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NCAAB |
 |
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2/18/2020 |
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FOUND
20
GAMES |
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|
COMING
UP
6:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+6.5 (-114)
|
Over 139 (-115)
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OFF
|
-6.5 (-102)
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Under 139 (-115)
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 17, 2020No. 9 Penn State rockets into matchup vs. slumping IllinoisWhen Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference before the 1992-93 season, there were some who said it would be a cold day in hell before it won a basketball title.Well, there's no knowing what the weather will be on the first weekend in March, but the ninth-ranked Nittany Lions are certainly in contention for their first conference championship. Winners of eight straight games, Penn State tries to keep the roll going Tuesday night when slumping Illinois visits for another Big Ten clash.The Nittany Lions (20-5, 10-4 Big Ten) trail first-place Maryland by a game with six contests remaining. They are coming off a 77-61 victory Saturday over visiting Northwestern, making them 13-1 at home.The program that once struggled to fill the lower bowl of Bryce Jordan Center for home games is now selling out the 15,261-seat building. Linebacker U. might not be Ball Reversal U. just yet, but Happy Valley is learning the joys of making the extra pass and rotating perfectly on defense."We're trying to do something special, something that Penn State hasn't seen before," Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said. "We've been talking about moments since the beginning of the season, and here's another moment for us." That moment was the quickest 20th win in school history. An experienced core of seniors like Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins, mixed with good complementary players like Myreon Jones and Jamari Wheeler, has helped Penn State play consistently well on both ends.In the win over Northwestern, Stevens pumped in a game-high 23 points and guard Myles Dread canned four 3-pointers on his way to 16 points. The Nittany Lions finished with 11 3-pointers and won the rebounding battle 42-30."It's scary that this team can continue to develop and grow and get better because we do need to start trying at least attempting to put teams away," Chambers said.While Penn State sets its sights on a conference title, the Fighting Illini (16-9, 8-6) are merely hoping to get well again. Their 72-57 loss at Rutgers on Saturday was their fourth straight defeat, knocking them out of the Top 25 and putting their NCAA Tournament hopes in a bit of doubt.Illinois is struggling to score, averaging only 64.3 points during their losing streak, and is playing without leading scorer Ayo Dosunmu (knee) after he was hurt at the end of a 70-69 loss Feb. 11 against Michigan State. The sophomore guard was considered day-to-day, coach Brad Underwood said Monday.Underwood said his team took too many 3-pointers at Rutgers, where it was 8 of 28 from beyond the arc and just 19 of 61 overall."We took way too many 3s," he said in the Champaign News-Gazette. "You can't go on the road and shoot 28 3s and expect to win. We forced some late. Their defense, they've got great, great length on the perimeter." This is the only regular-season meeting between the Nittany Lions and Illini.--Field Level Media
 Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
6:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-11.5 (-110)
|
Over 147 (-115)
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|
|
OFF
|
+11.5 (-106)
|
Under 147 (-115)
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
6:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+13 (-107)
|
Over 136 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-13 (-109)
|
Under 136 (-115)
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+4 (-107)
|
Over 148 (-114)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-4 (-109)
|
Under 148 (-116)
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|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-3 (-103)
|
Over 128 (-115)
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|
OFF
|
+3 (-114)
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Under 128 (-115)
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|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+7 (-104)
|
Over 138.5 (-119)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-7 (-112)
|
Under 138.5 (-111)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-3.5 (-116)
|
Over 138 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+3.5 (-101)
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Under 138 (-115)
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|
|
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|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+4 (-108)
|
Over 153 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-4 (-108)
|
Under 153 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+10.5 (-109)
|
Over 136 (-114)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-10.5 (-107)
|
Under 136 (-116)
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|
GAME PREVIEW
Feb 17, 2020No. 17 West Virginia will look to get back on track after a brutal stretch when it hosts Oklahoma State on Tuesday in Morgantown, W. Va.The Mountaineers (18-7, 6-6 Big 12) dropped a 69-59 game at Oklahoma on Feb. 8, then had to play No. 3 Kansas and No. 1 Baylor in back-to-back games. They lost both, including 70-59 to the Bears in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, when West Virginia trailed by 29 points in the second half.At least West Virginia will have the home court for Tuesday's Big 12 clash. The Mountaineers have won 12 of 13 home games this season, a streak that was snapped by the Jayhawks last week.On Saturday, Taz Sherman led West Virginia with 20 points off the bench. Oscar Tshiebwe added 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Mountaineers.Baylor's stifling defense forced West Virginia into 22 turnovers, and the Bears had 42 points in the paint to just 14 for West Virginia, a team that usually rules the lane."The sky isn't