We've got to start scoring to get the advantage. That's what you have to do to win." Anaheim's shortcomings on special teams were in full effect in a 3-2 loss at the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday afternoon.The Jets broke a 2-2 tie with a power-play goal with 4:22 left in the third period. The Ducks also failed to capitalize on their two power plays."You can't get out-special teamed in this league," Ducks coach Dallas Eakins told reporters afterward.The Ducks haven't won two in a row since Oct. 29 and Nov. 1, and their lone three-game winning streak came in the first three games of the season, yet they entered Monday just six points outside of the final playoff spot from the Western Conference.Despite their 11-game point streak, the Wild also remain outside the top eight in the West.The Wild are also short some key players.Goalie Devan Dubnyk has missed the past 10 games while tending to his wife, Jennifer, who is undergoing undisclosed medical tests. He won't be available against the Ducks.Neither will defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who has missed the past two games with a hand injury and will likely remain sidelined until next week.Minnesota also played the past two games without center Mikko Koivu, who has a lower-body injury. Koivu is eligible to come off injured reserve on Tuesday, but his status for the Ducks was still undetermined following practice on Monday."We miss them, there's no doubt," Boudreau said. "But the next guys got to come up and get the job done." The Ducks lost left wing Nick Ritchie to a sprained MCL in his left knee during a 3-2 loss to the visiting Washington Capitals on Friday. He is expected to miss 6 to 10 weeks.Max Comtois, who served as a healthy scratch against Washington after getting recalled earlier in the week from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, will likely continue to fill Ritchie's spot in the lineup. Comtois played 13:52 against the Jets and had four hits and two shots on goal.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:08 PM EST |
|
12/10/2019 8:08 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+152
|
+1.5 (-163)
|
Over 6.5 (+105)
|
|
|
-169
|
-1.5 (+146)
|
Under 6.5 (-118)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Following a welcomed offensive breakout, the Nashville Predators could be in for another productive night with the defensively challenged San Jose Sharks in town.Looking to win consecutive home games for the first time since late October, the Predators try to hand the reeling Sharks a fifth straight defeat on Tuesday night.After scoring twice in its previous two games combined and failing to score more than three times in five straight contests, Nashville matched a season high for goals with its 6-4 home win over New Jersey on Saturday. Nick Bonino (11 goals), Dante Fabbro and Rocco Grimaldi each had a goal with an assist and Filip Forsberg scored his 11th of the season for the Predators, who are still near the bottom of the Western Conference but are 4-1-2 in the last seven.Nashville is also 2-0-2 at home since an 0-4-1 slide there, and received a jolt following its latest offensive effort. The Predators last won two straight at home during a four-game winning streak from Oct. 22-29."It's a big confidence boost for our team," Fabbro told the Predators' official website. "If we just continue to work hard and pursue offense, it's going to keep coming. We've got a talented group here. We just have to keep working hard." Though Nashville still ranks in the bottom half of the league allowing an average of 3.3 goals, it's facing a San Jose squad that's even worse in that department. The Sharks are giving up 3.5 goals per game and fell 5-2 at Nashville on Oct. 8. Defenseman Roman Josi scored twice, Fabbro and Forsberg each had a goal and Pekka Rinne made 33 saves for the Predators in that win.Though the Sharks' defense was stingier during a 2-1 home shootout victory over Nashville on Nov. 9, they've been outscored 20-6 while going 0-3-1 in December. San Jose was roughed up 5-1 at Florida on Sunday -- falling to 0-2-1 on its four-game trip. It came one night after a 7-1 loss at Tampa Bay."We've just got to tighten up our game," rookie defenseman Mario Ferraro told the Sharks' official website. "It's not easy on the road. We've had some tough games, but we've still got a big one in Nashville that we want to make sure we finish off strong." San Jose goaltender Martin Jones has allowed 13 goals on 76 shots (.829 save percentage) while losing his last three starts. He's 1-1-0 with a 2.45 goals-against average against the Predators this season. Backup Aaron Dell made 39 saves during a 7-1 loss in his lone career start versus Nashville on Feb. 22, 2018.Rinne has yielded seven goals in his last two starts, but has a 1.42 goals-against average during a seven-game home winning streak against the Sharks. Backup Juuse Saros made 31 saves at San Jose last month.Forsberg has six goals with seven assists during a seven-game point streak against San Jose.The Sharks' Tomas Hertl (10 goals) scored against Nashville last month as part of a five-game goal streak. However, he's failed to score in the ensuing eight games for San Jose, which lost five in a row from Oct. 25-Nov. 2.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
|
| | | |
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