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NFL |
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12/8/2019 |
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FOUND
14
GAMES |
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COMING
UP
1:00 PM EST |
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12/8/2019 1:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+164
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+3.5 (-107)
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Over 47 (-117)
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-183
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-3.5 (-103)
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Under 47 (+105)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019ATLANTA Former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White says he tells players, “You're always being evaluated, whether you're winning or losing. ”The same is true for NFL coaches. Panthers interim coach Perry Fewell begins his audition for the full-time position when Carolina visits Atlanta, where Falcons coach Dan Quinn's status is uncertain, on Sunday. “It gives me an opportunity to prove it, and it gives our players an opportunity to prove it,” said Fewell, who took over for the fired Ron Rivera on Tuesday. “That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to go out and prove that we can win a football game this Sunday, and then we will move to the next objective. " The Falcons (3-9) have been eliminated from playoff contention. Quinn took the Falcons to the Super Bowl in 2016 and another playoff berth the following year. This season will be his second straight with a losing record. White, the Falcons' all-time leader in receptions, will be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor on Sunday. His 11 seasons with Atlanta included Quinn's 2015 debut season. “I think Dan is a good coach," White said Wednesday. “I really have respect for him and the things he's done for our organization. " White is an assistant coach at Johns Creek High School in the Atlanta area. He said he has “zero" interest in becoming an NFL coach. One reason is the instability of what he said is “a win-now league. " The latest example of impatience came when Panthers owner David Tepper fired Rivera, who has the most wins of any coach in Carolina history (76-63-1 in the regular season). Fewell was Carolina's secondary coach before being named interim coach. Four straight losses left the Panthers (5-7) on the brink of elimination from the playoff race and prompted Tepper to move on from Rivera so he could begin searching for the next coach. Fewell was interim coach in Buffalo in 2009. “It helps that I’ve done this before," he said. “I have this experience, so I know where to go, what to do and how to do it. ”Quinn has been unable to fix such nagging problems as a poor running game, leaky protection for quarterback Matt Ryan and an inconsistent pass rush. Ryan was sacked nine times in last week's 26-18 loss to New Orleans. One of Atlanta's few 2019 highlights was a 29-3 win at Carolina on Nov. 17, leaving Quinn 7-2 in the series. The Falcons hope that sweeping the season series with the Panthers could be the start of a strong finish to a disappointing season. It's not known if that would be enough to save Quinn's job. NEW TURNER IN CHARGEBuried in the news of Rivera's firing was that Tepper promoted quarterbacks coach Scott Turner to offensive coordinator and play caller. Turner replaces his father, Norv, who was removed from the role and will serve as assistant to the head coach. There won't likely be wholesale changes to the Panthers' offense, but Scott Turner will hope to be more successful than his dad in the red zone. Carolina's struggles near the goal line were a big factor in four losses this season. HOPE FOR JULIOFalcons wide receiver Julio Jones returned to practice this week after missing last week's game with a shoulder injury. It was the first game Jones missed since 2016. He hasn't had a touchdown catch since Week 3. Jones' expected return would come one week after running back Devonta Freeman made his return after missing two games with a sprained foot. ALLEN REMAINS AT QBFewell announced season-ending foot surgery for Cam Newton this week. There has been no talk of playing third-round draft pick Will Grier, and Fewell said the Panthers will stick with second-year quarterback Kyle Allen against Atlanta. Allen is 5-5 as a starter, but has lost five of his last six starts. He threw four interceptions and was sacked five times in last month's loss to the Falcons. STILL UPBEATRyan said the Falcons haven't given up on the season. “I think the mindset has been good," he said. “We’ve got a good group of guys in this building that are committed to one another and committed to trying to play well for one another. " RUN DEFENSEThe Panthers' poor run defense helped lead to Rivera's exit. Defensive coordinator Eric Washington is expected to take over the play calls against Atlanta with some input from Fewell. Significant improvement may be difficult with defensive tackles Dontari Poe and Kawann Short on injured reserve. The Panthers are allowing 137. 5 yards per game on the ground and have surrendered a league-high 22 touchdowns rushing. That could be good news for Freeman, who is still looking for his first rushing TD of the season. Carolina has also allowed 18 run plays of 20 or more yards. --- Sports Writer Steve Reed in Charlotte, North Carolina, contributed to this report. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
 Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
1:00 PM EST |
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12/8/2019 1:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-263
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-6 (-109)
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Over 44 (+106)
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+229
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+6 (-101)
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Under 44 (-118)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019ORCHARD PARK, N. Y. Appreciating how difficult it is to contain Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens' bull-dozing offensive attack, Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips was put at ease watching TV last weekend. After averaging 405 yards offense and 36 points in winning their previous seven games, the Ravens hit a speed bump in the form of the San Francisco 49ers. Though Baltimore eked out a 20-17 win on a rainy, windy afternoon on Justin Tucker's 49-yard field goal as time expired, Phillips took note how the 49ers limited Baltimore to 283 yards offense, including 125 in the second half. ''When San Fran's defense got going, that's all I needed to see,'' Phillips said. ''That put things in perspective. '' If the NFL's top-ranked defense could put a dent in the run-and-gunning Ravens (10-2), then why not the Bills (9-3) on Sunday, when the two AFC playoff contenders meet at Buffalo. ''We're built for an offense like this,'' Phillips said of a defense that's allowed the third-fewest yards in the NFL this season. ''Now, we just have to go out there and execute. Simple as that. '' Simple might not be the operative word when confronting Jackson's dynamic ability. The second-year starter leads the league with 32 touchdowns (25 passing) and oversees an offense that has scored a league-leading 49 TDs. Baltimore has an opportunity to become the first in NFL history to finish a season averaging both 200 yards rushing and passing. The Bills defense appears to have cleaned up its issues against the run. Since allowing 492 yards over a three-game stretch, Buffalo has given up 211 - including 103 in a 26-15 victory at Dallas on Thanksgiving Day - in winning its past three. Promising as that might sound, defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier knows he's got his hands full in preparing to face a quarterback he compares to Michael Vick. ''Once he got out in the open field, there was really no catching Michael,'' Frazier said. ''And it's similar when you're watching Lamar. '' Frazier is also familiar with Ravens coach John Harbaugh; the two spent time together on Andy Reid's staff in Philadelphia. Frazier sees the Ravens adopting Harbaugh's aggressive mentality. ''It seems like they have a ton of confidence in their ability to run the ball on anybody,'' Frazier said. ''They play with a bravado about them, and I'm sure that has a lot to with their head coach. '' Harbaugh's confidence in Jackson was apparent when asked whether he believes any defense can stop him. ''Well, I don't know what it means exactly,'' Harbaugh said. ''If it means that they're going to solve him as a player or shut him down, no. I don't think that'll ever happen until he retires, because he's that good. '' The challenge, Harbaugh said, is continuing to adapt his offense to stay a step ahead of opposing defenses. A number of things to look out for in a game that also features Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who was selected seventh overall in the 2018 draft, 25 spots ahead of Jackson:CLINCHING SCENARIOSThe Ravens can clinch the AFC North with a win and a Steelers loss or tie. They can also clinch with a tie and Steelers loss. The Bills can clinch their second playoff berth in three years with a win and an Oakland loss or tie, an Indianapolis loss or tie, and a Houston loss. LAMAR LAMENTSJackson recalled playing cornerback in youth football when he was burned by Bills rookie running back Devin Singletary. ''He was like a little stocky, cocky running back and I'm like `I'm not about to hit him by myself,' so I tried to brush him off, and he just ran up the sideline and scored,'' Jackson said. Bills coach Sean McDermott laughed upon hearing the story, and said: ''? think if Lamar's playing corner, we'd be better off. '' SELDOM USEDRavens punter Sam Koch hasn't seen much action. With Jackson guiding a relentless offense and Baltimore going for it on fourth down 19 times, Koch has only 24 punts this year. That doesn't mean he's been taking it easy. One of his two punts last week was downed at the 1 by Chris Moore. Koch also serves as holder for Tucker, who hit two field-goal and two extra-point attempts. KICKING CONCERNSMcDermott confirmed a report by NFL. com of the Bills placing a waiver claim for kicker Chase McLaughlin, only to lose out to Indianapolis, which was higher in the claim order. McDermott denied the team's interest in McLaughlin reflected concerns in kicker Stephen Hauschka, who missed a 50-yard field goal and extra point at Dallas. ''It's just like any position, us continuing to try to add a player to our team that we feel could help us,'' McDermott said. CLOSE CALLAfter winning five straight by a combined 202-62 margin, the Ravens had to squeeze past San Francisco. Baltimore held the ball for the final 6 1/2 minutes before Tucker's field goal. The 3-point margin of victory was the smallest for Baltimore this year. ''These games are needed,'' defensive tackle Michael Pierce said. ''When you're trying to go on a run and get to the playoffs, you never expect a blowout. You need to be in those tight games to see how players respond at some point. '' --- Sports Writer David Ginsburg contributed to this report. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
1:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 1:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+273
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+7.5 (-117)
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Over 42.5 (+104)
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|
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-319
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-7.5 (+106)
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Under 42.5 (-115)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019CLEVELAND Their margin for error is completely gone, and with one more loss, the Cleveland Browns can say goodbye to their playoff hopes as well. They may have already. Another demoralizing setback last week in Pittsburgh has left the Browns with no option but to win their final four games - starting with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday - to have any chance of ending a 17-year postseason drought, the NFL's current longest dry spell. December was supposed to be the Browns' runway to the playoffs. Instead, it might be a dead end. ''We have to buckle down and win each game from here on out,'' said quarterback Baker Mayfield, who suffered a bruised right throwing hand last week. ''It is just plain and simple. We can't have any slip-ups and we have to win. '' This season that offered such promise after so many dreadful ones in Cleveland has plummeted, leaving the Browns (5-7) to ponder what might have been. ''For everybody there's been a lot of disappointment,'' said star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. , who hasn't had nearly the impact forecast when he arrived via trade in March. ''There's areas that we expected more of ourselves, not like we didn't know we were going to have to go out and work for it, but we just expected it, and we were willing to go get it. We just didn't get it. '' For the Bengals (1-11), there's a glimmer amid gloom. Seemingly on their way to an 0-16 season, they ended the longest losing in franchise history last week by beating the New York Jets 22-6. Cincinnati's return to the win column coincided with quarterback Andy Dalton's return to the starting lineup. The veteran was benched three games by first-year coach Zac Taylor, but Dalton put his hurt feelings aside and showed he's still got some magic inside his orange-and-black striped helmet. Dalton's hoping to conjure some more over the final four weeks. ''You have to have confidence in yourself,'' he said. ''Confidence is contagious. It's one of those things where, if you practice well, if you go into the week, guys are in the right spots, you're talking about everything, you're giving everyone else confidence that you're going to get a win on Sunday. ''That's the way I'm going to go about practicing for these last four games and these last four weeks and do whatever we can to make sure guys are feeling good for the games on Sundays. '' HANDY MANMayfield's expected to play despite the hand injury, which he sustained when he smashed it on the facemask of a Steelers player last week. The second-year QB didn't throw until Thursday, and said he'd like to play without wearing a glove as he did in the second half on Sunday. Mayfield's had an uneven second season - he led the league in interceptions through seven weeks - but it hasn't changed the Browns feeling that he'll develop into an elite player. ''He is a tremendous football player - competitor, smart, tough, has a rare competitive quality and a rare want to be great,'' said offensive coordinator Todd Monken. ''. . . in my mind, we have the right guy going forward. '' ROSS RETURNSWide receiver John Ross returns this week after missing eight games with a shoulder injury, giving the Bengals a much-needed playmaker. Cincinnati has lacked a deep threat most of the season with A. J. Green sidelined by an ankle surgery and Ross can fill the void. He had touchdown catches of 33, 55 and 66 yards in the first two games, the start of what he'd hoped was a breakout season. Ross got to work with Dalton on the scout team for two weeks while he was getting back into shape. Games will be a different, but welcomed experience. ''It's hard to simulate a game during practice because there's only so many things you can do,'' Ross said. ''It's not full-speed tackling and things like that. So I think that's something I'm going to have to adjust to real quick. '' ROOKIE MATCHUPFor just the second time, the ''Battle of Ohio'' will feature two rookie coaches with Taylor matched up against Browns coach Freddie Kitchens. The only other time it happened was in 1984, when Cleveland's Marty Schottenheimer was opposite Cincinnati's Sam Wyche, who five years later provided one of the most memorable moments in the rivalry's history when he scolded Bengals fans for throwing objects on the field by reminding them, ''You don't live in Cleveland. RISING DEFENSECincinnati's defense is coming off its best three-game stretch of the season, allowing no more than 17 points in any game. The biggest improvement has been on the line, which was shoved around earlier this season. End Carlos Dunlap tied his career high with three sacks of Sam Darnold in last week's breakthrough win. The Bengals are on their fourth defensive coordinator in four years, which contributed to some of the issues earlier this season. ''We're settling into each other I think,'' coordinator Lou Anarumo said. ''I've had no issues and no complaints with the guys all year. They are executing a whole lot better of late. '' BAD KARMAA loss would relegate the Bengals to last place alone in the AFC North for the second year in a row. They haven't finished last in consecutive seasons since 2001-02. They've lost 13 of 14 overall and 18 of 20, including nine straight division games since a 34-23 win over Baltimore on Sept 13, 2018. They were swept by the Browns last season, and a loss would give them three straight against Cleveland for the first time since 2001-02. --- Sports Writer Joe Kay in Cincinnati contributed. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
1:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 1:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
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|
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+583
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+13 (-106)
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Over 41.5 (-111)
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-776
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-13 (-104)
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Under 41.5 (+100)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019GREEN BAY, Wis. The Washington Redskins this week prepared to face Aaron Rodgers by having backup quarterback Case Keenum try to do his best imitation of the two-time MVP in practice. Even mimicking the voice inflections and cadences Rodgers often uses to draw opposing defenders offside and earn free plays. ''We try to mirror that,'' interim coach Bill Callahan said. The Redskins (3-9) look to extend their winning streak to three games Sunday when they face Rodgers and the Packers (9-3) in their first-ever December trip to Lambeau Field, a place Rodgers has been absolutely dominant over his career. Rodgers has led Green Bay to a 16-3-1 record in his last 20 starts at home, with a passer rating of 100-plus in 11 of those games, including the first perfect passer rating (158. 3) of his career in a Week 7 win over Oakland. Rodgers has been especially good in the cold. He has a career passer rating of 111. 2 in regular-season home games in December and January, ranking No. 1 in NFL history (minimum 200 pass attempts). ''The cold is a factor,'' he said. ''It's not like we're a bunch of Wisconsin folks who were raised here, but I think you just learn to deal with the elements a little bit better. You're spending eight months a year here. When I go back to California, I laugh at all the Californians wearing long sleeves and coats in 60-degree weather. I'm thinking, `Man, this is short weather, short sleeves, you know? Get the Speedo out or something, baby. '' 'The forecast in Green Bay on Sunday says it will be cloudy with a high around 40 degrees, which shouldn't be an issue for Washington rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins, a New Jersey native. ''Having played in the Big Ten, I've played some cold games,'' said Haskins, who will make his fifth career start. ''Try to stay as warm as possible - hand warmers, turtlenecks, soup, chicken broth. All of that. '' PEP IN THEIR STEPAfter an 0-5 start cost coach Jay Gruden his job, Washington has gone 3-4 under interim coach Bill Callahan, including two consecutive victories. Because they play in the terrible NFC East, the Redskins are somehow both technically still alive for a playoff berth - spoiler: that's not happening - and in line for the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft. Going from 1-9 to 3-9 had an effect on the mood in the locker room. ''Winning some games definitely brings some energy and it makes everyone have a little more pep in their step,'' Haskins said. ''We want to continue to win and we're working hard to figure it out. '' FAMILIAR FOEPackers outside linebacker Preston Smith was drafted by Washington in 2015 and played his first four seasons there, averaging about six sacks per game. This season, after joining Green Bay in free agency, Smith leads the Packers with 10 1/2 sacks. ''He's had tremendous impact, obviously,'' coach Matt LaFleur said of Smith. ''You're talking about a guy that's got over 10 sacks, and just not only from his play, but from a leadership standpoint as well, I think he's done a great job. He is one of the leaders on this football team, definitely holds himself to a high standard and those around him to it as well. '' RUN, RUN, RUNAdrian Peterson is moving up the NFL's career rushing chart, now just 40 yards from becoming the sixth player in league history to reach 14,000. Derrius Guice is at the opposite end of his career, getting his first 100-yard game and first rushing touchdown - two, actually - last week. They give the Redskins quite a ''two-headed monster'' in the backfield, as Guice put it after he ran for 129 yards on only 10 carries and Peterson gained 99 against Carolina in Week 13. With Haskins still learning his way, Callahan is happy to emphasize the run, and so Washington could seek to do more of the same against Green Bay, which ranks 25th in the 32-team league, allowing opponents to run for an average of 123 yards each game. ''They're both consistent, durable, tough, powerful-type runners,'' Callahan said about Peterson, who is 34, and Guice, 22, ''but elusive enough where they can make people miss and also capable springing off explosive runs. '' MOST VALUABLE PUNTERIt is both a measure of how good punter Tress Way has been and just how bad the Redskins are that he might very well be their MVP this season. Way's 49. 9 yards per punt lead the NFL by nearly two full yards; for comparison's sake, Green Bay's JK Scott is averaging 45. Way also ranks No. 1 in the league this season with a 44. 4 net average. He was chosen for NFC special teams player of the week honors after dropping a pair of punts inside the 20-yard line while also kicking a season-best 79-yarder in Washington's 29-21 victory at Carolina last Sunday. RETURNING TO FORMGreen Bay's Davante Adams scored a season-high two touchdowns last week in his fourth game back from a turf toe injury. The two-time Pro Bowl receiver now has three scores in the last two games after being held out of the end zone in his first six games this season. ''It's been good to find the end zone a couple times the past few weeks,'' Adams said. ''But at the end of the day, I try to get in the end zone to help the team win. If I score one touchdown or two or zero, I'm not really worried about it. I would love to get in the end zone, obviously, but it's about that ultimate team goal to get the W. So if other guys are getting in and we're putting points on the board, that's all that matters. '' Since 2016, Adams ranks in the top five among active players in touchdown receptions at home with 16. ---Follow Keith Jenkins on Twitter: https://twitter. com/MrKeithJenkins---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
1:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 1:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+117
|
+2.5 (-109)
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Over 44.5 (-106)
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-129
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-2.5 (-101)
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Under 44.5 (-105)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019PITTSBURGH Stefan Noesen called his first NHL goal in nearly nine months luck. Not really. The veteran forward spent an uncertain offseason following an uneven tenure in New Jersey looking for a job before signing a minor-league contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Yet rather than sulk about being forced to play in the American Hockey League after five seasons in the big time, Noesen went to work. He had 14 goals in 22 games, earning a call-up on Monday to help the injury ravaged Penguins. The boost arrived late in the second period against St. Louis on Wednesday, when Noesen camped in front of Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington and slammed home a rebound off Jared McCann's shot to help propel Pittsburgh to a 3-0 victory. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan called it a “Patric Hornqvist-type" goal, a nod to the injured forward who's carved out a career by being a nuisance in front of the opposing net. It's a compliment Noesen will greedily accept if it keeps him in Pittsburgh for an extended period. “Here it seems like you have a little bit longer of a leash in a sense. ," Noesen said. “Whenever you're able to do that and make plays, you don't have to hold your stick as tight. I get to be me. ”Tristan Jarry stopped 28 shots to post his third career shutout as the Penguins drew a measure of revenge after getting blown out by the defending Stanley Cup champions last weekend by snapping the Blues' 10-game road point streak. “He was terrific," Sullivan said of Jarry, who has won four of his last five starts. “He made some big saves for us throughout the course of the game. He was good on our penalty kill . . . I think he was playing with a lot of confidence. ”Teddy Blueger scored 39 seconds into the game to give the Penguins the early lead and Alex Galchenyuk's second of the season early in the third period gave Jarry all the cushion he would need. Jordan Binnington finished with 30 saves for St. Louis, but the Blues couldn't quite match the franchise record 11-game road point streak set during the 1999-2000 season. “We gave up too many chances," St. Louis coach Craig Berube said. “We had chances, but their goalie was good. In the end we didn't deserve to win the game. We didn't come out with enough urgency in the game and they made us pay for it. That's basically what it boils down to. ”The Penguins are playing with a patchwork lineup missing a handful - actually more than a handful - of key contributors. Forwards Sidney Crosby, Nick Bjugstad, Bryan Rust and Hornqvist and defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Justin Schultz all out of the lineup due to injuries and defenseman Jack Johnson was a late scratch after falling ill before the opening faceoff. Pittsburgh, however, survived thanks in large part to Jarry, who withstood a major second-period push from the Blues to hand St. Louis its first regulation road loss since Oct. 26. Some responsible play in front of him helped as Pittsburgh's defense rarely let the Blues get opportunities from in close. “I think everyone is buying in to the team concept," Sullivan said. "When we do that, we can win on any given night regardless of who is in the lineup. ”Blueger gave the Penguins the early lead when he deflected Marcus Pettersson's point shot over Binnington's left shoulder for his third of the season and first since Oct. 22. Pittsburgh peppered Binnington relentlessly but Binnington hung in there and St. Louis responded with sustained pressure in the second against a group of Penguins defensemen that included Chad Ruhwedel, Juuso Riikola and Zach Trotman - who had played 25 games combined coming in. Jarry put together a series of sharp saves to preserve the lead and Noesen's late tally with just 39 seconds left in the second provided a jolt from which the Blues couldn't recover. “It changes the game, kind of,"Binnington said. “I have to do a better job of sealing the net there and not letting any in. ”Galchenyuk, who had scored just once in his first 18 games with Pittsburgh after being acquired from Arizona in a blockbuster offseason trade in exchange for popular forward Phil Kessel, broke in alone on Binnington and stuffed the puck over Binnington's blocker 4:59 into the third. NOTES: St. Louis scratched D Robert Bortuzzo and F Austin Poganski. . . . Rust skated on Wednesday morning and could be nearing a return after getting hurt during practice on Friday. . . . St. Louis went 0 for 4 on the power play. The Penguins were 0 for 5 with the man advantage. UP NEXTBlues: Hosts Toronto on Saturday. St. Louis won its first meeting with the Maple Leafs 3-2 on Oct. 7. Penguins: Faces Arizona on Friday night for the first time sending Kessel, who played a pivotal role in the Pittsburgh teams that won consecutive Stanley Cups in 2016 and 107, to the Coyotes in June.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
1:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 1:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+194
|
+5 (-107)
|
Over 46 (-107)
|
|
|
-219
|
-5 (-103)
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Under 46 (-104)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Miami Dolphins are in a much different spot than they were the last time they faced the New York Jets. Last month, they were one of the league's midseason laughingstocks, still looking for their first victory of the season. Then they went out and embarrassed the Jets 26-18. The Dolphins (3-9) could sweep the season series with a win Sunday at MetLife Stadium, adding another chapter to an AFC East rivalry that has lacked juice in recent seasons as both teams have struggled. “We’re really trying to find ourselves and improve, and we’ve only won three games this year, so there’s a lot of things internally that we’re just trying to focus on and fix and get better at," Fitzpatrick said. “Some of those questions and then historically and in the past, some things that have happened, that is not really our focus right now. We’re kind of hyper-focused on the now and getting ourselves better. ”The Dolphins have plenty of motivation in the season’s final month, even though they’ve been out of the playoff race for weeks, and each win hurts their chances of landing a franchise quarterback in next year’s draft. After an 0-7 start, Miami has won three of five games, including victories over playoff contenders Indianapolis and Philadelphia. “It just shows that we can compete with anybody and we can beat really good teams,?? first-round draft pick Christian Wilkins said. “We will keep building. I know that this might not be the season that we wanted, or the fans wanted, but winning gives us a little extra sense of motivation. " Meanwhile, the Jets (4-8) are in a similar spot as the Dolphins in what has been a season marked by inconsistency, injuries and humiliating losses. New York had its three-game winning streak stopped last week with a 22-6 loss to previously winless Cincinnati. If the loss to Miami on Nov. 3 was tough to swallow, that one was even worse. The Jets became the first team in NFL history to lose to two teams that were 0-7 or worse in the same season. “It’s frustrating, obviously,” running back Le'Veon Bell said, "but we have to find a way to get better. ”The Jets had scored 34 points in each of their previous three games - all wins - but couldn't get anything going against the Bengals. They were called for 10 penalties, including seven on the offensive line, and quarterback Sam Darnold was hurt by several drops. “I think, for us, it was too many penalties,” Darnold said. “For me, I have to hit my guys, I have to be more accurate. I felt like we couldn’t get into a rhythm and it hurt us. . . . We didn’t come out flat, that wasn’t an issue for us. It was really just a matter of executing, which was the issue. ”ABSENT ADAMS? Jets safety Jamal Adams appears likely to miss the first game of his three-year NFL career because of a sprained left ankle. Adams was hurt early in the game at Cincinnati, but pushed through it and wasn't his usual playmaking self. He has been one of New York's bright spots this season and his absence would have a big impact on the defense. Marcus Maye would likely slide into Adams' strong safety spot, with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams trying to use a combination of Blake Countess, Bennett Jackson and Matthias Farley, if he's healthy, in the other spot. IMPROVINGFitzpatrick threw last week for a season-high 365 yards, and in the past five games has passed for 902 yards and five scores. Fitzpatrick said despite the Dolphins’ record, his first season in Miami has been a positive experience. “I feel like I’m better now than I’ve ever been,” said Fitzpatrick, who turned 37 last month. “In terms of what I’m doing and my focus and preparation and going out there with the group I have, my confidence is at an all-time high in terms of all that stuff. ”CASHING INThe Dolphins still rank last in the NFL in yards per play. But lately, when they do get a chance to score, they’re taking advantage. Miami is third in the league with a red zone touchdown conversion rate of 68%. In the first four games, the Dolphins were at 17%. Since Week 6, they’re at 80%, which ranks first in the league during that span. “It’s practice and execution, and players making plays in those situations,” coach Brian Flores said. “Look, in the red zone in this league, the field is condensed so you have to make good throws, you have to make good catches in tight coverage. Players have to go up and make plays. We’ve had that. ”STILL STINGYThe Jets remain the toughest defense to run against, allowing an NFL-low 75. 