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ACCESS
PICKS FOR TODAY THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019 |
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NBA |
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3/21/2019 |
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FOUND
5
GAMES |
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COMING
UP
7:05 PM EST |
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3/21/2019 7:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-255
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-6.5 (-110)
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Over 228.5 (-110)
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+215
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+6.5 (-110)
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Under 228.5 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Mar 21, 2019Having clinched a playoff spot last time out, the Denver Nuggets will work on improving their position when they visit the Washington Wizards on Thursday.The Nuggets (47-22) have won four straight and are one-half game behind the Golden State Warriors for the top record in the Western Conference.Denver rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the Boston Celtics 114-105 on Monday night to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2012-13.Nikola Jokic had 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Will Barton added 20 points for the Nuggets, who opened a four-game road trip with the win."We said what we wanted to do at the beginning of the season and that's what we did," Jokic told the Denver Post. "Now we want to do something more." After getting off to a cold start from beyond the arc early in the game, Denver finished the game with 14 3-pointers and shot 48.9 percent from the field.Seven Denver turnovers allowed Boston to open up a five-point third-quarter lead. A key 5-0 scoring run from Torrey Craig allowed Denver to tie the game up at 80 heading into the final quarter and the Nuggets scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to open up an 86-80 lead."Guys stepped up and made big plays," Nuggets coach Michael Malone told the team's website. "Torrey Craig's energy, effort and productivity off the bench was really instrumental in the win tonight." Washington saw its already slim playoff hopes take a hit Wednesday night when the Wizards lost to the Chicago Bulls 126-120 in overtime.The 11th-place Wizards (30-42) lost for the third time in four games and trail the eighth-place Miami Heat by 5 1/2 games.Lauri Markkanen had 32 points and 13 rebounds, and Kris Dunn scored a season-high 26 points -- including eight in overtime -- to go with 13 assists to lead Chicago."We gave up way too many (15) offensive rebounds," Wizards coach Scott Brooks told the Washington Post. "We made some mistakes defensively at critical times but both teams fought and played hard." Washington lost to a Bulls team missing leading scorer Zach LaVine (bruised right thigh, right knee tendinitis) and former Wizard Otto Porter Jr. (strained right rotator cuff).Jabari Parker continued his recent strong play with 28 points against his former team, his 10th-straight game with at least 15 points. Bradley Beal scored 27 and hit the tying jumper in the closing seconds of regulation."It's frustrating that we lost knowing that we're fighting for something and we were that close to winning," Bobby Portis told the Washington Post. "We did some great things, but we did some bad things too." Chicago went on an 8-2 to start overtime but the Wizards got within two points when Beal hit 2 of 3 free throws with 44.6 seconds to play. But Markkanen hit a 3-pointer with 32.3 seconds left to seal the win for the Bulls and the Wizards were 0-for-6 from the field in overtime.Washington's Trevor Ariza strained his left groin in the first half and did not return to play in the second half. Rookie Troy Brown Jr. started in Ariza's spot for the second half.--Field Level Media
 Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
7:05 PM EST |
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3/21/2019 7:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-280
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-7 (-110)
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Over 226.5 (-110)
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+240
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+7 (-110)
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Under 226.5 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Mar 20, 2019The Utah Jazz, currently playing some of the best defense in the NBA, will try to maintain that trend on Thursday when they continue their long road trip in Atlanta against a Hawks team that has be reborn offensively since the All-Star break.The Jazz (42-29) have held opponents to fewer than 100 points in four of the last six games. Atlanta (24-48) ranks second in the league in scoring (119.5 points) since the break.The defense has been crucial for the Jazz, who have won five straight after Wednesday's 137-116 road victory over the New York Knicks. Utah is virtually assured of making the playoffs, but could wind up anywhere from fourth to eighth in the Western Conference. The Jazz will be playing the third game of their four-game road trip against Eastern Conference foes when they square off with the Hawks."I think our style has been to play really good defense and then find some ways to get some offensive runs going," Utah guard Kyle Korver told the media after the game. "We've done that the last few games and I think closing out games has been key for us ... we're doing all right. We're doing better." Utah is led offensively by Donovan Mitchell, who scored 30 points in the win over the Knicks and is averaging 23.6 points on the season. Rudy Gobert scored 25 in the Jazz's first meeting against the Hawks; he averages 15.4 points and 13 rebounds and is second in the NBA with 56 double-doubles.Atlanta will be trying to break a three-game losing streak. The Hawks have fallen into a rut of starting slow, getting behind early and trying to dig out of a hole. Their efforts have fallen short against Boston, Orlando and Houston in recent days.The Hawks continue to be led by second-year forward John Collins and rookie point guard Trae Young.Collins leads the team in scoring (19.7 per game) and rebounds (9.8 per game) and has 30 double-doubles. He's had 20 points and 10 rebounds in 18 games, the fifth-highest total in the Eastern Conference and the most by a Hawks player since Al Horford had 20 such games in 2012-13.Since the All-Star break, Young ranks third in the NBA in total assists (119), is tied for fourth in free throws made (89), fourth in assists per game (8.5) and ninth in points scored (350). For the season he's averaging 18.5 points and 7.8 assists.Young had 21 points and 12 assists in Tuesday's 121-105 loss to Houston. It was his 13th game with 20 points and 10 assists, the most for any Hawks player since the team moved to Atlanta before the 1968-69 season. He has 24 double-doubles and is 19th on the NBA's all-time rookie assist list (561).In the last two games, the Hawks have struggled to get to the free-throw line. Against Houston, the Rockets shot 30 free throws and made 22, while the Hawks were 12-for-15. Against Orlando, the Magic were 26-for-33 from the line while Atlanta shot only 10 and made seven."Frustrating night," coach Lloyd Pierce said after the Houston loss. "You come in with a mentality to attack and get annoyed trying to get free throws. It's frustrating for our guys. I thought we competed, we had some turnovers at bad times, but the difference in the free throw battle hurts us." This is the final meeting between the two teams this season. Utah won the first game 128-112 on Feb. 1 in Salt Lake City.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
10:05 PM EST |
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3/21/2019 10:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-280
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-7 (-105)
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Over 218.5 (-105)
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+255
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+7 (-105)
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Under 218.5 (-105)
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GAME PREVIEW
Mar 20, 2019The Detroit Pistons followed up one of their best wins of the season with one of their worst losses. Another defeat could lead to a disastrous road trip.Detroit began a string of five straight road games with a 126-119 loss to rebuilding Cleveland on Monday. The Pistons defeated Toronto, the team with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, 110-107 the previous day.They now embark on a West Coast swing, beginning with Phoenix on Thursday. The remainder of the trip will include stops in Portland, Golden State and Denver, where they'll face three of the top Western Conference clubs."A journey to the playoffs isn't easy. There's pressure," Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. "There's physical pressure. There's mental pressure and we've got to fight through it all as a team. When you let up, no matter what the other organization's goals are, how they've been playing, what their record is. ... Anybody getting paid twice a month can step up and beat you and I don't think we came out with a healthy enough amount of respect for (the Cavaliers) that we needed." Detroit's defense was porous in Cleveland, as the home team shot 58.2 percent from the field. The Pistons rested their top player, All-Star power forward Blake Griffin, but it shouldn't have mattered. Cleveland played without its star, Kevin Love."We've got to be better early on," said guard Wayne Ellington, who scored a season-high 25 points. "They didn't feel us physically. They played really free and that came back to bite us at the end of the game. They had a whole lot of confidence. Guys got it going and made some great shots." It's questionable whether Suns forward Kelly Oubre Jr. will play. He missed a 116-101 loss to Chicago on Monday with a left thumb sprain. Oubre has averaged 16.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 40 games since he was acquired from Washington earlier this season."It's tough," guard Devin Booker told the team's website of playing without Oubre. "You know, he's that energy point for us and he's a threat on the court that any team would miss if you don't have him. So, that's a big part of our team, but his health is more of a concern for me. So, let's make sure he gets to one hundred percent before he gets back out there because we're going to need him in the long run." Oubre scored a career-best 32 points in a overtime victory at New Orleans on Saturday.Booker had 25 points against Chicago, his 13th consecutive 20-point performance. Rookie center Deandre Ayton notched his 36th double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds.Chicago shot 51.7 percent and the Suns trailed virtually from start to finish."We were getting the looks we wanted, we were just missing them," Booker said. "Especially early on. I don't really know how to express that, just missing them. Nights like that, we try to do it in other ways, speed up the game and get more aggressive and we fell up short." Phoenix has lost three of its last four outings since it upset Golden State on the road.In the first meeting with Detroit this season on Nov. 25, Booker scored 37 points but the Pistons collected a 118-107 victory. Drummond led the Pistons with 19 points, 16 rebounds and five steals.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
10:05 PM EST |
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3/21/2019 10:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+325
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+8.5 (-110)
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Over 229 (-110)
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-400
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-8.5 (-110)
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Under 229 (-110)
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COMING
UP
10:35 PM EST |
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3/21/2019 10:35 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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OFF
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+11 (-110)
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Over 220.5 (-110)
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OFF
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-11 (-110)
