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NBA |
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2/4/2020 |
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FOUND
6
GAMES |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:35 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-249
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-6.5 (-102)
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Over 245 (-106)
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+218
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+6.5 (-108)
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Under 245 (-104)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 03, 2020The Milwaukee Bucks have been good at putting a lot of distance between losses.They followed one of their early season losses with 18 consecutive victories. They followed another loss with five consecutive victories. They followed another with nine consecutive victories.Now they're trying to string together another streak as they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.Milwaukee bounced back from a 127-115 home loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday to close their three-game homestand with a 129-108 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday."A good response," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "Not our best, but a steady, good response." The Bucks' steadiness has helped them compile the NBA's best record at 42-7. They haven't lost consecutive games this season.Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 30 points, 19 rebounds and nine assists in 31 minutes against the Suns, said the Bucks have emphasized being more consistent in each quarter."Last year at the end of each quarter we would start giving up easy points, giving up 3s," Antetokounmpo said. "But this year we try to be more focused. We try to close quarters a little bit better and that helps."You're not going to win every quarter, but when you win four quarters or three out of four, you're going to win a lot of games." Center Brook Lopez added 17 points and a career-high nine blocks against Phoenix."It was just a team effort," Lopez said. "I think Phoenix got some easy ones early in the game. We definitely tightened up. Our goal is to be the No. 1 defensive team again." Antetokounmpo didn't play in host Milwaukee's 127-112 victory over New Orleans on Dec. 11 because of a sore quad tendon.Also missing from that game was Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson, who didn't return from preseason knee surgery until six games ago. New Orleans is 3-3 with him in the lineup, but it lost at Houston 117-109 on Sunday.The Pelicans had 10 turnovers in the first quarter, the most they have committed in any quarter this season, and finished with 21."Turnovers were definitely a big part of it," Williamson said. "I don't think they caused us to make those turnovers. I think it was self-inflicted turnovers. We had 10 in the first quarter and you can't start the game like that." Williamson, finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the third NBA player since 2012 to have two 20-point 10-rebound games in their first six NBA games. The others are former Pelicans star Anthony Davis and current Phoenix Suns center DeAndre Ayton.But Williamson had just two field-goal attempts in the final 11 minutes and the Pelicans were outscored 25-16 in the fourth quarter."Zion can't go four minutes without touching the basketball and that's on me," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said. "That's something I've got to make sure that will never happen again. I take responsibility for that and if we're not going to get it to him and we're not going to execute -- we've got to have different people in the game, and that's on me also." --Field Level Media
 Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
GAME RECAP
Feb 05, 2020NEW ORLEANS Giannis Antetokounmpo had the strength and savvy to outshine rookie sensation Zion Williamson in the latest double-digit triumph for the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks.Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 17 rebounds, and the Bucks defeated New Orleans 120-108 on Tuesday night.''He's the former MVP,'' Williamson said when asked about his first experience playing against Antetokounmpo. ''It's like going up against any great player; you do as much as you can to slow him down.'' The Pelicans struggled to slow Antetokounmpo, as have many teams this season - especially recently. The Greek star now has at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in each of his past four games.Antetokounmpo also was a factor on defense. While he usually defends off the ball, coming in late for block attempts or rebounds, he had chances in New Orleans to guard Williamson and even dynamic wing player Brandon Ingram.''I take pride in that, and whenever I have an opportunity to guard a guy 1-on-1, I like it,'' said Antetokounmpo, whose defensive highlights included catching Williamson from behind on a fast break and swatting his shot out of bounds.On offense, Antetokounmpo's physical dominance was on full display when he transferred the ball from his left to right hand and flipped it in off the glass as Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday pulled forcefully on his left arm in an attempt to stop him from scoring by fouling.Khris Middleton scored 20 for the Bucks, who trailed 61-58 at halftime but broke loose for 42 points in the third quarter, when they led by as many as 19.Ingram scored 32 points and Williamson had 20 for the Pelicans, who briefly got as close as seven twice in the fourth quarter before the Bucks stemmed the tide and improved to 20-4 away from home this season.''Good win on the road,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''We liked the way our defense got better as the game went on.'' Milwaukee defended Williamson aggressively, constantly rejecting or fouling him with multiple defenders and often knocking him to the floor.''We put a lot of guys, a lot of different looks to him,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''Just tried to make him guess, just tried to make it tough as possible. You know he's going to try to go left, try to overpower whoever's guarding him, try to go finish strong, and guys behind have got to be active.'' It seemed to pay off. Williamson was 5-of-19 shooting with four turnovers, and New Orleans was minus-11 with him on the court.''It was very physical,'' Williamson said. ''It was one of those nights where I couldn't get my second-jump layup to fall. It was very frustrating, but my teammates were in my ear, telling me to keep going.'' Williamson still managed to assert himself early in the fourth quarter. His off-balance floater as he lunged across the lane trimmed the Bucks' lead to 103-96 with 9:26 to go.Later, Williamson ripped a rebound away from Antetokounmpo under the Milwaukee basket, drew a foul and hit two free throws to cut it 107-100.But the Bucks responded with Brook Lopez's layup and Wesley Matthews' fifth 3-pointer of the game to push their advantage back to 12.Matthews demoralized New Orleans by reliably hitting open 3s in transition. He hit five from deep and finished with 17 points.''He was focused. He was playing defense. He was knocking down shots. He was talking to everybody,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''It was amazing.'' By contrast, the Pelicans missed 35 of their 49 attempts from 3-point range, hitting just three of 19 in the second half.TIP-INSBucks: Came in outscoring opponents by 12.4 points per game and just about equaled that average. ... Matched their NBA-best average of 120 points per game. ... Hit the 110-point mark for an 11th straight game. ... Improved their NBA-best record to 43-7 with their 11th victory in 12 games.Pelicans: Lonzo Ball had 11 points and 14 rebounds. ... JJ Redick scored 13 points. ... Williamson was 10 of 14 from the free throw line. ... New Orleans shot 38.8% (38 of 98).IMPRESSED NONETHELESSBucks players spoke highly of Williamson after their first up-close look at him.''He's a beast, man,'' Middleton said. ''He's going to have a heck of a career. He's a smart player. He creates so much force in that paint with the ball in his hands. He's going to learn how to be a better player also, which I think is a scary thing to see.'' Added Antetokounmpo: ''He'll be a good player for a lot of years to come. ... He's just got to stay healthy and he's going to have a bright future.'' UP NEXTBucks: Host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.Pelicans: Visit the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.---More NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/-Sports
Game
Recap from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 8:05 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+667
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+13 (-104)
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Over 223.5 (-104)
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-915
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-13 (-106)
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Under 223.5 (-106)
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 04, 2020The Houston Rockets have played just long enough without starting center Clint Capela that envisioning a long-term future without Capela contributing nightly double-doubles has started to crystallize.That makes the timing of the published reports of his potential trade to an Eastern Conference team particularly intriguing. With the NBA trade deadline set for Thursday, the Rockets have reached a juncture where their status as title contenders could be solidified by one transaction.Before then, Houston will host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. Capela has missed consecutive games and six total since Christmas with a heel contusion, and the Rockets have opted for small-ball lineups in his absence. While there is a possibility that Capela has played his final game with the organization that selected him 25th overall in the 2014 draft, the Rockets continue to talk as though Capela will return to their lineup when he is healthy."There's going to be a lineup that, when Clint goes out, we can get more spread and give a different look," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Maybe the bigs aren't working so you go small; maybe the smalls aren't working so you go big. Yeah, it gives you an extra weapon." There are questions regarding how long the Rockets can thrive playing as small as they did in wins over Dallas and New Orleans in the past two games. Houston benefited from the Mavericks playing without All-Star guard Luka Doncic last Friday and won despite finishing at a minus-15 rebounding deficit. Against Dallas, the Rockets didn't play anyone taller than 6-foot-6. ESPN reported that hadn't happened in the NBA since 1963.The Rockets were even worse on the glass against the Pelicans, who posted a plus-20 advantage on the boards and snagged half of their misses on the offensive end in the first half. Houston fought harder and did a better job of limiting second-chance opportunities in the second half of their 117-109 win against the Pelicans, but the challenge will remain without Capela or a legitimate center capable of cleaning the glass should the Rockets not land one prior to the trade deadline."We're just doing what every team in the NBA will do when one man goes down," said Rockets forward Danuel House Jr., who posted two double-digit rebounding games over the past week with Capela sidelined. "We've just come together as a team and try to put the pieces together that that man usually brings. I just think guys overall are doing a great job of doing more and putting more energy and effort into a lot of things, and it's starting to show for us." In the Hornets, Houston will face a reeling team that has dropped three consecutive games -- 11 of 12 overall -- and ranks among the bottom five teams in the league in rebounding rate. Charlotte managed a plus-9 rebounding margin against the Orlando Magic on Monday but surrendered 16-of-34 shooting from behind the 3-point line in its 112-100 home setback.The Hornets have committed to a youth movement, and their current struggles are a byproduct of their approach. Still, there were positives to be gleaned, and they were noted."To win the paint (plus-12), I thought that was a positive," Hornets coach James Borrego said. "To win the board, most nights that's going to be a win for us. It came down to making shots. To lose the 3-point line by 21 (points), that's going to be tough for us to make up in other areas." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