falling," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said after the loss at Baylor."If there's a positive, most of our guys continue to play, continue to fight it. We did some dumb things where the game could have been closer, could have gotten it closer and a little more manageable. It isn't over but certain things have to change." Oklahoma State (13-12, 3-9) heads to Morgantown on the heels of a 73-70 home win over then-No. 24 Texas Tech on Saturday. The Cowboys have won three of their past four games after starting the conference season 0-8.That turnaround has coincided with Oklahoma State's conviction to attack the lane rather than settling for 3-pointers. The Cowboys continually drove the ball inside against Texas Tech and ended up either making shots at the rim or getting fouled."These past seven, eight games we've actually found our identity, and that's in the paint playing inside-out," Oklahoma State forward Jonathan Laurent said. "It's what we do well, so we're going to keep on doing it." Oklahoma State was 31 of 38 from the free-throw line in the victory, with Isaac Likekele canning three from the charity stripe down the stretch as part of his 14 points. Kalib Boone and Laurent led Oklahoma State with 16 points each, and Cameron McGriff had 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds."Our job as a staff is to find ways to still have success," Cowboys coach Mike Boynton said. "We've done it through our defense, rebounding, and trying to get to the free-throw line a little more and driving to the basket."You got to give credit to the players for making the adjustments, though. It doesn't work if they try to fight it. If you can be something every day, then you have a chance to build some continuity in the way you succeed." West Virginia won the first meeting of the year against the Cowboys, 55-41 in Stillwater on Jan. 6. Oklahoma State committed 19 turnovers and shot 29.2 percent from the field (14 of 48), including 1 of 20 from 3-point range.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-8.5 (-108)
|
Over 141.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+8.5 (-108)
|
Under 141.5 (-115)
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+4 (-111)
|
Over 121.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-4 (-105)
|
Under 121.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+11.5 (-115)
|
Over 135 (-114)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-11.5 (-102)
|
Under 135 (-116)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Feb 17, 2020Florida State opened the season with a rarity -- a conference game -- and lost 63-61 at Pitt.The Seminoles have waited a long time for payback.No. 8 Florida State (21-4, 11-2 ACC) shrugged off that opening loss and responded by winning 17 of its next 18 games. The Seminoles are coming off an 80-77 win over Syracuse on Saturday as they head into Tuesday's home against Pitt (15-11, 6-9) in Tallahassee.Florida State is 13-0 at Donald L. Tucker Center.The Panthers have lost three of their past four games, including a 67-57 decision at Virginia Tech on Saturday. Pitt sits 12th in the ACC standings out of 15 teams."I'm frustrated for our guys; I hate it for them," coach Jeff Capel said after Saturday's loss."We were trying to push buttons and figure out a way to change it and obviously what we did (Saturday) didn't work. So, we have to figure out some other things. We have some more road games, one coming up on Tuesday so we have to try and figure different things out. We have to keep playing, we have to be smarter, we have to finish." Pitt fell behind 32-23 at halftime and never recovered. The Panthers shot just 35 percent from the floor (21 of 60) en route to losing their fifth straight road game. They have, however, already exceeded last season's win total (14) and are 7-3 after a loss this season.Florida State is coming off a roller-coaster week in which it suffered a narrow 70-65 loss at No. 7 Duke, then rebounded with a hard-fought, comeback win against Syracuse. The team's leading scorer, guard Devin Vassell, played against Duke but was absent from the lineup against Syracuse.Coach Leonard Hamilton refused to give a reason after the game while Vassell didn't play, and he did not shed light about whether Vassell would be available Tuesday. It wasn't immediately clear if Vassell was benched for disciplinary reasons or was injured."I think you guys have been around me long enough to know that I don't talk about injuries if a kid doesn't play," Hamilton said of Vassell, who was seen warming up Saturday. "I don't want to acknowledge it one way or another and that's it." Vassell, a sophomore projected as a potential first-round pick in the 2020 draft, is averaging 13.4 points per game, followed by Trent Forrest (11.6) and M. J. Walker (10.7). The 6-foot-7 Vassell is also the team's leading rebounder at 5.4 boards per game.Pitt also has three players averaging double figures, led by 12.5 points per game from guards Trey McGowens and Justin Champagnie, who also paces the team on the glass with an average of 7.3 rebounds per game. Xavier Johnson is averaging 11.8 points.The first meeting, back on Nov. 6, was ugly. The game included 43 fouls -- 27 from Florida State -- and 27 turnovers. Pitt won despite shooting 31.4 percent (16 of 51).--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+14.5 (-109)
|
Over 133 (-113)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-14.5 (-107)
|
