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NBA |
 |
|
1/29/2020 |
|
FOUND
1
GAME |
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|
COMING
UP
7:35 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-131
|
-2 (-108)
|
Over 224 (-115)
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|
|
+119
|
+2 (-102)
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Under 224 (+102)
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GAME PREVIEW
Jan 29, 2020Grizzlies need win over Knicks to reach .500The Memphis Grizzlies are on the verge of accomplishing something they haven't done in almost 13 months. All the Grizzlies have to do to get to .500 is defeat a New York Knicks squad headed toward an all-too-familiar destination.The Grizzlies will look to reach the break-even mark Wednesday when they visit the Knicks in the second game of a back-to-back set for both teams.Memphis (23-24) moved within a game of .500 -- and continued cementing itself as the favorite for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference -- by beating the visiting Denver Nuggets 104-96 on Tuesday.The Knicks, meanwhile, frittered away a 13-point lead and fell to the host Charlotte Hornets, 97-92.The Grizzlies registered their 10th win in 13 games this month. It's the first 10-win month for Memphis since the team went 11-6 in December 2016.The Grizzlies will try to reach another, more pivotal milestone Wednesday. Memphis, which hasn't been this close to .500 since Oct. 27 (1-2), is aiming to get to .500 for the first time since it was 18-18 on Dec. 31, 2018.First-year head coach Taylor Jenkins wasn't placing any extra emphasis on the Wednesday game for the Grizzlies, who opened January in a virtual tie for 11th place in the Western Conference but now hold a 2 1/2-game lead over the ninth-place San Antonio Spurs."To me, it's just a game, and to our guys, it's just a game," Jenkins said Tuesday night. "You never know what (Wednesday's) game is going to bring, but if we just keep focusing on our habits night in and night out, as I have said all along, more good things happen." The Knicks' latest attempt to build some momentum fizzled Tuesday, when their late comeback bid fell short after Marcus Morris Sr.'s potential four-point play -- which would have narrowed the Hornets' lead to five points with 1:56 left -- was overturned by an offensive foul on Morris.New York was looking to win back-to-back games for just the third time this season and the first time since a season-high, three-game winning streak from Dec. 26-Jan. 1."I disagreed with the call," Morris said afterward, "but that's just down the stretch. We should have given ourselves a better chance to win." With the loss, the Knicks (13-35) fell into a tie with the Cleveland Cavaliers for 13th place in the Eastern Conference. Only the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks have worse records than New York, which is likely headed for the lottery for the seventh consecutive season.The Grizzlies are 4-2 in the second game of back-to-back sets but have won each of their past four back-ends. The Knicks are 1-5 in the second game of back-to-back sets, earning their only win by beating the Warriors 124-122 in overtime on Dec. 11.--Field Level Media
 Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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NCAAB |
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|
1/29/2020 |
|
FOUND
36
GAMES |
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|
|
|
COMING
UP
6:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+20.5 (-103)
|
Over 142.5 (-114)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-20.5 (-113)
|
Under 142.5 (-116)
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|
GAME PREVIEW
Jan 27, 2020History will be on the line for Vanderbilt when it visits No. 13 Kentucky in Lexington's Rupp Arena at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday night.The Commodores (8-11, 0-6 Southeastern Conference) have lost seven straight. One year ago to the day, Vanderbilt faced Kentucky while on a seven-game losing streak. The Commodores would lose that, and then 12 more in a row to end the season with a program-record 20-game losing streak.There are no signs things will get better.As 2020 dawned, there was plenty of hope Vandy could snap the streak. Then, VU lost guard Aaron Nesmith, the SEC's leading scorer (23.0 ppg) and most-accurate 3-point shooter (52.2 percent), just before its conference home opener with Texas A&M.Since then, the 'Dores have lost all five games -- and each by at least 15.Saturday's 90-64 loss at South Carolina was VU's worst of the season.That also made 24-straight regular-season conference losses, which ties Sewanee (1938-40) for the longest such streak of futility in league history.Add in two conference tournament losses, and the Commodores haven't beaten a league foe in 26 tries.It's an unfamiliar feeling for a program that, between 2007 and 2017, went to seven NCAA tournaments and in that time had a competitive rivalry with the Wildcats."For us, it's about trying to figure out how we can improve," first-year coach Jerry Stackhouse said after the latest loss. "These guys have aspirations beyond this season." It's unlikely the streak gets broken in Lexington. Ken Pomeroy considers the Wildcats (15-4, 5-1) 17-point favorites in a building where the 'Dores haven't won since January 2007.Kentucky's season is heading in a different direction.The Wildcats have won three in a row, and seven of eight. The last was a 76-74 overtime victory at then-No. 18 Texas Tech on Saturday.Kentucky did it on the back of forward Nick Richards (25 points, 14 rebounds), who won National Player of the Week honors for that, plus, his 20 points, three blocks and eight boards in a win over Georgia on Jan. 21."I kissed Nick on the forehead," UK coach John Calipari said afterwards. "I said, 'There are about three of you in this room who need to do this, but I will do it for you.' But I kissed him on the forehead." Richards (14.3 ppg) is one of four Wildcats averaging double figures, the others being guards Immanuel Quickley (14.0), Ashton Hagans (13.2) and Tyrese Maxey (13.0).The Wildcats own sole possession of second place in the SEC, one game behind LSU (6-0). They'll have to guard against looking ahead to three huge games immediately afterwards -- road trips to Auburn and Tennessee, sandwiched around a home date with Mississippi State.That seems unlikely against the Commodores. Without Nesmith, Vandy averages 55.2 points and has lost by a 20.2-point average.Vandy's best remaining player is guard Saben Lee (15.9 ppg), an athletic, play-making junior who's finds space tough to come by thanks to being the focus of opposing defenses with Nesmith gone.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
6:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+17 (-105)
|
Over 139 (-116)
|
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|
OFF
|
-17 (-111)
|
Under 139 (-114)
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|
GAME PREVIEW