3 yards rushing per game and just 2. 89 yards per carry. New York is also leading the league with 98 tackles for no gain or negative yardage, excluding kneel-downs, according to Radar360. The next closest is Tampa Bay with 71. Only one player has rushed for 100 yards or more against the Jets this season: Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott, who had 105 in Week 6. --- Sports Writer Steven Wine in Davie, Florida, contributed to this report. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
1:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 1:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+155
|
+3 (+107)
|
Over 47.5 (+101)
|
|
|
-173
|
-3 (-118)
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Under 47.5 (-112)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019TAMPA, Fla. The Indianapolis Colts know what it takes to thrive under the pressure of a race for a playoff berth. The young Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to learn. A year after staging a torrid stretch run to make the postseason in their first season under coach Frank Reich, the Colts (6-6) find themselves in a familiar position of needing to win their last four games to give themselves a good shot at earning another berth. The Bucs (5-7) have won three of four following a 2-6 start and vow to keep fighting until they are mathematically eliminated from contention. “They’re a team that’s in the same situation as us,” Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said. “It’s a one-game season. ”The Colts know all about that after overcoming a 1-5 start last season by winning nine of their last 10 - including four straight down the stretch in December - to grab an AFC wild-card berth. Jacoby Brissett is quarterback this year instead of the retired Andrew Luck, but the challenge remains the same as Indianapolis tries to right itself after dropping four of five to fall from first to third place in the AFC South. “Obviously, we would have liked not to be in that position again, but we’re here and we know we have to win games,” Colts tackle Anthony Castonzo said. “Frank (Reich) did a good job speaking about that and what you did to this point doesn’t matter. You can’t rely on any of that information in the future. . . . I know everybody on this team is committed to playing one week at a time,” center Ryan Kelly added. “Obviously, we have a tough four games ahead, but if you take it one game at a time, you’ll be fine. ”Arians, the former Cardinals coach who also led Indianapolis to the playoffs as interim coach for 12 games in 2012, said the Bucs will benefit from a strong finish - even if it doesn’t produce Tampa Bay’s first playoff in 12 years. “We talked about it. . . . If you want to feel like you’re in the playoffs, you’re in it. Right now,” Arians said. “They are one-game seasons. You lose, you’re done. Then you play for fun. ”REICH'S RESPECTReich hasn't spent much time over the years around Bruce Arians. But he's heard plenty of stories about the longtime assistant and has plenty of respect for the man who earned the first of two coach of the year awards filling in for Indy coach Chuck Pagano in 2012. And Reich figures not much has changed as Arians completes his first season as Tampa Bay's head coach. "I guess there are guys like (Bill) Belichick where you're like, 'Don't try to be like him,'" Reich said. "You try and be like Bruce Arians. I could never pull that off, I don't know if anybody could from what I understand. You just know the players that play for him - they will die for him. " SHARING THE WEALTHThe Bucs defense is tied for fifth in the NFL with 21 takeaways. That’s four more than they had all of last season, when Tampa Bay ranked 22nd. Nine players have forced fumbles, eight have recovered an opposing team’s fumble, and eight have interceptions. The unit has also scored four touchdowns, compared to one in 2018. HILTON'S OBSTACLEFour-time Pro Bowl receiver T. Y. Hilton has missed four of the last five Colts games, and there's no guarantee he'll play this week, either. Hilton returned from a calf injury against Houston two weeks ago but sat out last week after aggravating the injury in practice. He did not work out Wednesday and with only four regular-season games left, some wonder if he'll make it back this season. "I'm doing everything I can to get back out there," Hilton said. "Ďf I can, I can and if I can't then I'm going to have to shut it down. But I'm doing everything I can. " Indy finished last week's game with only three healthy receivers after Chester Rogers suffered a season-ending knee injury on the Colts' opening series. Chad Williams was promoted from the practice squad earlier this week and the Colts could get more help if rookie Parris Campbell (hand) can play. IN HIS SIGHTSArians has not committed to making Jameis Winston the long-term answer at quarterback for the Bucs. Pro Bowl linebacker Darius Leonard thinks Winston has everything it takes to thrive in that role, though. The Colts' defensive leader provided his own scouting report, full of the intangibles he witnessed as the two worked out together during the offseason. "He can throw the ball," Leonard said. "I know what kind of guy he is, I know what kind of leader he is and he's throwing the ball to a lot of his receivers. He knows how to make a play down the field. He's definitely one of those great quarterbacks. " ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
1:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 1:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+330
|
+9.5 (-110)
|
Over 43 (-101)
|
|
|
-396
|
-9.5 (-100)
|
Under 43 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019HOUSTON It wasn't that long ago that Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was in the position Denver's Drew Lock is in now. Watson was thrust into the starting role after the season was underway as a rookie in 2017, just as Lock was last week for the Broncos. Watson made his debut in the middle of a game and won his first start the following week. Lock became Denver's third starter this season following Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen and led the Broncos to a win over the Chargers. Watson knows how important it is for a quarterback to get that first win on his resume. ''It's huge,'' Watson said. ''It builds a lot of confidence within that locker room, within yourself, and that's where it has to start, that confidence with yourself knowing that you can play at this level, you can win at this level, because it's hard to do, especially on a consistent basis. So, yeah, it just changes everything and everyone is in good spirits. '' Lock, a second-round pick in this year's draft out of Missouri, threw for 134 yards with two touchdowns and an interception on Sunday. Now that he knows he's the starter he feels like he can begin to take a more active role as a leader on the team. ''I can just . . . start being the face of these guys around here, especially in the huddle,'' he said. ''Just being able to show them a little bit more of me as a leader. Even out there on the field in the game, not necessarily practice, but even out on the field they saw a little bit of my confidence last week. I'm hoping that we can come out and play extremely well, and hopefully we can keep building confidence for everyone. '' The Texans are also feeling confident after getting their first win over the Patriots since 2010, a 28-22 victory last week. Watson threw three touchdown passes and had his first career TD reception on a trick play to lead Houston and earn his third AFC offensive player of the week award this season. Though Houston is feeling good after the big win, the Texans know they can't be overconfident as they chase their fourth AFC South title in five seasons. ''We don't want to have a letdown,'' Watson said. ''That's not the type of guys we have in that locker room, the leadership we have, we're not going to allow it. Denver is a great 4-8 team, if you want to look at the record, but we don't look at the record . . . you can't have no letups, because you will get embarrassed. '' MOBILITY AND MOXIEThe Broncos finally feel like they have a modern, mobile QB like Watson or Patrick Mahomes in Lock. Courtland Sutton and Phillip Lindsay suggest Lock not only brings the ability to freelance on broken plays but also a swag to the position that's been missing since Peyton Manning was under center four years ago. Lock is the seventh starting QB since Manning retired after Super Bowl 50. ''Drew can move us with his arm, he can move us with his legs. And that gives all of us confidence because when a play's broken, he can create something,'' Lindsay said. ''Actually, he created a couple (last) game that kept the drive alive. And that's what makes someone like Lamar Jackson or Deshaun Watson so great. They can make broken plays and they can score touchdowns or get first downs. '' DOUBLE-THREAT DUKEThe Texans have one of the league's best pass-catching running backs in Duke Johnson. The fifth-year player has 2,464 yards receiving and 1,671 yards rushing in his career and had a season-high five receptions for 54 yards last week. Watson said Johnson's versatility makes things difficult for the defense. ''You have to pick either you're going dime personnel and have a DB on him or you have to put one of the linebackers on him, and linebackers don't do too much covering,'' he said. ''They like to run fit and play zone coverage, they don't play a lot of man. So, he's a guy that's really a receiver playing running back, and he can do a lot of different things that can help us. '' KICKING & SCREAMINGCoach Vic Fangio says he and kicker Brandon McManus are good after his kicker threw a tantrum last week when he wasn't allowed to try an NFL-record 65-yard field goal just before halftime. McManus was summoned back to the sideline after trotting out for the try, ripped off his helmet and slammed it to the ground. ''At the time, I didn't know it went on until after the game. He wanted to go out there and try it, and I didn't think it was the right thing to do at that time,'' Fangio said. ''Part of the reason - a big part of the reason - was because it's been proven in the past with other kickers and possibly him, too, that if you take a big swing at one of those early in the game, it could affect your swing later in the game. I'm saying that's why he made the 52-and the (winning) 53-yarder because he didn't alter his swing for a 65-yarder. And the air was a little heavier than normal. '' McManus countered after the game: ''Does a Hail Mary change the way a quarterback throws the ball? '' That drew this retort from Fangio: ''There's proof in his career that it happened to him already. '' --- Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton contributed to this report. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
1:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 1:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+498
|
+13 (-106)
|
Over 43.5 (-105)
|
|
|
-641
|
-13 (-104)
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Under 43.5 (-106)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019MINNEOLIS The Minnesota Vikings brought back little to show from a trip to one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. Other than additional injuries to important players and perhaps some pride in a fourth-quarter rally in Seattle that fell a bit short, that is. There's a reward waiting for them at home, though, with a depleted Detroit Lions team toting a five-game losing streak. The Vikings will make the playoffs if they win out, and the last quarter of the season presents an unprecedented advantage. All three NFC North foes must play this month at U. S. Bank Stadium, where the Vikings are 5-0 this year and 23-7 in the regular season and postseason since it opened in 2016. Never before in team history have the Vikings had more than two intradivision home games stashed in the final four weeks of the schedule. The NFL first went to a divisional alignment in 1967. ''We need this one, and it's going to be really important the last quarter of the season, now that we're three-quarters of the way through, that we finish really strong,'' quarterback Kirk Cousins said. ''We've still got to go out and earn everything in front of us. '' Even with Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford likely to miss his fifth straight game to a back and hip injury, with undrafted rookie David Blough now manning the offense, the Vikings (8-4) ought not to relax about this game. The last time they played at home on Nov. 17, they fell behind 20-0 at halftime to a Denver team that's now 4-8, before furiously rallying for a 27-23 victory. In the third game of the 2018 season, as a 16 1/2-point favorite at home against a Buffalo team that finished 6-10, the Vikings never even began a comeback and fell 27-6. These Lions (3-8-1) have led in every game, and each of their losses during the streak have come by eight points or fewer. ''For us, there are positives in all of it and negatives in all of it,'' coach Matt Patricia said. ''You'd certainly rather be in close games than not close games, that's for sure. '' Prior to Minnesota's 42-30 win at Detroit on Oct. 20, the Lions lost by one point to Green Bay and by four points to Kansas City after leading both of those games with less than 30 seconds to go. ''They have highly paid, highly skilled players, and we barely beat them in Detroit. Barely,' ` Cousins said. ''You'd have to be pretty clueless to ever use the word `overlook' in terms of getting ready for this one. '' Blough performed admirably in his debut on Thanksgiving Day, passing for 280 yards and two touchdowns and one late interception against a stout