Under 133 (-117)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Feb 17, 2020Northwestern has struggled this season, but when the Wildcats travel to Big Ten leader and No. 7-ranked Maryland on Tuesday, they'll meet a team they had on the ropes for most of the game earlier this season in Evanston, Ill.Of course, the Terrapins (21-4, 11-3) are streaking now heading into the home clash at College Park, Md., winners of eight consecutive games, including Saturday's huge 67-60 victory at Michigan State, a place where neither Maryland nor many Big Ten teams have had much success. Senior guard Anthony Cowan Jr. scored the Terrapins' last 11 points and Maryland ended the game on a decisive 14-0 run.In addition to Cowan's 24 points, 6-foot-10 forward Jalen Smith posted his eighth consecutive double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds."I think different guys step up for us all the time," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said of his red-hot team. "We stopped listening to all the noise and just started believing in ourselves." The Terrapins squandered an early 15-point lead against the Spartans, trailed by seven points late, then rallied behind Cowan's heroics. Such tense games have been common for Maryland this season, which nearly lost to Nebraska at home just before the big road win at Michigan State. A late blocked shot by Smith preserved a 72-70 victory over the Cornhuskers.The Wildcats (6-18, 1-13) have lost nine straight games and haven't had much luck at all in close games. Northwestern is just 1-7 in games decided by five points or less, and on Jan. 26, after taking a 15-point lead against the Terrapins, the Wildcats couldn't hang on.Pat Spencer had 17 points and Miller Kopp 16, and the Big Ten's lowest-scoring team even led 40-26 at the half, before Maryland made a run. The Terrapins took their first lead with just over nine minutes left before pulling away for a hard-fought 77-66 win.Northwestern also led early at Penn State on Saturday, then ranked No. 13, before succumbing 77-61."I thought in the last five or six minutes we had numerous opportunities in the paint that we couldn't finish and that's just where we have to get better," Wildcats coach Chris Collins said. "We're playing a lot of young kids. We need to learn physicality and learn how to finish late in the game.Spencer, the former Loyola (Md.) lacrosse star from Davidsonville, Md., had 11 points at Penn State, and Kopp, the 6-7 sophomore forward, had 10. Pete Nance, a 6-10 sophomore, hit 6 of 7 shots to finish with 12 points, sharing team scoring honors with Boo Buie. Nance was 5 of 8 with 11 points in the first meeting with Maryland.Nance will have his hands full inside against Maryland's Smith. Smith had 25 points and 11 rebounds in the first meeting. But the versatile Smith, who is shooting nearly 40 percent from 3-point range, canned a big 3 to start Maryland's late run at Michigan State.And besides trying to contain Cowan, Northwestern will also have to content with 6-6 guard Aaron Wiggins, who had 17 points off the bench in the first meeting with the Wildcats. He hit five 3-pointers in that game.Northwestern is back home Sunday to host Minnesota. Maryland plays the first of two straight road games Sunday at No. 25 Ohio State.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+3 (-109)
|
Over 154 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-3 (-107)
|
Under 154 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Feb 17, 2020Experienced lineups highlight the Big East showdown between No. 15 Creighton and host No. 19 Marquette on Tuesday night in Milwaukee.Marquette (17-7, 7-5 Big East) relies mostly on seniors Markus Howard and Sacar Anim, junior Koby McEwen and sophomore Brendan Bailey. They account for 73.5 percent of the team's scoring this season and 78 percent of the Golden Eagles' points over the last five games.Howard, a 5-foot-11 guard, was the country's leading scorer as of Monday, averaging 27.3 points per game. He is also the Big East's career leading scorer in league games with 1,408 points."It's one thing to have to guard Markus Howard," Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. "He's probably the elite scorer in college basketball. It's another thing to have the efficiency on the offensive end when you're challenged with the effort it takes to guard him defensively." Creighton (20-6, 9-4) returned five of its top six scorers from a year ago, led by guards Marcus Zegarowski (15.8 points, 5.2 assists per game), Ty-Shon Alexander (16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds) and Mitch Ballock (12.3 points, 5.5 rebounds). The trio has accounted for 202 3-pointers and 57.2 percent of Creighton's points thus far.When the teams met on Creighton's home court in Omaha, Neb., on New Year's Day, the Bluejays prevailed 92-75 behind 24 points from Ballock and 21 points, eight rebounds and a career-high six steals by Alexander.Creighton, which has scored at least 90 points in five games this season, shot 50 percent from the field while scoring what was then a season-high total in points until their 93-64 defeat of DePaul on Saturday."Defensively, the No. 1 key for us was get back and make them play against our halfcourt defense, which obviously we didn't have a great deal of success with," Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski said."And then secondly, our point of emphasis was guarding the ball. They're very difficult to guard. It's hard to simulate them, because they're so good with the ball. They're quick. They space." Creighton had an uncharacteristic 19 turnovers in routing DePaul.The Bluejays have recorded a turnover on only 16 percent of their possessions, among the lowest rates in the nation. The Marquette defense has forced opposing teams to turn the ball over on just 15.5 percent of all possessions, among the worst in the nation.Marquette's offensive execution is mostly efficient, especially at home. In the Golden Eagles' last four home games, they have scored an average of 79.8 points while allowing 65.5.Amid all of Creighton's experience, freshman guard Shereef Mitchell, a hometown product from Omaha, made headlines recently returning to action after missing four games with a head injury. In his first game back against DePaul, he had a career-high 11 points with two steals in 13 minutes."It's like bringing in a pitcher that throws at a different speed," McDermott said of Mitchell's quickness coming from the bench. "He changes things defensively with his ability (to guard) on the basketball." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+1 (-108)
|
Over 133.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-1 (-108)
|
Under 133.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-3.5 (-112)
|
Over 143 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+3.5 (-104)
|