Jan 27, 2020In an unexpected dogfight with upstart Illinois near the halfway point of the Big Ten Conference schedule, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is looking for better production from his 14th-ranked Spartans.That's why he shook up the lineup before Sunday's 70-52 win at Minnesota, inserting freshmen Rocket Watts and Malik Hall while putting Aaron Henry and Marcus Bingham in reserve roles.Watts produced 10 points and solid defense in 28 minutes, while Hall was good for seven points and six rebounds over 20 minutes.With last-place Northwestern coming to the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Wednesday night for another Big Ten contest, Izzo might stay with the new lineup for another game. But he said after the victory at Minnesota that Henry could make a real difference in his team."It wasn't scrambling; I'm trying to find a consistency button," Izzo said. "You have to have three guys if you're going to win big, and we have 2 1/2 at times. I love the way (Aaron) responded, but I'm not done trying to figure out how to keep him consistent." Henry chipped in nine points, four rebounds and four steals in 25 minutes, although he coughed up four turnovers. But that was just a blip on a day where Michigan State (15-5, 7-2) allowed the Golden Gophers to make only 28.1 percent of their field goal tries.And with senior point guard Cassius Winston (18 points, 8 assists) and forward Xavier Tillman (17 points, 10 rebounds) having their way with Minnesota, the Spartans could get by with an occasional mistake.Meanwhile, the Wildcats' margin for error isn't quite as big. In fact, it's probably smaller than Muggsy Bogues. At 6-13 overall and 1-8 in the conference, they're plummeting toward 20 losses and a last-place finish.Northwestern played well for most of Sunday night's 71-59 home loss to Ohio State, getting a game-high 20 points from Miller Kopp and 13 from Pat Spencer. But the Wildcats went from shooting 50 percent in the first half to 27 percent in the second half, dooming their chances of winning."Every time we had a chance to regain some momentum, we missed some free throws or some open shots," Northwestern coach Chris Collins said. "And they made them. I feel like we're getting better in a lot of ways, but the results aren't showing. We just have to stay upbeat." The Wildcats did return one of their better players in point guard Boo Buie, who scored 10 points on Sunday night. Buie missed the previous five games with an injury.The teams met on Dec. 18 in Evanston, with Michigan State winning 77-72 despite a great game from Buie, who had 26 points and four assists. But the Spartans doubled up Northwestern on the boards, 48-24.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
6:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+10 (-113)
|
Over 143 (-113)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-10 (-104)
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Under 143 (-117)
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GAME PREVIEW
Jan 28, 2020Seton Hall remains the lone undefeated team in Big East play. That perfect start to the league season began with a win at DePaul on New Year's Eve.The No. 10 Pirates look to improve to 8-0 in the conference while aiming to extend their overall winning streak to 10 on Wednesday night as the struggling Blue Demons visit Newark, N. J.Seton Hall (15-4, 7-0 Big East), which has not lost since Dec. 14 at Rutgers, most recently won 10 straight games during the 1992-93 season. The Pirates haven't won eight in a row within the league since 2002-03.The Pirates stayed hot by shooting a league-season-best 57.8 percent during a 73-64 home victory over Providence in Seton Hall's recent contest, on Jan. 22. The Pirates prevailed while getting just 14 points from star Myles Powell (now averaging 21.9 points a game), snapping his string of four games with at least 23 points.Romaro Gill had team highs of 17 points and eight blocks, plus six rebounds. Jared Rhoden scored 15 for the Pirates. The 7-foot-2 Gill is averaging about 14 points over six games in 2020, and has 14 blocks in the past two contests."I think we're showing everybody across the country that we're not just the Myles Powell show," Powell told nj.com.Gill had just six points, but blocked four shots, during a 74-66 victory at DePaul on Dec. 30 to tip off the Big East season. Powell finished with 27 points and five steals as the Pirates overcame a six-point halftime hole to outscore the Blue Demons 43-29 in the second half.Powell has 51 points while shooting 45.2 percent from the field in the past two games vs. DePaul.The Blue Demons (13-7, 1-6) entered this season's first meeting with Seton Hall sporting a 12-1 non-conference record. However, it's been a much different story within the league, where DePaul beat then-No. 5 Butler 79-66 at home on Jan. 18, but since has dropped consecutive home games to Creighton and St. John's by a combined 28 points.Charlie Moore scored a team-high 20 points and Paul Reed had 15 with 12 rebounds Saturday against the Red Storm, but the Blue Demons shot 30.8 percent from the field and a dismal 16 percent (4 of 25) from 3-point range. DePaul, 7 for 41 from beyond the arc in the past two games, also allowed St. John's to hit 13 3-pointers."A little frustrating," Moore told The DePaulia. "But the team just talked (after the loss to St. John's) about coming together, see what we have to do to come out with wins at the end of the day. So just focus on getting better." Losers of five straight away from home in the Big East, the Blue Demons have lost 22 consecutive road games against top 10 opponents since the start of the 1996-97 season.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-2 (-110)
|
Over 137.5 (-118)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+2 (-106)
|
Under 137.5 (-112)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+6.5 (-119)
|
Over 131.5 (-111)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-6.5 (+102)
|
Under 131.5 (-119)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-8.5 (-104)
|
Over 140 (-113)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+8.5 (-112)
|
Under 140 (-117)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Jan 28, 2020Like a meteor streaking across the sky, it didn't take long for the Dayton Flyers to get the basketball world's attention. The time has come and gone not to think that Anthony Grant's squad is a legitimate contender to play deep into the NCAA Tournament.The Flyers (18-2, 7-0 Atlantic 10) are just two overtime losses away from matching San Diego State as the nation's only unbeaten team.Now, the nation's No. 7 team heads to Pittsburgh to face Duquesne on Wednesday, seeking to go 5-0 in true road games and win its 10th consecutive overall.The Dukes also were one of the surprise teams early on as head coach Keith Dambrot guided Duquesne to a 10-0 mark, the team's best start since 1953-54. But the Dukes (15-4, 5-2) have come back to earth in their past nine games and have lost two straight.Despite the skid, Dambrot relishes the challenge that lies ahead and believes his players will bounce back."This group is too tough-minded for us to go backward," he recently told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We have too many guys who are winners and who are used to winning to worry about it all falling apart." While their offense scores at a clip of 70.7 points per game, the Dukes make their mark on defense, allowing just 62.7 points.Dayton has no trouble scoring and ranks third in the nation at 83.2 points per game. All-America candidate Obi Toppin isn't sneaking up on anyone anymore. The 6-foot-9 sophomore forward is a certain NBA first-round pick if he decides to forgo his final two seasons.Toppin averages 19.