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Under 220.5 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Mar 20, 2019Two teams involved in tight playoff races go head-to-head Thursday night when the Indiana Pacers visit the Golden State Warriors.The Pacers (44-28) are battling Boston for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and home-court advantage in their projected first-round series.Indiana has lost three in a row to start its four-game Western swing, and things don't get any easier after facing the two-time defending champs on Thursday.The Pacers return home for just one game -- against Denver -- before heading back on the road to take on Oklahoma City and Boston.Indiana and Boston will meet two more times during the regular season, once apiece at each site. The teams split the first two games of their season series.As much as they're looking forward to getting back home, the Pacers are looking forward to the return of point guard Darren Collison, who sat out Tuesday's 115-109 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with a bruised right quad.He's unlikely to play at Golden State.Pacers coach Nate McMillan inserted Cory Joseph into Collison's starting spot against the Clippers, but he was most impressed by the performance of his backup, Tyreke Evans.After not having scored in double figures since Feb. 22, Evans exploded for 19 points in 29 minutes in Los Angeles, while also contributing eight rebounds and seven assists."This is what we knew he could do," McMillan assured reporters afterward. "I told him a long time ago: Hoop. Play. He really showed what he could do with the basketball. We're going to need him to do that." Evans admitted he enjoyed getting back to his roots as a point guard, a role in which he's burned Golden State in the past. As a member of the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies, he's recorded eight 20-point games against the Warriors."That's how I played when I first got into the league," Evans insisted after Tuesday's loss. "I'm a creator. It's like (the Clippers') Lou Williams. He's always in the pick-and-roll. He's putting pressure on the defense. That's my style of play." While the Pacers, who have been without star Victor Oladipo, figure to be short-handed at Golden State, the Warriors expect to be at full strength.DeMarcus Cousins, who missed two games with an ankle injury on the Warriors' just completed 3-1 trip, likely will return to face the Pacers, pushing newcomer Andrew Bogut into a reserve role.Signed for the rest of the campaign after having played in Australia earlier this season, Bogut will be playing his first home game for the Warriors since the 2016 NBA Finals.While Golden State fans might be most interested in seeing Bogut again, Golden State (48-22) finds itself needing to win as many games as possible in its quest to beat out Denver (47-22) for the best record in the West.The Warriors will play seven of their last 12 at home, including a showdown with the Nuggets on April 2."It's definitely a different mind-set," Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted Tuesday night after his club completed its trip with a 117-107 win at Minnesota. "Each game takes on more importance. Last year, I think the final 20 games, we kind of knew we were going to be the 2-seed, so it's a little different this year, and I think it's going to help us." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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NCAAB |
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3/21/2019 |
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FOUND
20
GAMES |
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COMING
UP
12:15 PM EST |
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3/21/2019 12:15 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+195
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+5 (-102)
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Over 136.5 (-102)
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-215
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-5 (-108)
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Under 136.5 (-108)
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COMING
UP
12:40 PM EST |
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3/21/2019 12:40 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+260
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+7 (-105)
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Over 156.5 (-105)
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-290
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-7 (-105)
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Under 156.5 (-105)
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GAME PREVIEW
Mar 19, 2019It has been a tumultuous couple of weeks for the LSU men's basketball team.First it was reported that coach Will Wade was caught on tape by the FBI talking about an "offer" Wade made to freshman guard Javonte Smart when the Tigers were recruiting Smart, which could be a violation of NCAA rules.Then the university suspended Wade after he refused to discuss the taped conversation with LSU officials.The Tigers clinched the SEC regular-season championship in their first game under interim coach Tony Benford, then got upset by eighth-seeded Florida in their first game in the SEC tournament last week.Now third-seeded and 12th-ranked LSU (26-6) is preparing to face 14th seed and Ivy League champion Yale (22-7) in a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon in Jacksonville, Fla."We're 0-0 now, just like everybody else in the country," Benford said. "I think now it is time to hit the reset button." Benford and his assistants have experience in the NCAA Tournament, but only one Tigers player does and that's Kavell Bigby-Williams, a transfer who played in the tournament when he was with Oregon.LSU's last appearance came in 2015, when it lost in the first round against N. C. State, 66-65."What you try to explain to them is that we are not going be in a routine too much, as far as our preparation goes," Benford said. "We have to really narrow our focus more as it is win or go home."We will go back to working on our offensive and defensive execution, rebounding and all of the fundamental things that we have to do to prepare for Yale." The Bulldogs are making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years."We played different styles in non-conference and then we played teams with different styles in conference play," Benford said. "It really helps you, playing in the SEC, prepare for any type of style of play that you'll come up against." Yale, like LSU, enjoys a fast pace. The Bulldogs had their eighth game this season with at least 90 points when they defeated Harvard, 97-85, in the championship game of the Ivy League tournament, which was played on Yale's home court.Six players scored in double figures for the Bulldogs, who shot 60.4 percent from the floor and made 28 of 30 free-throw attempts."That's what makes us such a dangerous team," senior forward Blake Reynolds told Yale's official website. "We have so many guys that can contribute and score." This is the Bulldogs' fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament. Their only victory came in their last trip, when they defeated Baylor 79-75 in 2016."We got a taste of that tournament berth our freshman year, and we've been hungry for it throughout our careers," Reynolds told the New Haven Register. "We really wanted to get back there. To punch that tournament berth at home, in front of our friends and family, was an unbelievable feeling." The Bulldogs are familiar with sophomore point guard Tremont Waters, LSU's leading scorer, who's from New Haven, Conn., and was recruited by Yale."We recruited him pretty hard," Yale coach James Jones told the Register. "He's been at my elite camp since he was in eighth grade. Love the kid. I've watched LSU play a lot the last few weekends. They're really good. (Second-leading scorer) Naz (Reid) is good around the basket." The LSU-Yale winner will advance to a second-round game on Saturday against either No. 6 seed Maryland or No. 11 Belmont, which got past Temple 81-70 in a First Four matchup Tuesday.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
1:30 PM EST |
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3/21/2019 1:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+225
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+5.5 (-108)
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Over 145.5 (-107)
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-245
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-5.5 (-102)
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Under 145.5 (-103)
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GAME PREVIEW
Mar 19, 2019The early rounds of the NCAA Tournament are often known for their unpredictability.Here's something to count on: Auburn is going to launch a lot of 3-pointers.The Tigers have made an SEC record 396 3-pointers -- making a healthy 37.6 percent -- and rode that prowess to an eight-game winning streak that produced the school's first conference tournament championship since 1985.That helped Auburn (26-9) earn the fifth seed in the Midwest Region, where it will take on 12th-seeded New Mexico State in Salt Lake City at 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.New Mexico State (30-4) won the WAC regular-season and conference tournament titles and has a 19-game winning streak, the second-longest in the country behind Wofford (20)."I know Chris Jans," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said of New Mexico State's second-year head coach. "I know his teams play really hard. They're very athletic. They play in an underrated conference." The Aggies are in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in the past eight seasons, but they have been one-and-out in each of their past 10 appearances. They last won an NCAA Tournament game in 1993, when they beat Nebraska before losing to Cincinnati."I think this team will play with a lot of confidence. I think their togetherness is going to help them," Jans said. "I really think that experience of playing on that platform and that stage is going to help us, because it's different. The lights are brighter, everyone in the world is watching." Auburn dispatched Missouri, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee to win the SEC tournament. The Tigers have made at least 12 3-pointers in five consecutive games, including 15 of 40 in the 84-64 win over the Volunteers on Sunday.Senior guard Bryce Brown was the MVP of the SEC tournament, setting a tournament record with 18 3-pointers. He averages a team-high 15.8 points and has made 122 of 302 from behind the arc (40.4 percent)."Bryce is a microwave," said Auburn forward Anfernee McLemore. "We see that all the time in practice. He can miss 20 in a row, and the next 40 are going in. He's such a good shooter. That's just how good he is." Junior guard Jared Harper (15.2 points per game) and sophomore forward Chuma Okeke (11.7) each shoot 37.8 percent from long range.In fact, if you like watching 3-pointers, this will be the game for you.New Mexico State launches from deep nearly as much as Auburn -- 28 per game, compared to 30.1 for the Tigers. These teams enter the week as two of the top eight teams in the country in 3-point attempts.The difference is, the Aggies make only 33.5 percent from beyond the arc.New Mexico State's usual path to victory includes lockdown defense, dominating on the boards and unleashing a rotation that typically gives ample minutes to 10 players. The Aggies are first in the nation in bench minutes at 49.8 percent, according to KenPom.com.First-team All-WAC guard Terrell Brown is the only New Mexico State player in double-figure points (11.3) and is the team's primary long-ball threat (66 of 153, 43.1 percent). Eli Chuha averages 9.8 points and 6.7 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game.The Aggies' most notable game was a 63-60 loss to then-No. 2 Kansas on Dec. 8 in Kansas City. NMSU led by seven points with 10:45 to go, earning the respect of Jayhawks coach Bill Self."New Mexico State was better than us," Self said at the time. "They were quicker, but they are quicker; physically they are quicker." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
2:00 PM EST |
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3/21/2019 2:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+450
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+9 (-104)
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Over 133.5 (-108)
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-525
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-9 (-106)
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Under 133.5 (-102)
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GAME PREVIEW