Under 143 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Feb 17, 2020Dayton has passed every test this season with flying colors. Even in their losses, the Flyers have played well enough to come away with victories.The Flyers, who have moved up to fifth in the nation, sport a 23-2 record (12-0 in the Atlantic-10) and have won 14 straight games. Both losses have come in overtime -- to No. 3 Kansas in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational finals and against Colorado on a last-second shot at the Chicago Legends tournament.They're taking everyone's best shot and appear to be heading toward at least a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.A road game Tuesday night at VCU (17-8, 7-5) is the next test for Anthony Grant's squad. The Flyers have not won at VCU in five years. Dayton is 6-0 on the road this season, while VCU is 13-2 at home.The Flyers are first nationally in field-goal percentage (.523) and are second in assists per game (18.2).Obi Toppin, who is on five national player of the year watch lists, leads the team with 19.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Toppin might get most of the attention, but Grant's got plenty of other weapons in Jalen Crutcher, Ibi Watson and Trey Landers.Against Massachusetts on Thursday, Crutcher scored 11 points in less than two minutes as the Flyers won a tough road game."It was amazing," Toppin told the Dayton Daily News. "Every single time he's on the court, he's always going to do good for the team. We have a lot of confidence in him, and he has a lot of confidence in himself." Yes, this is one confident bunch. Players openly talk about winning a national title. Grant has tried to keep the team's focus on the next game and winning the A-10 title."When you ask young men what their aspirations are, they're always going to think big," Grant said. "Our aspirations are to make sure we do everything we can to win our next game right now. That's all we can control. I think all those guys will tell you we need to be better." The Flyers beat the Rams by 14 back on Jan. 14. With the game tied at 41-all, Dayton held VCU scoreless for six minutes, outscoring the Rams 22-0."They (Dayton) made some plays, but we lost it," VCU coach Mike Rhoades said on the Rams radio network after the game. "The wheels fell off for that stretch, and we were very undisciplined. ... We took some bad shots, we turned it over." The Rams went on to win their next four games, but now have lost three of four, including two straight.Rhoades has mixed up his starting lineup trying to instill some energy while also giving younger players some time. Sophomore wing Vince Williams made his first start Saturday against Richmond."I thought we needed a little more versatility," Rhoades told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "(Williams) didn't shoot it well (Saturday), but he gave us some really good energy and plays, and got downhill." Senior Marcus Evans, who leads the Rams in assists and is third in scoring at 10.6 points per game, did not play in Saturday's 77-59 loss to Richmond. His status for Tuesday is uncertain.Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland (8.2 points) will get the start if Evans can't go.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+2.5 (-106)
|
Over 143.5 (-124)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-2.5 (-110)
|
Under 143.5 (-107)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Feb 17, 2020No. 10 Kentucky is finally in a familiar spot alone atop the SEC standings.But suddenly-unranked LSU hosts the Wildcats in Baton Rouge, La., on Tuesday night with an opportunity to rejoin them in first place with a win.The Tigers (18-7, 9-3 SEC) are the defending regular-season champions and took sole possession of first place with an 8-0 start in conference play. But they have lost three out of their last four and dropped out of the AP Top 25 on Monday, a week after sliding from No. 18 to No. 25.Auburn beat Kentucky on Feb. 1 to force a three-way tie, but No. 13 Auburn, like LSU, is a game behind Kentucky after losing to Missouri last Saturday.Coach John Calipari has the Wildcats (20-5, 10-2), who won their fourth straight by holding off Ole Miss on Saturday, on schedule with the SEC tournament just three weeks away."(Calipari) always says that we try to get better progressively, closer to March," freshman guard Tyrese Maxey said. "It was big for us to win a game like that -- not being able to hit shots from the 3-point line." Kentucky made just 2 of 22 3-pointers against the Rebels, but guard Immanuel Quickley said overcoming poor shooting to win is a good sign as the postseason approaches."That's what the tournament is about," Quickley said. "You want to be at your best when the tournament comes around. We hear all the stories about a bad shooting night in the tournament, and you lose a game."Just knowing that we can still win games when we aren't shooting, you know our defense can come through for us, and that's really what it's about." Calipari likened the game to "a rock fight" that "ended up being a great win." "I'm happy as heck," Calipari added. "You don't have to play great every night, and you can get pushed around for three quarters of the game, but the last part of the game you play to win." LSU won 10 straight games in its surge to first play in the SEC, but a 99-90 loss at Vanderbilt, which entered the game 0-8 in the conference, on Feb. 5 started the slide."We probably weren't as good as the 10-game winning streak," Tigers coach Will Wade said, "and we're not as bad as we look now." LSU lost at Alabama 88-82 last Saturday, and the Crimson Tide outscored the Tigers by six both from beyond the arc and at the free-throw line."I always talk about when we play them, you can't lose the 3-point line and the free-throw line," Wade said. "You can lose one of the two and beat them, but you can't lose both of them." The Tigers also have been hurt by allowing offensive rebounds. Alabama had 13, 10 of which came in the second half, leading to six second-chance points. LSU has allowed 42 offensive rebounds in its last three games."We need team rebounding," Wade said. "We're not calculating things right on the glass right now."Our margin for error isn't very big, just like a lot of teams in college basketball. There's going to be ebbs and flows, but we've got to play better. We're in a little bit of a rut right here." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-2 (-104)
|
Over 159 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+2 (-112)
|
Under 159 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-3.5 (-109)
|
Over 134 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+3.5 (-107)
|