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Three other Flyers -- Jalen Crutcher, Ibi Watson and Trey Landers -- average double figures and a fourth (Ryan Mikesell) is tallying 9.9 points per game.The Flyers lead the nation in field-goal percentage at 52.6 percent and distribute the ball well, averaging 18.9 assists each game, also the best in the nation.The Dayton bench, which was a question mark earlier in the season, no longer keeps Grant awake at night.Jordy Tshimanga, Dwayne Cohill and Jhery Matos have helped settle Grant's rotation, and they have assimilated to their roles."I thought those guys came in and did a great job," Grant told the Dayton Daily News after Saturday's win at Richmond. "The things that those guys did in terms of scouting report, in terms of being able to execute offensively, the effort and energy they gave, I thought all three of those guys were really huge." In Saturday's loss to Massachusetts, Duquesne was led by Sincere Carry's 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. The Dukes were outscored 27-13 at the free-throw line and got clobbered on the boards, 52-34.That kind of play is a recipe for disaster against a team as talented as the Flyers, but the Dukes do sport an 8-0 "home" record, even though they've been playing at different venues as their home court is renovated. Wednesday's game will take place at PPG Paints Arena, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins.For one, Toppin won't be intimidated, especially after hearing some negative chants directed toward him from Richmond fans on Saturday."Every time we're in a hostile environment, that's like an energy booster for us," Toppin said. "When we hear them chanting, it brings us up and makes us play a lot harder because we know we've got to win to make them be quiet." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+15 (-108)
|
Over 137 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-15 (-108)
|
Under 137 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-13 (-106)
|
Over 139.5 (-116)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+13 (-110)
|
Under 139.5 (-114)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Jan 28, 2020Houston has won 10 of its last 11 games heading into Wednesday night's contest at East Carolina.The Cougars (16-4, 6-1 American Athletic Conference) were just 6-3 on Dec. 15 but have found their stride after losing four starters from last year's team that advanced to the Sweet 16.The recent upswing has Kelvin Sampson's team ranked No. 21, up four spots from last week, after sweeping Connecticut and South Florida at home."The biggest difference from earlier in the year was that we started listening to coach, hearing what he was saying, buying into the culture and trusting the system," sophomore forward Fabian White Jr. said. "Earlier in the year, we were young and didn't trust the system. Coach is right all the time." White is one of only two players who has started every game for Houston this season. He is averaging 10.7 points per game and 5.6 rebounds. He has tried only two 3-pointers all season and is shooting 48.0 percent from the field.Fellow sophomore Nate Hinton is the other Houston player to start every game. The guard leads the team with 9.4 rebounds and he is averaging 10.7 points.Caleb Mills (12.9 points) and Quentin Grimes (12.3) are the two leading scorers, but Sampson believes his best leader is DeJon Jarreau, who in his second year in the program after starting 25 games for UMass as a freshman point guard in 2017-18."The thing that helps DeJon and helps me coach him is that he is such a high character kid," Sampson said. "When I say a good kid, I mean he is a great young man and character matters. You can't have a championship team unless you have great character. Somebody asked me about the strength of last year's team, and I said that they were simply great kids."With great kids, you don't have to worry about discipline problems. So, you can coach basketball and teach them things that they need to know about." East Carolina (9-11, 3-4) comes into Wednesday's game following a win last Saturday at home against Tulane, a victory that snapped a three-game losing streak. The Pirates are a different team at home with an 8-3 record than they are away from Greenville, N. C., with an 0-6 record in true road games and a 1-2 mark in neutral-site games.East Carolina used its 12th different starting lineup of the season in the win over Tulane with freshman guard Tristen Newton making his first start since Nov. 24.Two of the top players for East Carolina are sophomore forward Jayden Gardner, who has scored 923 points in 51 career games, and junior guard J. J. Miles, who made seven 3-pointers against Tulane."It's big-time," Gardner said of Miles' shooting performance. "I love when he's making shots. It makes my assist totals go up. J. J. is a great shooter. He's just going to keep getting better and more confident, and he's going to keep being big-time for this program." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-5 (-106)
|
Over 118.5 (-109)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+5 (-110)
|
Under 118.5 (-121)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+6.5 (-108)
|
Over 151.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-6.5 (-108)
|
Under 151.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-7.5 (-116)
|
Over 148 (-116)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+7.5 (-101)
|
Under 148 (-114)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+6 (-112)
|
Over 142 (-111)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-6 (-104)
|
Under 142 (-119)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-4.5 (-111)
|
Over 134.5 (-113)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+4.5 (-105)
|
Under 134.5 (-117)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+3.5 (-108)
|
Over 135.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-3.5 (-108)
|
Under 135.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+4.5 (-110)
|
Over 162 (-114)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-4.5 (-106)
|
