Tuesday 1-15-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Louisiana Downs
Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.

Race 1 - Claiming - 440y on the Dirt. Purse: $3300 Class Rating: 69

QUARTER HORSE 440Y, FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON THREE RACES. THREE YEAR OLDS, 124 LBS.; OLDER, 126 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $3,500.


RECOMMENDED CHOICES
The Walker Group Picks

# 1 YO WINNER 9/5

# 5 GONZO COMPADRE 7/5

# 4 KAMSONAROLL 5/1

I favor YO WINNER here. This mare has been consistently racing well in her latest outings. The average class fig alone makes this horse a definite contender. Has performed soundly lately in short races, posting a nifty 52 avg speed rating. GONZO COMPADRE - He has been running solidly and the Equibase Speed Figures are among the strongest in this field. As of late Ellis has provided players with a respectable winning percentage with horses racing in short races. KAMSONAROLL - If you examine closely, this horse has some longshot potential. Can't overlook the connections here, a 16 winning percentage, one of the best at getting into the winner's circle.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Mahoning Valley Race Course
Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.

Race 1 - Claiming - 8.3f on the Dirt. Purse: $11000 Class Rating: 61

FOR FILLIES AND MARES THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON TWO RACES. THREE YEAR OLDS, 118 LBS.; OLDER, 126 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF A RACE SINCE DECEMBER 15 ALLOWED 2 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $5,000


RECOMMENDED CHOICES
The Walker Group Picks

# 1 BLUE RIDGE GIRL 3/1

# 4 WONDERFUL FINISH 15/1

# 8 BECCA'S DIAMOND 4/1

My selection for this race is BLUE RIDGE GIRL. Must be carefully examined here on the basis of the figs in the speed section alone. With Paucar aboard her, this mare ought to be able to break out early in this event. Is tough not to look at given the company run in recently. WONDERFUL FINISH - Has to be given consideration - I like the figs from the last contest. Gonzalez has a winning percentage of 16 over the last 30 days. BECCA'S DIAMOND - Could provide positive gains based on competitive recent speed figs with an average of 50. When a handler brings any racer back this quickly it is a positive signal.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

F.A.S.T. Sheets Free Race for Portland Meadows
Portland Meadows - Race 9

$1 Exacta / $0.50 Trifecta / $0.10 Superfecta


Maiden Claiming $10,000 • 6 Furlongs • Dirt • Ages 4 and up • CR: 68 • Purse: $7,400 • Post: 3:44P
(INCLUDES UP TO $500 OHBPA) FOR REGISTERED OREGON BRED MAIDENS, FOUR YEARS OLD AND UPWARD. WEIGHT, 125 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $10,000.
Contenders

Race Analysis
P#
Horse
Morn
Line

Accept
Odds


Race Type: Dominant Front-runner. ONE TRUE KING is the Dominant Front-runner of the race. * KEY ANGLES * ONE TRUE KING: Horse has the highest TrackMaster Power Rating. Horse ranks in the top three in average Equibase Speed Figure at the distance/ surface. ATTABOY QUINN: Horse ranks in the top three in TrackMaster Power Rating. Horse ranks in the top three in average Equibase Class Rating at the distance/surface. FORTY SEVEN BLUE: Today is a sprint and this is the horse's third or fourth st art after a layoff. Horse has the highest average Equibase Speed Figure at the distance/surface. TILLICUM GREY: Today is a sprint and this is the horse's third or fourth start after a layoff. Horse has run a Good Race within the last 30 days.
6
ONE TRUE KING
5/2

3/1
3
ATTABOY QUINN
2/1

7/1
1
FORTY SEVEN BLUE
4/1

9/1
2
TILLICUM GREY
9/2

10/1




P#

Horse (In Running Style Order)

Post

Morn
Line

Running Style

Good
Class

Good
Speed

Early Figure

Finish Figure

Platinum
Figure
6
ONE TRUE KING
6

5/2
Front-runner
70

42

76.0

55.0

52.5
1
FORTY SEVEN BLUE
1

4/1
Front-runner
48

41

54.0

46.0

39.0
3
ATTABOY QUINN
3

2/1
Alternator/Front-runner
70

60

52.9

40.4

34.9
2
TILLICUM GREY
2

9/2
Alternator/Stalker
60

56

44.0

50.4

44.4
5
MUNDI STONE
5

20/1
Alternator/Non-contender
49

31

45.0

24.2

13.2
4
PLUM SPOOKY
4

15/1
Alternator/Non-contender
0

0

41.8

23.5

12.0
7
POST MARC
7

12/1
Alternator/Non-contender
0

0

13.3

10.4

0.0
8
DANCE TO MARQUET
8

10/1
Alternator/Non-contender
0

0

10.4

18.0

5.0

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Parx Racing - Race #7 - Post: 3:07pm - Claiming - 8.3 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $21,500 Class Rating: 79

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#5 VOCAB (ML=8/1)
#6 STAYNSIDETHECIRCLE (ML=7/2)
#8 TRUE BLUE (ML=20/1)
#3 VENEZUELAN SUCCESS (ML=10/1)


VOCAB - My experience tells me to watch out for this thoroughbred in this affair STAYNSIDETHECIRCLE - This gelding is in good form, having run a nice race on January 7th, finishing first. Rivera and Soto perform well when they partner up. It's hard to beat a +965 return on investment for a rider and trainer. Just look at his recent speed rating, 85. That one fits well in this bunch. TRUE BLUE - Bowman comes to get aboard after getting to know the gelding in the last event. This jock and trainer have a positive ROI when they partner up. This thoroughbred coming off a good contest in the last month is a contender in my humble opinion. VENEZUELAN SUCCESS - The outside post position didn't help this horse's chances last time out at Penn National. Today's inside post position should be just fine.