Mar 19, 2019A team from the America East pulled off the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history last year.Another squad from the conference hopes to pull off a decent-sized stunner this time around.No. 13 seed Vermont won't be able to match UMBC's shocking win against Virginia -- the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed in tourney history -- but it can deliver an attention-grabbing victory if it can dispatch No. 4 seed Florida State in West Region first-round play on Thursday at Hartford, Conn.The Catamounts (27-6) have matched the second-most wins in school history and have an impact player in junior forward Anthony Lamb, the American East Player of the Year who averages 21.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.Vermont is 2-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, and one of the wins came as a No. 13 seed, when the Catamounts upset Syracuse 60-57 in overtime in 2005.The way coach John Becker sees it, Vermont's biggest accomplishment was working its way through the conference tournament."The pressure is kind of off now," Becker told reporters. "I want to make sure we prepare and we try and stay in this tournament for as long as we can and not just be happy to be here."Like I've said for a while, our goal is to be a Sweet 16 caliber program, and we'll have an opportunity this year to see if we can get there." Florida State (27-7) reached the Elite Eight last season with a solid run that included a 75-60 beating of top-seeded Gonzaga.The Seminoles are no stranger to the "Big Dance," as they are part of the proceedings for the seventh time in the past 11 seasons."We are pleased and we're happy, but we're not quite as emotional," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton told reporters. "We understand that it's going to be hard, and we understand what it takes to go in and compete in the NCAA Tournament." The Seminoles are a deep, athletic team with 11 players averaging more than 10 minutes per game.Sophomore power forward Mfiondu Kabengele (12.9 scoring average) and senior guard Terance Mann (11.2 average, team-best 6.4 rebounds) are the lone two players scoring in double digits. Six others average at least six per game.The Florida State duo of 7-foot-4 senior center Christ Koumadje (51 blocked shots) and the 6-10 Kabengele (50 rejections) alters a lot of shots as part of a defense that is limiting opponents to 40.9 percent shooting from the field.Mann feels the Seminoles are capable of equalizing last season's stunning run, as they know the terrain and are toughened up by the demands of Atlantic Coast Conference play."(We're not) just happy to be here like it was two years ago," Mann told reporters. "This year, we're going to be more focused and more prepared for what's going on." Vermont isn't as battle-tested schedule-wise but is well aware that doesn't always matter in a single-game environment.The Catamounts lost to Kansas and Louisville in November, and their most impressive non-conference victory was an 83-76 double-overtime victory over St. Bonaventure on Dec. 18. Lamb scored a career-best 42 points in that contest as one of his 17 efforts of 20 or more points.Senior guard Ernie Duncan (13.8) and sophomore guard Stef Smith (12.3) also average in double digits for Vermont.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
2:45 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 2:45 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+2080
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+18.5 (-105)
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Over 133.5 (-107)
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-2780
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-18.5 (-105)
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Under 133.5 (-103)
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GAME PREVIEW
Mar 19, 2019Michigan State took at least a few minutes Sunday night and early Monday to scratch its head and wonder how the chips fell where they did.But it didn't take long for the Spartans to start dialing in on the next opponent, shrugging off bracket envy to focus on branding the Bradley Braves, a 20-win team from the Missouri Valley Conference.The Spartans followed a Big Ten regular-season championship by winning the conference tournament title on Sunday. While the club was holding out hope for a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, Michigan State drew the No. 2 seed in the East Region and will take on No. 15 Bradley on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa."Seeding and bracket concerns are comparably minor topics when you really look at the big picture," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "Everyone always spends the first few days talking about the bracket, talking about the seedings, then Shazam, the tournament starts and there's 10 upsets in the first two weeks and sometimes the first week, and it all kind of evens out."This is what I've decide we're looking at -- we're a championship team despite having the smallest margin of error because we focused on what is immediately in front of us. We're gonna do the same and focus on Bradley." Michigan State (28-6) is in the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd straight season, the third longest active streak behind Kansas (30) and Duke (24). Some believe the Spartans got a tough draw as the No. 6 overall seed being placed in the same region as Duke, the top overall seed.But Izzo and the Spartans have been overcoming obstacles all season, losing Joshua Langford to injury midway through the season, getting junior center Nick Ward back from a broken hand last weekend and watching junior wing Kyle Ahrens suffer a nasty sprained ankle that will likely end his season."I'm appreciative that I'm in the NCAA tournament," Izzo said. "It's been 22 straight years, and not one of those 22 years have I taken anything for granted. I think it's apropos that maybe this team has been through adversity all year, and so another curve has been thrown - unfortunately, it's not the S-curve. And I will play whoever they tell me to play - I'll play them any place, anywhere, any time, just like I've done my entire career." It's an entirely different world for Bradley, the tournament champions of the Missouri Valley Conference. Since the MVC title was in the bag days before the Big Ten tournament tipped off, the Braves are definitely rested.They're also more than ready to get back on the court. During the week off, the private university in Central Illinois made national headlines by barring a longtime reporter from the team with a claim he failed to "promote the Bradley brand." Coach Brian Wardle, in his fourth season, has the Braves (20-14) in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006 after winning the conference tournaments, beating last year's Cinderella, Loyola Chicago, along the way."To celebrate with our fans was great," Wardle said. "I mean the roar we had, the joy on everyone's faces, it's been a while. Thirteen years is a long time. Three in 31 years is along time." Bradley has faced Michigan State four times in its history, losing all four, including three straight from 2006-08. However, the Braves are still ready for the next step.And you can bet the Braves know all about Michigan State's troubles getting out of the first weekend of the tournament, including a loss to No. 15 Middle Tennessee State in the first round in 2016."Finally putting a name all week to the question, 'Who you guys gonna play? Where you going?'" senior forward Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye told the ABC affiliate in Peoria, Ill. "Now we know we're playing Michigan State, now we know we're going to Des Moines, Iowa, and it's just fun. We know with certainty, we know what's happening and we can prepare and get excited." One area the Braves will need to have locked down in Iowa on Thursday is rebounding. A furious rally to beat Northern Iowa in the MVC title game was nearly undone by BU's inability to limit UNI's second-chance looks. More of the same against the Spartans is a sure ticket out of the NCAA Tournament.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
3:10 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 3:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+145
|
+3 (-108)
|
Over 147.5 (-105)
|
|
|
-155
|
-3 (-102)
|
Under 147.5 (-105)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Mar 20, 2019Maryland didn't learn the identity of its opening NCAA Tournament opponent until Tuesday night.Belmont didn't even know it would be playing in the Round of 64 until Tuesday night.The Bruins' 81-70 victory over Temple in the First Four at Dayton, Ohio, sent 11th-seeded Belmont (27-5) to Jacksonville, Fla., to face sixth-seeded Maryland (22-10) in an East Region game on Thursday afternoon."When I get back to the hotel room, I guess I'll download some video (of the Terrapins)," Belmont coach Rick Byrd said after the Bruins got their first NCAA Tournament victory in their eighth try.Belmont, which lost to Murray State 77-65 in the championship game of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament on March 9, is one of seven schools from mid-major conferences to receive an at-large bid to this year's tournament. It is just the second team in OVC history to receive an at-large bid, joining the 1987 Middle Tennessee team."Getting a second chance and being able to extend our season means everything," said Belmont forward Nick Muszynski, who returned from an ankle injury that kept him out of the Murray State game to score 16 points against Temple.The Bruins, who got 29 points from guard Kevin McClain on Tuesday, fell a bit short of their scoring average of 87.2, which ranks second to only Gonzaga's 88.8 in Division I."We showed that we can play in this atmosphere," Byrd said. "It's never going to be perfect, but we found a way to win. We showed our toughness." Bruins swingman Dylan Windler had just five points, more than 16 below his team-leading average, but he exceeded his team-leading rebound average by three as he grabbed 14.When Maryland saw the tournament bracket, coach Mark Turgeon took a philosophical approach to not learning the identity of the upcoming foe right away."We'll watch a lot of film on both teams heading into Tuesday night and then they have to play in Dayton and then fly to Jacksonville on Tuesday night," Turgeon said. "They'll have some experience under their belt, and they'll have confidence because they won a game."I'm going to look at it as an advantage because we'll be down there Tuesday night sleeping in our hotel while they're playing a game in Dayton." Maryland, like Belmont, had a disappointing outcome in its conference tournament, falling to 13th-seeded Nebraska 69-61 in the second round of Big Ten Tournament on March 14. It was the Terrapins' third defeat in their past four games."Going from the regular season to the Big Ten tournament, you're playing teams that you've already played twice and they know almost everything about our system," Maryland center Bruno Fernando said. "So now we get to go and play teams that we don't know much about them and they don't know much about us."It's going to be a completely different game, and we'll get a chance to do a lot of things that we weren't able to do against teams that know us so much. It's a different season, it's a new season." This is Maryland's fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last five seasons, but the one time it didn't go during that stretch was last season, meaning seven of the top nine players on this team do not have experience in the tournament.The winner of the Maryland-Belmont game will face the winner of Thursday's opener between third-seeded LSU and 14th-seeded Yale in the third round on Saturday.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
4:00 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 4:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+255
|
+6.5 (-102)
|
Over 143 (-105)
|
|
|
-280
|
-6.5 (-108)
|
Under 143 (-105)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Mar 19, 2019Pardon Kansas for doing something unusual this week before it begins play in the NCAA Tournament.The No. 17 Jayhawks must board an airplane.A first-round assignment at Salt Lake City finds Kansas (25-9), a No. 4 seed, opening against Northeastern (23-10), a No. 13 seed, on Thursday. It marks the first time in 10 years the Jayhawks have not opened the tourney in the old Big Six Conference footprint (Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska or Oklahoma).A short trip possibly awaits, however. If Kansas can advance to the Sweet 16 it will play in nearby Kansas City, Mo., site of the Midwest Regional. North Carolina and Kentucky are the top seeds in the region."I was like, 'Wow, we've just got to win these games and get back home,''' junior forward Dedric Lawson said, recalling his thoughts after the bracket was revealed. "We need that energy to boost us and help us move forward.'' No guarantees exist, especially in the first two rounds. Nor in Kansas City, where Kansas fell in the Big 12 tournament championship game to Iowa State after a record 14-year streak of regular-season Big 12 titles was snapped with a third-place finish.The Jayhawks went undefeated in their boisterous home, Allen Fieldhouse, but struggled elsewhere despite a remarkable debut season from Lawson.The Memphis transfer became the first Big 12 player to lead the league in scoring and rebounding since Oklahoma's Blake Griffin a decade ago.Lawson is one of five first-year starters for Kansas.That has contributed to inconsistency, especially after starting 10-0 but losing junior center Udoka Azubuike. The team's lone senior, shooting guard Lagerald Vick, left the squad during conference play after getting off to a torrid start from 3-point range.When he was told his team looked to be limping home, Kansas coach Bill Self said, "this team has won eight of our last 11 and that's after going through some stuff and we're close to getting it, even though we haven't quite gotten it yet. That tells me that there is still a great opportunity for our best to still be in front of us.'' Maybe, with freshmen Devon Dotson, Quentin Grimes and David McCormack all progressing of late. This year's NCAA bid was ithe 30th in a row for Kansas, the top active streak in the nation."For us, everybody here is just so excited to see your name pop up on Selection Sunday that I think the first emotion is just pure elation,'' Northeastern coach Bill Coen said. "And then the second emotion is, 'Oh, no. We've got to play Kansas.'' The Huskies, champions of the Colonial Athletic Association, have won seven straight but stood 0-4 against quadrant one opponents.The 3-point line is where Northeastern thrives or dies. Four players have connected for 50-plus treys, led by junior guard Jordan Roland, who averages 14.7 points. Senior guard Vasa Pusica, who is from Serbia, averages a team-high 17.8 points."What worked for us at our level (was 3-point shooting),'' Coen said. "We'll see what happens at the next level.'' The last NCAA Tournament appearance for Northeastern resulted in a four-point loss to Notre Dame in 2015. No CAA qualifier has won in the tourney since James Madison in the 2013 First Four as a No. 16 seed. In 2006, when Kansas was last seeded fourth, it fell to Bradley in the first round.--Field Level MEdia