Chicago defense to give the Lions a spark. ''It was fun to see the guys have my back and lifting me up,'' Blough said. Here's a closer look at the matchup on Sunday:RUDOLPH THE RED ZONE TARGETKyle Rudolph, who has nine touchdown receptions in 15 career games against the Lions, has six scores plus a 2-point conversion in the last six games for the Vikings. Cousins has grown increasingly comfortable throwing passes into tight windows to the ninth-year tight end, who has made a habit of one-handed grabs in the back of the end zone. ''I take a lot of pride in trying to make the quarterback right,'' Rudolph said. BRIGHT SPOT BOHampered by a knee injury to starter Kerryon Johnson, the Lions have given carries to seven running backs this season. Johnson has returned to practice, but Bo Scarbrough has been a bright spot for the offense in the meantime. ''You can see him breaking tackles at the first level, breaking tackles at the second level. He can finish the run and kind of have that punishing style,'' Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said. ''I think he's just kind of brought a little bit of the mentality that we're looking for, the blue-collar guy, the physical, punishing style that you'd like to play in this division. '' The Vikings just got done playing against that punishing kind of style, and they didn't fare well, allowing a season-most 218 rushing yards to the Seahawks on 43 attempts. ''You've always got to start with stopping the run. That's going to set you up for success,'' strong safety Harrison Smith said. BANGED-UP VIKINGSVikings wide receiver Adam Thielen has played only a handful of snaps in the five games since hurting his hamstring during a touchdown catch in the first quarter at Detroit. Coach Mike Zimmer said Thielen has ''a good opportunity'' to return Sunday, but if there's any question about his condition the Vikings will undoubtedly opt for caution and keep him on the sideline again. Running back Dalvin Cook is also uncertain for the game, having departed in Seattle in the third quarter, but his injury to the collarbone area is more about pain tolerance than risk of reinjury. ''I feel good, actually better than I expected,'' Cook said. ''I'll be out there. '' RARE AIRDetroit wide receiver Kenny Golladay has joined Hall of Famer Randy Moss as the only two players in the last 35 years to have at least 45 receptions, average 20-plus yards per catch and score nine receiving touchdowns or more through the first 12 games of the season. Golladay needs 50 yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight year and give the Lions a 1,000-yard receiver for the 10th consecutive season. SECONDARY, A PRIMARY CONCERNThe Vikings have been uncharacteristically vulnerable in pass defense this season, with two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Xavier Rhodes among the culprits. Golladay is far from the only downfield threat posed by the Lions, with Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola also needing to be accounted for. Jones had four touchdown receptions against the Vikings in the first matchup this year. --- More NFL coverage: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
4:05 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 4:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-175
|
-3 (-120)
|
Over 42 (-106)
|
|
|
+156
|
+3 (+108)
|
Under 42 (-105)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Close losses have defined the Los Angeles Chargers' season. The Jacksonville Jaguars would take one of those right now. The Jaguars (4-8) have been blown out in four straight, trailing by as many as 25, 32, 24 and 23 points in lopsided affairs that crushed the team's playoffs hopes and turned the final month of the season into an endless debate about the futures of coach Doug Marrone, personnel chief Tom Coughlin, general manager Dave Caldwell and quarterback Nick Foles. Jacksonville will try to end the skid Sunday at home against the Chargers (4-8), who have dropped three in a row. Each of those losses - just like the previous five - was by seven points or less. ''It's been tough,'' said Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who turns 38 on Sunday. ''Obviously, to be on the losing end of eight one-score games is tough. . . . It has been a tough go, but we have the fourth quarter (of the season) left. We can only control what we have left. '' Rivers has played a huge role in LA's problems. The veteran has 17 turnovers, including the second-most interceptions (15) in the league. But he could find refuge against Jacksonville, a team he's tormented over the years. Rivers has thrown for 2,354 yards and 21 touchdowns in eight career starts against the Jaguars. He has 13 TD passes and an interception in his last four against Jacksonville. ''He's a guy that if you make the small mistakes or if you're half a yard off your assignment, he's going to make you pay for it,'' Jaguars defensive tackle Abry Jones said. ''He's a guy that likes to talk a lot of trash and is always willing to back it up. I don't want to hear him talk all day, so we're going to have to go out there defensively and do our job. '' What kind of smack? ''Very wholesome, Godly talk,'' Jones added. ''Very impressive. I don't think I can go that long without cussing. '' The Jaguars have given fans reason to swear in recent weeks. The offensive line is a mess. The tight end situation is even worse. The defense can't stop the run and could be down four starters from the opener. Teammates had to be separated in the locker room following last week's home loss to Tampa Bay. Maybe rookie sensation Gardner Minshew will fix everything. Marrone benched Foles after three lackluster starts - he had twice as many turnovers (four) as touchdowns and was sacked eight times in 10 quarters - and switched back to Minshew for the remainder of the season. Minshew is considerably more mobile than Foles and is at his best while improvising. He has 14 touchdown passes and five interceptions, but also has lost seven of his 12 fumbles. ''He has done some really good things for a rookie,'' Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. ''It just seems like that team is inspired by him when he comes in the game. . . . It's not fluff. If you watch the tape, the guy makes plays. He extends plays, he's creative. He throws with some accuracy and he runs; he's mobile. '' Here are some other things to know about the Chargers and Jaguars:BRADLEY RETURNSFormer Jaguars coach Gus Bradley returns to Jacksonville for the second time in three seasons as the Chargers' defensive coordinator. Bradley still has a home and plenty of friends in Jacksonville. Marrone, defensive coordinator Todd Wash, tight ends coach Ron Middleton and assistant special teams coordinator Mike Mallory all worked under Bradley, who lost in overtime his first game back two years ago. ROOKIE STRUGGLESThe Chargers are allowing a league-low 259 yards from scrimmage since Week 6, but they are 0-2 against rookie quarterbacks. Pittsburgh's Devlin Hodges and Denver's Drew Lock won their first NFL starts against Los Angeles. Next rookie up: Minshew. END ZONE WATCHChargers reciever Mike Williams, who has at least one reception of 40 or more yards in five consecutive games, is still looking for his first touchdown of the season. It's an odd drought considering he had 11 touchdowns (10 receiving, one rushing) last year. CROSSING PATHSMarrone pretty much discovered Chargers veteran linebacker Thomas Davis. Marrone was Georgia's offensive line coach in 2000 when he was tasked with scouting a quarterback/free safety at Randolph Clay High in Cuthbert, Georgia. Marrone watched him play, invited him to camps, met his parents and ended up getting a commitment. ''You don't realize what they're going to be, but Thomas is a story that's one I'll always look back on and be really appreciative of, knowing how hard he's worked and what happened and how he's changed everything,'' said Marrone, who ended up leaving for Tennessee before Davis signed with the Bulldogs. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
4:25 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 4:25 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-123
|
-2.5 (+107)
|
Over 43.5 (-101)
|
|
|
+111
|
+2.5 (-118)
|
Under 43.5 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019GLENDALE, Ariz. The Arizona Cardinals have a No. 1 overall draft pick under center while the Pittsburgh Steelers have a guy named “Duck” throwing the ball around the field. Yet it's the Steelers who are making a playoff push. Pittsburgh (7-5) has won six of its past seven games heading into Sunday's road matchup against the Cardinals. It'll be the third start for Steelers quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges, a rookie free agent who has been steady for a team that relies heavily on its defense. Hodges threw for 212 yards, one touchdown and one interception in last week's win against Cleveland. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin expects more of the same against the Cardinals. “Football is the ultimate team game,” Tomlin said. “We try to live that out every day. When guys step up and deliver, it is just verification of it. ”The Cardinals (3-8-1) are stuck in a five-game losing streak and trying to bounce back from last weekend's 34-7 loss to the Rams, which was easily their worst effort of the season. Arizona is rebuilding this season, so the team has been mostly upbeat even after losses. But players and coaches have made it known that getting embarrassed at home by the Rams wasn't acceptable. The Cardinals were down 20-0 by halftime and were never particularly competitive. “Losing is losing, but that last game was a different type of losing," rookie quarterback Kyler Murray said. Murray, the top overall pick in April, has been good for most of the season. He's already set a franchise rookie record with 2,866 yards passing despite a tough game against the Rams. Most of the Cardinals problems are on defense, where they rank last in the NFL in total defense and passing defense. Los Angeles quarterback Jared Goff - who had been struggling for a few weeks - dominated the Cardinals for 424 yards passing and two touchdowns. Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury expects another tough challenge, even if Pittsburgh's offense hasn't put up huge numbers. Kingsbury had a short, nomadic career as an NFL quarterback, bouncing between teams over a couple of seasons before becoming a coach. He said Hodges is making the most of his opportunity. “I’ve been very impressed," Kingsbury said. “Having been in a similar situation, kind of that third-team practice-squad-type range, for him to step in and the poise he shows and protecting the football, you can tell those guys really play hard for him, and they believe in him. He moves around, makes some plays, and he’s been really sharp. " THREE'S A CROWDKingsbury was excited to have all three of the team's main running backs - Kenyan Drake, David Johnson and Chase Edmonds - healthy for the first time against the Rams on Sunday. But the Cardinals offense never got on track. Drake ran for 31 yards, Johnson ran for 15 and Edmonds didn't get a carry. Kingsbury said he still envisions a roll for all three against the Steelers. “The (Rams) game got away from us, got a little funky, and we got out of some things we wanted to do and went back to dropping back, which is not what we want to do in those situations,” Kingsbury said. "That’s why you have to stay on schedule and can’t get down 27-0 or whatever it was. ”YOUTH MOVEMENTIf the Cardinals are going to get better defending the pass, they'll have to do it with a bunch of young players. Arizona released veteran cornerback Tramaine Brock Sr. on Monday, which likely gives more playing time to Kevin Peterson and Chris Jones. Peterson is 25 and Jones is 24. The Cardinals also have three rookies in the secondary who get substantial playing time, including cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and safeties Jalen Thompson and Deionte Thompson. MO POUNCEY, NO PROBLEMSSteelers center Maurkice Pouncey returns to the lineup following a two-game suspension for his role in the brawl against Cleveland on Nov. 14. B. J. Finney filled in capably during Pouncey’s absence and Pittsburgh’s running game finally found some traction, topping 100 yards in consecutive contests for the first time this season. Pouncey said the unexpected break has the 10-year veteran feeling fresh heading into the home stretch. “I feel like this is the beginning of the year,” Pouncey said. “I’ve got a lot of energy. ”HEISMAN VS WALTERSunday's game will pit Murray, last year's Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma, against Hodges, who won the Walter Payton Award at Samford. The Walter Payton Award is given to the best offensive college player at the Football Championship Subdivision level. “Now that you mention it, it is pretty unique playing against the Heisman winner and being the Walter Payton winner, the Heisman of the FCS. It is going to be a fun game,” Hodges said. ONE-TWO PUNCHPittsburgh outside linebackers T. J. Watt and Bud Dupree have combined for 20˝ sacks through 12 games, the highest total by a Steelers’ linebacker tandem since LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison did it in 2008. Watt was the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November after getting 5˝ sacks last month. Watt has at least a half-sack in nine straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL. Dupree has been no slouch. His 8˝ sacks are a career high and his four forced fumbles are tied for fourth most in the NFL. Though Dupree typically plays on the left side and Watt on the right, Tomlin will occasionally have them flip to give offenses different looks. “They’re interchangeable in an effort to keep people off-balance and to give them something to think about,” Tomlin said. --- Sports Writer Will Graves in Pittsburgh contributed to this story. ---More NFL coverage: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
4:25 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 4:25 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-153
|
-3 (-102)
|
Over 47 (-107)
|
|
|
+138
|
+3 (-108)
|