GAME RECAP
Feb 05, 2020HOUSTON James Harden has regained his shooting touch and that's helped the Houston Rockets go on a winning streak despite injuries to other starters.Harden had 40 points and 11 assists, and the short-handed Rockets overcame an early deficit to beat the Charlotte Hornets 125-110 on Tuesday night.Houston won its third straight, handing Charlotte its fourth consecutive loss and 12th in 13 games.Harden finished a rebound shy of a triple-double after also scoring 40 points but falling one assist short of a triple-double in Houston's last game. He's scored at least 35 points in each of his past three games after struggling through a shooting slump over the previous four.The Rockets got off to a slow start and trailed throughout most of the first half on a night when they played without starters Clint Capela and Russell Westbrook, who sat out with injuries.Harden has carried a huge load for Houston during the winning streak, with Capela sidelined for all three games and Westbrook joining him on the bench Tuesday night.But Harden was quick to point out that he's had some help.''Guys are out with injuries, next guy has the opportunity to step up and play well,'' he said. ''And obviously I think everyone played well tonight, not just offensively but defensively, being in the right spots.'' The Hornets led early in the fourth before the Rockets used a 15-2 run to take control midway through the quarter and cruise the rest of the way.Coach Mike D'Antoni was impressed that the Rockets picked it up in the second half to avoid heading to play the Lakers with a loss.''They picked up their energy,'' he said. ''It was a tough game, one of those where after a couple of emotional games we get one without Russell and have to head to L. A. for the next game, (so) this was kind of a trap game where they could get you. But they understood what they were risking and came out after halftime and did the job.'' Miles Bridges and Terry Rozier had 20 points each for the Hornets, and Malik Monk added 19 off the bench.Charlotte coach James Borrego was happy to see his young team stay with the Rockets for much of the game.''We competed from the start and came out with a great mindset ... we battled tonight,'' he said. ''We got off to a great start, we competed for 48 minutes and I'm proud of the group - great effort.'' Bridges made a 3-pointer to get Charlotte within eight with about 2 1/2 minutes left, but Harden scored the next seven points to push Houston's lead to 125-110 with about a minute to go. Harden hit a 3 before stepping back to make another one as he was fouled by Cody Martin.Harden fell onto his backside and smiled broadly as he watched the shot go in before making the free throw to complete a four-point play that sealed the victory.The Rockets led by four entering the fourth quarter but consecutive 3s by Devonte' Graham put the Hornets up 101-98 with about eight minutes left.Charlotte's lead was short-lived, as Houston went on a 10-2 run, with five points from Harden, to make it 108-103 midway through the fourth.The Hornets called a timeout, but it didn't stop Houston's run as Danuel House made a 3 seconds after the timeout.Soon after that Martin got hit in the nose by teammate Cody Zeller's elbow while the two were fighting for a rebound. Martin crouched to the ground holding his face as blood poured onto the court. He was quickly taken to the locker room, but it took a few minutes to clean the blood off the floor and resume play.House added a dunk on an alley-oop after that to extend Houston's lead to 113-103.Martin returned from the locker room with about five minutes left in the quarter and he re-entered the game with about three minutes to go.Charlotte led by 15 early but Houston ended the third quarter on a 10-4 run, with 3s from Ben McLemore and Austin Rivers, to take a 92-88 lead into the fourth.TIP-INSHornets: PJ Washington returned after missing two games with a sprained right ankle. ... Charlotte had 17 turnovers. ... The Hornets outrebounded Houston 53-41.Rockets: House added 22 points and nine rebounds. ... Eric Gordon scored 16 points and P. J. Tucker had 13 points and 10 rebounds. ... Capela sat out for the fourth time in five games. D'Antoni said Capela won't return until he's pain-free. ... D'Antoni said he expects Westbrook, who has a sprained left thumb, to return Thursday night.120The Rockets have scored 120 points or more in four of their last eight games after reaching the mark only three times in their previous 13 games. Houston is 18-2 when scoring at least 120 this season. It's just the second time in franchise history and first since the 1969-70 season that the Rockets have scored 120 points 20 times in the first 50 games of a season.UP NEXTHornets: Host Dallas on Saturday night.Rockets: Visit the Lakers on Thursday night.
Game
Recap from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 9:05 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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|
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+150
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+4.5 (-108)
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Over 225.5 (-105)
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-168
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-4.5 (-102)
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Under 225.5 (-105)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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GAME RECAP
Feb 05, 2020DENVER The combination of Gary Harris and Torrey Craig was too much for Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers to overcome.Not on offense, but defense.Harris and Craig hounded the hot-shooting Lillard all evening and never let him get on track as the Denver Nuggets routed Portland 127-99 on Tuesday.“Everybody was connected,” said Nikola Jokic, who finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in just three quarters. "Everybody had the same goal - to stop Dame." This wasn't the same Lillard the Nuggets have seen in the past, though. This was a guy who had been shooting out of this world.Until Tuesday, that is, when Denver finally contained Lillard, ending his string of eight straight games with at least 30 points.Lillard was held to 21 on 8 of 23 from the floor, predominantly with Harris and Craig taking turns shadowing him.Well, that and the 7-foot Jokic backing them up.“I didn't have as many clean looks, but I still feel like I had some looks that I could have made," Lillard said. "I thought they got away with a lot, too, just being physical.”Stopping Lillard has proved a tough assignment these days. He averaged 48.8 points over his last six games entering Tuesday. What's more, he was shooting 57% from 3-point range during that streak. In this game, he was 1 of 6.“We did a good job collectively ... of not letting him get easy shots and get into a rhythm,” said Craig, who finished with seven points. “We always play pretty good defense against him as a team.”Lillard had nine assists. He didn't play in the fourth quarter.“Tonight just wasn't our night,” Lillard said. "They made shots. They executed better than we did. We just weren't at our best.”The Nuggets pulled away in the second quarter when they outscored the Blazers by a 27-10 margin. The 10 points were a season low for a quarter by Portland. The 38 points at halftime were also a low mark for the season.Denver led by 34 in the third, and Jokic was given the final quarter off. The big man had two chances to pick up his 10th assist before exiting late in the third, but Craig missed a left-handed layup and Malik Beasley a wide-open 3-pointer. Jokic has 10 triple-doubles this season.The short-handed Nuggets were without Paul Millsap (bruised left knee), Mason Plumlee (right foot) and Michael Porter Jr. (right ankle). Jamal Murray returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a sprained left ankle. He finished with 20 points.“Felt good," Murray said, even if his ankle was tender after the game. “Felt really good.”TIP-INSTrail Blazers: CJ McCollum was called for a flagrant-1 foul when he hip-checked Craig on a drive in the second quarter. McCollum had 20 points. ... F Nassir Little was helped off the court after rolling his left ankle with 37.9 seconds remaining.Nuggets: F Jerami Grant hobbled off the floor in the fourth quarter after turning his right ankle. Grant finished with 17 points. ... It was Denver's seventh straight home win over Portland. ... Denver improved to 8-0 against Northwest Division rivals this seasonTRADE DEADLINENuggets coach Michael Malone doesn't give Thursday's trade deadline much thought. He leaves that to president of basketball operations Tim Connelly & Co."If you read my business card, it says head coach," Malone cracked. “I love where our group is at and the potential we have. That being said, this is a business.”JAMES FOR JANUARYLakers forward LeBron James was named the NBA Western Conference player of the month for January after averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 10.4 assists. Lillard's numbers in the month were equally as impressive: 34.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.4 assists."It does surprise me," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said when told James won the award for January. “Dame had a great run at the end of the month.”UP NEXTTrail Blazers: Host San Antonio on Thursday. The teams have split two meetings this season.Nuggets: At Utah on Wednesday. The Jazz have dropped four straight.---More NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/-Sports
Game
Recap from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 10:05 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+165
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+4.5 (-101)
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Over 224 (-106)
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-185
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-4.5 (-109)
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Under 224 (-106)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 03, 2020Damian Lillard cemented his place among the NBA elite when his long 3-pointer eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder in last year's playoffs.The Portland Trail Blazer's guard is now adding to that legacy with one of the most prolific scoring streaks in league history. He capped a six-game onslaught with a 51-point performance in a win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. He has three games of 50 points or more in his last six and is averaging 48.8 points and 10.2 assists per game in that stretch.It's obvious Lillard will be the focus of the Denver Nuggets' defense when Portland is in town for a Northwest Division matchup on Tuesday night.Lillard has had good games against the Nuggets but he is coming into the third meeting between the teams playing at another level. In five of the last six games he has scored 47 points or more, and the only game he didn't he notched his first career triple-double with 36 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds."I don't think we've ever seen anything like this," Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony told after Saturday's game. "We've seen great basketball, we've seen guys score the basketball in different fashions, but what he's doing, we haven't seen that in a long time. I'm just happy to be a part of it, be a fan of it." Lillard started this scorching stretch with a career-high 61 points against Golden State on Jan. 20. He has also hit 49 of his 3-pointers in the six games, and he has helped Portland win four in a row to climb within four games of .500 with 32 games remaining.He and his Portland teammates have yet to figure out how to beat Denver this season, however. The Nuggets have taken the first two games, including a win at the Moda Center in Portland on opening night. Tuesday will be the third of four between the teams and the last one in Denver.The Nuggets come in limping after a disappointing overtime loss at Detroit after leading by 21 early in the first quarter on Sunday. Denver got guard Gary Harris back from personal leave but Jamal Murray (left ankle), Paul Millsap (left knee) and Mason Plumlee (right foot) have missed multiple games in a row.Add to that the injury Michael Porter Jr. suffered in Milwaukee on Friday night and the Nuggets were digging deep into their bench -- and still nearly came away with their third straight win. Porter's status for Tuesday's game is not known.Denver has gotten some big minutes from Malik Beasley, PJ Dozier and Juancho Hernangomez to help keep the team atop the Northwest Division."At the end of the day, we feel like we're one of the best teams in the league," Nuggets forward Will Barton said. "Top-tier teams don't make excuses, chasing what we're trying to chase. You always expect to win, in our mind, no matter what anyone else thinks." Portland has gotten a combined three games out of centers Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins this season while Rodney Hood, who played well in the seven-game series win over Denver last spring, ruptured his left Achilles tendon in December.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