Vulnerable Contenders: #1 BANKER'S ISLAND (ML=3/1), #9 BENNYLUVSPOKER (ML=5/1), #11 PRIZE FIGHT (ML=6/1),

BANKER'S ISLAND - Just cannot play this mount. Didn't show me anything in the last race or on November 27th. BENNYLUVSPOKER - Never really did much at all last out on December 22nd. Hard to play in today's race. Pedestrian fig last out at Parx Racing at 1 mile. Don't feel this horse will improve too much in today's event.



STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Putting our cash on #5 VOCAB to win. Have to have odds of at least 9/2 or better though

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [5,6,8]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
Skip

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
Pass

[Can'tPickAWinner]

F.A.S.T. Sheets Free Race for Sunland Park
Sunland Park - Race 3

.50 Pick 3(Races 3-4-5)/$1Exacta/Trifecta /.10 Superfecta


SO $10,000 • 1 Mile • Dirt • Ages 4 and up • CR: 94 • Purse: $16,200 • Post: 1:24P
FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE STARTED FOR A CLAIMING PRICE OF $5,000 OR LESS SINCE JANUARY 15, 2017 OR CLAIMING PRICE $10,000. FOUR YEAR OLDS, 121 LBS.; OLDER, 123 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $10,000.
Contenders

Race Analysis
P#
Horse
Morn
Line

Accept
Odds


Race Type: Lone Front-runner. ROCK HARD K P is the Lone Front-runner of the race. * KEY ANGLES * ROCK HARD K P: Horse has the highest TrackMaster Power Rating. HOWDY: Horse has run a Good Race within the last 30 days. CRISTIANSTORM: Horse ranks in the top three in TrackMaster Power Rating. AFRICAN FIGHTER: Horse ranks in the top three in TrackMaster Power Rating. REAL HEAT: Horse's average winning distance is within half a furlong of today's distance (within 50 yards if a Quarter Horse ra ce).
2
ROCK HARD K P
8/1

9/2
4
HOWDY
3/1

6/1
5
CRISTIANSTORM
10/1

7/1
7
AFRICAN FIGHTER
3/1

10/1
6
REAL HEAT
2/1

10/1




P#

Horse (In Running Style Order)

Post

Morn
Line

Running Style

Good
Class

Good
Speed

Early Figure

Finish Figure

Platinum
Figure
2
ROCK HARD K P
2

8/1
Front-runner
92

86

78.2

79.4

73.4
6
REAL HEAT
6

2/1
Stalker
89

86

74.0

80.8

70.8
4
HOWDY
4

3/1
Stalker
92

87

69.6

85.8

80.8
1
CAUSEWAY RUNNER
1

15/1
Stalker
76

73

67.4

76.4

62.4
3
HORSE FLY
3

6/1
Trailer
89

78

75.3

87.3

79.8
5
CRISTIANSTORM
5

10/1
Trailer
91

99

75.0

88.8

83.3
7
AFRICAN FIGHTER
7

3/1
Trailer
90

86

67.3

83.4

76.4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Turf Paradise - Race #6 - Post: 3:04pm - Claiming - 6.5 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $7,000 Class Rating: 74

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#9 WHAT'D I MISS (ML=7/2)
#5 SISU (ML=15/1)
#4 SEAGOLD (ML=12/1)


WHAT'D I MISS - This horse coming off a sharp try in the last month is a solid contender in my opinion. Mare took a little vacation, but has been racing into shape. 43-59-62 are last three Equibase speed figs. Improving each time out is something she should do again right here in this race. SISU - I like the way this filly's finish positions have gotten better with each start recently. A sign of a pony coming into top form. This jockey/handler duo has been producing a very beneficial ROI, right at +120. This filly is clearly on the improve with speed figs of 30, 59, 62 last 3 out. SEAGOLD - Have to like the way Henson has raced this mare back into shape off the layoff. Horse is well spotted in this sprint and I think she'll run well today.

Vulnerable Contenders: #6 SHAHALIE SHARI (ML=8/5), #2 SINGLEFORTHESUMMER (ML=4/1), #3 BOBBIE LINCOLN (ML=6/1),

SHAHALIE SHARI - This less than sharp equine didn't go to the front end and didn't close in the homestretch last time she ran. Hasn't been on the Turf Paradise oval in the last 3 weeks. Cause for some concern. SINGLEFORTHESUMMER - This mare recorded a rating in her last race which likely isn't good enough in today's race. BOBBIE LINCOLN - This mare hasn't had any promising efforts in sprint races in the last couple months.



STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Bet on #9 WHAT'D I MISS to win if you can get at least 3/1 odds

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [4,5,9]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
Box [4,5,9] Total Cost: $6

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
Skip

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Phoenix Suns vs. Indiana Pacers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NBA Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

The streaking Indiana Pacers look for their ninth victory in the past 11 games when they host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Indiana is a stellar 14-5 at home as it opens a five-game homestand while the Suns are a porous 4-16 on the road.