Under 134 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 17, 2020Baylor has a chance to accomplish something Tuesday night that no Big 12 team has ever done.Heading into their game at Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., the No. 1 Bears have won 22 games in a row, tying them with 1996-97 Kansas for the longest winning streak in conference history."We've got a great group of guys, and I think the sky's the limit for us," Baylor's Jared Butler said. "We just try to win the next game, that's it. Go 1-0." The Bears (23-1, 12-0 Big 12) have done a lot of that this season, but they haven't been overly dominant much of the time.During the winning streak, 10 games have been decided by single digits, including six of Baylor's 12 conference wins.The Bears keep finding ways to win, including in the Jan. 20 home meeting with the Sooners that was played the same day Baylor moved to the top spot in the polls.Baylor outlasted Oklahoma 61-57 after the Sooners' Kristian Doolittle's steal with 12 seconds left gave Oklahoma a chance to tie or take the lead. Austin Reaves' 3-pointer missed, Baylor got the rebound and hit the ensuing free throws to put the game away.Oklahoma (16-9, 6-6) is in the midst of its toughest stretch of the season, playing four of five games against teams that have been in the polls recently. The Sooners started that stretch with a 17-point loss at Kansas on Saturday, and while they're in strong position to make the NCAA Tournament, they could use another marquee win or two to solidify their place and improve their seeding."This team will continue to get better," Sooners coach Lon Kruger said. "We know how good Baylor is. We look forward to that challenge." While Brady Manek struggled Saturday, scoring just seven points and going just 1 of 6 from behind the 3-point line against Kansas, the Sooners' junior wing has been hot at home recently.In Oklahoma's last four games in Norman (not including the team's win over Mississippi State on Jan. 25 in Oklahoma City), Manek is averaging 22.5 points, hitting 5.3 3-pointers, plus seven rebounds per game.Doolittle has played a big part in Oklahoma's recent success, snapping out of a midseason slump to average 24.7 points and 10.0 rebounds over the last three games.The Bears are hoping to get back MaCio Teague after he missed Saturday's win over West Virginia with a wrist injury. Teague scored 16 points in the first meeting with the Sooners."It's a situation where we're waiting for the inflammation to go down and waiting for him to be able to be effective," Baylor coach Scott Drew said of Teague. "He's one of our tougher kids. ... We'll see how he progresses. When he's ready and he can help us, he'll be back out there." Teague is the Bears' second-leading scorer, averaging 14.4 points per game.A Baylor win Saturday would set up likely the biggest regular-season game in school history, with the Bears hosting No. 3 Kansas on Saturday. If Baylor can win both games this week, it would virtually assure the Bears of the regular-season conference title.Baylor hasn't won a conference championship since 1950 and hasn't won one outright since 1948.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
10:30 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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OFF
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+1 (-108)
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Over 147.5 (-113)
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OFF
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-1 (-108)
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Under 147.5 (-117)
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NHL |
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2/18/2020 |
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FOUND
7
GAMES |
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COMING
UP
7:08 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+133
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+1.5 (-188)
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Over 5.5 (+104)
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-148
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-1.5 (+168)
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Under 5.5 (-117)
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GAME PREVIEW
The tables have turned on the formerly white-hot Columbus Blue Jackets, who answered a scintillating 18-2-3 run by dropping five in a row (0-2-3).The Blue Jackets look to avert a season-worst losing streak on Tuesday in the opener of a home-and-home series against the host Philadelphia Flyers.Columbus' latest loss was not for a lack of trying, however. The Blue Jackets unleashed 55 shots on goal in their 4-3 shootout setback to New Jersey on Sunday."I need to be careful," Columbus coach John Tortorella said. "You can't get frustrated. I thought for a big part of that game we developed our offense and had good checking. We just have to stay with it." Oliver Bjorkstrand set up Kevin Stenlund's game-tying tally in the third period on Sunday to extend his point streak to four games (two goals, two assists). Bjorkstrand has recorded 12 of his team-leading 19 goals over his past 15 contests.Zach Werenski netted his NHL-best 18th goal by a defenseman for the Blue Jackets, who are clinging to the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference."The season is still long. We have 20-something games, so we still have time," rookie goaltender Elvis Merzlikins said. "... I believe and I know my teammates are going to fight and we are going to do beautiful things." The Flyers, who sit one point behind the Blue Jackets, defeated their Metropolitan Division rival in their first two meetings of the season.Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux (three goals, six assists) and fellow forward James van Riemsdyk (four goals, four assists) each carry a five-game point streak into Tuesday's tilt.Giroux, who has collected a goal and an assist against the Blue Jackets this season, matched those totals on Saturday as the Flyers attempted to overcome a three-goal deficit before dropping a 5-3 decision to Tampa Bay."As far as believing in this group and always working hard and trying to do the right things, there's no doubt we're trying to do that," Philadelphia coach Alain Vigneault said. "We'll go home; we just finished a challenging stretch here of five or six games in five or six different cities. We're going to go home, rest up, and get ready for Columbus." Van Riemsdyk has tallied in back-to-back contests to boost his goal total to 18, one shy of Travis Konecny for the team lead. The 30-year-old van Riemsdyk has recorded two goals and two assists versus the Blue Jackets this season, including a three-point performance in the Flyers' 7-4 romp on Oct. 26."I think we've been playing well as a team lately," van Riemsdyk said of the Flyers, who are 9-4-1 in their past 14 games. "The big games keep coming up. Two with Columbus this week is going to be huge. Just gotta keep moving forward." The teams will conclude their regular-season series in Columbus on Thursday.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