Under 162 (-116)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Jan 28, 2020No. 22 LSU is ranked for the first time in 10 weeks.The Tigers (15-4) remain the last undefeated team in SEC play at 6-0 as they prepare to host Alabama (12-7, 4-2) on Wednesday in Baton Rouge, La.LSU, which was also No. 22 in the preseason poll, dropped out of the rankings after an 84-82 loss at VCU in the second game of the season. Three of the Tigers' four losses have come by two points, but they have excelled in close games recently as their last six wins have come by four or fewer points."It's not always pretty, but we find a way and we dig it out and we make big plays when we need to," LSU coach Will Wade said, according to The Advocate. "Our guys have been doing that all year, and that's a trait we want to continue." Senior guard Skylar Mays said the Tigers feel "pretty comfortable" when games are decided in the final moments."We've won most of (the close games)," Mays said, according to The Advocate, "so just having that confidence at the end of the game and knowing what it takes to win is definitely helping us out." That confidence came in handy in LSU's last game as freshman Trendon Watford made two free throws with 20 seconds left to help secure a 69-67 victory at Texas last Saturday in a Big 12/SEC Challenge game."He puts the work in every day," Mays said. "He's always shooting free throws after practice with coach Wade. He focuses on it and takes pride in it."At this point, we kind of expect him to make those two free throws. Credit to him and the work that he's putting in." The Crimson Tide have been one of the hotter teams in the SEC, winning league games against Auburn, Missouri and Vanderbilt before defeating visiting Kansas State 77-74 last Saturday for their fourth consecutive victory.Alabama has played fewer tight games, with less success in them than LSU. The Crimson Tide were 0-3 in games decided by six or fewer points before edging Kansas State."It was good to get a close win," Alabama coach Nate Oats said. "We need to be in some close games and feel like we can win them. We had to take care of the ball late, hit some free throws late and get some stops late. I'm proud of the guys for that." The Crimson Tide won despite taking 31 fewer shots than the Wildcats."That's not usually a recipe for winning games," Oats said.But Alabama shot 48.8 percent from the floor and Kansas State shot 35.1 percent. The Tide also outscored the Wildcats by 15 points on free throws."There's a lot of stuff to learn from the game," Oats said. "The offensive rebounds that we gave up (22) were disastrous and could've cost us the game. We have to clean that up. Turnovers were still too high (16). We have to get a lot of stuff cleaned up before the LSU game. Hopefully the guys will be mature enough to know that we have to fix a lot of things, even though we won." -Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+9.5 (-108)
|
Over 136 (-113)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-9.5 (-108)
|
Under 136 (-117)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+1 (-107)
|
Over 132.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-1 (-109)
|
Under 132.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-4.5 (-112)
|
Over 146.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+4.5 (-105)
|
Under 146.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+17 (-115)
|
Over 144.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-17 (-101)
|
Under 144.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-3 (-103)
|
Over 147.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+3 (-113)
|
Under 147.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+5.5 (-111)
|
Over 134 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-5.5 (-105)
|
Under 134 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+3.5 (-103)
|
Over 155 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-3.5 (-113)
|
Under 155 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-4 (-108)
|
Over 118 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+4 (-108)
|
Under 118 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+1 (-112)
|
Over 134 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-1 (-104)
|
Under 134 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-4 (-105)
|
Over 130 (-114)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+4 (-111)
|
Under 130 (-116)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+4.5 (-118)
|
Over 126 (-114)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-4.5 (+101)
|
Under 126 (-116)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+2.5 (-109)
|
Over 128.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-2.5 (-107)
|
Under 128.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Jan 28, 2020No. 12 West Virginia arrives in Lubbock, Texas, this week on a bit of a roll, and has a chance to help its head coach surpass a legend in victories.Bob Huggins can move past the late Adolph Rupp for seventh place in career coaching victories if the Mountaineers can get past Texas Tech on Wednesday night. Huggins and Rupp each have 876 victories.Huggins moved into a tie with Rupp with West Virginia's 74-51 romp over Missouri on Saturday. They are currently tied for the 14th most victories among coaches of men's programs. Dean Smith is 13th on the list at 879."I used to sit there and listen to my dad (a former coach) ... and they'd tell him, 'That was win number whatever' and his response was 'Man, that just means I'm old,'" Huggins said, according to West Virginia MetroNews. "Every one of those guys on there are old. I'm more caught up on we're 16-3 and we need to be 29-3." The Mountaineers (16-3, 4-2 Big 12) defeated the Red Raiders 66-54 on Jan. 11 at home. Miles McBride's 22 points led the way in that game.Against Missouri, the Mountaineers led by just one at halftime at 24-23 before outscoring the Tigers 50-28 in the second half. The victory included a 21-0 run that started early in the second half. West Virginia also had a 28-2 run in a win over Texas on Jan. 20."It starts with getting stops to get easy baskets," guard Jermaine Hailey said. "Coach says we're not always going to be able to grind out possessions in the half court. We did a great job of executing on defense in the second half." West Virginia has won four the last six meetings between the two teams.Texas Tech (12-7, 3-3) fell out of the top 25 with their 76-74 overtime loss to current No. 13 Kentucky on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Red Raiders came into that game at No. 18 and rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half only to come up just short."We played 20 minutes; they beat us by two. We play another 20 minutes we beat them by two," coach Chris Beard told reporters afterward. "Then we play five minutes and they beat us with a couple of free throws. I wish we could have played another five minutes." The Red Raiders will look to start another home winning streak after they were dealt their first nonconference loss at Lubbock since Dec. 21, 2013 against LSU. That led to a 54-game home winning streak.They made just 3 of 19 from 3-point range against Kentucky."It's going to be hard if we don't shoot a better percentage than that from 3," Beard said.Guard Davide Moretti came up big to help Texas Tech rally to force overtime. He scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half and was key in the final minutes of regulation time.Kyler Edwards had 18 points and seven rebounds to lead the Red Raiders in the loss.Texas Tech is in the middle of a difficult stretch of games that started with Kentucky. On Wednesday it will be West Virginia followed by a road game against current No. 3 Kansas on Saturday.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+1 (-107)
|
Over 126 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-1 (-109)
|
Under 126 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
8:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+6 (-107)
|
Over 142.5 (-114)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-6 (-109)
|