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
4:30 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 4:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+155
|
+3.5 (-108)
|
Over 149.5 (-101)
|
|
|
-165
|
-3.5 (-102)
|
Under 149.5 (-109)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Mar 19, 2019Ja Morant is the highlight-reel star looking to elevate Murray State to new heights.Marquette's Markus Howard is the long-range bomber who tosses up 3-pointers from all over the arena.The two stars will be on the same court Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament when 12th-seeded Murray State looks to upend fifth-seeded Marquette in a highly anticipated West Region showdown at Hartford, Conn.Morant led the Racers to a 27-4 record while seeing his individual stock soar into the stratosphere entering the tournament. The sophomore do-it-all point guard could rise to the No. 2 overall pick should he enter the June draft, according to pundits projecting the post-Zion Williamson prospect field.Morant averages 24.6 points, 10.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds and will be looking to lead the Racers to just their fourth NCAA Tournament victory in 20 chances. Murray State is certainly entering on a roll with 11 consecutive victories.Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski has heard the chatter and is aware the Racers present a huge challenge."They got a lot of good stuff going for them," Wojciechowski told reporters. "Obviously, people know Ja Morant. He's going to go in the top two or three in the NBA draft. If you are going to do that, then that's pretty darn good." Howard, a junior, averages 25.0 points and has knocked down 116 3-point baskets. He has posted 10 30-point outings -- topped by a school-record 53 versus Creighton -- and has made five or more 3-pointers on eight occasions."He has put up video-game numbers all season long," Murray State coach Matt McMahon said of Howard.McMahon knows the Racers need a big game from Morant to advance but he is reluctant to buy into the Morant vs. Howard narrative."I'm sure it will drive some ratings," McMahon said during a press conference. "At the end of the day, it is all about the team. I think both Marquette and Murray State have great teams. They're led by superstar players but there is a lot of balance on both teams." The Golden Eagles (24-9) dropped five of their last six games and were eliminated by Seton Hall in the semifinals of the Big East tournament. Howard was 1-of-15 shooting in the contest despite finishing with 21 points.He reportedly aggravated a wrist injury during the loss to Seton Hall but insists the injury won't be a factor against the Racers.Howard is intrigued by Murray State and is looking forward to a fast-paced game."I know they are an exciting team," Howard told reporters. "They like to get up and down, like to play in transition. It should be a great game."A really good team from the Ohio Valley, a really good conference. Looking forward to the challenge and looking forward to competing at the highest level." Howard isn't the lone Golden Eagles' player who is proficient at draining 3-pointers. Junior forward Sam Hauser had made 85 from behind the arc while averaging 14.9 points and a team-best 7.1 rebounds.Morant's supporting cast will certainly carry some importance against Marquette.Senior guard Shaq Buchanan averages 13.0 points, freshman guard Tevin Brown averages 11.7 points and has made a team-best 84 3-pointers and junior forward Darnell Cowart contributes 10.4 points and a team-leading 6.5 rebounds."It's really what we worked all year for," Morant said of the NCAA Tournament stage. "Just to see it all pay off feels good." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
6:50 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 6:50 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+125
|
+2.5 (-109)
|
Over 133.5 (-102)
|
|
|
-135
|
-2.5 (-101)
|
Under 133.5 (-108)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Mar 19, 2019Nevada made a nice run in last season's NCAA Tournament and is aiming to make another deep dash.But the No. 7 seed Wolf Pack (29-4) also teetered a bit down the stretch of this season and will look to regain their swagger when they face 10th-seeded Florida (19-15) in the first round on Thursday at Des Moines, Iowa.Nevada started the season by winning 24 of its first 25 games, but went 5-3 to close the season, including two losses to San Diego State. It was the second straight season that the Aztecs sent the Wolf Pack home in the Mountain West tournament semifinals."We have to feel good going in," Nevada coach Eric Musselman said. "We did last year. We can't let a lingering loss affect us. It didn't last year." Last year, the Wolf Pack defeated Texas and Cincinnati before they lost in the Sweet 16 to tournament darling Loyola-Chicago.Nevada's 58 wins is the most in a two-season span in school history. The NCAA Tournament appearance is the Wolf Pack's third in a row but going on another run won't be easy.Florida's win-loss record might not be impressive but the Gators played an arduous schedule and are toughened up by the rigors of Southeastern Conference play.The Gators dropped their last three regular-season games but an upset of LSU in the quarterfinals of the conference tourney appeared to seal their NCAA bid. Florida lost to eventual tournament champion Auburn in the semifinals.Florida is making its third straight NCAA tourney appearance and advanced to the Elite Eight two seasons ago before falling to South Carolina.The Gators are well aware of the challenge and they also know the quality of conference doesn't come into play in an NCAA Tournament game."It's a different level of competition, regarding the NCAA Tournament," senior center Kevarrius Hayes told reporters. "Everybody is playing to win. We have to bring our 'A' game because that's exactly what the other team is going to do. ... We have to lock in and be more focused than ever going into those games." Gators coach Mike White studied the Wolf Pack and was impressed with what he witnessed."They're terrific. They've won a ton of games over the past couple years. They're big and their old," White told reporters of a veteran Nevada roster. "They're trying to play eight guys and six are seniors. They've got to be, probably, the oldest team in the country. Experienced, talented, athletic, versatile. Defensively, they're long and athletic and can get away with a lot of switching. Offensively, they're very efficient." Nevada senior big man Jordan Caroline missed the loss against San Diego State due to a lingering Achilles injury but Musselman said he will play against Florida.Caroline averages 17.3 points and a team-best 9.6 rebounds while forming a powerful one-two punch with star senior guard Caleb Martin, who averages 19.2 points and has drained 105 3-pointers.Martin is disappointed with how the Wolf Pack finished the season -- they also lost to NCAA team Utah State down the stretch -- and feels the team is ready to redeem itself.His twin brother, senior forward Cody Martin, said the club's focus needs to improve."It takes a lot of heart and a lot of consistency, in every aspect of the game," Cody Martin told reporters. "Not taking any possession for granted. We can do that as a team. We can do that at a high level. We just have to make sure we're prepared and we're focused and we have our mind right." Senior guard KeVaughn Allen (12.0) is the lone Florida player scoring in double digits.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+175
|
+4.5 (-105)
|
Over 141.5 (-105)
|
|
|
-190
|
-4.5 (-105)
|
Under 141.5 (-105)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+423
|
+9.5 (-105)
|
Over 157 (-105)
|
|
|
-480
|
-9.5 (-105)
|
Under 157 (-105)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:10 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 7:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+2625
|
+21 (-105)
|
Over 132 (-108)
|
|
|
-3750
|
-21 (-105)
|
Under 132 (-102)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:20 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 7:20 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+185
|
+4.5 (-109)
|
Over 130 (-105)
|
|
|
-200
|
-4.5 (-101)
|
Under 130 (-105)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Mar 19, 2019While Villanova may be entertaining thoughts on the future and a potential third NCAA Tournament title in four years, it would be wise to keep an eye on the past.The sixth-seeded Wildcats (25-9), who square off against 11th-seeded Saint Mary's (22-11) on Thursday in a South Region matchup in Hartford, Conn., were bounced by the Gaels in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. That game was also contested in New England -- Providence, R. I., to be exact."It's kind of crazy, right?" Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett, who has led the Gaels since 2001, said, per the San Francisco Chronicle. "I was thinking, 'They're not going to put us against Villanova, are they?' Sure enough, they did. Anyhow, it's exciting." While it may be exciting, it will also be a tall order for a Gaels team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in the last six years. Villanova has made the NCAA Tournament in seven straight years and 14 of the last 15.The Wildcats feature two players who played roles in the 2016 and 2018 national championship teams in first-team Big East selections Phil Booth and Eric Paschall. Booth averages 18.6 points per game, while fellow senior Paschall chips in 16.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest.Forward Saddiq Bey continued to step up during his freshman season, collecting 16 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's 74-72 win over Seton Hall in the Big East tournament championship game.Sophomore forward Jermaine Samuels had 12 points and seven rebounds against the Pirates after recording 17 and nine, respectively, in a 71-67 victory over Xavier on Friday."This one is special, very special. This team has taught me so much," said Booth, who was named the tournament's most outstanding player. "These young dudes are like a fresh breath of air for me, being around them." While Villanova became the first school to win three consecutive Big East tournaments titles, the Gaels gained entry into the NCAA Tournament after recording a 60-47 upset victory over Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference championship game.The Gaels slowed the speed of the game while their tenacious defense held the Bulldogs -- the nation's highest-scoring team -- to just 37.5 percent shooting from the field and 11.8 percent from 3-point range."I don't know how many of those guys stay up late night and watch those games -- I hope they don't," Wildcats coach Jay Wright said. "I hope they were in bed. But when they see that and they see their style of play, they're going to be impressed." Saint Mary's, which has won seven of its last eight games, is led by junior guard Jordan Ford (team-best 21.3 points per game) and sophomore forward Malik Fitts (15.3). They are the lone players on the Gaels that are averaging at least nine points per contest.Senior center Jordan Hunter collected 12 points and 15 rebounds in the WCC tournament championship game.Now, Hunter & Co. will traverse the country to square off against the Wildcats."It would have been nice to have a pseudo-home game, but beggars can't be choosers," Hunter said, per the San Francisco Chronicle. "We're just happy to be a part of it. We're really excited." The winner of Thursday's tilt advances to face the victor the contest pitting third-seeded Purdue and 14th-seeded Old Dominion.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:25 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 7:25 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+5000
|
+27 (-105)
|
Over 152.5 (-105)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-27 (-105)
|
Under 152.5 (-105)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 8:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+150
|
+3.5 (-102)
|
Over 153 (-107)
|
|
|
-160
|
-3.5 (-108)
|
Under 153 (-103)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
9:20 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 9:20 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+1100
|
+15 (-105)
|
Over 129.5 (-105)
|
|
|
-1400
|
-15 (-105)
|