7:08 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+123
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+1.5 (-191)
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Over 6.5 (-108)
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-136
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-1.5 (+170)
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Under 6.5 (-104)
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GAME PREVIEW
The Pittsburgh Penguins hope to continue to hone their game, while the Toronto Maple Leafs will look for another level when the teams begin a home-and-home set Tuesday in Pittsburgh.The clubs meet again Thursday in Toronto.Both teams could have fresh legs after taking Monday off.Pittsburgh is 3-0-1 in its past four games. It might not be evident given their record -- the Penguins are on pace for 112 points and are in position to challenge for the Presidents' Trophy -- but they haven't felt fully on top of their game lately."I think we're getting back to the game that has brought us success most of the year," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "I still think there are areas where we've got to tighten up in order to be a little bit more stingy defensively and harder to play against. We're working on those details."We're playing the game hard. We just have to make sure we play the game a little smarter at critical times during the game. For the most part, I think we're trending the right way." One thing that has evolved just in the past few games for the Penguins is the way they are rolling four lines. For a stretch of time before that, they were heavily a three-line club."To go where we want to be, we have to have all four lines going, and all three (defensive) pairs and both goalies," said winger Patric Hornqvist, who somewhat surprisingly has been used lately on the fourth line after usually being a top-six forward during his years with Pittsburgh. Sunday, he responded with two goals in a 5-1 win against Detroit."When we're all playing well, we out-change the other team and we outscore them," Hornqvist said. "We were the better team from the drop of the puck (Sunday). That's the way we have to be here from now on." Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby also scored Sunday, giving him six goals and 19 points in 12 games since he returned from core muscle surgery.Toronto is 3-4-1 in its past eight games and is looking to put some punch in its game heading into the stretch run."We haven't been able to put a full 60 minutes together," Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said. "We need to find the sense of urgency we need to have. We have to find a way to raise our game." Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe was more direct."This is the worst we've been in a really long time," he said. "We haven't been able to get the results we're capable of getting, but seems like each game has been a little bit different in terms of what the issues are." Sunday, the Maple Leafs had what Keefe called "tired legs" in a 5-2 loss at Buffalo.Tavares sees the two-game set against Pittsburgh as a good gauge for Toronto."It's going to tell us a lot about our team and where we're at," he said. "(They are as) proven a team as there is. They are playing really good hockey, have really found their game. They have a lot of experience. They're very driven. They play hard. It's a crucial couple of games." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
7:38 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-198
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-1.5 (+134)
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Over 5.5 (+105)
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+176
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+1.5 (-149)
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Under 5.5 (-118)
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GAME PREVIEW
The good news for the Montreal Canadiens and host Detroit Red Wings is that one of the struggling clubs will snap a four-game losing streak on Tuesday.Montreal moved four games above. 500 with a three-game winning streak earlier this month but slumped to an 0-3-1 record last week. The Canadiens picked up a point in their latest outing, but that loss was particularly irritating. They squandered a three-goal advantage and fell 4-3 in overtime to Dallas."We're just disappointed. It's a pretty easy way to put it," goalie Carey Price said. "(Comebacks) aren't uncommon in the NHL today. I think they just grabbed a lot of momentum as they carried on in the game. We've been on both sides of that. It's definitely not fun to be on the receiving end." The Canadiens also dropped a one-goal decision to Arizona at the beginning of the slide. A pair of 4-1 losses at Boston and Pittsburgh followed.Forward Jonathan Drouin missed the Dallas game with a sprained ankle. Drouin, who scored 18 goals last season, was sidelined most of this season by a wrist injury."No matter how many tough bounces we got this year, how hard we've worked and just haven't got the results, the character in this room is never going to give up," forward Jordan Weal said. "There's a lot of guys that haven't been given anything their whole careers; they've had to work for everything they've got. ... We've just got to keep pushing and keep pushing, and the odds are going to turn." Going by that philosophy, the Canadiens are due for a victory over the Red Wings.Detroit