Phoenix begins a stretch of four straight road games and seven of nine after recording an impressive 102-93 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. Star shooting guard Devin Booker (back spasms) is listed as questionable and missed the past three games with the lowly Suns winning two of them. The Pacers completed a 3-2 road trip with a solid 121-106 victory over the New York Knicks, two nights after being trounced 135-108 by the Boston Celtics. Forward Domantas Sabonis had 22 points and 15 rebounds against New York and has posted 19 double-doubles this season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Arizona (Phoenix), FS Indiana LINE: Pacers -12

ABOUT THE SUNS (11-33): Phoenix played a strong game against the Western Conference-leading Nuggets and never allowed more than 24 points in a single quarter while halting a streak of allowing 100 or more in the previous 13 contests. The Suns held Denver to 38.6 percent shooting while racking up 11 steals and nine blocked shots. "What impressed me the most is just how long we did it," Phoenix forward Josh Jackson said of his team's superb defensive performance. "We did it for literally the whole game. Like, I can't remember one point in time when I looked up and I felt like we were playing bad defense."



ABOUT THE PACERS (28-14): Center Myles Turner - the NBA leader in blocked shots with 103 - hopes to return from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him the previous four contests. The 22-year-old Turner was badly missed when Indiana allowed a season-worst 135 points to the Celtics and he was reminded by reporters on Sunday about fan criticism he was receiving earlier this season. "I think everybody knows how important I am to this team - as far as my teammates are concerned," Turner said following after participating in practice. "Fans can think what they want, but as far as everybody in the organization, they know what I bring to the table."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Pacers won the past four meetings, including a 109-104 road triumph on Nov. 27.

2. Indiana SG Victor Oladipo has been held below 20 in four straight games and is averaging 17.3 points during the stretch.

3. Phoenix F Kelly Oubre Jr. matched his career high of 26 points in two of the past three games.

PREDICTION: Pacers 107, Suns 91

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NBA Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

Jimmy Butler will play against his former team for the first time since being traded when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. Butler clashed with the Minnesota organization prior to the season and was critical of teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins before eventually being dealt to Philadelphia on Nov. 12.

The 76ers have gone 20-10 since the trade, but Butler is having trouble fitting in and recently challenged coach Brett Brown about his offensive role. Butler is averaging 18.7 points in 25 games with Philadelphia after being acquired along with center Justin Patton for forwards Robert Covington and Dario Saric and guard Jerryd Bayless. "I was hoping that it could work, but things in the NBA always change," Minnesota power forward Taj Gibson told reporters on Monday of the situation and fallout involving Butler. "You have to just keep moving forward. Jimmy is in a good situation, KAT and Wiggs are in a great situation, so it worked out for the better." Brown said he is looking forward to seeing the trio that was traded away, particularly Saric and Covington - although the latter will miss his seventh straight game due to knee and ankle injuries.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV, FS North (Minnesota), NBCS Philadelphia LINE: 76ers -6.5

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (21-22): Minnesota was off to a dreadful 4-9 start while Butler was bordering on behaving incorrigibly but has been a solid 17-13 since making the trade. Towns was superb with 27 points and a career-best 27 rebounds in Saturday's 110-106 victory over New Orleans and is averaging 27.5 and 16.6, respectively, over his last 10 games. "I just want to be the energy my team needs on a nightly basis," Towns told reporters after Saturday's win, "and if they need more, I've got to be able to bring it."



ABOUT THE 76ERS (28-16): Ben Simmons collected a career-best 22 rebounds to go with 20 points and nine assists during Sunday's 108-105 victory in New York. Simmons referred to the 76ers as "too soft" - a tag that irritated Butler - after Friday's 123-121 loss to Atlanta but had no such issues with anyone after the win over the Knicks. "We have to lock down on defense and offensively take care of the ball," Simmons told reporters. "I think that's really it. Everybody needs to be locked in."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The 76ers have won four straight home meetings with the Timberwolves.

2. Philadelphia C Joel Embiid recorded 26 points, eight rebounds and a season-best six blocked shots against the Knicks.

3. Minnesota rookie SG Josh Okogie scored a season-best 17 points against the Pelicans and is averaging 16 over his last two games.

PREDICTION: 76ers 122, Timberwolves 114

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Atlanta Hawks Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NBA Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
Thunder vs. Hawks Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

The Oklahoma City Thunder repeatedly said they weren't worried during a three-game losing streak, stating that it was a long season and things would soon turn in their favor. The Thunder proved as much with an impressive victory on Saturday and will try to keep rolling when they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.

Oklahoma City capped the three-game slide with a 154-147 double-overtime loss at San Antonio on Thursday but bounced right back in another chance against the Spurs at home on Saturday, earning a 122-112 victory. The Thunder enter the week in third place in a packed Western Conference and will play three of the next four on the road, where they own a 12-10 record. The Hawks are trying to work their way through a difficult portion of the schedule and followed a 123-121 win at the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday with a 133-114 setback against the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Sunday. Atlanta played Indiana, Milwaukee (twice), Toronto and Philadelphia in the last eight games and gets a visit from the Boston Celtics on Saturday after wrapping up with Oklahoma City.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), FS Oklahoma LINE: Thunder -8.5

ABOUT THE THUNDER (26-16): Oklahoma City was able to snap the slide on Saturday thanks in large part to the effort of the reserves. Patrick Paterson knocked down 5-of-7 from the floor and Abdel Nader hit all six of his shots while point guard Dennis Schroder went 8-of-17 from the floor to snap a string of six straight games failing to hit at least 40 percent of his shots. "He really came out in the second half and certainly played much closer to who he is as a player," Thunder coach Billy Donovan told reporters of Schroder. "I give him a lot of credit because that's a skill, a gift, to be able to shift after halftime and, to your point, play as well as he did offensively."



ABOUT THE HAWKS (13-30): The bright spot from Sunday's setback was the play of rookie point guard Trae Young, who poured in 26 points while grabbing a season-high 11 rebounds. Young, 20, reached the 20-point plateau for the first time in seven games this month in the loss, and fellow rookie guard Kevin Huerter is working on his consistency as well. Huerter broke out for 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting in the win over the 76ers but slumped to 11 points on 3-of-9 against Milwaukee.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Thunder SF Paul George scored 18 points on Saturday, snapping a string of 16 straight games scoring at least 20.