Under 129.5 (-105)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Mar 19, 2019Michigan began its run to last year's NCAA title game by beating an opponent from the Big Sky Conference.And in what ranks as a major oddity, the Wolverines will be playing the same exact squad in the first round of this year's NCAA Tournament.Introductions will not be in order when second-seeded Michigan (28-6) takes on 15th-seeded Montana (26-8) on Thursday in West Region play at Des Moines, Iowa.It could be seen as a bit of an unfair draw for the Grizzlies, who play in a one-bid league."I'm shocked a little bit that they would match the same two teams," Montana coach Travis DeCuire told reporters. "Typically, they'd change it. But it is what it is. I think there's a lot for us to look forward to. Our guys will be excited for the rematch." Michigan won last year's matchup 61-47 behind 20 points and 11 rebounds from guard Charles Matthews.Neither team will need to be reminded that the Grizzlies scored the game's first 10 points before the Wolverines awoke.The victory was the first of five for Michigan before it was outclassed 79-62 by Villanova in the national championship game. The Wolverines faced elimination in the second round against Houston before guard Jordan Poole drained a decisive 3-pointer as time expired.Michigan was a No. 3 seed last year but is on the No. 2 line this season despite losing 65-60 to Michigan State on Sunday in the Big Ten tournament final.Matthews, a senior, took the seeding as a compliment."It's always big to be a two seed," Matthews told reporters. "We didn't finish like we wanted, but we still had a pretty good season. This loss hurt, but we've got to forget about it now, make a long run in the tournament and try to be national champions." Wolverines coach John Beilein is more worried about the opponent than the seeding. He hasn't forgotten that game-opening run by the Grizzlies."It's Montana again," Beilein told reporters. "They have got a terrific program to go and win all these games, win the (Big Sky) championship. Anybody that's playing in the conferences that they play in, and you win a championship, you're playing usually more road games than home, overall. You've got to be a heck of a team, and they were last year." The Grizzlies have won 52 games over the past two seasons -- the best run in program history -- and are part of the NCAA field for the fifth time since 2009-10.Seeing the same opponent in back-to-back tourneys wasn't what they had in mind, but senior guard Bobby Moorehead said all they can do is make the best of the situation."I thought we played well against them early last year, we just fell apart in the second half," Moorehead told reporters. "That's encouraging. I know they have a lot of the same guys back, we have a lot of the same guys back, so I'm excited. I think it will be a good matchup." Senior guard Ahmaad Rorie (15.1 average), junior guard Sayeed Pridgett (15.0) and senior guard Michael Oguine (13.2) form a productive trio for the Grizzlies.Montana senior center Jamar Akoh has missed the past 12 games with a knee injury. He averages 15.5 points and 8.7 rebounds.Freshman forward Ignas Brazdeikis leads Michigan with an average of 15.1 points per game. Poole, a sophomore averaging 12.8 points, and Matthews (12.0) also contribute double-digit points.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:40 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 9:40 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+135
|
+2.5 (-105)
|
Over 145 (-105)
|
|
|
-145
|
-2.5 (-105)
|
Under 145 (-105)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Mar 19, 2019No. 19 Wofford carries the label as the hottest team in the country into the NCAA Tournament.The small private school in Spartanburg, S. C., is about to take a step up in competition.The Terriers, who are the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region, meet 10th-seeded Seton Hall on Thursday night in Jacksonville, Fla.Wofford has been an emerging curiosity as it has risen through the polls. Coach Mike Young said he has enjoyed the process."It has been gradual," Young said. "But it's all about players. Anyone can coach this bunch." Wofford (29-4) holds a 20-game winning streak, the longest active string in the country.With 502 career 3-point baskets, senior guard Fletcher Magee of Wofford is two behind the all-time leader. Travis Bader of Oakland ended his career five years ago with 504.But he has other concerns than his shooting numbers in the postseason."Advancing to the NCAA Tournament in our last year together is probably the most rewarding feeling," Magee said. "We came in together (and) our goal was to win the conference tournament and go to the NCAA Tournament and win some games in the NCAA Tournament." Even with Magee, the Southern Conference Player of the Year, averaging 20.5 points per game, the Terriers have other options. Guard Nathan Hoover tallied 20 second-half points in the Southern Conference tournament final as Wofford overcame UNC Greensboro.Wofford is in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time, still seeking its first victory. This marks the third time it has been assigned to Jacksonville, but it's the first time the Terriers have been seeded higher than 12th.Seton Hall (20-13) is in the tournament for the fourth year in a row, tying the program record for consecutive appearances. The team is an at-large selection for the third straight season."I'm so proud of what we accomplished and where we are," Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said. "I'm also excited, if we play that hard (in the NCAA Tournament), I'm excited about it. I really am. That's what I told the team." Seton Hall reached the Big East Conference tournament final last weekend, falling to Villanova by 74-72 in the title game. The league tournament gave the Pirates a sense of what they might be capable of."This team has been so much fun to coach and so much fun to be around, so much fun to battle with," Willard said. "They seem to fight everything and stay together and just keep making great plays. It's been an absolute pleasure to kind of be along for the ride with them." Seton Hall owns a pair of victories against Marquette and one against Villanova. Those types of performances late in the season have bolstered the team's confidence."We know we can play with anybody in the country when we're playing our basketball," Pirates guard Myles Powell said. "We're just going to get ready for the tournament." Powell, who averages 22.9 points per game, has been on a roll. He racked up 78 points in the Big East Tournament, marking the eighth-most points in a single tournament.A year ago, the Pirates defeated North Carolina State for their only NCAA Tournament victory since 2004.This will be the first Seton Hall-Wofford meeting. The winner meets No. 2 seed Kentucky or No. 15 seed Abilene Christian in Saturday's second round.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:50 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 9:50 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+700
|
+13 (-109)
|
Over 127 (-105)
|
|
|
-900
|
-13 (-101)
|
Under 127 (-105)
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Mar 19, 2019Purdue celebrated a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship before promptly being bounced from the conference tournament.Despite the early exit, the third-seeded Boilermakers (23-9) aren't lacking in confidence as they begin NCAA Tournament play on Thursday against 14th-seeded Old Dominion (26-8) in a South Region matchup in Hartford, Conn."Winning the championship was fun -- really fun," sophomore point guard Nojel Eastern said. "But I think the Final Four would be even more fun."We just try to stay within ourselves, stay within our program, and prove it to ourselves we can get that far." Purdue has made the NCAA Tournament in five straight years and 11 of 14 under the watch of coach Matt Painter. The Boilermakers have reached the Sweet 16 in back-to-back years, but haven't advanced past that round since 2000."As a coach, you keep getting opportunities and they (the players) don't have as many," Painter said, per the Lafayette Journal & Courier. "This is great for (seniors) Ryan Cline and Grady Eifert. They went to four tournaments in four years, but they went to back-to-back Sweet 16s and you want to do better."But you all know, it's very fragile. The NCAA tournament's a crap shoot. You play on a neutral court and everybody's good." Cline recorded 14 points and eight assists in Purdue's 75-73 setback to Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinal clash on Friday.Junior guard Carsen Edwards misfired on seven of eight attempts from 3-point range, however, and enters the NCAA Tournament with an ailing back."I'm just focused on this first game, honestly," said Edwards, who led the Big Ten in scoring at 23.0 points per game."I believe in my guys. I believe they're going to give everything they have and coach Painter's going to try to put us in the best position. I'm just focused on the first game and giving everything I have." Old Dominion provides the opposition and enters the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 after winning the Conference USA regular season and tournament championships.B. J. Stith averages team-best totals in points (16.9) and rebounding (7.5) while fellow senior guard Ahmad Caver has a club-high 5.6 assists to go along with his 16.5 points per game."This group worked hard," Monarchs coach Jeff Jones said following Saturday's 62-56 win over Western Kentucky in the Conference USA championship game. "But what they really did was become a team early on. That's a tribute to the leadership of B. J. and Ahmad."We're going to enjoy this. It's going to be pretty special. We're absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity." Jones was visibly emotional after the game, telling reporters that the year has been tough for both personal and professional reasons. Prior to the season, Jones learned that he had a recurrence of prostate cancer.The Monarchs, who have held their last 10 opponents to fewer than 65 points, are 3-11 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.The winner advances to face the victor of the contest pitting defending national champion Villanova and 11th-seeded Saint Mary's.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:55 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 9:55 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+108
|
+1.5 (-102)
|
Over 130 (-105)
|
|
|
-118
|
-1.5 (-108)
|
Under 130 (-105)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Mar 18, 2019Syracuse isn't riding a wave of momentum into the NCAA Tournament, but its recent history says that's no big deal.The Orange snuck into the NCAAs last season after losing four of their last six games ... and then they won a First Four game and two more before narrowly losing to Duke in the Sweet 16.Three years ago, Syracuse staggered in as a No. 10 seed after losing five of six. The Orange then ripped off four consecutive victories in a thrilling ride to the Final Four, where they were stopped by North Carolina.So, it's nothing new that Syracuse is limping into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed in the West Region, where they will play No. 9 Baylor in Salt Lake City on Thursday night."I think we're in better position than we were last year in terms of how we're playing," said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. "But it's a tough road. We'll see what happens." Syracuse (20-13) has two victories in the past seven games.Baylor (19-13) is also hoping that pre-tournament momentum means nothing. The Bears have lost four consecutive games."I don't necessarily think we've been playing terrible," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "I think in each game, there's been areas where we didn't do enough to win, but there's no sense of falling apart." That Baylor is in the NCAA Tournament at all is impressive.The Bears were picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll, lost standout sophomore forward Tristan Clark to a season-ending knee injury Jan. 8, and then navigated injuries to senior guards Makai Mason (foot) and King McClure (knee), who each missed several games."They really maximized their ability as far as playing for one another and really bought into serving one another and caring more about the team than themselves," Drew said of his players."Individually, talent-wise, people had us picked ninth or 10th for a reason. I really think the guys competed hard. As a coach, you always can hang your hat and go to bed at night knowing that as long as a guy's played hard, that's half the battle." Mason, a grad transfer from Yale, averages a team-high 14.6 points per game.The Bears are not tall, mostly going with a lineup in which no player is taller than 6-foot-8, but they are tough and rugged and gang rebound with passion. Baylor has a plus-6.3 rebounding margin.Mark Vital, at 6-5, 230 pounds, averages 7.2 rebounds per game, with nearly as many offensive boards as defensive.Drew's zone defense has been a foundation of Baylor's success in recent years, although he will switch to a man-to-man to create different looks. Both sides in this matchup should be content with a slow-paced grind, with Baylor having to solve Boeheim's celebrated zone that is holding foes to 39.7 percent shooting this season.Junior guard Tyus Battle leads Syracuse with 17.2 points per game, but he missed the past two games because of a bruised hip. He practiced Sunday and is expected to be close to 100 percent Thursday.Junior forward Elijah Hughes, in his first season of eligibility at Syracuse, is averaging 13.4 points. Sophomore forward Oshae Brissett averages 12.4 points and 7.5 rebounds.Maybe another NCAA run is coming."We've got some tournament experience," Boeheim said. "Those guys are all back that have experience, and our younger guys have had some opportunities to get better." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
10:00 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 10:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+260
|
+6.5 (-102)
|
Over 138.5 (-102)
|
|
|
-290
|