has recorded a league-low 14 wins this season but three have come at the Canadiens' expense. The Wings won at Montreal 4-2 on Oct. 10 and 2-1 on Dec. 14. In the last meeting in Detroit, they pulled out a 4-3 home win on Jan. 7 behind two Frans Nielsen goals.Jonathan Bernier has been the winning goalie in each of those games. Bernier didn't start the Wings' 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday but he finished it, as Jimmy Howard was pulled in the second period after giving up four goals.Detroit went 0-4 on a road trip last week. It also fell to Buffalo 3-2, along with 4-1 losses to New Jersey and Boston.The team's biggest star, center Dylan Larkin, has not scored in the last six games and didn't record a point on the road trip."I've got to take some responsibility and score some goals and produce offensively but we are in a stretch right now where we have to find a way out of this, and find a way as a team to generate more offensively," Larkin told NHL.com."We had our chances (Sunday) but we've got to make sure they go in. ... We only scored one goal as a team. We're leaving the rest to our goaltender, and it's not fair to those guys." Detroit begins a stretch in which it plays eight of its next 10 games at home."We'll see what we've got to get better at. We'll show them that," coach Jeff Blashill said. "We'll see what we did well and try to win a game on Tuesday." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:38 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-112
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-1.5 (+224)
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Over 6 (-105)
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+102
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+1.5 (-257)
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Under 6 (-107)
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GAME PREVIEW
Making the playoffs might be a tall order for the Buffalo Sabres, but the fight remains there.However, if the Sabres are to win a season-high fourth straight game, they'll need to end their recent road struggles against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.Buffalo, which last reached the playoffs in 2010-11, entered Monday nine points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. However, the Sabres closed out a four-game homestand with their third consecutive victory, 5-2 over Toronto on Sunday.Johan Larsson had one goal with an assist, and Jack Eichel scored his 33rd as the Sabres broke open a 2-2 game with three third-period goals. With the win, Buffalo improved to 5-2-1 in February."Every game for the rest of the year is going to be big for us," Eichel told the Sabres' official website."We're starting to get the confidence going again in the room, and I think that's everything. You see we're getting contributions throughout the lineup." Eichel has nine goals and 23 points over his past 20 games.Buffalo, which has played nine of its past 10 games at home, begins a stretch of six of the next seven on the road. The Sabres have won three of their past four away from home but have been outscored 11-3 during a three-game losing streak at Ottawa.That included a 3-1 loss there on Dec. 23.Ottawa is 4-10-7 since that victory, but one of those wins was a 5-2 decision at Buffalo on Jan. 28, and two more victories have come over the past three contests to begin a six-game home stretch. Artem Anisimov scored 3:48 into overtime, and Brady Tkachuk had a goal with two assists in Sunday's 4-3 victory that ended Dallas' four-game winning streak."For us to get two points that's huge for us," Tkachuk, who has three goals with four assists over a six-game stretch, told the Senators' official website. "Hopefully we can build off this." Tkachuk has a goal with three assists in Ottawa's three games with Buffalo this season, with the Senators winning two. Craig Anderson, who stopped 36 shots against Dallas on Sunday, has a 2.02 goals-against average while starting all three games against Buffalo this season.Ottawa's Marcus Hogberg, who continues to see time as Anders Nilsson recovers from a concussion that has kept him out since mid-December, owns a 3.02 goals-against average during a 1-4-2 starting stretch.Meanwhile, Buffalo's Carter Hutton has a 2.23 goals-against average during a four-game winning streak. However, he's yielded seven goals while losing his last two starts at Ottawa. Jonas Johansson, up while Linus Ullmark deals with a lower-body injury, is 0-1-1 with a 2.97 goals-against average as a starter this month.Eichel posted a four-goal game during Buffalo's 4-2 home victory over the Senators on Nov. 16.The Senators' Jean-Gabriel Pageau, the subject of trade rumors ahead of next week's NHL trade deadline, has a team-high 22 goals.Teammate and All-Star Anthony Duclair has a career-high 21 goals for Ottawa, but none over his past 21 games.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:08 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+108
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+1.5 (-226)
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Over 6 (-108)
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-119
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-1.5 (+199)
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Under 6 (-104)
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GAME PREVIEW