GAME RECAP
Feb 05, 2020DENVER The combination of Gary Harris and Torrey Craig was too much for Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers to overcome.Not on offense, but defense.Harris and Craig hounded the hot-shooting Lillard all evening and never let him get on track as the Denver Nuggets routed Portland 127-99 on Tuesday.“Everybody was connected,” said Nikola Jokic, who finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in just three quarters. "Everybody had the same goal - to stop Dame." This wasn't the same Lillard the Nuggets have seen in the past, though. This was a guy who had been shooting out of this world.Until Tuesday, that is, when Denver finally contained Lillard, ending his string of eight straight games with at least 30 points.Lillard was held to 21 on 8 of 23 from the floor, predominantly with Harris and Craig taking turns shadowing him.Well, that and the 7-foot Jokic backing them up.“I didn't have as many clean looks, but I still feel like I had some looks that I could have made," Lillard said. "I thought they got away with a lot, too, just being physical.”Stopping Lillard has proved a tough assignment these days. He averaged 48.8 points over his last six games entering Tuesday. What's more, he was shooting 57% from 3-point range during that streak. In this game, he was 1 of 6.“We did a good job collectively ... of not letting him get easy shots and get into a rhythm,” said Craig, who finished with seven points. “We always play pretty good defense against him as a team.”Lillard had nine assists. He didn't play in the fourth quarter.“Tonight just wasn't our night,” Lillard said. "They made shots. They executed better than we did. We just weren't at our best.”The Nuggets pulled away in the second quarter when they outscored the Blazers by a 27-10 margin. The 10 points were a season low for a quarter by Portland. The 38 points at halftime were also a low mark for the season.Denver led by 34 in the third, and Jokic was given the final quarter off. The big man had two chances to pick up his 10th assist before exiting late in the third, but Craig missed a left-handed layup and Malik Beasley a wide-open 3-pointer. Jokic has 10 triple-doubles this season.The short-handed Nuggets were without Paul Millsap (bruised left knee), Mason Plumlee (right foot) and Michael Porter Jr. (right ankle). Jamal Murray returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a sprained left ankle. He finished with 20 points.“Felt good," Murray said, even if his ankle was tender after the game. “Felt really good.”TIP-INSTrail Blazers: CJ McCollum was called for a flagrant-1 foul when he hip-checked Craig on a drive in the second quarter. McCollum had 20 points. ... F Nassir Little was helped off the court after rolling his left ankle with 37.9 seconds remaining.Nuggets: F Jerami Grant hobbled off the floor in the fourth quarter after turning his right ankle. Grant finished with 17 points. ... It was Denver's seventh straight home win over Portland. ... Denver improved to 8-0 against Northwest Division rivals this seasonTRADE DEADLINENuggets coach Michael Malone doesn't give Thursday's trade deadline much thought. He leaves that to president of basketball operations Tim Connelly & Co."If you read my business card, it says head coach," Malone cracked. “I love where our group is at and the potential we have. That being said, this is a business.”JAMES FOR JANUARYLakers forward LeBron James was named the NBA Western Conference player of the month for January after averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 10.4 assists. Lillard's numbers in the month were equally as impressive: 34.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.4 assists."It does surprise me," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said when told James won the award for January. “Dame had a great run at the end of the month.”UP NEXTTrail Blazers: Host San Antonio on Thursday. The teams have split two meetings this season.Nuggets: At Utah on Wednesday. The Jazz have dropped four straight.---More NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/-Sports
Game
Recap from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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|
FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 10:05 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
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+485
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+10.5 (-105)
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Over 226.5 (-106)
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-621
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-10.5 (-105)
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Under 226.5 (-104)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 10:35 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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|
|
+591
|
+12 (-105)
|
Over 229 (-106)
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-788
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-12 (-105)
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Under 229 (-106)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 04, 2020The Los Angeles Lakers will continue the healing process with a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday in front of a Lakers home crowd that is seeking closure more than a week after the death of Kobe Bryant.The Lakers have played just twice since Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash Jan. 26. A game against the Los Angeles Clippers last week was postponed.After an emotional pregame ceremony at home on Friday, the Lakers were defeated 127-119 by the Portland Trail Blazers, but they rebounded with a 129-113 road victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.LeBron James, who has vowed to be the rock the Lakers can lean on in the wake of the Bryant tragedy, had a triple-double against the Kings with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. He shot just 6 of 15 from the field but still was a difference-maker with his 11th triple-double of the season and the 92nd of his career.Anthony Davis had 21 points for the Lakers on the second night of a back-to-back set.A tribute to Bryant and his daughter played on the video board during the game at Sacramento. Fans chanted Bryant's name periodically. The arena was filled with fans wearing Bryant jerseys. It is a scene the Lakers figure to see often for the remainder of the season and one they say they can handle emotionally."We're prepared for it," James said afterward. "We understand it, and we hope it happens every night, just because of the legacy that he's left behind. But we're prepared for it as a team, as an organization, and we're gonna continue to get through it." Home games figure to be even more powerful, if not for how the fans react, then simply because Bryant's Nos. 8 and 24 retired jerseys will be illuminated high above the Staples Center court.Every game the Lakers play, the normalcy of basketball will return. But Bryant's legacy is permanently attached to this year's squad.The team scored 44 points in the first quarter against the Kings and 37 in the second quarter before cruising to the victory in the second half. The 81-point first half was another reminder of Bryant, whose career-best scoring game was 81 points in 2006."I guess he's with us," Davis said, according to the Los Angeles Times.The Spurs will enter the Lakers' game on the heels of another game in Los Angeles on Monday. The Spurs fell 108-105 to the Clippers and will participate in their second set of back-to-back games in barely over a week. They lost to the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls on consecutive days last week.LaMarcus Aldridge scored 27 points and DeMar DeRozan 26 on Monday, but San Antonio could not protect a 15-point, second-quarter lead and a five-point advantage late in the game.The Spurs already could sense the impact of Bryant's death upon arrival in Los Angeles, and that experience will only intensify when they meet the Lakers."You feel it all over the city," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, according to the San Antonio Express-News. "You can tell walking the streets and when you come into the building. You can't help but reminiscence, and all the thoughts go through your head -- what a tragedy it was, and what the family is going through." Tuesday is the third and final regular-season meeting between the teams, with the Lakers winning each of the previous two. Los Angeles earned a 103-96 road victory on Nov. 3 and a 114-104 road win Nov. 25.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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NCAAB |
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2/4/2020 |
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FOUND
21
GAMES |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+180
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+5 (-113)
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Over 146.5 (-117)
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-214
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-5 (-104)
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Under 146.5 (-103)
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+105
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+1 (+100)
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Over 146.5 (-112)
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-122
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-1 (-116)
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Under 146.5 (-108)
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 03, 2020Since dropping consecutive road games to Alabama and Florida by double-digit margins in mid-January, No. 11 Auburn has gotten itself back together and will take a four-game winning streak to Fayetteville to meet unranked Arkansas on Tuesday night.The Tigers (19-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) are coming off a 75-66 win over Kentucky that moved them into a tie with the Wildcats for second place in the conference behind LSU."Kentucky is the best team we've played so I thought we stepped up, responded," coach Bruce Pearl said. "I think we took a step from good to very good. Now the question is, can we build on it?"The Tigers didn't shoot all that well against the Wildcats, just 35.3 percent overall and 26.1 percent from 3-point range (6 of 23), but they won the rebounding battle 42-28. Of the boards, 17 came on Auburn's offensive end, leading to a 17-5 advantage in second-chance points.Auburn also took care of the basketball with just seven turnovers, down from 19 in their previous game at Ole Miss, but Pearl said they will be up against a different kind of defense when they meet the Razorbacks."Kentucky doesn't try to turn you over much. Arkansas will," he said. "It's about matchups." The Razorbacks (16-5, 4-4) also are coming off a big win after beating Alabama 82-78 on the road to snap a three-game conference losing streak."It kind of felt like a must-win for us based on our last home game," said coach Eric Musselman, whose Hogs lost to South Carolina 79-77 last Wednesday.Guards Mason Jones (30) and Jimmy Whitt Jr. (26) combined for 56 points on 21-of-40 shooting as the Hogs rallied from a 12-0 deficit to start the game against Alabama."I thought we just weathered the storm," Musselman said.The Tigers, too, stumbled getting out of the gate against Kentucky, falling back 9-2 in less than two minutes, but they were down only 35-34 at the half and finished by holding the Wildcats scoreless over the final 97 seconds of the game.Crucial for the Tigers was their defensive play against Kentucky point guard Ashton Hagans and forward Nick Richards, both of whom were hampered by foul trouble. Hagans played just 20 minutes before fouling out with five points. Richards managed to play 38 minutes despite finishing with four personals but scored only seven points, half his team-high 14.4 average coming into the game.Guard Samir Doughty and forward Isaac Okoro did the defensive work against Hagans, who was charged with six turnovers. Center Austin Wiley and forward Anfernee McLemore took on Richards."I thought Austin Wiley had a huge impact on the game -- his physical presence," Pearl said. "Nick Richards has been dominating lately, and Austin was just physically able to hang in there and negate some of it. And then I thought Anfernee McLemore, who gives away a lot of size, hung in there as well." After the trip to Arkansas, the Tigers have another big home game Saturday when LSU visits. The No. 18 Tigers are 17-4 overall but 8-0 in league play."We don't get any easier," Pearl said.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-1345