Under 47 (-104)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019OAKLAND, Calif. The Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders are moving in opposite directions heading into a stretch run. The Titans (7-5) have won five of six games since switching to Ryan Tannehill at quarterback, turning a mediocre season into a promising one headed into Sunday's game against the struggling Oakland Raiders (6-6), who are one game behind Tennessee in the race for the final wild-card spot. ''I think guys kind of know what's at stake, know we need to win as many games as we possibly can to put ourselves in position to win the division and make this playoff run,'' Titans safety Kevin Byard said. ''So I think guys are going to be locked in. '' The Raiders are trying to get back to that form after back-to-back lopsided losses to the Jets and Kansas City, marking the first time since 1961 the team lost consecutive games by at least 30 points. Despite that, Oakland is only one game behind Tennessee and Pittsburgh in the race for the final wild-card spot and still has hope of making the final scheduled season in Oakland a successful one. ''We feel like we've played pretty good football all year,'' coach Jon Gruden said. 'We've had some ups and downs obviously, especially the last couple weeks. You know, we're 6-6. That's nothing to really brag about, but we're excited about progress. '' The Titans still have their sights set higher than the wild-card race. Tennessee trails Houston by one game in the AFC South but plays two of the final three games against the Texans, putting the division title in the Titans control. ''If you look ahead, at the end of the day if we lose this game now what's ahead doesn't really matter,'' four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jurrell Casey said. ''So we want to make sure to we take care of this game right now, keep ourselves in a good position. 'BAMA BACKSBoth teams rely heavily on the running game led by a pair of backs who played college ball at Alabama. Tennessee's Derrick Henry leads the NFL with 1,725 yards rushing over his past 16 games. He has 11 TD runs this season and leads all running backs with 31 runs of at least 10 yards. His counterpart in Oakland and successor at Alabama, Josh Jacobs, has been almost as effective his rookie season, ranking fourth in the NFL with 1,061 yards rushing so far. ''He's been doing that all these years I've been playing with him at 'Bama,'' said Titans linebacker Rashaan Evans, a teammate of Jacobs' at Alabama in 2016-17. ''It's going to be like another reunion and have a guy I been practicing against for three years and being able to now play against him is going to be definitely fun. '' ROUGH STRETCHThe Raiders' once efficient offense has stalled of late. Starting with a victory in Indianapolis in Week 4 and continuing through a home win against the Chargers in Week 10, the Raiders led the NFL in yards per play (6. 34) and ranked sixth in points per drive (2. 35). Over the past three weeks, the Raiders rank 18th in the league in yards per play (5. 14) and last in points per drive (0. 85). ''We've had a rough two weeks,'' quarterback Derek Carr said. ''I've had a rough two weeks. It's time to get back on track. '' STINGY DThe Titans started the season holding their first seven opponents to 20 points or less. Now they've gotten back on track the past two weeks, making nine games this season that Tennessee has held a team to 20 points or below. The Titans rank seventh in the NFL in scoring defense, giving up 19. 5 points a game. FINAL HOMESTANDAfter back-to-back road games in cold weather, the Raiders will be happy to come home for the final scheduled homestand at the Coliseum. The Raiders previously endured a seven-week stretch away from Oakland and will finish the season with road games against the Chargers and Broncos following next week's home finale against Jacksonville. The Raiders are set to move to Las Vegas next season. ''We do like playing at home like everybody else,'' Gruden said. ''We've been on the road more than anybody in the history of the world now. You know 45,000 miles of travel is a joke, and it's taken a toll on our team. I believe that. But it's good to be home, sleep in your own bed, play a home game, especially with the kind of fans that we have. '' Gruden did exaggerate slightly as the Raiders are traveling about 32,000 miles this season, most in the NFL. TANNEHILL'S ARMThe Titans have been leaning more and more on Henry since Tannehill took over as the starting quarterback. Even though the Titans aren't asking Tannehill to throw much, he's been very effective. Tannehill is second in the NFL with a 113. 9 passer rating, second to Drew Brees completing 72. 7 percent of his passes, and he's leading the NFL averaging 9. 1 yards per pass attempt. Since Tannehill moved into the lineup, the Titans are scoring 29. 7 points a game, second in the NFL behind only the Ravens (37) in that span. ''For him to come off the bench, that's a real hard thing to do - and earn the trust and respect of his whole team,'' Gruden said. ''He's been money at crunch time. '' --- Pro Football Writer Teresa Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
4:25 PM EST |
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12/8/2019 4:25 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+142
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+3 (-102)
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Over 49.5 (+102)
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-158
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-3 (-108)
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Under 49.5 (-114)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Chiefs coach Andy Reid's expectations are simple heading into Kansas City's latest matchup with the Patriots. ''I think they know us, and we know them. You get in and you battle,'' Reid said. That was exactly what the teams did in their two meetings last season. New England got a field goal from Stephen Gostkowski as time expired to escape with a 43-40 victory during the regular season. The Patriots then needed overtime to do it again in the AFC championship game, outlasting Kansas City in another shootout, 37-31 in Arrowhead Stadium. Another close game is expected for their latest matchup on Sunday, with playoff implications for both teams. New England (10-2) can extend its NFL record to 11 consecutive playoff berths with a win. Kansas City (8-4) can clinch the AFC West title with a win and Oakland loss. The two teams that have beaten the Patriots this season - Baltimore and Houston - both have dual-threat quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he sees similarities in how both of them attacked a New England defense that is allowing an NFL-low 12. 1 points per game. ''I think the biggest thing was when they had their opportunities, they hit them,'' Mahomes said. ''They're not going to give us a lot of opportunities, they're a very good defense and very sound with what they do. It's about taking what's there and when you get the big shot or the big play, you hit that and score touchdowns when you do. '' Coming off a week in which New England's defense gave up four passing touchdowns in its loss to the Texans - doubling its total allowed in 2019 - safety Devin McCourty said the challenge against the Chiefs will be keeping track of all their playmakers. ''It's almost like they don't win the same way each week. They just have so much talent. I think you see that all throughout the season,'' McCourty said. ''The threat of Mahomes is always there of running the ball, of rolling one way being able to throw the ball back across his body. . . . We got to see it last year twice of just his ability of being able to make plays. So, I think we know it, but with this team, the hardest thing is going out there and executing and playing to it. '' Keeping Kansas City out of the end zone will be even more imperative because of New England's ongoing issues on offense. The Jets, Dolphins and Broncos rank in bottom five in the NFL in points per game in 2019 but are all averaging more points than New England (18 ppg) since start of November. The Patriots went 2-2 last month. Brady's 88. 2 passer rating is also his worst since 2013. The 42-year-old quarterback has expressed his frustrations with the offense in recent weeks and acknowledged during his weekly appearance on Boston's WEEI radio that injuries have also affected their expectations. But it hasn't altered their resolve to fix their deficiencies. ''It's not like we haven't dealt with losses before,'' Brady said. ''I think a lot of it is about mental toughness and realizing that when you don't play well, you don't win. You're not supposed to win when you put less than your best out there. Sometimes you get away with it, and sometimes you don't. '' NEW CENTER? The Patriots could be dealing with another change on the offensive line. James Ferentz may get the start at center with Ted Karras recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the third quarter of last week's loss to Houston. Karras has started all 12 games this season in place of David Andrews, who is recovering from blood clots. Left tackle Isaiah Wynn also spent nine games on injured reserve with a foot injury. Ferentz said he'll be ready if called upon. ''Your job is to step in and that the train doesn't slow down,'' he said. ''We have a bunch of guys on this team that have embraced that role and I just try to keep up with those guys. '' MILESTONE WATCHBrady enters the week with 535 regular-season touchdown passes, the second most in NFL history. Peyton Manning holds record with 539. Drew Brees is third with 532. With 300 or more yards passing Brady will also have his 93rd 300-yard game, tying Manning for second in NFL history. Brees is first with 118. The Patriots are 76-16 in Brady's 300-yard games. MOVING ON UPChiefs tight end Travis Kelce leads the AFC with 923 receiving yards in 2019. He needs just 77 receiving yards to become the fourth tight end to have four seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards in NFL history. The others are Dallas' Jason Witten, Hall of Famer and former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez and former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. --- Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed to this report. ---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www. twitter. com/khightower---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:20 PM EST |
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12/8/2019 8:20 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-102
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+1 (-110)
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Over 47.5 (-106)
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-108
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-1 (-100)
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Under 47.5 (-105)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 05, 2019LOS ANGELES Greg Zuerlein has made plenty of tougher field goals than the 44-yarder he pushed barely wide right through the Seattle night air two months ago. The Rams' normally reliable kicker could have sent Los Angeles to a narrow win over the Seahawks. Instead, his miss with 11 seconds left in Seattle's 30-29 win might have changed the trajectories of two seasons that intersect again Sunday night at the Coliseum. The Seahawks (10-2) have won eight of nine during a roll that began one week before that surprising reprieve from Zuerlein, and they've surged into first place in the NFC West with five straight victories. Seattle can already clinch a postseason berth with a win in LA. That loss by the Rams (7-5) extended to the first three-game losing streak of Sean McVay's coaching career. After going 4-5 in their last nine, the defending NFC champions are one game out of the second wild card playoff spot, needing a big December surge to get in. The stakes are huge when the Seahawks and Rams get together again in what's likely the final NFL night game in the history of the 96-year-old Coliseum. McVay knows there's only one likelihood in the latest chapter of this entertaining divisional rivalry. ''There's always been a good competitive balance between these two teams,'' McVay said. ''This will be the sixth time we've played them (with the Rams' current coaching staff), and the first five have been tough challenges every single time. The ones last year came down to one possession. The last three have been closely contested. That's a great football team. '' The Seahawks got a bit lucky in their last meeting with the Rams, but their tenacity has shown throughout the season. Seattle is an incredible 8-1 in games decided by seven points or fewer, and Carroll anticipates another test in his return to the Coliseum. ''As we go against them, we're just going to try to hold it together and play good football and take care of the ball,'' Carroll said. ''See if we can come out on top somehow at the end. '' Here are more things to know about the NFC West showdown:LAST RIDE? In all likelihood, this will be Carroll's last trip to the Coliseum as a head coach with the Rams set to move into their new palace in Inglewood next season. There were a lot of memories for Carroll from his time at USC when the Seahawks made their first visit back to the Coliseum in 2016 - a forgettable 9-3 loss for Seattle. Since then, the nostalgia has worn off. Carroll said it was different anyway being the visiting team in that venue. ''It's really fun to go to the Coliseum. For me, honestly, it is, but it's not the same thing. You're not coaching the Trojans. That's a whole different experience. I can't even relate it to you,'' Carroll said. GURLEY'S TURNMcVay's inexplicable season-long reluctance to use Todd Gurley could be ending, which could be bad news for opponents. The Rams' $60 million running back got 19 carries last week at Arizona, and he had 25 two weeks earlier against Chicago. McVay attributes the uptick in Gurley's workload to ''me not being an idiot. '' The coach continues to insist he wasn't resting Gurley for the stretch run, yet the star running back is rested and ready for a big finish. RUNAWAY TRAINNo surprise, the Seahawks are really good at running the football. The difference the past two weeks is it's not being done by just one player. The duo of Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny has run through two of the better run defenses in the league in the past two weeks. They combined for 155 yards in the win over Philadelphia with Penny rushing for a career-best 129 yards. Last week against Minnesota, the Seahawks rushed for a season-high 218 yards as a team, which included 102 from Carson and 74 from Penny. It was the third time in Carroll's tenure the Seahawks had two running backs rush for at least 74 yards in the same game. Seattle had 167 yards rushing in the first meeting with the Rams. SECONDARY SHUFFLEThe Rams will present Wilson with a thoroughly revamped secondary. Starting cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib played nearly every snap of the early-season game in Seattle, but both veterans are gone and starting safety John Johnson is on injured reserve. Star cornerback Jalen Ramsey gets his first look at Tyler Lockett and Wilson since 2017, when he made an interception in a win for the Jaguars. Wilson might be more focused on the other side of the defense, where Troy Hill likely will try to hang in against rookie D. K. Metcalf. Johnson has been replaced by a familiar face in Seattle: rookie Taylor Rapp, who grew up in Bellingham and starred at the University of Washington. SOLID SECONDARYSeattle's secondary also has gone through a facelift since the last time it played the Rams. Shaquill Griffin and Tre Flowers are still the starting cornerbacks, but the addition of Quandre Diggs at safety has changed some of the defenses Seattle has played. The addition of Diggs playing in concert with Bradley McDougald has allowed Griffin and Flowers to be more aggressive on the outside. It's part of the reason Seattle has forced 11 turnovers in the past three games, including four interceptions. --- Sports Writer Tim Booth in Seattle contributed to this report. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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NBA |
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12/8/2019 |
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FOUND
6
GAMES |
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COMING
UP
3:05 PM EST |
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12/8/2019 3:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
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|
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-145
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-2.5 (-114)
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Over 210 (-111)
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+131
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+2.5 (+104)