Under 142.5 (-116)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Jan 28, 2020No. 24 Penn State will be looking for a third straight victory when it plays host to Indiana on Wednesday in State College, Pa.The Nittany Lions climbed back into the rankings following a rare road win at Michigan 72-63 last Wednesday. Penn State was idle over the weekend.It is the second time this season that Penn State is among the top 25. Before this season, it had not been ranked since 1996.Following just their third ever road win at Michigan, the Nittany Lions improved to 14-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten. Lamar Stevens led the way with 19 points while Curtis Jones Jr. scored all 18 of his points in the second half."I think we are starting to play our best basketball heading into February," Penn State head coach Pat Chambers said after the nine-point victory. "And now we have some time off. We do have some guys that are bumped and bruised. Some guys are nicked up. So I think it's a good time for that." Stevens will be searching for his 34th consecutive game scoring in double figures. In addition to his offensive output, he also pulled down nine rebounds against Michigan as he supplied tenacious defense throughout."Lamar made some good plays for us, but other guys stepped up. But he rebounded the ball," Chambers said. "Lamar Stevens playing like that, he's playing like an all-Big Ten player." Penn State is 10-1 at home this season.Indiana (15-5, 5-4) will enter following a 77-76 loss to Maryland on Sunday.The Hoosiers led 76-70 with 1:27 remaining but couldn't hold on to maintain the momentum from a victory over Michigan State on Thursday."I thought in the second half we did a much better job of establishing offense, inside-out, and then defensively we were able to finally get some stops," Indiana head coach Archie Miller said. "We built an eight-point lead, and we had our chances. (It's) one of those ones you're going to think back on, and obviously it's going to really, really sting." Devonte Green paced Indiana with 16 points while Trayce Jackson-Davis added 13 points and eight rebounds.In the end, all the Hoosiers could do was wonder how they let a late lead slip away. The next test at Penn State won't get any easier."It's a lesson like every other loss," Green said. "We were down. We fought our way back. We got the lead and lost it. It shows the game can turn at any point." Like most of its games this season, Indiana had solid scoring balance with four players in double figures. Jerome Hunter added 12 points and Rob Phinisee had 10. The Hoosiers were 9 of 19 from 3-point range.Cleaning up turnovers and defensive miscues down the stretch will be needed to come up with a road victory at Penn State."I'd say (it was) lack of communication down the stretch," Phinisee said. "We turned the ball over last minute, and then they got (an) easy bucket. Really just communication at the end of the game. We just have to settle down on defense and lock up." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+2.5 (-103)
|
Over 144.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-2.5 (-114)
|
Under 144.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+15.5 (-108)
|
Over 153 (-113)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-15.5 (-108)
|
Under 153 (-117)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-12.5 (-108)
|
Over 132.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+12.5 (-108)
|
Under 132.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Jan 28, 2020On a team built from the inside-out, Louisville point guard Darius Perry's role is to initiate the offense and play good defense on the perimeter. If he scores a bucket here and there, it's a bonus.Yet sometimes roles can change.In Saturday's 80-62 rout of visiting Clemson that kept the No. 6 Cardinals atop the Atlantic Coast Conference, Perry switched from bit player to leading man. His five 3-pointers and game-high 19 points keyed the Cardinals' sixth consecutive victory.Perry and Louisville (17-3, 8-1 ACC) aim to keep their individual and collective run going Wednesday night when they visit conference foe Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass."I thought Darius had his best game since I've been coaching him, not just on offense," Cardinals coach Chris Mack said. "I think if any player sees a couple go in, they gain a lot of confidence. Love to see a guy like D. P. knock in one after the other. He's a good shooter." The stats bear out Mack's analysis. While Perry is averaging just 6.1 points, he's converting a career-high 41.7 percent from the 3-point line, while averaging 3.4 assists. And over his last 10 games, Perry has drilled 15 of 28 from beyond the arc.That kind of shooting is one reason why Louisville was tied at 15th in Division I at 38.7 percent of its 3-pointers heading into play Tuesday. It also has forced opponents to make a choice between respecting his shot and giving the Cardinals favorable one-on-one matchups in the post, or doubling inside and risk a 3-point attempt on the perimeter.Clemson couldn't stop them either way. Louisville hit nearly hit 48.1 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from distance, taking a 47-26 halftime lead and cruising from there.Boston College (10-10, 4-5) got back to .500 on Saturday with a stout defensive effort as it stopped Virginia Tech 61-56 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The Eagles limited the Hokies to 40.0 percent shooting while forcing 14 turnovers to snap a four-game losing streak."You can win a game on defense and I thought we won defensively against a good offensive team," Boston College coach Jim Christian said, according to the Boston Herald. "To hold them to 16 points below their scoring average and force double-digit turnovers, that's gutting it out." The Eagles really weren't much better on offense, making only 43.8 percent from the field and missing 16 of 27 free throws in a performance that had the Conte Forum rims cringing. But they got a game-high 23 points and eight rebounds from forward Jairus Hamilton, who entered the day by averaging just 9.3 per game.Hamilton, who was only 8 of 37 on 3-pointers in his previous 10 games, canned 5 of 7 against Virginia Tech. He went 7 of 11 from the field overall.Boston College ranks 323rd in Division I in scoring at just 64.3 points per game, so it will need another big game from Hamilton in order to pull off the upset over Louisville.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+3.5 (-104)
|
Over 150 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-3.5 (-112)
|
Under 150 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-4 (-112)
|
Over 141 (-114)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+4 (-104)
|