2. Hawks PF John Collins went 6-of-17 from the floor Sunday after going a combined 35-of-55 in the four previous contests.

3. Schroder, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Hawks, scored 18 points in a 124-109 win over Atlanta on Nov. 30.

PREDICTION: Thunder 120, Hawks 102

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NBA Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

The Miami Heat did the best defensive job this season on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, holding them to a season-low in a 94-87 home win on Dec. 22. The Heat will try to put together a similar effort on the road when they visit the Bucks on Tuesday.

Miami pushed back above .500 with a 112-108 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday and showed off its depth with seven scorers in double figures, including four off the bench. The Heat are trying to contend while developing players and are seeing the returns of hard work put in by forward Justise Winslow, who is blossoming into a star. Winslow was part of the defensive effort against Antetokounmpo in the first meeting and it took several different players to slow the MVP candidate. Antetokounmpo sat out a 113-106 loss at Washington on Friday to rest a sore hip but returned on Sunday and showed no rust while pouring in 33 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 133-114 win at Atlanta that capped a three-game road trip.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Miami), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee) LINE: Bucks -8.5

ABOUT THE HEAT (21-20): Winslow showed flashes of becoming an All-Star level performer in his first three seasons but did not display the consistency until he was forced to assume point guard duties when starter Goran Dragic went down in November. Winslow embraced the role of leading both the offense and the defense and showed off his wide range of talents while recording 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting (4-of-4 from 3-point range), seven rebounds and four assists in Saturday's win. "He puts in a great deal of time on his game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "I have him playing at a new position right now and he's learning it and gobbling up all the information night to night and striking that balance of getting us organized and learning when to be aggressive."



ABOUT THE BUCKS (30-12): Antetokounmpo is the focus of every opposing team's defense, and the hits are starting to pile up. "Health-wise, I'm not 100 percent yet but hopefully moving forward I'm going to get there," Antetokounmpo told reporters after going 14-of-19 from the free-throw line on Sunday. "Coach (Mike Budenholzer) and the team, they don't want me to manage pain so that's why we took the game off. Moving forward, hopefully, I can get the right treatment and heal and go into Miami healthy." Swingman Khris Middleton is ready to pick up some of the slack and recorded 17 points and a season-high 11 rebounds on Sunday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Bucks PG Eric Bledsoe recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 24 points and 10 assists on Sunday.

2. Heat C Hassan Whiteside (illness) sat out Saturday and is day-to-day.

3. Miami took the last six in the series, including two wins at Milwaukee.

PREDICTION: Bucks 122, Heat 106

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NBA Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

The Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors are starting to break away from the pack in a crowded Western Conference, and both are playing well heading into a showdown on Tuesday. The Warriors will try to take back the lead in the conference and earn a fifth consecutive victory when they visit the Nuggets.

Golden State sits a half-game behind Denver and began a stretch with seven of eight on the road by outlasting the Dallas Mavericks 119-114 on Sunday behind 48 points from superstar point guard Stephen Curry. "He had mismatches," fellow star Kevin Durant explained to reporters of Curry's big night. "He was making shots over everybody tonight. Why even run plays when we can just give him the ball?" The Nuggets suffered a surprising 102-93 loss at Phoenix on Saturday but bounced right back the next night to knock off the Portland Trail Blazers 116-113 and improve to 18-3 at home, including wins in 12 straight. "For years it was the altitude," Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters of the team's home success. "What I like to think now is it's not only the altitude, but you have a really talented team and you have great fan support where this building is rocking every night."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (Golden State), Altitude (Denver) LINE: Warriors -1.5

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (29-14): Golden State is averaging 130 points over its last six games as the team begins to gel after a spate of injuries took Curry and fellow All-Star Draymond Green out of the lineup for extended periods. The Warriors are close to getting another All-Star with center DeMarcus Cousins expected to make his team and season debut on Friday and the team is preparing by adjusting the rotation to give Curry and Durant more time together on the floor. The two combined for 76 points on 27-of-53 shooting (13-of-23 from 3-point range) in Sunday's win and average a combined 57.6 points.



ABOUT THE NUGGETS (29-13): Denver doesn't have the plethora of All-Stars that Golden State enjoys but it does have center Nikola Jokic, who might be right up with Curry and Durant as dark horse MVP candidates. Jokic collected 40 points on 15-of-23 shooting (4-of-7 from 3-point range), 10 rebounds and eight assists in Sunday's victory, narrowly missing a third triple-double in four games. "They tried playing him 1-on-1 more than once and he was just having his way," Malone told reporters of Jokic. "They went to a double team, he finds Malik (Beasley) for a 3. That's what you love about Nikola Jokic. He's always going to make the right play. He's never going to force anything."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Nuggets PF Trey Lyles (wrist) sat out the last two games and is day-to-day.

2. Warriors SG Klay Thompson went 2-of-11 from 3-point range on Sunday after knocking down 27-of-50 over the previous six contests.

3. Denver earned a 100-98 home win over Golden State on Oct. 21 as Jokic collected 23 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

PREDICTION: Nuggets 126, Warriors 121

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NBA Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
Bulls vs. Lakers Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

The Los Angeles Lakers are struggling badly without LeBron James and look to perform better without their superstar when they host the struggling Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. The Lakers are just 3-7 since James strained his left groin during a Christmas Day victory over the Golden State Warriors.