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-14.5 (-103)
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Over 147.5 (-102)
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+829
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+14.5 (-113)
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Under 147.5 (-119)
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 03, 2020Duke has improved when it comes to dealing with game pressure, and that has paid off for the seventh-ranked Blue Devils.They've won three straight games, including the last two contests that had single-digit margins coming down the stretch. Their most recent victory came Saturday night at Syracuse."We love playing road games because of that kind of stuff," Duke freshman guard Cassius Stanley told reporters recently. "We've got to win regardless. We've got to do what we have to do." Tuesday night, the Blue Devils will be back on the road, seeking to stretch their winning streak to four games when they visit Boston College for an Atlantic Coast Conference meeting.Duke (18-3, 8-2) has won 13 of the past 14 meetings with the Eagles, but the setback came in the most recent trip to Boston on Dec. 9, 2017.Boston College (11-11, 5-6) had lost 12 in a row to North Carolina before pulling out Saturday night's 71-70 road victory.Duke's 97-88 victory at Syracuse on Saturday night reflected the most points for the Blue Devils in an ACC road game in 18 years. Part of the scoring came from a season-high 29 made free throws (on 33 attempts).Seeing how Duke sliced through Syracuse's zone could factor into how Boston College approaches the game. The Eagles turned to a zone set-up for some late-game possessions in the North Carolina game."We don't play zone a lot but they were attacking the basket," Boston College coach Jim Christian said.The Eagles also will need to find an answer for Duke freshman Vernon Carey Jr. The center put up 26 points and a career-high 17 rebounds in the Syracuse game. He was named ACC Player of the Week, and his 17 boards matched Patrick Ewing and Adonal Foyle for the most ever by a visiting player at the Carrier Dome."Not that he hasn't before, but he played really hungry," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We needed it." The Blue Devils are used to having big production from Carey, who is averaging 17.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game."I see it every day so nothing is really new anymore," Duke guard Tre Jones said. "He has been so dominant down low." Duke got freshman forward Wendell Moore Jr. back on Saturday. He played for the first time in nearly a month since surgery for a broken bone in his hand and posted five points in 24 minutes.Tuesday's meeting will be a rematch of Duke's 88-49 romp past Boston College at home on Dec. 31. That makes it the second matchup for Eagles guard Derryck Thornton, who began his career with the Blue Devils before transferring to Southern California and ending up with Boston College. Thornton had six points on 3-for-12 shooting from the field in the first meeting with Duke.Thornton made key plays at both ends of the court in the North Carolina game."Derryck got us settled down and took care of the basketball," Christian said.The Blue Devils had only two players in double-figure scoring in the first Boston College game, which marked their ACC home opener. Freshman forward Matthew Hurt racked up 25 points and Moore had 11.This time, Boston College will have senior forward Nik Popovic in action, potentially making a difference from the first meeting with Duke when he was out with an injury. Popovic provided 10 points in 24 minutes against North Carolina.Duke was without assistant coach Jon Scheyer for the Syracuse game. Earlier in the day, he had an emergency appendectomy.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+122
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+2 (+100)
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Over 158.5 (-112)
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-143
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-2 (-117)
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Under 158.5 (-108)
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-168
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-3.5 (-108)
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Over 142 (-102)
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+143
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+3.5 (-108)
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Under 142 (-119)
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-111
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-1.5 (+100)
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Over 130.5 (-120)
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-105
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+1.5 (-117)
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Under 130.5 (-101)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-102
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+1 (-107)
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Over 130 (-110)
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-115
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-1 (-109)
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Under 130 (-110)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+148
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+3.5 (-102)
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Over 137 (-110)
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-174
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-3.5 (-115)
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Under 137 (-110)
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+278
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+7.5 (-107)
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Over 131 (-107)
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-343
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-7.5 (-109)
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Under 131 (-113)
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 03, 2020No. 9 Maryland hosts unranked Rutgers on Tuesday in College Park, Md., as the teams sitting third and tied for fourth in the Big Ten Conference standings jockey for even better position.Four straight victories have moved Maryland (17-4, 7-3 Big Ten) within a half game of league-leading Michigan State and Illinois. The Terrapins' next opponent in a big week? No. 20 Illinois on the road on Friday.Rutgers (16-6, 7-4) is another surprising team in a conference flexing its muscles with as many as 12 teams in the hunt for spots in next month's NCAA Tournament. The Scarlet Knights had won four of their previous five games before falling Saturday to Michigan at Madison Square Garden in New York.The game on Tuesday promises to be a matchup of two programs building their pedigrees on defense. Long-armed Maryland is fifth in the conference allowing just 62.2 points per game and is fourth with 4.8 blocked shots per contest. Rutgers, picked 12th in the Big Ten preseason poll, has been even better on that end of the floor, second in the Big Ten in scoring defense at 61.1 points allowed per game, and second in defensive field-goal percentage (38.0)."Rutgers basketball is not giving up points, not giving up points in transition," explained head coach Steve Pikiell. "I don't care how we get our points. The most important thing is how the other team doesn't get points. We have to defend." But despite their most successful season since joining the Big Ten in 2014-15, the Scarlet Knights haven't been able to break through much on the road where they're just 1-3 (the Michigan loss was technically on a neutral court), with the only win at 13th-place Nebraska.Meanwhile, Maryland ran its home record to 12-0 last Thursday with an impressive 82-72 win over Iowa."We haven't won a lot of road games," admitted Pikiell. "No one in our league has." Maryland has won its last two road games but must hold service at home. Senior guard Anthony Cowan pumped in a career-high 31 points against Iowa and 6-10 Jalen "Stix" Smith had his fourth straight double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds.Maryland coach Mark Turgeon called that performance Cowan's best game, and a lot of that had to do with Maryland committing just 10 total turnovers."The game is so much easier for (Cowan) because he just figured out how to play it," said Turgeon. "I got tired of us getting on him and showing him film -- and boom -- he just flipped. He has just become this terrific, understanding basketball player. And what's amazing is he's helping me coach the team when we're not boxing out or not communicating." Maryland has averaged just 8.3 turnovers per contest in its four-game win streak.Rutgers, which was ranked nationally this season for the first time since 1978-79, gets 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game from sophomore forward Ron Harper Jr., and 9.0 points and 8.0 rebounds from 6-10 sophomore Myles Johnson. Johnson is among national leaders with his 65.9 percent shooting from the field, and Pikiell has a young team, ranked 243rd in total experience, according to Kenpom.com rankings.Following this contest, Rutgers is back home at the Rutgers Athletic Center where the Knights are 15-0, to host Northwestern on Feb. 9. Maryland heads to Illinois and will play four of its ensuing six games on the road.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+175
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+5 (-115)
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Over 143 (-110)
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-208
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-5 (-102)
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Under 143 (-110)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+133
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+2.5 (+101)
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Over 133.5 (-108)
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-155
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-2.5 (-118)
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Under 133.5 (-112)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+900
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+14.5 (-104)
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Over 145.5 (-104)
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-1525
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-14.5 (-112)
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Under 145.5 (-116)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+227
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+6 (+100)
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Over 132.5 (-119)
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-274
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-6 (-117)