Under 141 (-116)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Jan 28, 2020Baylor's run as the top-ranked team in the nation heads into its second week, with no indication that the Bears, winners of 16 consecutive games, are slowing down.That doesn't mean Baylor (17-1, 6-0 Big 12) can afford to take lightly the challenge it will face when it visits Iowa State on Wednesday in another in a set of unrelenting conference dustups.The Bears have made their living winning tough road games this season, already beating Texas Tech, Kansas and, most recently, Florida away from Waco. A 72-61 victory over the Gators on Saturday allowed Baylor to match the best 18-game start in school history and came via another trademark defensive performance.Baylor got 16 points apiece from MaCio Teague and Devonte Bandoo in the win. Davion Mitchell was 7 of 8 from the foul line and tallied 12 points and a career-high-tying six assists. Jared Butler added 10 points despite being limited by two first-half fouls."Coach (Scott) Drew always tells us to hold our own in these challenges," Teague said. "We just did a good job of locking in defensively, and different guys scored for us tonight. They gave us their best shot, but nobody's going to fold under pressure." The Bears let Florida, which had upset then-No. 4 Auburn on the road on Jan. 18, make just one of its final eight shots to secure the win."Early on, we couldn't get any stops, and we didn't get as many good looks," Drew said after the win. "As the first half went on, we started to get stops, started to get rebounds, started to get great looks. Devonte was on fire, MaCio had some good looks, Jared had some good looks. When we're sharing the ball, we're really good." The Bears played without forward Tristan Clark, who was held out due to a sore knee.Iowa State (9-10, 2-4) looks to rebound at home after an 80-76 loss at No. 16 Auburn on Saturday. The Cyclones have lost three of their past four games.The Cyclones trailed by 18 points with 14 minutes to play against the Tigers but clawed their way back into the game. Rasir Bolton paced Iowa State with 23 points, and his 15 second-half points helped close the gap.Bolton, a sophomore who transferred from Penn State, has six 20-point games on the season and was 9 of 10 at the free-throw line at Auburn. On Monday, he was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, Bolton's second such honor this season.Terrence Lewis had 12 points and Solomon Young posted 10 points for the Cyclones in the loss. Young grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, including four on the offensive glass."I thought we'd have a chance to be right in this game at the end," Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said after the defeat. "The second half, we did a better job spacing them out and making plays off the dribble. The second half, we showed a lot more character on the road than we have at times." Baylor beat Iowa State 68-55 on Jan. 15 in Waco. Wednesday's game will be the fourth in five outings for the Cyclones against teams that were ranked in the Top 25 when the game was played.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
+1 (-113)
|
Over 144 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
-1 (-103)
|
Under 144 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
11:00 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
OFF
|
-2.5 (-107)
|
Over 143.5 (-115)
|
|
|
OFF
|
+2.5 (-109)
|
Under 143.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NHL |
|
|
1/29/2020 |
|
FOUND
6
GAMES |
|
|
|
|
COMING
UP
7:38 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+105
|
+1.5 (-234)
|
Over 6 (-103)
|
|
|
-115
|
-1.5 (+205)
|
Under 6 (-109)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
The Toronto Maple Leafs took a significant step forward in their bid to distance themselves from a recent porous stretch.The Maple Leafs aim to continue their forward progress on Wednesday when they visit the Dallas Stars.Toronto skated into the league-mandated break and All-Star festivities with just one win in six outings (1-3-2) before posting a 5-2 victory in Nashville on Monday."Just a good response. Coming out a break can be difficult games and I thought it was a good match for our team," veteran forward Jason Spezza said. "Coming out and getting a lead, I thought we controlled play for a lot of the time. I still think there are still things we can do better but for the most part we did a lot of good things and that's why we got rewarded with a win." Spezza will enter the tilt against his former team with a bit of momentum after scoring in the third period versus the Predators. The 36-year-old spent five seasons with the Stars before signing a one-year contract on July 1.William Nylander, who signed a six-year, $45 million deal in December 2018, scored early in the first period on Monday to extend both his goal and point streaks to four and five, respectively. The goal was the career-high 23rd of the season for the 23-year-old Nylander, who recorded his 11th multi-point performance after setting up defenseman Rasmus Sandin's first NHL tally.Auston Matthews boosted his team-leading totals in goals (34) and points (58) with his 16th tally in 16 games this month on Monday. The 22-year-old has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 11 contests this season versus Central Division representatives.Matthews scored two goals in Toronto's 7-4 victory in Dallas on Oct. 9, 2018 before the Stars answered with a 2-1 decision three weeks later.Dallas captain Jamie Benn scored a goal in both of those games and capped a two-goal performance by converting in overtime of a 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Monday."I think Jamie did a great job of being composed on both goals and hanging on to it until just the right second before putting it behind him," Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said. "That's a mental skill. The physical skill you can see, but the mental side of that, being able to calm the brain down and slow it down so that the hands can work at the right time, that's what makes special athletes." Benn wasn't interested in his performance on offense. After all, the Stars' bread and butter is their defense, which has yielded an NHL-best 2.45 goals per game."I think that's pretty much our game," the 30-year-old Benn said. "We want to play good defense and we are committed to keeping the puck out of our net, and that was a good example of it (Monday)." Tyler Seguin, who leads the team in assists (26) and points (37), added to those totals by setting up Denis Gurianov's second-period goal on Monday. The 27-year-old Seguin erupted for six points (one goal, five assists) in two meetings with Toronto last season.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:38 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+134
|
+1.5 (-189)
|
Over 6.5 (+104)
|
|
|
-149
|
-1.5 (+168)
|
Under 6.5 (-117)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