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Under 210 (-102)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 07, 2019Kyrie Irving's last game occurred Nov. 14 in Denver when he labored through the effects of an impinged right shoulder. Since then the Brooklyn Nets are getting good looks at their roster depth while also getting production from Spencer Dinwiddie most nights.Irving will be watching from the bench again Sunday afternoon when the Nets host the Denver Nuggets and hope to incorporate both elements.The Nets are 8-3 since Irving scored 17 points on 8-of-20 shooting in 35 minutes of a 101-93 nationally televised loss to the Nuggets. While Irving is showing incremental progress, he has yet to participate in any contact drills and the Nets have not established a timetable for his return.Dinwiddie is averaging 23.8 points and 7.5 assists since Irving's last game while Joe Harris is averaging 16.7 points on 48.9 percent shooting and 44.3 percent on 3-pointers in that span. Both players helped the Nets record another win Friday when Harris scored 22 on a season-high six 3-pointers and Dinwiddie added 13 and a season-best 12 assists in a 111-104 win at Charlotte.Perhaps equally as impressive for the Nets is nobody played more than 33 minutes, six players scored in double-figures and they handed out a season-high 35 assists. Those results came on a night when the second unit combined for 38 points and keyed a 14-0 run to start the second half Friday."Their chemistry is really good right now," coach Kenny Atkinson said of his team. "They are talking about coverages and encouraging each other. Even in the first half when it didn't go so well they were together. Sometimes coaches will get negative. (But) they are pushing each other and their chemistry is great right now." Denver is returning to the New York area after absorbing a 108-95 loss in Boston Friday night. Friday's game occurred 24 hours after the Nuggets hit 21 3-pointers and coasted to a 129-92 rout of the Knicks that wound up being David Fizdale's last game coaching New York.A night later, Denver could not muster the same offense and lost for the third time in four games since winning six straight from Nov. 14-26."We're not playing well at all," Denver guard Jamal Murray said. "We're playing really bad, and we are second in the West. So, imagine when we start playing well." Murray was 5-for-14 Friday when the Nuggets shot 41.5 percent and missed 25 of 30 3-pointers. Murray enters Sunday as a career 35.9 percent 3-point shooter but is 2-of-15 from 3-point range in his last five games since Nov. 24.While the Nuggets are hoping to execute better offensively, they also are hoping to get another big game from Nikola Jokic. Jokic is coming off his first 30-point game of the season but was shooting 38.3 percent in his previous five games before Friday and is averaging 15.7 points on a career-worst 46.4 percent shooting."That was the only positive I took from the game tonight that he got going," Denver forward Will Barton said of Jokic. "We got our (butt) kicked tonight. I was horrible on defense. We were horrible on defense. Only thing you can take from it is our big fella got back on track, so let's feed off that." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
5:05 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 5:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+135
|
+3 (-103)
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Over 224.5 (-115)
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-149
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-3 (-107)
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Under 224.5 (+103)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 07, 2019It seems as if the problem areas just tend to be shifting on the Charlotte Hornets.One game it's something like a slow start, and another it's a rough finish. Or maybe it's shoddy defense in one game and turnovers in the next one.The Hornets will try to find the solutions Sunday against the visiting Atlanta Hawks, who have a long list of things to address as well.The game at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N. C., will give the teams a chance to lock up in a matchup that involves clubs in desperate need of some sustained positive results."We have to play a full 48-minute game," Hornets coach James Borrego said.That concept went sour Friday night in a 111-104 loss to the Brooklyn Nets because, after some good stretches, the Hornets faltered down the stretch."The fourth quarter we went dry," Borrego said about the Hornets' 20-point period.The Hornets have lost twice in the past three home games. Atlanta will be the fourth opponent in Charlotte's five-game homestand.The Hawks have won only once in their past 12 games. Only four of those 11 setbacks have been decided by single-digit margins."It's whoever is on the court has to do a little bit better with regards to their responsibility," Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said.Atlanta's most-recent game also came against Brooklyn, losing 130-118 on Wednesday night at home.In that game, Hawks rookie guard Cam Reddish registered a season-high 25 points."I think that helps with any player to see the ball go in the basket, to feel good about it," Pierce said of Reddish's recent production.Reddish, who averages 8.1 points per game, will be back in the same arena where last March he helped Duke to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title.The Hornets have received meaningful contributions from a rookie as well. Forward P. J. Washington has provided encouraging moments, often because of what Borrego likes to see with his "ability to roll to the rim." Borrego said he would like to get more chances for the team's post players, particularly as they've become more comfortable. Washington, averaging 10.8 points, has earned that."He has become more versatile," Borrego said. "I have to do a better job of getting him more touches." The Hornets had a sigh of relief when guard Devonte Graham returned after leaving in the first half Friday night with a shoulder injury."It's nothing serious, hopefully," Borrego said.But Graham's absence, even though he hasn't been in the starting lineup all season, proved to be troublesome for the Hornets."It kind of threw off our rhythm," Borrego said, perhaps emphasizing the increasing importance that Graham has developed on the team.How much Graham's down time impacted the flow of the offense can be debated, but by game's end, the Hornets were troubled because of malfunctions that were too much to overcome."The biggest thing is 19 turnovers for 32 points," Borrego said.Turnovers have been a problem for the Hawks as well. They've averaged 18.4 turnovers per road game. Those have diminished some of the impact of guard Trae Young's 28.7 points per game.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
6:05 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 6:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+279
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+7.5 (-102)
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Over 212 (-103)
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-327
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-7.5 (-108)
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Under 212 (-107)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 07, 2019The Miami Heat will look to continue their torrid start at AmericanAirlines Arena when they host the Chicago Bulls on Sunday."This shouldn't be a place a team can come in on a back-to-back and feel like they are confident it will be an easy game," Erik Spoelstra said after Friday's 112-103 win over Washington, which was playing on consecutive nights.The Bulls won't be on a back-to-back, but the game still figures to be a major challenge for a team that is 4-7 on the road.Miami is off to the best home start (9-0) in franchise history and is 10 games over .500 overall, while the Bulls seek to dig out of the sluggish beginnings to a season that began with Eastern Conference playoff aspirations.The Heat are enjoying contributions from veterans and newcomers alike. Jimmy Butler, a former Bull, notched his second triple-double in four days on Friday, contributing 28 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds against the Wizards.Third-year center Bam Adebayo added a career-high 24 points to go with 14 rebounds, while rookie Tyler Herro scored 22 points, giving him five 20-point games.Spoelstra called Adebayo "the center version of Jimmy Butler in terms of being a two-way complete player." The Heat beat the Bulls 116-108 in Chicago on Nov. 22, withstanding a late charge from the hosts after controlling most of the game.Miami surged to a 15-0 lead and led 34-16 after one quarter as Chicago missed its first eight shots amid some developing disarray.Coach Jim Boylen substituted Ryan Arcidiacono for Zach LaVine early in the game, and although LaVine led the team with 15 points, he felt a strain from Boylen's postgame suggestion that LaVine needed to "think" about "three egregious defensive mistakes" in the early going.Further, Boylen said, "Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen and our starters have got to play better in order for us to become what we can become." LaVine took heed the following night in Charlotte, scoring a career-high 49 points and swishing a franchise-record 13 3s -- the last with 0.8 seconds remaining to help the Bulls to a 116-115 come-from-behind victory.LaVine (22 points) and Markkanen (20) paced Chicago against visiting Golden State on Friday, but the Bulls were unable to score in the final 1:03, seeing a two-game winning streak end with a 100-98 defeat."It needs to be more of the 48 (minutes)," Boylen said after the Warriors game. "That's the development part. So as much as I like some of those moments, there are moments when we've got to do better." Injuries have impacted a few regulars in the Bulls' rotation while allowing others to get additional minutes.Forward Otto Porter Jr. missed his 14th successive game Friday while recovering from a bruised left foot, and the team announced he will wear a walking boot in the hopes of accelerating his recovery. The Bulls have not provided a timetable for Chandler Hutchison, who is dealing with a sprained right shoulder, while fellow forward Thaddeus Young wasn't available against Golden State due to personal reasons. He is set to rejoin the team against the Heat.Miami was without Goran Dragic (right groin strain) and Justise Winslow (back strain) on Friday. Dragic is out for Sunday, while Winslow was considered questionable.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
6:05 PM EST |
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12/8/2019 6:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+132
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+3 (-106)
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Over 210.5 (-106)
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-146
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-3 (-104)
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Under 210.5 (-108)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 08, 2019The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to improve 12-0 at home when they host the defending-champion Toronto Raptors on Sunday.The Sixers captured their 11th straight home victory with a 141-94 rout of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. Philadelphia built a 41-point lead in the first half without injured guard Josh Richardson (hamstring) and All-Star center Joel Embiid (hip). Both players' status for Sunday's game is unclear.Richardson has missed five consecutive games with this nagging hamstring issue."A hamstring is one of those things where you can think that you're fine, and then you take a wrong step and it's a week or two-week setback," Richardson said. "I don't really want to get into that whole cycle. ... It's just one of those things where I just don't really know where I'm at most of the time. It always feels like I'm tiptoeing, trying not to do too much." Ben Simmons scored a career-high 34 points, including his second career 3-pointer and 26 points in the first half on 11-of-12 shooting, on Saturday. The Sixers' 41-point margin was the largest halftime lead in franchise history. Mike Scott and Trey Burke each added 21 for the 76ers, who have won nine of 11 overall."I just stayed locked in," said Simmons, who added seven assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. "Just being aggressive and keeping that mentality." "He just was really, really aggressive attacking," head coach Brett Brown added of Simmons.The Raptors will enter on a two-game losing streak for the first time this season. They fell 119-109 at home to the Houston Rockets on Thursday despite 24 points from Pascal Siakam, 20 from Fred VanVleet and 19 from Kyle Lowry.Toronto's defense wasn't the issue in the loss. If the Raptors hope for a better result in Philadelphia, their offense must improve."I don't think we played offense well enough," Toronto head coach Nick Nurse said. "I thought we missed open shots. ... A few careless possessions where they scored in transition, so it really had nothing to do with the double teams and offensive rebounding. I think the transition defense is where they did a good job of capitalizing when we turned the ball over." VanVleet scored at least 20 points for the sixth time in his past eight games. In addition, VanVleet has scored at least 20 points on 10 occasions this season after accomplishing the feat seven times in his first three seasons combined.Even with two straight losses, the Raptors are 15-6, despite Lowry and Serge Ibaka being out for multiple games because of injuries. Before the season even began, the Raptors had to deal with significant losses of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Yet their 15-6 mark is the third-best stretch to open a season in franchise history."You don't overreact when you're 15-4, and you don't overreact when you're now 15-6," Nurse said. "Just get back going to work and taking them as they come, because you're probably gonna win quite a few games if you put the effort forward, and you're gonna slip up every now and then because that's basketball." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:05 PM EST |
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12/8/2019 7:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+302
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+8 (-102)
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Over 217 (-113)
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-358
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-8 (-108)