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Under 132.5 (-101)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 8:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+322
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+8.5 (-105)
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Over 145.5 (-113)
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-403
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-8.5 (-111)
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Under 145.5 (-107)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 03, 2020Penn State will go for its fifth consecutive victory when it travels to No. 16 Michigan State on Tuesday in East Lansing, Mich.The No. 22-ranked Nittany Lions improved to 16-5 overall and 6-4 in the Big Ten Conference following a 76-64 win at Nebraska last Saturday. It was their first win at Nebraska since 1995.Myles Dread led Penn State with 14 points, Myreon Jones and Lamar Stevens added 13 apiece and Mike Watkins picked up his 32nd career double-double with 11 points and 17 rebounds."For our team to be the best we can be, I have to keep pursuing rebounds," Watkins said. "That's something that I'm good at, and I'm going to try to keep that (momentum) going." This is only the third time in program history that the Nittany Lions have gone 6-4 through their first 10 conference games, along with the 1995-96 and 2008-09 teams.Penn State has been at its best with offensive balance up and down its roster. That's exactly what has transpired during this four-game winning streak.Penn State went on a 30-11 run early in the second half to dismantle the Cornhuskers. During the spurt, numerous players were key components to sealing the win."I thought that (the second-half run) was a really balanced effort from the whole team," Stevens said. "We got contributions from everybody and when everyone can contribute, that gives us a huge boost of confidence. It was a great team win." The Nittany Lions' defense was terrific once again, and for the third straight game it held an opponent to below 40 percent shooting from the field.Michigan State will enter this matchup with a 16-6 mark, including 8-3 in the Big Ten. It holds an impressive 10-1 record at home this season, with the Spartans' only home loss against No. 7 Duke in early December.In their previous game, the Spartans were nipped 64-63 at Wisconsin on Saturday.Michigan State trailed by 16 points at halftime, made a furious comeback to climb within three before ultimately falling by one.Cassius Winston led the way with 23 points, Rocket Watts added a career-best 16 and Xavier Tillman swept 14 rebounds. But it wasn't enough as Tillman shot 3 of 15 for his seven points."That's the shame of basketball," Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. "You know, that looks like why we lost the game. We lost the game in the first half because we guarded nobody. So then you give a team energy, a fan base energy. And for you, it's depressing." Watts was able to give the Spartans a major lift as he started in place of Gabe Brown, who was ill. Watts dropped in four 3-pointers on 10 attempts."They were just getting open shots, and we can't execute down the stretch," Watts said. "I think we had like six times to take the lead, six possessions, and we didn't. So we gotta do a better job of executing down the stretch and coming out at the beginning of the game hard."I feel like every away game, teams get hot and go up on. We gotta just figure out how we're gonna come out aggressive." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 9:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-104
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+1 (-112)
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Over 139.5 (-107)
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-112
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-1 (-104)
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Under 139.5 (-114)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 9:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+233
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+6.5 (-110)
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Over 139.5 (-113)
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-282
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-6.5 (-106)
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Under 139.5 (-107)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 9:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-117
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-1 (-110)
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Over 123 (-114)
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+100
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+1 (-106)
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Under 123 (-106)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 9:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+307
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+8.5 (-105)
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Over 138 (-110)
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-382
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-8.5 (-112)
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Under 138 (-110)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 9:10 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+122
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+2 (-114)
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Over 139 (-117)
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-143
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-2 (-103)
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Under 139 (-104)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 10:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-517
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-9 (-114)
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Over 134 (-113)
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+398
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+9 (-102)
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Under 134 (-107)
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NO PICKS AVAILABLE |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 11:00 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+368
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+9 (-116)
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Over 153.5 (-109)
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-470
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-9 (-101)
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Under 153.5 (-111)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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NHL |
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2/4/2020 |
|
FOUND
13
GAMES |
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+175
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+1.5 (-152)
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Over 5.5 (-117)
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-197
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-1.5 (+137)
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Under 5.5 (+104)
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GAME PREVIEW
The Boston Bruins look to continue their hot play coming off the All-Star break as they host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.The Bruins have won both their games since returning to action, including a 6-1 drubbing of the Minnesota Wild on the road Saturday. Boston has won four of five overall.The Canucks had a five-game winning streak snapped last time out when they lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. After Tuesday, Vancouver wraps up a five-game road trip Thursday at Minnesota before returning home for six straight.The Bruins and Canucks face off for the first time this season before meeting again in Vancouver on Feb. 22. Boston has lost three straight in the series.The Bruins are an NHL-best 17-2-9 at home this season. They will travel to Chicago for the second end of a back-to-back Wednesday night.After an uneven start to January that ended in a 6-3-2 mark for the month, Boston got February off on the right foot with its rout of the Wild.Bruins defenseman Torey Krug led the way with a two-goal, two-assist night."I had a lot of chances," said Krug. "Obviously you feel good when the puck's finding your stick, but it was a fun night." David Pastrnak scored the third of three power-play goals in the second period of the blowout to extend his league lead to a career-high-matching 38. The marker was the Bruins' league-leading 47th on the man advantage this season (27.2 percent), three ahead of the Canucks in third."A lot of good things," said Pastrnak. "Special teams came up huge. Tonight, PK was unbelievable (four penalties killed). It's obviously nice, one of those games." The Canucks were having plenty of those games during their winning streak before it came to a halt Sunday. Even in that contest, Vancouver got a tying goal from Elias Pettersson at 9:06 of the third period to send the game past regulation."I'm sure we will look back and say we're happy to get a point, but everyone in here is competitive and we expect to get two every night," said goaltender Thatcher Demko, who made 29 saves. "Hard-fought game from the guys. I'm really proud of handling the ebbs and flows of that one." On Monday afternoon, Vancouver center J. T. Miller was named the NHL's Third Star of the Week after putting up seven points (three goals, four assists) in four games during the period. Miller's 53 points this season (20 goals, 33 assists) are five short of his career high."I think we have a lot of confidence right now," said Miller after Sunday's loss. "When you're winning, that confidence is there. We've [trailed] in this stretch that we're playing pretty well in, and it doesn't matter. We try not to change our game if we're winning or losing." The Canucks have been an uneven 13-13-2 on the road this season.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-172
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-1.5 (+143)
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Over 6 (-117)
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+154
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+1.5 (-159)
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Under 6 (+104)
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GAME PREVIEW
It has been a streaky season for Buffalo Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton.After winning his first six games of the season, Hutton went into such a severe slump that he lost his starting job to Linus Ullmark.But with Ullmark expected to miss most of the month with a right leg injury, Hutton is back in the Buffalo net.He snapped an 0-8-4 skid in a 2-1 overtime victory against visiting Columbus on Saturday, his first triumph since Oct. 22.Hutton and the Sabres (23-22-7) will look to make it two wins in a row when they play host to the Colorado Avalanche (28-16-6) on Tuesday night.After Jack Eichel scored the winner in overtime, the Sabres mobbed Hutton at the other end of the ice."Yeah, it's nice. It's obviously a good thing," Hutton told reporters afterward. "This is a team sport here and it's good to know that you're well-liked, the guys appreciate what I put into this, and it doesn't go unnoticed." Sabres coach Ralph Krueger, whose team snapped a three-game losing streak, was effusive in his praise for his goalie."Carter getting the win is really secondary to the way he's prepared himself for this situation happening," Krueger said. "... I told you a few weeks ago that there was a lot of extra work going on with (assistant coach) Mike Bales. Off ice, on ice, all kinds of work."Nobody gave up on Carter and Carter didn't give up on Carter. So, we're not surprised but we're so pleased for him to see him have performances like this when the team desperately needed it. Good on him, he's such a character in this group and he's a real leader and a voice all the time whether he's starting or not. So, of course you're pleased with him and we need to just build on this." The victory came against a Blue Jackets team that had won six straight and had gone 16-2-4 over its previous 22 games."It's a big win for the group," said Eichel, who already has a career-high 31 goals this season. "It was good to see us find a way to get a win." The Avalanche returned from the All-Star break with a 6-3 loss Saturday in Philadelphia in the opener of a five-game trip.Andre Burakovsky and Nikita Zadorov each had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who lost for the first time in four games."Think we had a really good first period, could have been up 3-0 early, had some chances," Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen said. "Even in the second, created a lot. ... Don't think we had a horrible game. We had a chance to win. I think we played better than them, but we just couldn't find the win." Cale Makar has 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists), which ties the most in a season by an Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques rookie defenseman. Bruce Bell had 37 points for the Nordiques in 1984-85."He's had a huge impact," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "You watch the minutes he plays, who he plays with, who he plays against. We expect him to do a lot, and he's learning on the go and he's doing a really nice job." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+117