James is slated to be re-examined later this week but Los Angeles may have suffered its worst loss without him when it fell to his former team -- the Cleveland Cavaliers -- by a 101-95 score on Sunday. "No disrespect to the Cavs, but they're still an NBA team and for us we can't take anything lightly, especially in this league," Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma told reporters after Cleveland broke its 12-game losing streak. "Because we're all professionals and you can lose on any given night if we don't bring the effort, and that's what happened." The Bulls also arrive in town with a long skid as they have dropped seven straight games and are 0-3 on a five-game road trip. Chicago lost 110-103 to the Utah Jazz on Saturday one night after being annihilated 146-109 by the Warriors.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, WGN (Chicago), Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles) LINE: Lakers -7

ABOUT THE BULLS (10-33): Chicago is just 5-14 since Jim Boylen replaced Fred Hoiberg as coach and the club has dropped five games by 25 or more points during that stretch, including a franchise-worst 56-point whipping by the Boston Celtics on Dec. 8. Shooting guard Zach LaVine was just 7-of-21 shooting in the loss to Utah but tallied 21 points and is averaging 25.2 points over the past five games. Rookie forward Wendell Carter Jr. is averaging just 5.5 points on 5-of-14 shooting over the past two games after beginning the road trip with 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting against the Portland Trail Blazers.



ABOUT THE LAKERS (23-21): Los Angeles shot just 39.6 percent from the field -- including 7-of-34 from 3-point range -- and a paltry 16-of-27 from the free-throw line in a sour effort against Cleveland that left coach Luke Walton pondering lineup changes. "We might have to do something to the starting lineup right now," Walton told reporters. "Every game it feels like we're giving up 30-plus points in that first quarter, so we'll take a closer look at that." Kuzma had 29 points and nine rebounds and forward Brandon Ingram added 22 points but point guard Lonzo Ball (13 points) was the only other player to reach double figures.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Lakers won the past three meetings.

2. Los Angeles SG Josh Hart is averaging 5.7 points on 6-of-21 shooting over the past three games.

3. Chicago F Jabari Parker scored 11 points in 19 minutes against Utah after not seeing action in 12 of the previous 13 games.

PREDICTION: Lakers 106, Bulls 104

[Can'tPickAWinner]

New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NHL Predictions 15th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/15/2019

Although Sergei Bobrovsky yielded five goals in his return from a team suspension, the Columbus Blue Jackets have continued their ascent in the Metropolitan Division with wins in 10 of their last 13 games. The two-time Vezina Trophy recipient will look for a better performance on Tuesday as the Blue Jackets host the New Jersey Devils.

Bobrovsky made 29 saves in Columbus' 2-1 home victory over New Jersey on Dec. 20 before turning aside all 39 shots he faced three nights later in a 3-0 win to improve his career mark against the club to a sterling 15-5-1. Cam Atkinson scored in both of those meetings and boosted his team-leading goal total to 26 with tallies in back-to-back contests to push his point streak to three games. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall, who has scored the Devils' lone goal versus the Blue Jackets, watched his team erupt for a season-high in goals in Monday's 8-5 win over Chicago and improve to 6-4-0 while he's been sidelined with a lower-body injury. Blake Coleman scored twice on Monday to push his goal total to five in six games and added an assist for his seventh point in that stretch, although he was kept off the scoresheet in each of last month's contests against Columbus.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG Plus 2 (New Jersey), FS Ohio (Columbus)

ABOUT THE DEVILS (18-20-7): Kyle Palmieri increased his team-leading goal total to 22 by registering his fifth two-goal performance of the season in a three-minute span of the second period on Monday. The 27-year-old, who also moved past the "idle" Hall for the club lead in points (38), tallied three times in his previous 14 games prior to his outburst versus the Blackhawks. Nico Hischier set up Palmieri's first goal to boost his point total to 11 (five goals, six assists) in his last 12 contests.

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (27-15-3): Captain Nick Foligno posted his second multi-goal performance of the season in Sunday's 7-5 victory over the New York Rangers. The 31-year-old has scored 11 of his 12 goals this season at Nationwide Arena, including a first-period tally in the first meeting with the Devils. Artemi Panarin, who scored and set up a goal in the latter encounter with New Jersey, netted his eighth tally in 11 games and set up another against the Rangers to increase his club-best totals in assists (33) and points (50).

OVERTIME

1. New Jersey C Travis Zajac (goal, two assists) and LW Jesper Bratt (two assists) matched their point totals from their previous six games with Monday's performance.

2. Columbus' 10th-ranked penalty kill has thwarted 35 of the opposition's last 38 power-play opportunities.

3. The Devils' five road wins are the fewest in the NHL.

PREDICTION: Blue Jackets 5, Devils 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

St. Louis Blues vs. New York Islanders Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NHL Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

The St. Louis Blues are perfect halfway through their four-game road trip and hope to remain that way when they visit the New York Islanders on Tuesday. St. Louis began its trek with a triumph in Dallas on Saturday and followed with an impressive 4-1 victory at Washington two nights later to run its overall winning streak to a season-high three games.

Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Vince Dunn each recorded a goal and an assist against the Capitals while David Perron netted his team high-tying 16th tally to extend his point streak to a career-best 11 games - the longest by a Blue since Alex Steen's 13-game stretch in 2013. St. Louis is looking to avenge a 4-3 home loss on Jan. 5 to the Islanders, who are 1-1-0 on their four-game homestand after cruising past league-leading Tampa Bay 5-1 on Sunday. Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas each scored a goal and set up another for New York, which produced more than four tallies for just the second time since a 7-5 win against the New York Rangers on Nov. 15. Clutterbuck's goal was his first since that triumph over the Rangers, ending his 23-game drought, while Cizikas' two-point performance increased his season total to 19 - two more than his total in 64 contests last campaign.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Midwest (St. Louis), MSG Plus (New York)

ABOUT THE BLUES (20-20-4): Jordan Binnington likely will be in the crease against the Islanders one day after being named the NHL's Second Star of the Week. The 25-year-old rookie went 3-0-0 with a 0.67 goals-against average, .974 save percentage and one shutout, which he posted on Jan. 7 at Philadelphia in his first NHL start - joining Rich Parent (Jan. 26, 1999) as the only goaltenders in franchise history to accomplish the feat. Ryan O'Reilly, who is tied with Perron with 16 goals after scoring versus the Islanders earlier this month and leads the team with 44 points, has notched two assists in three of his last five games.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (25-15-4): Devon Toews has recorded three goals in his first 10 NHL games, becoming the franchise's first defenseman to accomplish the feat since Vladimir Malakhov in 1992-93. The 24-year-old Toews, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2014 draft, notched his only career assist in the win at St. Louis on Jan. 5. Josh Bailey's next assist will be the 278th of his career, tying him with Bobby Nystrom for 13th place on the franchise list.

OVERTIME

1. Islanders G Thomas Greiss is two wins away from pulling even with Rollie Melanson (77) for sixth in team history.

2. Perron has collected five goals and nine assists during his point streak.

3. The Islanders are 20-5-3 when being outshot this season.

PREDICTION: Islanders 4, Blues 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NHL Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

The Carolina Hurricanes are in the midst of their hottest stretch of the season while the New York Rangers are careening in the other direction and tumbling down the Metropolitan Division standings. Yet when the Hurricanes visit Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, they will be looking to end a slide of 15 consecutive road losses to the Rangers.

Carolina, which hasn't prevailed at the Garden since Oct. 29, 2010, has won seven of its last eight overall after knocking off visiting Nashville 6-3 on Sunday. "We're finally getting bounces," said Hurricanes forward Micheal Ferland, who collected two assists in the latest victory. "We haven't changed the way we play." New York finally ended a five-game skid with a 2-1 win at the New York Islanders on Saturday before dropping a 7-5 decision at Columbus the following day that left coach David Quinn furious with his team's effort. "We have zero chance if we've got 20 guys in uniform not wanting to compete for pucks and get into people and have a little bit of snarl to your game," Quinn groused to reporters.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Carolina, MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (22-18-5): Sebastian Aho has scored five goals in the past two games after collecting his second career hat trick and adding an assist in Sunday's win over Nashville. Aho boosted his season goal total to 21 and became the fourth player in franchise history to reach at least 20 in each of his first three seasons and the sixth Finnish-born player to accomplish the feat. Also on a torrid stretch is captain Justin Williams, who matched his career high by scoring a goal in his fifth consecutive game while becoming the sixth player in league history with a streak that long at age 37 or older.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (18-20-7): New York has surrendered at least four goals in each loss during its 1-6-0 tailspin and Quinn went with rookie netminder Alex Georgiev in both ends of the weekend back-to-back to give Henrik Lundqvist a "mental breather." Georgiev gave up seven goals in his season debut against Carolina, so it's likely Quinn will turn back to Lundqvist, who allowed 15 goals in losing his last three starts but permitted only three tallies in winning all three starts against the Hurricanes last season. Forward Kevin Hayes has been sidelined for the past six games with an upper-body injury.

OVERTIME

1. Hurricanes G Petr Mrazek is 2-1-0 against the Rangers despite allowing 11 goals in the three starts.

2. The Rangers acquired F Connor Brickley from Nashville in exchange for F Cole Schneider on Monday.

3. Aho had three goals and six points in nine matchups against New York.

PREDICTION: Hurricanes 4, Rangers 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Florida Panthers vs. Montreal Canadiens Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NHL Predictions 15th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/15/2019

The Florida Panthers had high expectations this season but would need a major turnaround to climb back into postseason contention as they attempt to snap a season-high six-game losing streak when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. The Panthers, who sit 12 points out of a playoff position in the Eastern Conference, are 0-4-2 during their slide after suffering a 5-1 loss at Vancouver on Sunday.

"We had some guys, especially some of our big guys, have very average - if not below-average - games, and you can't win hockey games that way," Florida coach Bob Boughner told reporters after the loss to the Canucks. The Panthers have allowed 25 goals during the losing streak and coughed up five in a home setback against Montreal on Dec. 28 in the first of four meetings between the Atlantic Division rivals this season. The Canadiens recorded their third win in four games and eighth in 12 contests on Monday as they surrendered the tying goal late in regulation before winning 3-2 in Boston on defenseman Jeff Petry's goal 15 seconds into overtime. Montreal's Brendan Gallagher recorded his team-leading 18th goal, scoring for the third time in four games, and Paul Byron snapped his six-game point drought by notching a tally and an assist.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Florida, TSN2, RDS (Montreal)

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (17-19-8): Jonathan Huberdeau has recorded just one of his team-leading 47 points in the last four games while Evgenii Dadonov (37 points) has been limited to three over his last 10 contests. Captain Aleksander Barkov has accumulated 11 points in his last 11 games to push the season total to 44 while Mike Hoffman has scored three of his team-best 21 goals over the last six contests. Nick Bjugstad returned to the lineup Sunday after missing 16 games with an upper-body injury and registered three hits in 12 minutes, 46 seconds of ice time.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (25-17-5): Former Hart Trophy winner Carey Price turned aside 41 shots in Monday's win, but that may give backup Antti Niemi (7-4-1) a chance to defeat Florida for the second time this season. Max Domi set up Petry's winning goal against Boston to push his team-leading total to 40 points while Phillip Danault, who owns a team-best plus-14 rating, registered his fourth assist in four games. Tomas Tatar (14 goals, 33 points) has not scored a goal since netting a pair against Florida and has notched only two points in his last seven contests.