The Nashville Predators aim to stretch their winning streak to four games when they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.Nashville's only other four-game win streak this season came Oct. 22-29, marking the culmination of a strong opening month for the club. Since that time, the season "has been full of ups and downs," goaltender Pekka Rinne said, but the Predators "kind of see the light now" under new head coach John Hynes."Lately, I think it shows in our game that we play with a lot of passion, just gutsy plays," Rinne said. "I feel like we've changed the way we play the game. Obviously it's Hynesie, but it's also the players buying into it, and I think it shows." The Predators are 8-7-0 since Hynes was hired Jan. 7, a stretch that includes back-to-back wins over the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues over the weekend. Nashville recorded a 4-3 win in St. Louis on Saturday before pulling out a 2-1 home victory over the Blues on Sunday.Rinne was named the first star of Sunday's game, stopping 38 of 39 shots in one of the veteran goalie's most impressive performances of the season. Rinne badly needed the strong showing, having lost playing time recently to Juuse Saros.Nashville could return to Saros as the starter on Tuesday, or Rinne could again get the call based on his previous game against Carolina -- a 31-save shutout in a 3-0 Predators victory on November 29. That result snapped a six-game (0-4-2) winless drought for the Predators against the Hurricanes that dated back to the 2016-17 season.Both clubs currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture in their respective conferences. Like Nashville, Carolina is also hoping it has found some midseason form, as the Hurricanes are 6-3-1 over their last 10 games.Sunday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers saw Carolina at least salvage a point, as Sebastian Aho's third-period goal forced the game beyond regulation time. However, the special teams unit may have cost the Hurricanes a crucial win, as they went 0-for-3 on the power play while surrendering a power-play goal to Edmonton's Kailer Yamamoto in the second period."We've got the feeling on the bench that we can come back. That's a good thing," Aho said. "But when we have those moments, (on the) penalty kill (and) power play, we just have to do a little bit better job." Aho recorded two goals and an assist on Sunday, giving him 15 points (nine goals, six assists) over a nine-game point streak. Linemate Andrei Svechnikov is also on a seven-game point streak, including four goals and five assists.James Reimer stopped 20 of 24 shots in the losing effort, though the goalie has now played eight consecutive games (6-0-2) without a regulation loss. Carolina has deployed Reimer and Petr Mrazek in a virtual split of starting duties over the last month, so Mrazek could be back between the pipes against Nashville.Craig Smith's second-period goal against the Blues on Sunday gave the forward six goals over his last five games.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:08 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+216
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+1.5 (-111)
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Over 6 (-111)
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-247
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-1.5 (+100)
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Under 6 (-101)
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COMING
UP
8:08 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+149
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+1.5 (-168)
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Over 5.5 (-110)
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-166
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-1.5 (+150)
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Under 5.5 (-102)
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GAME PREVIEW
After getting the spark it needed from its defense, the Winnipeg Jets will look for sustained success when they play host to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.The Jets ended a two-game losing skid with a 3-2 home victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday when defenseman Nathan Beaulieu scored the game-winning goal in the third period. Beaulieu also had an assist, while defenseman Dmitry Kulikov added two assists.Defenseman Josh Morrissey didn't record a point but was influential in keeping Blackhawks stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in check. Chicago did not score a goal while Morrissey was on the ice.The victory prevented an extended run of defeats like the five consecutive losses that came at the end of January for the Jets. Winnipeg is now 5-2-1 in February and can improve on that against a Kings team that is by far the worst in the Western Conference at 21-33-5 (47 points).Centers Mason Appleton and Jack Roslovic had second-period goals against the Blackhawks. The game also marked the NHL debut of right wing Andrei Chibisov, who had eight minutes of ice time."He was good," the Jets' Nick Shore said of Chibisov, according to NHL.com. "He's a big strong, skilled forward and I think the more he gets into the game the better it's going to be. ... It's always a bit of nerves your first game so I'm sure he's happy to get that one over with." The matchup with the Kings will end a stretch six home games for the Jets (3-2-0). They have also played eight of the last nine games at home, going 5-3-1.Despite their season of struggles, the Kings will enter Tuesday on a two-game winning streak, the first time they have recorded consecutive victories since Dec. 15 and 17 at Detroit and Boston.The Kings also will be returning indoors after earning a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday in the Stadium Series game at the Air Force Academy's football stadium in Colorado Springs.The hat trick for the Kings' Tyler Toffoli was the first in an outdoor game in NHL history. Also key for the Kings was a strategy to have shorter shifts on the ice. It was a tactic primarily done because the game was played at over 6,600 feet in elevation, the highest altitude ever for an NHL game.The Kings reportedly shipped Toffoli to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday in exchange for forward Tim Schaller, a prospect and a draft pick.Moving forward, the Kings could end up using shorter shifts even when they are a bit closer to sea level."We stayed on tired for about the first 10 minutes of the game, and we needed (goalie Jonathan Quick)," head coach Todd McLellan said. "And then after that, we kind of figured out that this wasn't going to work playing regular shift length, losing faceoffs, turning pucks over. So we simplified things, we made it a lot shorter. We focused on getting off the ice as much as we did getting on the ice for the rest of the night, and I think that paid off for us." Tuesday's contest is just a one-game trip for the Kings. They return home Thursday for five consecutive games, play one game at Vegas on March 1, and then have a run of nine consecutive home games that ends on March 22.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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