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+1.5 (-215)
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Over 6 (-113)
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-130
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-1.5 (+190)
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Under 6 (+100)
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GAME PREVIEW
Considering how successful Columbus has been against Florida at home, there is a solid good chance the Blue Jackets can extend their current point streak when they play host to the Panthers on Tuesday.The surging Blue Jackets will look to earn at least one point in a ninth straight contest Tuesday night while also trying for a seventh consecutive home victory over a Panthers club that also is playing well of late.Since Dec. 9, Columbus is an impressive 17-2-5, and the Blue Jackets are currently on a 7-0-1 stretch following a 4-3 win at Montreal on Sunday. Pierre-Luc Dubois had two goals and an assist, and Elvis Merzlikins made 27 saves for his sixth straight win, posting a 1.34 goals-against average during that run.The Blue Jackets have outscored their opponents 25-11 during the past eight games. In the tight Eastern Conference playoff race, Columbus sits third in the Metropolitan Division."We should feel good about ourselves," a positive, but cautious, Columbus coach John Tortorella told NHL.com. "We'll just get ready to play our next game. It's a very important time of year to stay flatlined. Whether you win or lose, (you) just go about your business." That's certainly been the approach the Blue Jackets seem to have taken while amid a stellar 12-0-1 home stretch against Florida. Defenseman Zach Werenski recorded a hat trick and Merzlikins stopped 36 shots during a 4-1 home win on New Year's Eve to even the season series against the Panthers, who beat Columbus 4-1 at home on Dec. 7.While the Blue Jackets have been hot, Florida has arguably been equally impressive while winning 14 of the past 19, including a comeback 5-3 win at Toronto on Monday.Defenseman-turned-forward Mark Pysyk recorded his first career hat trick, and the Panthers scored four consecutive third-period goals to erase a 3-1 Maple Leafs lead and win for the seventh time in eight contests.Florida, with 63 points, is two shy of Columbus and currently third in the Atlantic Division."All the games from here on out are huge ... especially teams we're batting for a playoff spot against," Panthers forward Mike Hoffman, who has six goals and nine assists in 12 games during 2020, told 560-WQAM."They're four-point games. Obviously, to get another two (Monday) is big for us." After ex-Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves on Monday, it's possible Sam Montembeault (4-2-1, 3.35 goals-against average) could be in net for Florida on Tuesday. Bobrovsky, though, has posted a 2.54 goals-against average in the two starts against his former team this season.It's uncertain if Florida will have the services of star Aleksander Barkov, who missed Monday's contest due to a lower-body injury that has left him day-to-day. Barkov (16 goals, 38 assists) has failed to earn a point in his past three games at Columbus.The Blue Jackets will be without key forward Alexander Wennberg, who is sidelined three to four weeks due to an upper-body injury sustained Sunday. Dubois, meanwhile, has those two goals with six assists in the past four games. Teammate Oliver Bjorkstrand has recorded 10 goals and three assists during his eight-game point streak.Columbus' Matiss Kivlenieks, called up as a backup while No. 1 netminder Joonas Korpisalo recovers from a torn meniscus, is 1-0-1 with a 1.49 goals-against average in two starts.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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|
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-125
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-1.5 (+191)
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Over 6 (-114)
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+113
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+1.5 (-216)
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Under 6 (+101)
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GAME PREVIEW
The Montreal Canadiens experienced two eight-game losing streaks earlier this season and are hoping those ultimately do not prevent them from missing the postseason.With 28 games remaining, the Canadiens instead hope to start getting on a roll, starting with Tuesday's visit to the New Jersey Devils.The Canadiens went 0-5-3 from Nov. 16-Dec. 1 and that put them two points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Montreal then won seven of its next 10 games to move into the final wild-card spot but then went 0-7-1 from Dec. 28-Jan. 9 and that dropped them nine points out of the final wild-card spot.Since the second eight-game skid, Montreal is a respectable 6-3 in its last nine games but has barely gained any ground and heads to New Jersey after a flu bug canceled Monday's full practice.The Canadiens missed a chance at gaining ground Sunday afternoon when they never led and took a 4-3 home loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets."I don't think we got outplayed," Canadiens coach Claude Julien told reporters afterward. "I think it was a tight game. The difference was the mistakes. We made a few mistakes that ended up in the back of our net." Tomas Tatar, Max Domi, and Shea Weber scored for the Canadiens, who were unable to win three straight games for the fifth time this season after a 4-0 home win over Florida on Saturday."It's frustration, especially at this point of the season when we're desperate for wins," defenseman Ben Chiarot said. "We're trying to keep that good feeling in the room and keep building these wins." The Canadiens will hope to get their fourth straight road win against a team whose 45 points are the third fewest in the NHL.After a 6-5 shootout loss to Nashville last Thursday, the Devils took a 3-2 overtime loss to Dallas on Saturday night.Nico Hischier scored the tying goal in the third period, but the Devils lost moments after Hischier was stopped on a breakaway in overtime and fell to 3-5-3 in their last 11 games since winning three straight Dec. 29-Jan. 2."We're playing some good hockey," Hischier said. "We're playing good enough hockey to win games. It's just little things that are missing right now. If we do those right, we're going to start winning." The Devils may face Carey Price, whose 44 starts lead all goaltenders. Price has started the last six games and played 12 of the last 14 games.Price is 22-18-4 with a 2.75 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage and allowed five goals on 34 shots in Montreal's 6-4 home loss to the Devils on Nov. 28. Former Devil Keith Kinkaid started on Nov. 16 in Montreal and allowed the game-winner to Kyle Palmieri in overtime in a 4-3 loss.The Devils have won the last seven meetings with Montreal and are 7-1-2 against the Canadiens since Jan. 20, 2017.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+109
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+1.5 (-241)
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Over 5 (-124)
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-120
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-1.5 (+212)
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Under 5 (+110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Goals likely will be at a premium but overtime will be a distinct possibility Tuesday night when the New York Islanders host the Dallas Stars.The Stars will look to complete a perfect three-game East Coast road trip after beating the New York Rangers 5-3 on Monday night and the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in overtime on Saturday.The Islanders' most recent game was Saturday, when they returned from the All-Star break and fell to the visiting Vancouver Canucks 4-3 in overtime.Dallas' victory Monday continued a second-half surge but also represented an offensive outburst of sorts for the defensive-minded Stars, who along with Boston have allowed the fewest goals in the NHL this season at 130. The five goals were the most by Dallas since a 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 21, while the regulation win was the Stars' first since a 3-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 9.The Stars are 3-1-0 since the All-Star break, which arrived at an opportune time following back-to-back blowout losses, 4-1 to the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 16 and 7-0 to the Minnesota Wild on Jan. 18. Dallas' first two wins in the second half of the season were both 3-2 overtime decisions, over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 27 and over New Jersey on Saturday."You don't want to base anything on our last game going into the break, trust me," Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said with a laugh following the Monday morning skate. "We just threw that one away as quick as it was over. We're giving ourselves a chance to win every game. We're playing good defense, and we're going into overtime more because of our lack of scoring."At least we're giving ourselves a chance to win every game since the break. Our goaltending's been exceptional, and that's how we have to win games. So we'll take the wins any way we can get them." In that regard, the Stars are the mirror image of the Islanders, who have allowed only 134 goals while playing 16 overtime games.The Islanders hit the All-Star break with five losses in their previous seven games (2-3-2) and 15 losses in 28 games (13-12-3) since a franchise-record, 17-game point streak from Oct. 12 through Nov. 23. An 8-2 rout of the NHL-worst Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 14 marks the only time New York has scored more than four goals since a 6-5 shootout loss to the Ducks on Dec. 21.The Islanders' issues weren't solved Saturday, but forcing overtime and outshooting the Canucks 37-24 provided some encouragement for a team struggling to hang onto a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference."I felt we probably deserved to win the game, but hockey's not like that, as you know," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said after practice Monday. "We've lost points in some previous games where you look like you had a point in the bag -- and maybe two points in the bag -- and they've gone away." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
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+152
|
+1.5 (-160)
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Over 6.5 (+104)
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-170
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-1.5 (+144)
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Under 6.5 (-117)
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GAME PREVIEW