-6.5 (-108)
|
Under 138.5 (-108)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MLB |
|
|
3/21/2019 |
|
FOUND
1
GAME |
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
5:35 AM EST |
|
3/21/2019 5:35 AM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-115
|
+1.5 (-230)
|
Over 9.5 (+110)
|
|
|
+110
|
-1.5 (+210)
|
Under 9.5 (-120)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Mariners' Kikuchi excited for MLB debut in home country TOKYO -- What will possibly be one Japanese legend's final major-league appearance comes on the same day that another potential star from the baseball-crazed island nation makes his debut.That's Yusei Kikuchi, who will make his first start for the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, facing the Oakland Athletics in the second game of the 2019 Opening Series at the Tokyo Dome in Japan."I never dreamt of starting my career in Japan," Kikuchi, 27, said through an interpreter. "This will be the experience of a lifetime for me. I'd like to enjoy it fully." He started his pro career in Japan in June 2011. He was 73-46 in his eight seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, winning its Pacific League ERA title in 2017. He ended his career in Japan with a 2.77 ERA in 1,010? innings.In January, Kikuchi signed a four-year deal that guarantees him $56 million contract with the Mariners. The team also paid a $10.275 million posting fee and an option that can extend the deal to seven years and $109 million.It's considerably more than for the pitcher on the other side, Marco Estrada, who is making his Athletics debut after signing a one-year, $4 million pact that adds depth to a rotation ravaged by injuries.Estrada joined Oakland after a four-year stint with the Toronto Blue Jays, though he had a difficult go of things last season with a 5.64 ERA in only 143 2/3 innings and the worst strikeout rate of his career at 6.5 per nine innings.On Wednesday, righty Mike Fiers didn't invoke much confidence in Oakland's new-look rotation, lasting only three innings and exiting after being bombarded for five runs in the third. He took the loss.Oakland's lineup won't fail to inspire confidence in any of their starters. Three Athletics homered while Matt Chapman added a double to go with his three-run blast in first game of the series on Wednesday. The A's fell behind 9-4 and whittled away at the lead with three runs in the seventh inning but couldn't muster any more runs."It's good to see the offense come and just play the kind of game we are used to playing, where sometimes we're a little behind but we just keep chipping away," Chapman said to MLB.com. "I think we have a lot to take away from this game, especially early in the season. First game there's always those jitters, but I thought we settled in well and I like where we're at." Kikuchi is still familiarizing himself with Major League Baaseball norms of approaching the strike zone, adjusting to hitters and even preparing. He spent the past week watching Oakland's dangerous lineup -- which had five players with at least 30 doubles last season -- at work during Tokyo Dome exhibition games against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He analyzed the data and studied their trends."I'm sure they have great hitters, but the first thing (is) to throw my pitches. Whatever I feel during the game I will address that," Kikuchi said.Dealing with the crowd likely isn't one of the adjustments he'll be dealing with. It will be very pro-Kikuchi, including several members of his personal circle from family, friends, former teachers, coaches and even former teammates."It's a big day for me," Kikuchi said. " ... I am going to play in the major leagues. This is going to be a wonderful start for me to show to my loved ones." --By Sean Kramer, Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
|
|
NHL |
|
|
3/21/2019 |
|
FOUND
10
GAMES |
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:05 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 7:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+115
|
+1.5 (-220)
|
Over 5.5 (-120)
|
|
|
-125
|
-1.5 (+200)
|
Under 5.5 (+110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Time: 7:00 PM EDT Venue: BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL, 33323 / The Arizona Coyotes and Florida Panthers -- each of them with just nine games left on their schedules -- are trying to make that final push for possible playoff berths. On Thursday night, the Panthers will host the Coyotes in an important game for both teams. Since Feb. 9, the Coyotes are 13-5-1, giving them a more legit shot at the playoffs as compared to Florida. Nine of the Coyotes' wins during that span have come at home, including a 4-3 shootout victory over the Panthers on Feb. 26." We want our fans to believe in what we are doing," Coyotes coach Rich Tocchet told AzCentral.com. "I think our fans are coming out and getting louder and louder." The Panthers, who lost 4-2 to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday to close out a 2-2-0 road trip, want that same kind of rowdy crowd when they return home to face the Coyotes. Panthers captain/center Aleksander Barkov scored twice against Dallas and leads Florida in goals (32) and points (85). Barkov, though, took no solace in his performance on Tuesday." We made a couple of bad mistakes that led to goals," Barkov said of the loss to Dallas. "We need to play better defensively." Counting overtime/shootout losses, the Panthers have essentially been a .500 team at home this season (18-12-6). Overall, the Panthers are 32-29-12, which is good for 76 points. The best they can hope for -- even with a highly improbable 9-0-0 finish to the regular season -- would be 94 points, and that probably won't get them a ticket to the playoffs." You never want to give up," said Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau, who is second on the team with 79 points." That's probably not enough to get into the playoffs, especially in the Eastern Conference. But we have to play for pride and for each other. It's disappointing, but we have to play hard until the end." After being the worst team in the Western Conference in 2017-2018, Arizona has had a strong bounce-back season at 36-31-6, good for 78 points. The Coyotes hold a slight edge over the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff berth. Hockey Reference gives Arizona a 46.8-percent chance to make the playoffs. The Panthers are being given less than a one-percent chance to qualify (0.9). Panthers coach Bob Boughner, who seems resigned to his fate, spoke late Tuesday night about the miscues made against Dallas, including a giveaway by Florida defenseman Mike Matheson." It was a turnover," Boughner said of the goal that gave Dallas a 3-2 lead, "and the result was in the back of our net. That's the way the bounces have been going for us lately." As of late, the Panthers have been riding rookie goalie Sam Montembeault, who is 4-2-1 in seven starts this season. The 22-year-old has a team-best 2.58 goals-against average and a team-best .903 save percentage. However, he has lost two straight games and has allowed three goals in each of his past three starts. Boughner could also call on either of his veteran goalies -- Roberto Luongo or James Reimer -- against the Coyotes. Luongo, who turns 40 next month and is a certain Hall of Famer, has lost five straight games and hasn't played since March 7 as the Panthers endeavor to find out what they have in Montembeault. Luongo has a 3.16 GAA, his highest since his rookie season of 1999-2000. Reimer, 31, has lost two straight starts and hasn't played since Feb. 26. He has a 3.02 GAA, his highest since 2014-2015. Arizona is expected to start Darcy Kuemper, who beat the Panthers last month. Kuemper, 28, is 24-17-6 this season with a 2.48 GAA and a .920 save percentage. Playing his seventh NHL season for his third franchise, Kuemper has found his groove, setting personal records for most games played (47) and most wins.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:05 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 7:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-255
|
-1.5 (+100)
|
Over 5.5 (-120)
|
|
|
+235
|
+1.5 (-110)
|
Under 5.5 (+110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Time: 7:00 PM EDT Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, N. J., 07102 / The Boston Bruins spent most of the first half of March mired in an unusual defensive funk. But the reborn Bruins will look to continue playing their familiar brand of stingy hockey Thursday night, when they visit the New Jersey Devils in a battle of Eastern Conference foes at Prudential Center in Newark, N. J. Both teams were off Wednesday after playing in the tri-state area Tuesday, when the visiting Bruins continued their defensive resurgence by blanking the New York Islanders 5-0 and the host Devils fell to the Washington Capitals 4-1. The win was the second straight following a three-game losing streak for the Bruins (44-20-9, 97 points), who seem to have figured out whatever was ailing them on defense during the skid. Boston allowed 15 goals in the trio of defeats but has given up just one goal on 38 shots in the back-to-back victories over the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Islanders. On Tuesday, the Bruins limited the Islanders to 13 shots -- tied for the fewest shots made by an NHL team in a game this season and the fewest shots attempted in a shutout. The Anaheim Ducks were held to 13 shots in a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 23." I think we try and win a lot of times by playing good 'D' and kind of making teams realize it's not going to be a fun game if they want to beat us," Bruins center Sean Kuraly said. "They know they're going to have to play really hard and tight defensively also if they want to go to the end." And if they want to go to the end 0-0, just try and be rock solid. We think if we do that, then teams are usually going to break. Sometimes it happens early and sometimes it doesn't happen until the third period, but we were happy with our 60 (minutes Tuesday)." If history is any indication, the Devils will be just what the playoff-bound Bruins need to continue their success. New Jersey, which is in last place in the Metropolitan Division and entered Wednesday with the third-fewest points (63) in the Eastern Conference, has lost its last seven games to playoff contenders dating back to a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 25. The Devils, who traded four veterans in February and have just four players older than 30 on the current roster, are hoping the losses to upper-echelon teams can serve as a learning experience for a team in the beginning of a rebuilding project." It doesn't matter that we're out of it right now, this is very crucial for these young guys," said 36-year-old defenseman and captain Andy Greene, who is the oldest remaining Devils' player. "(Teams) in a playoff race, they're in it every night, they're going to try and take our will away early and jump on us and try to make us quit, but I think that's where you've got to be a self-motivator." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:35 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 7:35 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+110
|
+1.5 (-255)
|
Over 5 (-125)
|
|
|
-120
|
-1.5 (+235)
|
Under 5 (+115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Time: 7:30 PM EDT Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, PQ, Canada, H3B 5E8 / Coming off arguably their worst loss of the season, the New York Islanders will face another tough challenge when they visit the playoff-hungry Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. The Islanders (42-24-7, 91 points) were shut out on home ice on Tuesday, suffering a 5-0 loss to the Bruins. New York managed only a season-low 13 shots in the game. The defeat dropped New York two points behind the Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division, and also narrowed the gap between the Islanders and the Penguins (89 points), Hurricanes (87) and Blue Jackets (84). With just nine games remaining in the regular season, the Islanders don't have time to dwell on the tough result." (Tuesday) obviously wasn't to the level that we've set for ourselves," forward Josh Bailey said. "Unfortunately in an 82-game season those things happen. It doesn't make it acceptable by any means. I think if anything you just need to talk about it, learn from it, and turn the page and still remember that we do have a good, quality team in here." New York suffered a blow on Wednesday when it learned center Valtteri Filppula is expected to miss four weeks with an upper-body injury. Filppula, 35, was injured in the first period Tuesday night on a hit from behind by Boston Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton. Filppula has 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 71 games in his first season with the Islanders. Meanwhile, the Canadiens also can't rest on their laurels in the wake of their 3-1 win over the Flyers on Tuesday. Montreal (38-28-7, 83 points) sits just a point behind the Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth." Our focus right now is really trying to emphasize controlling what we can control," forward Brendan Gallagher said. "We did a good job tonight but now we've got to move on. It's kind of the position we're in, we've got to put together some wins. ... We need every game badly right now." New York has been one of the NHL's best defensive teams this season, creating added pressure on the Canadiens to break out of their scoring slump. Montreal has scored just 15 goals over their last eight games, which has unsurprisingly led to just a 3-5-0 record in that stretch. The lack of offense has obscured more outstanding play from Carey Price, who is expected to make his sixth consecutive start on Thursday. Montreal's star netminder has a .948 save percentage and 1.52 goals against average over his last four games, though with only a 2-2-0 record to show for it. Robin Lehner allowed five goals on 39 shots against Boston, in the goalie's first action after missing New York's previous six games. Lehner was sidelined first with an upper-body injury, and then was kept on the bench due to Thomas Greiss' red-hot play, making it possible that the Islanders will again turn to Greiss against Montreal. Greiss was named the NHL's First Star of the Week for March 11-17 after posting a .959 save percentage, 1.25 goals against average, and a 3-1-0 record over four games. One of Greiss' victories was a 2-1 win over the Canadiens on March 14. New York and Montreal have split their previous two meetings this season, with the Canadiens capturing a 4-3 shootout win on November 5. Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck also was forced out of Tuesday's game due to an upper-body injury. He is questionable for Thursday.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:05 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 8:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+140