OVERTIME

1. The Canadiens, who did not receive a power-play opportunity on Monday, are 1-for-20 with the man advantage over their last eight games.

2. Florida C Frank Vatrano has registered two goals and an assist in his last three games to push his career-high total to 20 points,

3. Montreal D Victor Mete has been kept off the scoresheet in nine straight games but has posted a plus-10 rating this season.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 4, Panthers 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Anaheim Ducks vs. Detroit Red Wings Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NHL Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

With his team mired in a franchise-record 11-game losing streak, Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray felt compelled to address the growing speculation that there will be a change behind the bench. Whether a vote of confidence for coach Randy Carlyle makes any difference remains to be seen for the Ducks, who visit the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.

"At this time, I am not considering a coaching change," Murray said after Anaheim dropped a 4-3 overtime decision at Winnipeg on Sunday night in the opener of a five-game road trip. "I am more focused on our players, specifically with who is going to step up in this situation." Turning things around will not be easy given the current schedule -- the Ducks play nine of their next 10 away from home sandwiching the All-Star break. The Red Wings have been in a spiral of their own, losing three straight and 13 of 15 (2-10-3) before easing to a 5-2 victory at Minnesota on Saturday. "When you do the simple things and play together as a unit and team out there, good things happen," Detroit defenseman Mike Green said.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), FS Detroit

ABOUT THE DUCKS (19-18-9): While Murray is sticking with Carlyle, he started to address his roster by making a trade Monday, sending veteran forward Andrew Cogliano to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Devin Shore. Neither player has produced much this season -- Cogliano scored his third goal Sunday and has 11 points while Shore has five tallies and 17 points -- but Shore is seven years younger than the 31-year-old Cogliano. "We were trying to get younger, obviously, but we're also looking for people with a little bit more creativity because we're not scoring enough goals," Murray said.

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (17-23-7): Forward Todd Bertuzzi had scored only once in 18 games before breaking out in a big way by recording his first career hat trick as part of an eight-point night with linemates Dylan Larkin and Gustav Nyquist. "I love playing with them," Bertuzzi said. "I think we have some good chemistry. We've played a lot of good games that we've been together and we're building off each other and we're still learning." Detroit could be getting some more help along the blue line as Danny DeKeyser, sidelined the past 19 games due to a hand injury, is on track to rejoin the lineup.

OVERTIME

1. Larkin has 22 points in his last 20 games.

2. Ducks F Rickard Rakell, a 34-goal scorer last season, had a goal Sunday in his third game since missing more than a month.

3. Red Wings G Jimmy Howard is 10-6-3 with three shutouts against Anaheim.

PREDICTION: Ducks 4, Red Wings 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Washington Capitals vs. Nashville Predators Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NHL Predictions 15th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/15/2019

Two teams hoping to avoid following a three-game winning streak with a three-game slide face off on Tuesday, when the Nashville Predators host the Washington Capitals. Nashville concluded a 3-1-2 road trip with back-to-back defeats, including a 6-3 setback at Carolina on Sunday.

The loss ended a seven-game point streak (5-0-2) for the Predators, who received a two-goal performance from Filip Forsberg for the second time in three contests. Washington, which also dropped three straight prior to its winning streak, is coming off its second consecutive one-goal effort - a 4-1 home loss to St. Louis on Monday. Captain Alex Ovechkin netted his league-leading 33rd tally, giving him three goals and an assist over his last three games. The 33-year-old Russian pulled even with Dave Andreychuk (640) for 14th place on the all-time goals list and passed Brendan Shanahan (237) for sixth in NHL history in power-play tallies.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, TVA, NBCS Washington, FS Tennessee (Nashville)

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (27-13-5): Ovechkin already has matched his goal total from 2016-17 - the only season in the last six he has not won the Maurice Richard Trophy. Travis Boyd has registered three points (one goal) over his last five contests following a six-game drought. Nicklas Backstrom ranks second on the team with 45 points but has recorded just one - a goal - in his last six games.

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (27-16-4): Forsberg has returned from his upper-body injury with a vengeance, recording four goals in as many games to reclaim the team lead (18). The 24-year-old Swede, who hadn't played since Nov. 29, watched Craig Smith grab a share of the top spot on the club with a four-goal spurt over three contests from Jan. 1-5 before getting back into the lineup. Defenseman Roman Josi is riding a three-game assist streak during which he has set up four goals.

OVERTIME

1. Predators C Ryan Johansen, who leads the team with 40 points, has notched four assists during his three-game streak.

2. Washington was 1-for-3 on the power play Monday after going 2-for-39 over its previous 13 contests.

3. Nashville acquired Cole Schneider from the New York Rangers on Monday for fellow LW Connor Brickley.

PREDICTION: Predators 4, Capitals 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Los Angeles Kings vs. Minnesota Wild Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NHL Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
Kings vs. Wild Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

The Minnesota Wild hope a quick return to the ice will alter their recent fortunes on Tuesday as they open a three-game homestand bidding to complete a season sweep of the Los Angeles Kings. The Wild failed to take advantage of an early two-goal lead and sustained their third loss in four outings with a 7-4 setback at lowly Philadelphia on Monday.