After completing a three-game road sweep of the California teams with a 3-0 win at San Jose on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Lightning open a three-game homestand against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.It will be the first game in 21 days at Amalie Arena for the Lightning since a 4-3 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 14. Tampa Bay, which is 15-7-2 at home this season including 7-0-1 since mid-December, then played six consecutive road games, including four in six days after a nine-day break for their bye week and the All-Star Game.That four-game trip began with a 3-2 overtime loss at Dallas, but the Lightning bounced back for wins at Los Angeles (4-2), Anaheim (4-3) and the shutout at San Jose as backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney finished with 30 saves.Steven Stamkos led the way for Tampa Bay on the western trip, earning NHL Second Star of the Week honors on Monday after scoring five goals to go along with three assists in the four games.Stamkos has scored 23 goals, the 11th time in his 12 seasons that he has hit the 20-goal mark. He still believes there's room for improvement for the Lightning, who are 15-2-1 in their last 18 games."It's getting there," Stamkos said. "I still don't think we're at the right mindset in terms of the way we control play and turn the puck over and make smart decisions. It's getting better as we progress here after the break. I still think there are some areas we can improve in, but we are getting the results lately. It's a process, and I like the direction we are heading." Interesting comments, especially since Tampa Bay claimed seven of a possible eight points on the challenging road trip."After the break it was a little sloppy to start but before that the run (12-2-0, 10 wins in a row) was outstanding," Stamkos said. "I thought the best hockey obviously of the season so far because we paid attention to the details of defending, not turning pucks over, just really coming back hard. Our gap with our (defense) had been outstanding in the neutral zone."We're trying to get back to that level is what I meant. After the break it was a little sloppy, but I think we are trending in the right direction." The Lightning are a perfect 8-0-0 against Pacific Division teams heading into Tuesday night's game with the Golden Knights, who enter Monday in third place in the Pacific, just one point ahead of Calgary and two in front of fifth-place Arizona.Vegas will be playing the seventh of eight consecutive road games that were split in half by the bye week and All-Star break. The Golden Knights come in off a back-to-back sweep at Carolina (4-3) on Friday and Nashville (3-0) on Saturday.Marc-Andre Fleury picked up his 459th career victory, which is tied for fifth all-time with Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, and 59th career shutout, which ranks 18th all-time, in the victory over the Predators.Vegas outshot Nashville, 14-2, in the first period, holding the Predators without a shot for a span of 16:37 and to just eight shots over the first two periods. The Golden Knights finished with a 77-42 advantage in shot attempts, including 19-4 in high-danger chances."I thought we defended hard, we were tight, and we got big saves when we needed to," said Vegas coach Peter DeBoer."The battle is so close to make the playoffs here," Fleury added. "Two big points for us, and we've got to keep it rolling." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+204
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+1.5 (-124)
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Over 6 (-117)
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-232
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-1.5 (+112)
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Under 6 (+104)
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GAME PREVIEW
The Washington Capitals will be trying to bounce back from a tough loss while the visiting Los Angeles Kings continue trying to find their way with a rebuilding group when the teams meet on Tuesday night.Washington is coming off a 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon in the first meeting between the two teams this season. Alex Ovechkin, who had scored 11 goals in his previous five games before Sunday to move within five of 700 for his career, was held without a point as Pittsburgh led most of the way.The Caps started slowly again, falling behind 3-1 after two periods before putting pressure on the Penguins and cutting the lead to one twice. Still, though they came up short. The 12:30 p.m. start seemed to slow the Caps a bit but they were much better in the third period."The third (period) was definitely closer to our identity," Caps coach Todd Reirden said in a postgame news conference. "Sometimes, until you get everybody in your group involved and into a rivalry, you don't understand what it really means. So it took us two periods to get to that, and now we're in third and we gave ourselves a chance, and unfortunately came out a goal short." The teams will meet three more times, once this month in Washington and twice more at Pittsburgh in March. One way or the other, if the Caps want to get back to the Eastern Conference finals or the Stanley Cup Final, they'll likely need to battle with the Penguins.Washington might have the start of a goalie issue on its hands. Reirden started rookie Ilya Samsonov for a second straight game as he had won 11 straight decisions while struggling veteran Braden Holtby sat.The guess here is Holtby plays in the Los Angeles game but the Caps need him to get back on track fast.The Kings come to town for their second game against Washington this season. Samsonov was in net for a 3-1 victory in Los Angeles on Dec. 4.This will be the only time Los Angeles comes to Washington this season, and it's going to be the final meeting between the two teams.The Kings are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. Tyler Toffoli scored the only Los Angeles goal, and Jonathan Quick finished with 25 saves.That loss was the Kings' sixth in the last seven games as they've gone 1-5-1 during that stretch. NHL.com said that Drew Doughty sat out a third consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury.The Los Angeles Times reported on Super Bowl Sunday that the Kings are hoping to get Doughty back into the lineup for the Washington game Tuesday.Alex Iafallo was strong throughout the month of January and earned the team's Player of the Month honor for the second time in 2019-2020. During one nine-game stretch, he posted four goals and six assists for 10 points and gave the Kings' offense a jolt.He even notched his first career hat trick, scoring every Los Angeles goal in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 30.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 7:38 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-102
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+1.5 (-248)
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Over 6 (+100)
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-108
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-1.5 (+217)
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Under 6 (-113)
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GAME PREVIEW
The Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators will keep searching for offense when they meet on Tuesday night in Ottawa.Entering Monday, the Ducks are 29th in the NHL in scoring at 2.5 goals per game and don't have a player in the top 50 in goals scored.The Senators rank 22nd in scoring (2.73) and their leading goal scorer, Anthony Duclair, hasn't scored in the past 14 games -- going without a goal since Dec. 21.The good news for both teams is some unexpected players have stepped up their scoring pace.Ottawa defenseman Mark Borowiecki, best known for his physical style of play, has a career-high seven goals and 18 points through 50 games this season.He scored his latest in a 2-1 overtime loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday."I said to a couple of the security guards I've kind befriended here over the years that it's lot more fun than fighting and a little more rewarding," Borowiecki told reporters after the loss to Toronto. "I'm just trying to chip in and help the best I can, and it's always nice to sneak one in." The Ducks have won four of six games for the first time since starting the season 6-2-0.After opening their five-game road trip with a 3-1 win at the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night, Anaheim is in position to win two straight in regulation for the first time since Oct. 16-18.Derek Grant scored the game-winner in the second period on Saturday, giving the former Ottawa fourth-round pick his 11th goal of the season, one shy of his career high.Grant plays on the fourth line, which has been one of the bright spots for the Ducks this season."Deep into their back end, they got a goal from that group, and we didn't get that," Kings coach Todd McLellan said. "That's the difference." Defending against the Ducks should be a lot easier after Ottawa went up against Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals on Friday, and Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner of the Maple Leafs on Saturday, each of whom has more than 50 points on the season.The Ducks don't have a player with more than 35 points."We've just seen some of the best players in the world in Ovechkin to Matthews and Marner," Ottawa coach D. J. Smith said after the loss to Toronto. "It's great for our guys. You can see our guys are playing right with them. In time, we'll find ways to finish these games off." The Ducks can use more offense from their top-line players, and so could the Senators.Duclair is stuck on 21 goals after reaching that mark in 37 games. He hasn't scored since just before Christmas."It's a little bit (frustrating) but I can't get down on myself. I've got to keep going," Duclair told reporters after the loss to the Maple Leafs. "I'm getting the looks. I'm getting the opportunities, and if I keep working hard it's going to find itself in the back of the net for me." The Senators could be getting a versatile forward back from injury. Nick Paul skated in a regular practice jersey on Monday morning.He has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since the second period against the Capitals on Jan. 7.Paul had six goals and seven assists in the first 38 games, more than he totaled in his first four seasons in Ottawa combined.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 8:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
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|
|
+114
|
+1.5 (-216)
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Over 6.5 (+103)
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-125
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-1.5 (+191)
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Under 6.5 (-116)
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GAME PREVIEW
Once viewed as a floundering team that was likely more worried about June's draft than April's playoffs, the Chicago Blackhawks have turned the tables on their season.Chicago sat at 12-15-6 on Dec. 14 after a 4-3 loss -- its fourth straight overall -- to the rival Blues in St. Louis, and the 30 points gridded them only one point above the last-place Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference.But a steady 13-6-0 run over 19 contests has the Central Division club back in the hunt and staring at the scoreboard and standings each night with much more scrutiny.The Blackhawks will try to claim their 14th win over 20 games when they travel to Minnesota to face the Wild on Tuesday night in St. Paul, Minn.Going into Tuesday's game, Chicago (56 points) is just three points out of a wild-card spot, trailing the Calgary Flames (60) and Arizona Coyotes (59) for the final two slots in the conference's postseason.The first encounter between the divisional foes -- a Dec. 15 contest in Chicago -- was a special affair because it sparked the 13-win wave on which the Blackhawks are currently cruising along. Patrick Kane tallied his eighth career hat trick to pace the Blackhawks in their 5-3 win over the Wild to start Chicago's run."It's going to be pretty tough to be in the mix if we don't get a bunch of games over .500 here as we get closer to the end," Chicago coach Jeremy Colliton said.Times haven't been as good for the Wild.Coach Bruce Boudreau's team has lost two of its last three in a 4-6-1 slump over the previous 11 games. As points continue to slip away and the standings look bleaker every day, Minnesota appears to be the kind of team which may be sellers rather than buyers at the trade deadline in three weeks.Jason Zucker continues to be a player whose name is bandied about in trade rumors around the league, and the California native is a productive forward with the potential to bring scoring to a team looking to boost its offensive production.Zucker, who has three more years on his contract, is just two seasons removed from a 33-goal campaign. The 28-year-old winger played all 82 games for Minnesota that season and contributed 31 assists for a career-high 64 points in 2017-18.He has 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in 41 games so far after missing 10 games from Dec. 17 to Jan. 9. Zucker has four points (two goals, two assists) in his last four games, including the game-winning goal to break a 2-2 tie against the Detroit Red Wings in the Wild's final game before the All-Star break on Jan. 22.But the Boston Bruins scored on three straight power plays and routed Boudreau's bunch 6-1 in Minnesota on Saturday, leaving the fourth-year Wild bench boss nearly at a loss for words."When you play like that, in a situation where, boy, what a stepping stone it would've been to beat these guys with three more games coming this week, it's just very frustrating. I'm having a hard time today talking about it," Boudreau admitted after the defeat.Adding intrigue to the game, Chicago claimed physical defenseman Nick Seeler off waivers from the Wild on Monday morning. Seeler, 26, played in six games for Minnesota this season and didn't register a point.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 8:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+127