|
+1.5 (-190)
|
Over 6 (-115)
|
|
|
-150
|
-1.5 (+175)
|
Under 6 (+105)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Time: 8:00 PM EDT Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, 37203 / The Nashville Predators have eyes on the Central Division title, even as they step out of their conference Thursday to host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nashville (42-27-5, 89 points), which sits second in the Central, has won three straight games and is 5-2 since a loss March 1 to Winnipeg, the team the Predators are chasing for a division title." To be honest, I think guys are just starting to work harder as a team," Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis said. "Everyone. All five guys on the ice. ... As you get into playoffs, everyone is going to have to do the little things, whether it be blocking shots, good stick lifts, taking hits to make plays. Whatever it is, everyone's got to do it. I think the last three games have been a good sign of that." Most recently, the Predators topped the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 Tuesday behind Pekka Rinne's 22 saves for his fourth shutout of the season." I think we're starting to jell," said winger Wayne Simmonds, who was acquired from Philadelphia in a Feb. 25 trade, one of several recent additions, along with Brian Boyle, Cody McLeod and Mikael Granlund." I think for us, we just needed to jell. I think we've had a little bit of time. We've had some practice time together. I think we're only going to continue to get better." Simmonds notched his first goal since the trade Tuesday, in his ninth game with the Predators." I thought I was never going to score again," he said. Rinne deflected credit for the win over the Maple Leafs." Really good defense," he said. That's something Pittsburgh (39-24-11, 89 points) could use, particularly late in games. In what began a disturbing trend for them, the Penguins allowed a late goal and then lost in overtime Feb. 23 in an outdoor Stadium Series game against Philadelphia. Starting with that collapse, Pittsburgh has allowed six goals in the final three minutes of regulation. The most recent example came Tuesday, when the Carolina Hurricanes scored a tying goal with 1:56 left and then won 3-2 in a shootout." We'd like to think we can defend leads better," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "We have in the past and for a long time, and been very good at it. I know we're capable." The loss Tuesday left the Penguins 0-1-2 in their past three game. They also gave up a late goal and lost in overtime Sunday, again against Philadelphia. That's four critical lost points in four days as they try to clinch a playoff spot and perhaps gain home ice for at least the first round of the playoffs. They are two points behind the second-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division and two points ahead of the Hurricanes, who hold the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders have played one fewer game than Pittsburgh and the Hurricanes have two games in hand. There hasn't been one recurrent breakdown tying the late goals together." There's not a trend, I wouldn't say," Penguins goaltender Matt Murray said. "Each time there's been one little mistake. I have to make a save. That's pretty much what it comes down to." There has been a trend in the situation, however. Seven times, second-most in the NHL, Pittsburgh has given up a goal with the opposing goaltender pulled for a sixth attacker." It's definitely something we need to work on, especially in these tight games," defenseman Jack Johnson said. "There's going to be goalies pulled in tight games like this down the stretch and throughout the playoffs. We need to improve on that." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:05 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 8:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+275
|
+1.5 (+100)
|
Over 5.5 (-105)
|
|
|
-305
|
-1.5 (-110)
|
Under 5.5 (-105)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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GAME PREVIEW
Time: 8:00 PM EDT Venue: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO, 63103 / Forward David Perron has picked up where he left off, and apparently so have the St. Louis Blues. Perron pushed his personal point streak to 16 games (nine goals, 12 assists) after collecting three goals and two assists in his last three contests since returning from a nearly two-month absence due to a concussion. While the missed time prevents Perron's personal point streak as being viewed as official in the eyes of the NHL rulebook, the Blues have recorded five points (2-0-1) since his return heading into Thursday's home encounter against the Detroit Red Wings. Perron, who tallied twice in a 4-3 setback in Detroit on Nov. 28, scored two goals and set up another in St. Louis' 7-2 romp over Edmonton on Tuesday. New linemate Jaden Schwartz received top billing against the Oilers, however, after recording his fourth NHL hat trick and third career four-point performance. The fact that the pair worked well together was no surprise to the 30-year-old Perron." Yeah, why not," Perron said. "He actually brings it up a lot that when I play with him, I get hat tricks because I got two against Calgary in the last two years and he was on the line. So I'm glad to turn it around on him a little bit. We both had two there, it was nice for one of us to get one." Schwartz welcomed the offensive surge after scoring just seven times in his previous 59 games." I think you need to relax a little bit. You feel more confident with the puck," the 26-year-old Schwartz said. "Maybe find open areas a little more. I think in any sport when you're having a little bit more success it gives you a little bit better feeling." St. Louis native Patrick Maroon scored in his third straight game and rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington improved to 14-3-0 in his last 17 starts for the Blues, who reside two points ahead of Dallas for third place in the Central Division. Detroit put the brakes on its demoralizing 1-9-3 stretch by winning back-to-back contests, including notching a 3-2 victory against the New York Rangers on Tuesday in the opener of its five-game road trip. Speedy forward Andreas Athanasiou, who scored in the first meeting with St. Louis, tallied twice for the second consecutive contest on Tuesday to push his season goal total to a team-leading 28." He's been playing great for us," All-Star goaltender Jimmy Howard said of the 24-year-old Athanasiou. "When he's going, we are a lot better team. He is a gamebreaker." Howard preserved the win against the Rangers by turning aside 41 shots for the second time in five starts. Howard, who turns 35 on Tuesday, signed a one-year extension with the Red Wings on Wednesday." It means a lot," Howard said prior to the official announcement. "This is the only organization I know. I love playing for the Wings. My family loves living in Detroit. It's very special." Howard improved to 14-9-2 in 25 career encounters versus the Blues by making 33 saves in the November contest.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
8:35 PM EST |
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3/21/2019 8:35 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+110
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+1.5 (-225)
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Over 7 (+110)
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-120
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-1.5 (+205)
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Under 7 (-120)
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GAME PREVIEW
Time: 8:30 PM EDT Venue: United Center, Chicago, Ill., 60612 / While the Chicago Blackhawks continue to push for a spot in the playoffs, the hope of a postseason place for the Philadelphia Flyers seems to be fading. Both of these desperate clubs will look to bounce back from frustrating results when they meet Thursday night in Chicago. The Blackhawks took a five-game winning streak into Monday's home matchup with Vancouver, and though they came away with a point in the 3-2 overtime defeat, it was a missed opportunity for a team with little room for error down the stretch. Chicago, amid that 5-0-1 stretch, is four points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, and has some traffic in the way just to reach playoff position. Defenseman Eric Gustafsson's goal late in the third period tied Monday's game at 2, but the Canucks scored 16 seconds into the extra session to stun Chicago and its fans." We can't give up chances like that right off the hop," captain Jonathan Toews told the Blackhawks' official website." We need to win every game. We needed to win (Monday), and we'll need to win the next one. That's all we can really think about." Toews scored his 31st goal, leaving him three shy of equaling a career high set in 2008-09. Teammate Patrick Kane added two assists and has 101 points on the season. Kane has 29 points in the Blackhawks' last 15 home contests. One game after recording a career-high 48 saves during a 2-0 win in his home town of Montreal, Corey Crawford stopped 31 shots versus Vancouver. The Chicago netminder has a 1.74 goals-against average during the 5-0-1 stretch. Crawford managed just 21 saves in a 4-0 loss at Philadelphia on Nov. 10. The Flyers could use another performance like that as their playoff chances in the East continue to dwindle. Philadelphia has dropped three of four and sits six points out of the final wild-card position in the conference. On Tuesday, the Flyers fell behind 2-0 at home to Montreal -- the team directly above them in the conference standings -- and lost 3-1. Sean Couturier's 30th goal, one off matching his career high set last season, got Philadelphia within a goal near the midway point of the third period, but it proved not enough." Definitely need that game, but we've got nine games left," rookie goalie Carter Hart, who made 33 saves Tuesday, told the Flyers' official website." Mathematically, we're not out of it. So, there's still a chance, and that's what the mindset has to be in (the) locker room." Hart has stopped 74 of the 77 shots he's faced while Philadelphia has split its last two games. Brian Elliott, who shut out the Blackhawks on 33 saves in November, stopped 44 pucks in a wild 7-6 loss at Toronto on Friday, in his most recent start. Despite their recent overall struggles, the Flyers find themselves amid a 9-2-1 road stretch. Couturier has at least a point in five consecutive road contests, and six goals with 12 assists in his last 14 away from home. He had two goals with an assist against the Blackhawks earlier this season.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:35 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 8:35 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+125
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+1.5 (-215)
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Over 5.5 (+115)
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-135
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-1.5 (+195)
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Under 5.5 (-125)
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GAME PREVIEW