The Washington Capitals are storming out of the All-Star break with a purpose: reminding themselves what kind of play makes them annual Stanley Cup contenders.The Nashville Predators, at the other end of the scale, are limping toward the finish line of the regular season, and appear to be all but throwing up the white flag of surrender.The two squads meet Wednesday in Washington D. C.Even with Alexander Ovechkin serving a one-game suspension for sitting out the All-Star Game in St. Louis, the Capitals stomped the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 on Monday. Ovechkin has eight goals in his past three games, including consecutive hat tricks, and returns to the lineup Wednesday.The Capitals are a deep squad, though, with four different players scoring against the Canadiens."Obviously, (missing Ovechkin) is a big goal-scoring loss for us, but we stick together as a team," said Jakub Vrana, who had a goal and an assist. "We still kept creating chances, especially the fourth line." The win in Montreal was the Capitals' fourth in a row.The Predators have dropped three of their last four, including Monday's 5-2 loss at home to the Toronto Maple Leafs.They've scored just one power-play goal in their last six games, and few seem to be stepping up at regular strength. Of 412 total points coming from the Predators roster this season, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm are responsible for 103.That's a quarter of team scoring coming from just three players - all defensemen."We've got to do it together," Josi said, after Monday's loss. "Every guy in that first shift go out there and try to make a difference. You've got to find a way to change the momentum, and it's got to be that next line every time. Every guy individually has to go out there and make a difference." The Predators need more from Ryan Johansen, a fourth-overall 2010 draft pick whom the Predators picked up from Columbus in 2016. In his first full season, he had 61 points in 82 games and he's sitting on an eight-year, $64 million contract signed in 2017.This season, though, he's minus-5 with 10 goals and 27 points.Predators head coach John Hynes showed his displeasure Monday, holding Johansen to 14 shifts and 10 minutes, 28 seconds of ice time, the least amount among the roster."With players, if they want to play more, they've got to play good," Hynes explained.He wants to see his entire roster play with more intensity."You've got to have pushback in games, a little bit more mental fortitude and consistency in what we're doing and consistency throughout our lineup," he said.As their opportunities to get into the playoffs drift away, it sure won't be enough for the Predators to sit back and take a lesson from the Capitals on grit."We're not where we want to be, and we're not playing the way we want to," said Mikael Granlund. "We have to find it inside the locker room, and we have to be better." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
10:08 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-118
|
-1.5 (+218)
|
Over 5.5 (+112)
|
|
|
+107
|
+1.5 (-249)
|
Under 5.5 (-126)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
On pace for their first playoff appearance in eight seasons, the Arizona Coyotes will end a 10-day break when they travel to Anaheim on Wednesday night to face the Ducks.Arizona hasn't played since a 7-3 loss at Edmonton on Jan. 18 before heading into its bye week and the All-Star break.Rick Tocchet's squad, who last made the playoffs in 2012 when they were known as the Phoenix Coyotes, entered Tuesday's action in a four-way tie for second place with Edmonton, Calgary and Vegas, three points behind first-place Vancouver and holding the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.The game with the Ducks -- who are in seventh place in the Pacific, two points ahead of Los Angeles -- is the front end of a back-to-back that includes a Thursday night home date with the cellar-dwelling Kings. Arizona then hosts Chicago on Saturday to complete a key stretch of three games in four nights and kick off a busy month of February that features 14 games."It's so tight in the Pacific," defenseman Jason Demers said. "Every game against the Pacific is going to be a playoff game. These are the things we play for. The next two games can't come soon enough." Demers said the break, which included eight days off for the team, was good both physically and mentally for the Coyotes, who won just one of their final six games (1-4-1) before the layoff."I think the eight days were good to get a little bit healthy, get out minds right," Demers said. "We kind of didn't have a great end before the break. Now it's where guys earn their keep and earn their paycheck. This is the best time of the year aside from the playoffs." Forward Christian Dvorak, who is tied for second on the team with 13 goals and leads the team in plus/minus (plus-7), said the Coyotes got away from their gritty defensive approach before the break."Just get back to our identity," Dvorak said when asked what his team must do to snap its playoff drought. "I think we kind of strayed away from that the past couple of weeks or so. We've got to get back to our identity. It's defend first, be hard on the puck and go from there. If we do that, I think we have a real good chance to make the playoffs." Anaheim ended a nine-day break on Monday with a 4-2 loss at San Jose. The Ducks fell behind 2-0 in the first 4:35 and trailed 4-1 early in the third period before Nick Ritchie, playing for the first time since after missing 19 games with a MCL sprain, scored on the power play with just 1:53 remaining."It was a bad stretch there at the start," Ritchie said. "Not really any excuse. I know we had the long break, but so did they, and they come out and jumped on us."There's a lot of things we need to work on. We just weren't sharp tonight. We weren't making plays. We were a little slow. We couldn't get the puck out of our end at the start of the game, and it ultimately killed us." This is the fourth and final regular-season meeting between the two teams. Arizona has won two of the first three games, including a 4-2 home victory on Jan. 2.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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GAME PREVIEW
Nearly three weeks after the brouhaha that signaled the Battle of Alberta is working back to its nasty heyday, Zack Kassian and the Edmonton Oilers have their chance to exact a pound of flesh when the Calgary Flames come calling on Wednesday.Kassian, who was assessed a two-game suspension for his attack on Calgary's Matthew Tkachuk after being on the receiving end of two checks he felt were predatory when they last met, is eligible to return for the next instalment in the rivalry.After Kassian was suspended following the Jan. 11 clash, he said, "He messed with the wrong guy, and I don't think he realizes that we are in the same division and (I) have a great memory." On the eve of the upcoming encounter, though, Kassian appeared to have softened his stance -- at least outwardly, although it could be because league director of officiating Stephen Walkom and department of player safety boss George Parros will be on hand in Edmonton."This isn't the '80s where we're just going to line brawl," Kassian said Tuesday. "It's going to be a hard-fought game, and it's going to be an intense game, but we have to play between the lines. Both teams are going to preach that. It's about the two points. That's the way we're going to stick it to them." Kassian added: "I did what I had to do, and now I'm moving forward. I got punishment. Honestly, I don't even look at this as a really big deal. I didn't mind the hits. I think they were a little offside, but he's a passionate guy and he hit me, and I just thought what I did was right, too." For his part, Tkachuk didn't appear unsettled about what may happen in Edmonton when asked about it in the aftermath of his team's 5-4 shootout loss to the visiting St. Louis Blues on Tuesday."I haven't really thought about what (Wednesday is) gonna bring yet," Tkachuk said. "I just want to go over this one now and make some improvements. It was the first game back (from the long break), and it was a little choppy at times." The Flames lead the Oilers by