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+1.5 (-197)
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Over 5.5 (-107)
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-140
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-1.5 (+175)
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Under 5.5 (-105)
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 8:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-119
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-1.5 (+204)
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Over 6.5 (-102)
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+108
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+1.5 (-232)
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Under 6.5 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Tuesday's clash of division rivals carries extra importance for both the Nashville Predators and the host Winnipeg Jets as both clubs try to get back into the playoff race.The Jets hold a one-point advantage over the Predators in the standings, yet neither team would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Both sides are badly in need of a win to catch the top three teams in the Central Division, and the Jets sit three points behind the Arizona Coyotes entering Monday for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.Winnipeg finds itself in an unwelcome situation after posting a 2-7-0 record over its last nine games, though the club snapped a five-game losing streak on Saturday. Jack Roslovic recorded two goals and an assist as the Jets earned a 5-2 victory over the first-place St. Louis Blues.It was a much-needed return to the win column for the Jets, especially after a tough 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins the previous day."I think we liked the way we played against Boston but couldn't get any points. ... Hopefully we can get some confidence from (Saturday's win)," Jets forward Patrik Laine said to reporters. "The schedule is not getting any easier, so hopefully (we) take all the good things we did from those games and try to bring them to the next two." Those upcoming games pit Winnipeg against two division rivals in the Predators and, on Thursday, a rematch against the Blues in St. Louis. The Jets have an 8-6-3 record against Central Division opponents this season.That mark includes a split in two previous meetings with the Predators. The Jets recorded a 2-1 win in Nashville on Nov. 19, but the Predators returned the favor with a 1-0 shutout victory in Winnipeg on Jan. 12.These results are symbolic of the struggles that both teams have had on their home ice, just a season after both Winnipeg and Nashville were two of the NHL's toughest destinations for visiting clubs. The Jets' win over the Blues brought Winnipeg's home record to 12-12-2 this season. The Predators are 13-9-3 on the road but only 11-11-4 in Nashville, including last Saturday's 3-0 shutout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights."You don't even want to think about it," Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne said about his team's difficulties in home games.Given their place in the standings, Rinne feels his team needs to increase its intensity no matter where the Predators are playing."Every game for us is (the) playoffs," Rinne said. "We'll be battling for our lives and we've got to realize that it's not going to be easy. But these games, (they are) just massive." Tuesday's game is the first of a four-game road trip through Canada for the Predators.Rinne saved 36 of 38 shots against the Golden Knights, and he is likely to get the start again on Tuesday even though backup Juuse Saros started Nashville's previous two outings against the Jets.Connor Hellebuyck is the probable starter for Winnipeg, after Hellebuyck snapped a personal three-game losing streak with a 38-save performance against St. Louis. Hellebuyck has been dominant over his last four games against Nashville dating back to last season, posting a 3-1-0 record with a .978 save percentage and 0.75 goals-against average.Nashville forward Calle Jarnkrok is questionable for Tuesday after missing the Predators' last two games due to illness.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 9:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-103
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+1.5 (-245)
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Over 6 (+100)
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-107
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-1.5 (+214)
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Under 6 (-112)
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GAME PREVIEW
The Edmonton Oilers take the ice in Glendale, Ariz., Tuesday night with a 7-1-1 record in their last nine games, as well as a Western Conference-leading 15 wins away from home.They're also riding high after an 8-3 pounding of their longtime rival Calgary Flames on Saturday night.The game in Calgary was so intense -- the Oilers lead the Flames by just two points in the Pacific Division -- that 102 combined penalty minutes were served and both teams' goaltenders fought, leading to game misconducts early in the second period.In the end, Edmonton earned a blowout win, with Connor McDavid scoring two goals and Leon Draisatl logging four assists on a night the Oilers tallied 49 shots."Those are fun games to play in," goaltender Mike Smith, who was ejected, told NHL.com. "Not with all the fighting and stuff, obviously, that's part of it, but just high-intensity hockey. Especially the end of January, early February, you're playing important games. Those are important points for our team." The Oilers players are racking up big numbers this season. Draisatl is the first Oilers player to reach 80 points in 52 games or fewer since Mark Messier in 1989-1990, when Messier had 81 points in 50 games.McDavid has 15 points -- seven goals and eight assists -- in the past nine games. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has five goals and seven assists during an eight-game point streak and 17 points in the past 11 games."We stuck together. We got a big win against a good hockey team and kept moving up in the standings," Smith said.The Coyotes are trying to stick together, too, through struggles of late. Arizona has lost back-to-back overtime games as part of a five-game losing streak, and its hold on a wild-card spot is precarious.Arizona got a heroic 42-save night in goal from Antti Raanta -- who made the save of the season for his team when he kicked up his skates while on his stomach for a scorpion save -- in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at home Saturday."That's all you can ask, is for a goalie to battle," coach Rick Tocchet said.Chicago scored on its first two shootout chances and the Coyotes missed both attempts to end the game.While the Coyotes are 1-5-3 in their last nine games, they've earned at least a point in seven straight home games (4-0-3)."Obviously stinks the way it ended," said forward Conor Garland, who scored his team-leading 17th goal of the season Saturday. "It could have gone either way. We just really want to find a way to get that next one." The Oilers come to town next.When last the two teams met Jan. 18 in Alberta, the Oilers rolled to a 7-3 win. That night, McDavid scored two goals and Riley Sheahan scored a goal with three assists. Raanta allowed six goals on 18 shots and was pulled after two periods.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
| 2/4/2020 9:08 PM EST (13 DAYS AGO) |
BET NOW! |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+164
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+1.5 (-148)
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Over 6 (+102)
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-184
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-1.5 (+133)
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Under 6 (-114)
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GAME PREVIEW
It wasn't a make-it-or-break-it loss for the Calgary Flames, but Saturday's home-ice 8-3 beatdown at the hands of Edmonton Oilers was certainly embarrassing.Maybe even humiliating enough to spark the Flames to a better effort and performance when they play host to the free-falling San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night, and even beyond."I want (this) feeling to stick with us for a while, for sure," interim coach Geoff Ward said after his team's dismantling. "If you're not a little bit angry in your stomach about what happened and it's not bothering you, you've probably got an issue. So, we need to harness that a little bit ... we have to make sure our minds get there, that we take what we need to out of this game." The Flames have just one win their last four games (1-2-1) and have fallen to fourth in the Pacific Division and the top wild-card position in the Western Conference.The Edmonton loss, though, was particularly mortifying. Calgary trailed the Oilers 2-0 just 65 seconds into the game, then worked its way back to a 4-3 count just past the midway point before being left in the dust."It was 2-0 before the flood was even dry out there, so we're chasing the game all night," captain Mark Giordano said. "Actually thought when it was 4-3 we had a good chance at getting back in this one and making it a game, and then a couple of breakdowns later it's 6-3. So we allowed a team that thrives on offense and putting pucks in the net ... we allowed their best players to really feel it and that was the difference." The Sharks arrive in Calgary to kick off a short road trip that also includes Edmonton on the heels of a 3-0 home loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. They have lost two straight and five of their last six, but coach Bob Boughner isn't about to chastise his team too much. The Sharks are without two of their best offensive players -- Logan Couture (who is expected to be out of action until mid-February due to an ankle injury) and Tomas Hertl, who had knee surgery on Monday for a season-ending injury.Even still, the Sharks must find some scoring. They've managed just seven goals in the last five games."We're getting the looks that we want, it's just bearing down, and that's the difference right now to give ourselves a chance," Boughner said. "We're not scoring a lot five-on-five, so we need our power play to catch a little fire." "We're not creating a lot offensively," added forward Evander Kane. "We haven't since before the (All-Star) break. We've got to find a way to create more offense and score more goals. We can't have the mindset that one goal is enough to win." The Tampa Bay loss also knocked another player out of the Sharks lineup. Center Joel Kellman, injured in the first period of Saturday's game when he was hit face-first into the boards, has been placed on the injured reserve list.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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