Time: 8:30 PM EDT Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX, 75219 / The Colorado Avalanche would rather forget their last trip to Dallas three weeks ago. Stars forward Alexander Radulov had a hat trick, Ben Bishop shut them out and they left town having lost their captain for the rest of the regular season. That 4-0 loss on March 7 also hurt Colorado's playoff drive, but heading into Thursday's matchup in Dallas the Avalanche have a renewed optimism. They are coming off two wins, including a 3-1 victory in Minnesota that closed the gap in the Western Conference wild-card race. Colorado (32-29-12, 76 points) is two points behind Arizona for the second wild card and can help itself by beating the streaking Stars. Dallas (38-29-6, 82 points) has gone 7-2-1 in its last 10 games and is only two points behind St. Louis for third place in the Central Division. With nine games left for both teams the stakes are increasingly higher, and health is always a concern. While the Avalanche won't have third-leading scorer Gabriel Landeskog out there due to an upper-body injury suffered against Dallas, the Stars got Bishop back in their 4-2 win against Florida on Tuesday night. Bishop had missed the two previous games with a lower-body injury after leaving a win over Minnesota on March 14. He told the Dallas Morning News he was hurt late in the first period of that game, gave it a go in the second but ultimately took himself out for precautionary reasons." You've got to think more big picture than that particular instance," Bishop said. "It's something that was lingering there. You don't want to end up making it way worse and missing two, three weeks. You'd rather get out of there, take care of it and make it short-term instead of obviously taking the risk of the bigger picture, which is more important." Colorado wouldn't mind if he took Thursday off after his 31-save shutout in the teams' last meeting. The Avalanche have been shut out twice in the last six games but are now riding a two-game winning streak. Philipp Grubauer has seemingly taken the reigns as the No. 1 goaltender, although coach Jared Bednar never reveals his starting goalie until game day. Grubauer had 22 saves in a shutout win over New Jersey on Sunday and followed that with a 36-save performance against the Wild. Colorado has also gotten some better play from defenseman TysonBarrie (three goals in the last two games) and scoring from someone other than Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Bednar said the team needs to sustain the intensity shown against Minnesota." That's the type of consistency in our game from start to finish that we're looking for that you need this time of year to win games," he said after the win over the Wild. "If we can repeat that performance another nine times, then I believe we're going to be great. It's hard to do, though. We've been trying to repeat that performance all year and we've been a little up and down, so we've got to remember the feeling." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:05 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 9:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+340
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+1.5 (+115)
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Over 6.5 (+105)
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-380
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-1.5 (-125)
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Under 6.5 (-115)
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GAME PREVIEW
Time: 9:00 PM EDT Venue: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Canada, T2G 2W1 / Sitting first in the Western Conference and already with a playoff berth in their pocket, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Calgary Flames look past their next opponent. Up next for the Flames are the Ottawa Senators, the NHL's last-place squad, for a Thursday night clash in the Stampede City. And the Senators are coming off a 7-4 road loss Wednesday night to the Vancouver Canucks, while Calgary had the night off. However, the Flames (45-21-7, 97 points) are well aware the importance of their game with Ottawa isn't so much about the opposition as it is for them to start cranking up their play for what's coming in a few weeks: the Stanley Cup playoffs." We can't lose like 10 games in a row and expect to start the playoffs at a high (level)," Calgary goalie David Rittich said. "We want to be ready for that, and the only way to do it is to play every game until then as if it's a playoff game. Plus, we want to finish first in the division. That's our (motivation) right now." Calgary has won four of five, the latest a 4-2 victory over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. The Flames are three points ahead of the San Jose Sharks in the race for the top berth in the West." Every game's important, especially for us," Flames forward Austin Czarnik said. "We have to come in with the mindset that we need the two points every single night to get to where we want to be and set ourselves up as well as we can for the playoffs." Meanwhile, the Senators (25-42-6, 56 points) are looking for motivation. They are already eliminated from postseason contention." Guys, in a lot of cases, are playing for contracts next year," interim Ottawa head coach Marc Crawford told Postmedia. "This is an organization that needs players, needs bodies, and there's a lot of guys in our organization whose contracts are up. It's nice they're getting great opportunity to show themselves, and they've shown themselves well." Speaking of showing well, Max Veronneau, whom the Senators signed as a free agent out of Princeton University a couple of weeks ago, netted his first NHL goal against the Canucks, giving him one goal and two points in three big-league games. Unfortunately, the task for Ottawa may have become a little harder. The Senators are already without top defenseman Thomas Chabot -- who may return from a broken toe Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers -- and blue-liner Cody Ceci left the Vancouver game due to an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the Flames might get some key players back in the lineup very soon. Top-line center Sean Monahan (illness) and forward Sam Bennett (upper-body injury) could return after missing the past two games, while veteran winger James Neal (upper-body injury) is nearing a return having sat out 16 games -- although he's not expected to suit up against Ottawa." He's getting closer, but sometimes you need a game, too. That'll hopefully be this weekend," Calgary coach Bill Peters said of Neal.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:05 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 9:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
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-130
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-1.5 (+195)
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Over 6 (-120)
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+120
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+1.5 (-215)
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Under 6 (+110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Time: 9:00 PM EDT Venue: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Canada / At this point in the season, teams sometimes need just a little puck luck. The Columbus Blue Jackets certainly could have used some in their last game in Calgary. The Blue Jackets hit the post four times in the first two periods of a 4-2 loss Tuesday that snapped a three-game point streak. They hope to get some better bounces when they continue their trip Thursday night in Edmonton." We're not getting the results, which is frustrating, but the process is there," Blue Jackets forward Matt Duchene told NHL.com. "The second you deviate from the process is when you start to fail and deserve to fail. We'll keep going and we'll stay with it and take it one day at a time." We're playing good hockey, just not getting the offense that we needed. We're finding ways to not score, I guess." Columbus, which lost in Calgary for the first time since 2011, fell behind 2-1 when it allowed a goal with 7.2 seconds remaining in the first period. The Flames scored what proved to be the winner just 35 seconds into the second." You can't get frustrated. We played a good game," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "It's hard to overcome, I think, when you give up a goal late in the period and get scored on early in a period. But we did a lot of good things." The Blue Jackets (84 points), who hold a one-point lead on Montreal for the Eastern Conference's second and final wild-card playoff berth, played their second straight game without captain Nick Foligno, who is back in Columbus dealing with a personal matter. His absence is reportedly not related to the heart issues faced by his 5-year-old daughter Milana, which caused him to miss five games earlier this season. Blue Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara also missed Tuesday's game because of an illness. The Oilers will open a five-game homestand. They went 1-2-0 on their just completed trip, including a 7-2 loss Tuesday in St. Louis." Not to take anything away from St. Louis, they were outstanding, but we're running on fumes, need to get home and see if we can get some rest," Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We're banged up and there's not much left of us. We just need to regroup and get ready for the homestand. It's a tough loss." By the midpoint of Tuesday's game, the Oilers trailed 4-0 and had been outshot 24-6. Goaltender Mikko Koskinen was pulled 5:42 into the second period after allowing the third St. Louis goal. Koskinen was in the net for the entirety of a 6-3 loss Sunday at Las Vegas." He's the guy we've hung our hat on and he's had really good outings and a couple of tough ones and every time he's had a tough one, he's rebounded. This is another chance for him to grow and us to grow with him," Hitchcock said of Koskinen. "So many goals were going in I just wanted to stop the bleeding." Edmonton forward Connor McDavid was held off the scoresheet by the Blues, snapping his 12-game points streak and eight straight with at least two points.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
10:35 PM EST |
|
3/21/2019 10:35 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-210
|
-1.5 (+135)
|
Over 6 (+110)
|
|
|
+190
|
+1.5 (-145)
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Under 6 (-120)
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GAME PREVIEW
Time: 10:30 PM EDT Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90015 / On an untimely three-game losing streak as they fight for the Pacific Division title, the San Jose Sharks head to Los Angeles for a Thursday game against the Kings knowing that they have been here before, with knowledge on how to remedy the situation. The Sharks will enter the contest three points behind the Calgary Flames for first place in the division. Both teams have nine games remaining. San Jose is exiting a miserable three-game homestand where it was outscored 15-7 and lost games to the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Vegas Golden Knights. The most recent defeat to the Knights was a 7-3 thrashing Monday that gave San Jose its first three-game home losing streak in three years. The Sharks were unable to clinch a playoff spot on their own doing, but they did become playoff eligible when the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. Having that playoff spot in hand might be enough to get the Sharks playing free and easy again, but a return to an aggressive goal-oriented style of play could be in the works as wellThe Sharks did lose three consecutive games as recently as Jan. 16-21, spinning out of that funk with a seven-goal game against the Washington Capitals, although they still needed overtime to win that one. That victory started a six-game winning streak for the Sharks." You can't be worried what you are doing three weeks from now; we need points now," Sharks defenseman Justin Braun said, according to nhl.com. "It doesn't matter what happens in the (recent) past, you just move forward. We need to get back to our game, get in deep, less turnovers in the neutral zone and forecheck." Long out of playoff contention, the Kings seem as if they trying to do more than simply play out the string of games on their schedule, at least lately. They played to a tight one-goal defeat to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday and lost another one-goal game Saturday to a Florida Panthers team trying to scramble back into wild-card contention. The loss to the Jets officially eliminated them from playoff contention. But overall, the Kings are 1-6 in their last seven games and 2-12-4 over their last 18. Two Stanley Cup titles since 2012 and a run of seven playoff appearances in nine seasons, through the 2017-18 season, seems to have caught up to them now. The Kings can still leave their mark on teams aiming to improve their standing before the playoffs. Of their 10 games remaining, they still have matchups against the Sharks, Arizona Coyotes, Golden Knights and two against the first-place Calgary Flames." It's definitely a sour taste," Kings center Anze Kopitar said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "This whole year has been disappointing. ... Not one guy in this room should be just OK with what's been going on this year." Sharks captain Joe Pavelski (lower body) did not play Monday against the Golden Knights, the first game he has missed this season. Pavelski is not expected to play Thursday either after taking a hard hit Saturday against the Predators, crashing awkwardly in to the boards. The Kings have no significant injuries.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2019 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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SOCCER |
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3/21/2019 |
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FOUND
10
MATCHES |
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