one point in the standings -- Edmonton has two games in hand -- but Calgary can't be caught worrying about any shenanigans having dropped three of four games (1-2-1)."It's always fun playing those guys," Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau said. "It's a pretty big divisional game." The Oilers are also receiving a much-needed boost. Defenseman Matt Benning is set to play Wednesday after missing 20 games due to a concussion. He was recalled Monday from a conditioning loan to AHL Bakersfield. An Alberta clash is a whale of a game to mark a return."I love this. Brings you back to playoffs," Benning said. "Guys are coming after you and you're going after guys, but we just have to keep our emotions in check. You grew up playing hockey for games like this." While the Wednesday contest will be Edmonton's first game after the break, the Flames could benefit from their Tuesday game, as it allowed them to get in the swing of things."There was a bit of rust, but you expect that coming off an eight-day break," Calgary interim coach Geoff Ward said. "There was a lot of good things we can take from the game, too." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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GAME PREVIEW
Three weeks after their last home game, the Los Angeles Kings will get reacquainted with their home ice when they play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.At least it can't get any worse since the last time the Kings were around these parts. They lost three consecutive home games, Jan. 4-8, before heading out on a long trip that led into the All-Star break.The Kings also lost their last four games before the break, and have dropped seven of their past eight contests and 11 of 14.Their first game after the break will offer a chance to hit the reset button, but at 18-27-5 (41 points), and last in the Western Conference, a playoff push is unlikely. A vow to simply get better every day would be the best way to handle the final two months of the schedule."We're out of the playoffs by a little bit and certainly not the position we want to be in, but at the same time we're trying to turn this thing around, so you want to go and steer this ship in the right direction," the Kings' lone All-Star representative, Anze Kopitar, told the Los Angeles Times.Yet uncertainty surrounds the team that won Stanley Cup titles as recently as 2013-14 and 2011-12. Moves are possible before the Feb. 24 trade deadline. Tyler Toffoli could be a desired commodity, while Alec Martinez and Jeff Carter have also been mentioned as trade candidates."There's going to be some stuff that's going to get moved around, but at the same time you've just got to keep your head down and work towards our common goal, which is turn this thing around and get it going in the right direction," Kopitar said.The Lightning are in playoff contention, sitting in second place in the Atlantic Division at the start of play Tuesday. Although they did earn a point Monday, their hopes of getting off to a hot post-break start were foiled when they fell, 3-2, in overtime at Dallas.Tampa Bay was just 2-2 in their final four games before the break following their 10-game winning streak that started just before Christmas. Monday's defeat can fall into the category of post-break rust."We gave up more chances tonight on odd-man rushes than we've given up the last 20 games combined," Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper said.Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 32 saves, but his 10-game winning streak came to an end. Steven Stamkos scored two goals against the Stars. His third-period goal tied it with less than two minutes remaining after Vasilevskiy was pulled for an extra attacker.Nikita Kucherov had two assists for the Lightning right out of the break and leads the team in goals (22), assists (34) and points (56). Tampa Bay was 0-for-4 on the power play."The power play wasn't great (Monday), and we didn't generate many high-quality chances," the Lightning's Brayden Point told NHL.com. "They did a good job and give them credit, but it's on us to work out plays that can generate scoring chances." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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GAME PREVIEW
The All-Star break apparently did wonders for Patrick Marleau.Marleau kept climbing the NHL's all-time scoring list with two goals Monday, as the San Jose Sharks returned from a week off and snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory against visiting Anaheim.Marleau moved past Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur and into a tie with Mike Modano for 25th place on the league's career list with 561 goals. The 40-year-old also passed Rod Brind'Amour for 50th on the all-time points list with 1,185."You always want to be on the score sheet, and you always want to contribute. But, over the years, one thing I've learned is not to think about it too much, just go out and let things happen," said Marleau, who will look to move up both lists when the Sharks play host to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.Marleau also became the fourth player in NHL history to score at least 10 goals in 22 straight seasons, joining Gordie Howe (24) and Mark Messier and Alex Delvecchio (22 each)."What can't you say about Patty Marleau?" Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon told NHL.com. "Whether it's every practice or every game, he's had those tough situations where you've had a bit of time off, and the legs might be a little heavy or your stick is a little rusty, but he finds a way." Stefan Noesen also scored twice for the Sharks, and goaltender Aaron Dell made 26 saves."He tied my idol, Mike Modano, for goals. So I don't know if he's my idol now," Noesen joked about Marleau. "He's all-world. ... Someone that a lot of the guys in the league look up to, maybe in a quieter way. It's an honor to play with somebody of that caliber." The Sharks (22-25-4), who are in sixth place in the Pacific Division, will have a tough test against the Canucks (28-18-4), who have won three in a row and 12 of their past 15 games to move into first place in the division.Vancouver defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues 3-1 on Monday, as Thatcher Demko made 36 saves and J. T. Miller scored twice. It was the Canucks' ninth straight win at home, and they'll look to continue that momentum Wednesday in the opener of a five-game trip."We have been playing really good hockey," Demko told NHL.com. "Sometimes teams can get a little bit complacent during a break. It was good to get back in it. It was a huge two points against a really good team. I'm really proud of the effort." Miller scored twice in the second period, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead.He has 48 points (19 goals, 29 assists) in 50 games this season, surpassing his point total of 47 last season with Tampa Bay."That one felt really good. We played a great team game," Miller told NHL.com. "They had a great push in the third. We had a lot of guys putting their body on the line to make sure we got the two points. That's as much a playoff game as it gets." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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