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Under 217 (+101)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 07, 2019Luka Doncic has put himself in exclusive company, joining Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the lone NBA players to record 18 straight games with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.Doncic will look to continue his torrid stretch as the Dallas Mavericks vie for their sixth straight victory in Sunday's home game against the Sacramento Kings.The sophomore sensation matched Jordan's sterling 18-game run in 1988-89 after collecting 26 points, nine assists and six rebounds in three quarters of Saturday afternoon's 130-84 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Robertson holds the all-time record by accomplishing the feat in 29 consecutive contests.The Mavericks scored a season-high 104 points over the first three quarters to allow Doncic -- and the majority of the starters -- to sit out the fourth and rest up for Sunday's contest.Dallas has punctuated a sizzling 10-1 stretch with 48-, 46- and 42-point victories, marking the first time that the team has captured three wins of at least 40 points in a season in franchise history."Look, it's great to be winning games more consistently than the last three years," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "That was the goal. But we've just got to keep our eye on the ball."It's all very tenuous. Patting ourselves on the back right now isn't the way to go." Boban Marjanovic came off the bench to record season highs in points (15) and rebounds (16) on Saturday. An impressive performance to be certain, considering the towering 31-year-old entered the contest averaging 6.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 12.0 minutes of action."Can't stop Bobi. Once he gets the ball in the paint, you really can't do much about it," forward/center Kristaps Porzingis said.While Doncic averaged 22.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists in three games against Sacramento during his NBA Rookie of the Year season of 2018-19, the Kings walked away with a series sweep.Sacramento is heading in the other direction this season with three straight losses, including the first two contests of a four-game road trip.The Kings squandered a nine-point lead in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and dropped a 105-104 overtime decision in San Antonio on Friday."No, I'm not frustrated," shooting guard Buddy Hield said after his 23-point performance. "I mean again, make or miss it, you tell me Trevor (Ariza) is going to get open threes, two of them, I'll take that. But he got a nice rebound and had a clean look, too. I'll take that as well."That's not frustrating, what's frustrating is the turnovers at the end of the regulation. That's something that we can't do as a group." Fellow guard Cory Joseph knows that all too well after two of his turnovers led to breakaway dunks to fuel the Spurs' comeback late in the fourth quarter."It was a tough one for us because we felt like we had it," the 28-year-old Joseph said. "We made, including myself, a couple of bonehead mistakes at the end." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:05 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 9:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+155
|
+3.5 (+103)
|
Over 223 (-115)
|
|
|
-173
|
-3.5 (-114)
|
Under 223 (+102)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Dec 07, 2019The Oklahoma City Thunder look to follow up an improbable victory with another triumph when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.Oklahoma City was just more than a second from losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night before big man Steven Adams became a quarterback and Dennis Schroder morphed into a wide receiver to combine for a basket that forced overtime. The Thunder then dominated the extra session for a 139-127 victory."We knew once we made the shot, we had a lot more work to do, and we were willing to do whatever it took to win," Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said afterward.The craziness began at the 1.1-second mark when Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns went to the free throw line for two shots with his club leading by two points.It got more wild after Towns missed the first free throw. The Timberwolves subbed in forward Jordan Bell, who entered with his uniform untucked.Thunder point guard Chris Paul noticed the violation and pointed it out to official Scott Foster, who called a delay of game warning. Since it was Minnesota's second such infraction of the game, Oklahoma City was awarded a technical free throw and forward Danilo Gallinari made the shot to pull the Thunder to within one.Towns then was under orders to miss his second free throw with Oklahoma City out of timeouts. Instead, the ball bounced off the rim and the backboard and went through the hoop for a 122-120 Minnesota lead.Adams quickly retrieved the ball, wound up and tossed a superb length-of-the-court heave. Schroder had taken off in a sprint and hauled in the throw, despite the coverage of Timberwolves point guard Jeff Teague, and banked in the tying basket as time expired."We had it in practice a couple of times," Schroder said afterward of the play. "I mean Steve-O, he's a helluva passer. We're just communicating well defensively and offensively." The Thunder outscored Minnesota 17-5 in overtime to wrap up their third win in the past four games.Another unique aspect of the game was that Oklahoma City became the first team to have five players score 20 or more points in an NBA game since 2004. Paul scored 30, Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 29, Schroder tallied 25, Adams added 22 and Gallinari had 21."It speaks more to their unselfishness as a group," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said of the feat. "We've got really good guys that try to play the right way, try to play together, and they try to move the ball. It wasn't a huge assist night for us but the moving the ball, the attacking and the playing downhill was good for us." Portland's Friday night wasn't anywhere near as fun as it was routed 136-113 by the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.Making the setback more demoralizing was the loss of swingman Rodney Hood, who is done for the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon.The injury happened after Hood collected a rebound. He landed and then fell to the ground and immediately reached for his lower left leg."It's tough," Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard said afterward. "You hate to see injuries in the league, period, but you hate to see one of your teammates go down with an injury like that, especially a starter and somebody that's a really good person, having a great season, fitting in really well with our team and a big part of what we do."You feel for him personally more than anything. Just sad to see that happen to him." Hood averaged 11 points and 3.4 rebounds in 21 games (all starts) this season. He was in the process of establishing career highs for field-goal percentage (50.6) and 3-point accuracy (49.3).Portland forward Carmelo Anthony termed the injury as "sad" and "unfortunate," but the veteran is well aware the team needs to put the setback aside immediately."We don't have a choice but to move forward," Anthony said. "I think these are times where the troops got to rally now. Everybody come together, everybody rely on one another. It's going to be hard to replace that, what he was able to bring to this team, what he was able to do, but it's going to take multiple people to kind of contribute to what we're trying to do." The Trail Blazers are 2-0 against the Thunder this season. Portland won 102-99 in Oklahoma City on Oct. 30 and prevailed 136-119 at home on Nov. 27.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
|
|
NCAAB |
|
|
12/8/2019 |
|
FOUND
23
GAMES |
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
12:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 12:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-2.5 (-109)
|
Over 143.5 (-118)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+2.5 (-107)
|
Under 143.5 (-112)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
1:30 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 1:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+5.5 (-112)
|
Over 131.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-5.5 (-104)
|
Under 131.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
2:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 2:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-1.5 (-112)
|
Over 130 (-127)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+1.5 (-104)
|
Under 130 (-104)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
2:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 2:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+10.5 (-117)
|
Over 132 (-117)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-10.5 (+100)
|
Under 132 (-113)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Dec 07, 2019Clemson and Florida State both enter their Atlantic Coast Conference matchup on Sunday seeking to bounce back from losses in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge earlier this week.Florida State (7-2, 0-1 ACC) lost 80-64 at Indiana on Tuesday, one night after Clemson (5-3, 0-1) was soundly defeated 78-60 at Minnesota.For the Seminoles, it was their first defeat in over a month. After falling at Pittsburgh 63-61 in their season opener, the Seminoles reeled off seven wins in a row before losing to the Hoosiers. The Tuesday game was close with around 10 minutes to go and Indiana holding a three-point lead, but Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton was whistled for a controversial technical foul for arguing a call, and the Seminoles never recovered."I got a technical because I gave a gesture, I thought it was pretty quick," Hamilton said after the game. "I'd like to earn my technical. I didn't get my money's worth on that one. At least I need to say something or do something, but I didn't get a chance to earn that one. I thank God he only missed one of the free throws, so it didn't cost us a point. But on the serious side ..." Guard Trent Forrest led the Seminoles with 13 points while fellow guards M. J. Walker and Devin Vassell added 10 points apiece.Through nine games, this same trio is leading Florida State in scoring, paced by Forrest at 12.4 points per game, Vassell at 12.2 ppg and Walker at 10.2 ppg. Forward Malik Osborne tops the Seminoles in rebounding at 5.4 boards a game.When Clemson invades Tallahassee on Sunday, the Tigers will be looking to snap a two-game skid. Before the loss to Minnesota, Clemson fell to Colorado 71-67 six days earlier in Las Vegas."We were just on our heels offensively," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said following the defeat to the Golden Gophers. "Maybe it was 'first road-game jitters.' It took us a long time to get a comfortable feeling in the game."They played the ball screen well. Having a shot blocker and length at the rim helped them. We didn't get many kick-out threes. We weren't able to get in transition with the way they were playing. Our bench guys gave us a big lift. Curran Scott, Hunter Tyson and Khavon Moore all played well. They were eager and excited and got off to great starts." Tyson led the Tigers in scoring with 12 points, and Tevin Mack, Aamir Simms and John Newman III have all paced Clemson in scoring so far early in the season. Mack is averaging a team-best 13.8 points a game, followed by Simms at 11.8 ppg and Newman at 10.8 ppg. Simms also leads the team in rebounds, averaging 8.5 boards a game.Florida State is unbeaten at home this season at 4-0. Clemson and Florida State played each other twice last season, with the Seminoles winning both meetings.Following the Sunday game, Florida State players will get an eight-day break for final exams before the team hosts North Florida on Dec. 17. Clemson, meanwhile, will get a six-day break before returning to the hardwood at home Dec. 15 to face in-state rival South Carolina.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
2:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 2:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+12 (-108)
|
Over 125.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-12 (-108)
|
Under 125.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
2:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 2:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+12.5 (-102)
|
Over 146 (-118)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-12.5 (-114)
|
Under 146 (-112)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
2:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 2:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+2.5 (-113)
|
Over 160 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-2.5 (-103)
|
Under 160 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
2:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 2:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+5 (-114)
|
Over 133 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-5 (-102)
|
Under 133 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
2:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 2:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+7.5 (-107)
|
Over 139 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-7.5 (-109)
|
Under 139 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
3:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 3:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+29.5 (-110)
|
Over 134.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-29.5 (-106)
|
Under 134.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
3:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 3:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-8.5 (-115)
|
Over 123 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+8.5 (-101)
|
Under 123 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
4:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 4:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-3 (-111)
|
Over 137 (-104)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+3 (-105)
|
Under 137 (-127)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Dec 07, 2019No. 19 Dayton, Saint Mary's will be revealing matchupNo. 19 Dayton and Saint Mary's tangle Sunday in the Air Force Reserve Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix, and it should be a good measure of where the two quality teams stand.The Flyers are second in the nation in scoring, averaging 88.7 points per game and first in assists with 21. The Gaels are a top-30 team, allowing just 60 points a game.Dayton has cracked the Top 25 for the first time in four years. The only blemish on the 6-1 Flyers' mark is an overtime loss to Kansas in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.Saint Mary's (9-1) has won eight straight but is not in the Top 25 after being ranked No. 20 in the preseason.Sunday's game should be a good barometer for both teams."We're all kind of excited some other people realize how good we are, but we're looking to build on it. Nobody on the team's satisfied," junior guard Ibi Watson told the Dayton Daily News.Watson averages 8.9 points per game and is shooting a team-high 45.5 percent from 3-point range.The Flyers' "lights-out shooter" is a perfect complement to Obi Toppin, who some believe will be a Top-5 pick in the next NBA draft.The sophomore forward leads the team in scoring at 22.1 points per game and is making 67 percent of his shots. The focal point of the Dayton offense has yet to be stopped this season."Georgia and Virginia Tech looked helpless in Maui," Bleacher Report said. "He's returned a more decisive scorer and passer from the post and a confident 3-point shooter. Between his power and athleticism, back-to-the-basket game and projectable jump shot, Toppin has quickly developed into one of the draft's most convincing offensive big men." Playing a seasoned Gaels squad will provide a solid challenge for Toppin and the Flyers. Saint Mary's returned the nucleus of a team that lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season.Toppin probably will be matched up against Malik Fitts, who at 6-foot-8 can shoot from outside as well (40 percent from 3-point range.)Matthias Tass is another defensive presence in the paint and has recorded 15 blocks.Since an early-season upset to Winthrop, only one team, No. 15 Utah State, scored more than 70 points. Opponents are making just 43 percent of their field-goal attempts.The Gaels showed how suffocating their defense can be in Thursday's win against Northern Illinois holding the Huskies to 49 points on just 39 percent shooting."We were locked in and our intensity was good to start the game," assistant coach Marcus Schroeder explained. "Tass had four blocks and was strong defensively for us as well. Team-wise, we were helping each other, we had good rotation, we played hard and we got after them." Added Tass: "This game was definitely one of our best defensive games of the season. We did a good job in keeping their top guy guarded and we were able to lock down defensively." Jordan Ford leads the Gaels in scoring at 20.2 points per game, and it will be up to Dayton's Trey Landers to help slow down Ford.Flyers coach Anthony Grant is confident Landers will rise to the occasion."I thought Trey's leadership was really vital to us," Grant said after Dayton beat Houston Baptist on Tuesday. "He did a great job of leading through some difficulties early in the game. When there was momentum, whether he was on the floor or off the floor, you heard his voice." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
4:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 4:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+4 (-109)
|
Over 115.5 (-107)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-4 (-107)
|
Under 115.5 (-123)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Dec 07, 2019As bad as it was for No. 7 North Carolina and No. 5 Virginia a few days ago, one of those teams should be feeling a whole lot better by the end of the weekend.That's because one side will own a victory against a Top 10 team, and it will go down in the Atlantic Coast Conference win column.The Tar Heels and Cavaliers meet Sunday afternoon in Charlottesville, Va.On the flip side, one of these Top 10 teams will have two losses across a five-day period. The other will hold a 2-0 ACC record.Virginia (7-1, 1-0 ACC) is coming off a 69-40 loss Wednesday night at Purdue in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. That was the third straight game and fourth time this season that the Cavaliers failed to reach the 50-point mark."We are inexperienced, and that shows," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. "You look in the mirror and try to be thankful for what it teaches you, as painful as it is. ... Forget rankings and all that, there's not a big enough sample size. ..."We've been struggling to shoot. We didn't have an answer for anything. Our defense is what we try to hang our hat on when we struggle to score." On the same night as Virginia's loss, North Carolina (6-2, 1-0) absorbed a 74-49 home defeat to No. 6 Ohio State. It was the Tar Heels' second-most lopsided loss in the Smith Center and another low point total that rarely has characterized a Roy Williams-coached team."Simple little things that we work on (that I) didn't get them to do during the course of the game," Williams said. "We just made so many mistakes, so many fundamental mistakes." Williams used some wholesale substitutions to try to find a spark against the Buckeyes. There's no expectation that particular pattern will be present when the Tar Heels play at Virginia."It wasn't to send a message," Williams said. "I just didn't like what those guys were doing." The Tar Heels have lost two of their last three games, with a victory against nationally ranked Oregon in between. But the size of the losing margin in the Ohio State game was one of the stunning fallouts from that performance."We didn't pay attention to detail," North Carolina swingman Brandon Robinson said. "We didn't take the things Coach (Williams) was telling us in the timeouts out to the court. We've got to play better, and we've got to be more accountable. It's not Coach's fault. It's our fault." The Tar Heels lost forward Armando Bacot to a first-half ankle injury. He had become a solid offensive contributor and provided a solid low-post combination with Garrison Brooks. Now it sounds as if North Carolina might be without the freshman, who provides 10.5 points and team-best 8.9 rebounds per game, for an extended period of time."My guess is that he will be out for a while," Williams said.Virginia will be minus senior forward Braxton Key, who is recovering from wrist surgery, for the third game in a row.Freshman guard Cole Anthony averages 20 points per game for North Carolina. Fifth-year senior forward Mamadi Diakite is Virginia's leading scorer at 13.4 points per game.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
5:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 5:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+9 (-110)
|
Over 150 (-119)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-9 (-106)
|
Under 150 (-111)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
5:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 5:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-7 (-112)
|
Over 144 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+7 (-104)
|
Under 144 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
5:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 5:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+14 (-114)
|
Over 125 (-127)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-14 (-102)
|
Under 125 (-104)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
5:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 5:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+18.5 (-106)
|
Over 136 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-18.5 (-110)
|
Under 136 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
6:30 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 6:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+9 (-101)
|
Over 150 (-119)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-9 (-116)
|
Under 150 (-111)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
6:30 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 6:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-9 (-113)
|
Over 123.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+9 (-103)
|
Under 123.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+15 (-108)
|
Over 141 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-15 (-108)
|
Under 141 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Dec 07, 2019Michigan State played a powerhouse schedule in the season's first month, but don't try convincing coach Tom Izzo that is the sole reason the Spartans find themselves scuffling as they prepare to begin Big Ten action.No. 11 Michigan State tips off conference play at Sunday at home against Rutgers, desperately looking to build some sort of momentum after getting thoroughly dominated Tuesday at home against No. 10 Duke.That loss came on the heels of a trip to Maui that included an unexpected loss to Virginia Tech, and the season began with a defeat against then-No. 2 Kentucky in New York. At 5-3 entering conference play, Michigan State doesn't look like the preseason No. 1 team in the nation that it was.After the loss to the Blue Devils, Izzo wasn't exactly letting his team off the hook even though it also has dealt with the death of Zachary Winston, the 19-year-old brother of star senior guard Cassius Winston."There's something you can see in the eyes of a person, and I saw it in (the Blue Devils') eyes," Izzo said after the Duke loss. "I didn't see it in our eyes. ... I can only tell you it's been a hell of a month for a lot of reasons. Playing good people, playing on the road a lot. I mean, this was our third home game. There're teams that never left their state. We didn't do that, and maybe I am the dumb one, but is that a reason to miss free throws? Is that a reason to turn the ball over?"Probably not, but Michigan State seems to have bigger issues than rebounding and turnovers. The Spartans have not defended well as the rotation continues to be a work in progress while the shooting outside of Winston has been inconsistent.That's led to teams throwing everything they can at Winston, and the preseason All-American is not getting a lot of help, at least not on the perimeter. Sophomores Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown have been hit and miss while freshman Rocket Watts is still shooting poorly."We have to figure out a way to get Aaron the ball," Winston said. "He is a pretty good scorer, so we need to get him some more touches. Rocket is just getting his feel for things, and his rhythm and all that is going to come soon. Those are two pretty good options. We just have to figure out a way to get them going." Watts, however, is expected to miss the Sunday game against the Scarlet Knights due to a leg injury.Getting Rutgers (6-2) at home to begin Big Ten play is usually a good thing, but the Scarlet Knights have been known to be a headache for the Spartans, typically pushing them harder than most. Rutgers won its first three games this season before losing to St. Bonaventure in Toronto. The Scarlet Knights responded with a win at home over Stephen F. Austin, the team that upset Duke six days later.The Scarlet Knights lost on the road to Pittsburgh on Tuesday in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, getting double-doubles from sophomores Myles Johnson (14 points, 14 rebounds) and Ron Harper Jr. (14, 10). Opening conference play away from home, Rutgers will be looking to get its first win over Michigan State in the teams' ninth meeting."We have to continue to get better and learn," Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. "This is life on the road. When you're competing against Big Ten and ACC teams, you have to play better." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+14 (-109)
|
Over 144.5 (-116)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-14 (-107)
|
Under 144.5 (-114)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-2.5 (-118)
|
Over 144 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+2.5 (+101)
|
Under 144 (-115)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dec 07, 2019When the NCAA basketball selection committee meets in March to fill out its tournament bracket, Gonzaga's seeding might very well come down to an 11-day stretch this month.With the Bulldogs again favored to win the West Coast Conference, their resume is generally built early in the season.No. 9 Gonzaga (9-1) will travel to Seattle on Sunday to meet No. 22 Washington (7-1).The following Saturday, the Bulldogs will play at No. 12 Arizona, and then they are back home on Dec. 18 against No. 7 North Carolina."It's going to be one of the best stretches we've ever had in the program," senior forward Killian Tillie told the (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review. "We're really excited for these games." Washington holds a 29-18 edge in the series that dates to 1910, but Gonzaga has won 12 of the past 13 meetings. That includes an 81-79 victory last season in Spokane, when Rui Hachimura made a jumper in the lane with 0.6 seconds remaining for the then-No. 1 Zags."We have UW on Sunday, and we have kind of a whole week off (until Arizona on Dec. 14), so that's the main point, to make sure we're all ready to go," senior guard Admon Gilder, a transfer from Texas A&M, told the Spokesman-Review. "I think that's a perfect stretch for us to get back rolling to how we were playing at the beginning of the year and go show guys what we're made of." Gonzaga won its first eight games of the season before an 82-64 loss to Michigan in the championship of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas. The Bulldogs beat then-No. 11 Oregon 73-72 in overtime in the semifinals.The Bulldogs rebounded from their lone loss with a 101-62 victory against visiting Texas Southern on Wednesday as junior forward Corey Kispert scored 17 points, leading seven Gonzaga players in double figures.Sophomore Filip Petrusev, a 6-foot-11 forward from Serbia, leads Gonzaga with 15.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.Washington has faced a less-demanding nonconference schedule. The Huskies opened with a 67-64 victory against then-No. 16 Baylor in the Armed Forces Classic in Anchorage, Alaska, and took a 75-62 loss to Tennessee in the James Naismith Classic in Toronto. They've played the rest of their games at home, going 6-0.The Huskies defeated Eastern Washington 90-80 on Wednesday as Quade Green, a sophomore point guard who transferred from Kentucky, had 20 points and eight assists and freshman forward Jaden McDaniels added 17 points before fouling out.Freshman forward Isaiah Stewart, who like Green and McDaniels was a McDonald's All-American in high school, leads the Huskies with averages of 16.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game."It's here now," Green told the Seattle Times of facing Gonzaga. "This (Eastern Washington) game is over, and they're our next game. So of course, we got to focus on them right now."I know they beat us last year. That's all I need to know. I just know we lost to them last year and it's a rivalry game, so we got to win." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 9:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+1 (-107)
|
Over 150.5 (-107)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-1 (-109)
|
Under 150.5 (-124)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Dec 07, 2019First came the Battle 4 Atlantis.Now, the Battle for Ames, Iowa.Nine days and a three-point drop in the rankings after No. 16 Seton Hall beat Iowa State 84-76 in the fifth-place game in the Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas, on Nov. 29, the teams will meet again on the Cyclones' floor.This time, hopefully, with full power.The teams played through a short electrical outage in the Imperial Arena, which went dark for a few seconds in the second half before an emergency generator kicked in and the game continued with no further complications.In a notable sequence, Iowa State guard Tyrese Haliburton's layup hit the backboard just as the place went dark with 11:02 remaining. After consultation, referees awarded him the basket as fans turned on their cellphone flashlight apps just before the lights came back on.Seton Hall, ranked No. 13 when the teams met the first time, has not played since. Iowa State tuned up with a 79-61 victory over Kansas City on Wednesday.Iowa State (5-3) led the more physical Pirates (6-2) by nine points in the first half in the Bahamas before Seton Hall used a 13-1 run midway through the second half to open a 79-68 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left.Seton Hall All-America candidate guard Myles Powell had 19 of his 24 points in the second half and 6-foot-10 junior Sandro Mamukelashvili had a season-high 18, hitting 3-of-4 3-pointers. Mamukelashvili has made 10-of 22 3-pointers this season."I'm glad Sandro stepped up and took shots because he makes the game so much simpler when he steps in and shoots it," Seton Hall coach Ralph Willard told the team's radio network.Rasir Bolton had 20 points, Haliburton had 19 and Prentiss Nixon had 15 in the first meeting. Haliburton, 6-foot-5, leads the team with a 16.1 scoring average while shooting 52.1 percent from the field. Bolton is second in scoring at 15.1.Seton Hall shot 54 percent and outrebounded Iowa State, 40-29, last week, and the Cyclones went to a small lineup the featured four guards and 6-foot-10 center George Conditt IV in an attempt to gain an advantage on the perimeter. The Pirates had 12 offensive rebounds and 13 second-chance points."We were really in a good rhythm early, then they raised it up a notch and we didn't weather that storm enough," Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said. "We got flustered. We took some bad shots." Powell, a senior, is averaging 23.4 points a game this season, seventh in NCAA Division I, and that includes a game in which he did not score after leaving early with an ankle injury.He is averaging 3.9 treys a game and has 300 career 3-pointers, 15 short of Terry Dehere for second in school history. Jeremy Hazell leads with 328."He plays so hard that defenders, they'll stick with him for the first half," Willard said. "Then, usually in the second half, he's going to come get you." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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NHL |
|
|
12/8/2019 |
|
FOUND
4
GAMES |
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|
COMING
UP
3:08 PM EST |
|
12/8/2019 3:08 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+147
|
+1.5 (-173)
|
Over 5.5 (+101)
|
|
|
-164
|
-1.5 (+155)
|
Under 5.5 (-113)
|
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