Captain Mikko Koivu, who set up Jason Zucker's first-period goal to push his assist streak to three games, scored in the Wild's 4-1 triumph over Los Angeles on Oct. 25 at Xcel Energy Center before setting up all three of his team's tallies in a 3-1 win over the Kings at Staples Center on Nov. 8. The 35-year-old Finn, who has 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) in his career against Los Angeles, resides one goal shy of 200. Minnesota has collected a point in 11 of its last 12 encounters (7-1-4) against a Los Angeles club that is opening a three-game road trip looking to feed off an inspiring 5-2 win versus Pittsburgh on Saturday. Captain Anze Kopitar tallied twice to boost his team-leading totals in goals (13) and points (31) heading into the confrontation with the Wild, against whom he has recorded 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 44 matches.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

ABOUT THE KINGS (18-25-3): Jonathan Quick moved into a tie with Mike Richter for fourth place among American goaltenders after recording his 301st career win following a 38-save performance versus the Penguins. The 32-year-old will look to snap that tie against the Wild, versus whom he owns a 13-7-4 mark in 24 career starts. Jeff Carter, who will play in his 950th career contest Tuesday, notched his second three-point performance of the season on Saturday to eclipse the two points he mustered in his previous seven games.

ABOUT THE WILD (22-20-3): Devan Dubnyk was pulled for the fourth time since Nov. 21 on Monday after yielding five goals of 20 shots -- ironically on the four-year anniversary of Minnesota acquiring him in a trade. The 32-year-old Dubnyk has fared significantly better against the Kings, posting a 2-0-0 mark with a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage versus the club this season to improve his totals to 9-5-2, 2.33 and .926 in 17 career encounters. Zach Parise had an assist on Monday to push his point total to 12 (four goals, eight assists) in his last 10 games heading into the tilt with Los Angeles, against which he has 19 career points (seven goals, 12 assists) -- including three this season.

OVERTIME

1. Los Angeles C Alex Iafallo, who has a career-high 10 goals this season, has failed to dent the scoresheet in each of his three career meetings with Minnesota.

2. Wild D Ryan Suter has 24 points (one goal, 23 assists) in 45 career encounters against the Kings.

3. Los Angeles RW Dustin Brown has 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in 46 games versus Minnesota.

PREDICTION: Kings 3, Wild 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Winnipeg Jets Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NHL Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

The Winnipeg Jets finished with the league's second-highest point total last season but their Stanley Cup aspirations ended when they were wiped out by the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference finals. The teams will square off for the first time since that five-game series when the surging Golden Knights visit the Jets on Tuesday night.

"Last year they took it from us," Winnipeg forward Mathieu Perreault said. "But we have a chance to redeem ourselves a little bit and match up against one of the better teams in the league." The Jets, who were limited to only six goals in losing the final four games in May, will try to complete a perfect three-game homestand and remain atop the Central Division. The Golden Knights erased a pair of two-goal deficits in a 4-3 overtime victory at the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night to improve to 8-1-0 in their last nine games. "It's just the kind of thing you need when you're trying to prove you're a good team," Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt said.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, AT&T Sportsnet-Rocky Mountain (Vegas), TSN3 (Winnipeg)

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (28-16-4): Alex Tuch scored once and set up another in Saturday's win to boost his team leading totals in goals (15), assists (22) and points (37), matching his totals from last season in all three categories. Tuch also extended his point streak to nine games, amassing three goals and eight assists, while playing on a line with Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny, who has four goals and nine points in nine games since the Christmas break. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who flustered Winnipeg in the playoffs last season, has only one regulation defeat in his last 14 starts (10-1-3).

ABOUT THE JETS (29-14-2): Since being held off the scoresheet in six straight games, Bryan Little has scored four times during his current five-game point streak, including back-to-back game-winning goals that gave him 30 for his career. Winnipeg has been short-handed on the blue line with Dustin Byfuglien sidelined since Dec. 29, but fellow defenseman Tyler Myers could be ready to play Tuesday after sitting out the past two games. "I'm going to make the call tomorrow morning with the staff. I'll give it one more skate before I give a definitive answer, but I feel pretty good right now," Myers said Monday.

OVERTIME

1. Vegas F William Karlsson, held without a point in the last seven games, had three goals in three meetings versus the Jets last season.

2. Jets G Connor Hellebuyck allowed 12 goals in three regular-season matchups versus Vegas last season.

3. Pacioretty had six goals and 15 points in 23 games against Winnipeg during his tenure with Montreal.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 4, Jets 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Dallas Stars Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NHL Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

The Dallas Stars are enduring another mini-slump during their see-saw season and it won't be easy to break out of it yet as they prepare to host the NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night. The Stars have lost three of four, managing one goal each in losses to Philadelphia (Thursday) and St. Louis (Saturday) - two of the league's worst teams - but still hold down a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"Two games in a row where we don't compete at a level that's acceptable," Dallas coach Jim Montgomery told reporters. "It's everybody. Unfortunately, I'm very frustrated that I have not been able to gain consistency in our performance, and I haven't been able to change the culture of mediocrity." The Stars shuffled the deck Monday by acquiring speedy veteran Andrew Cogliano from Anaheim for fellow forward Devin Shore and will need his pace against the Lightning, who are 18-2-1 in their last 21 games. However, Tampa Bay is coming off its second regulation loss since Nov. 27 when it gave up three goals in the first 4:43 en route to a 5-1 setback against the New York Islanders on Sunday. "Maybe we needed to feel what it's like to get kicked in the teeth and not come back," Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh told reporters. "Hopefully it's a lesson learned here, and we can realize the way we played the last half of the game for sure was a little bit hungrier, a bit more assertive, units of five and that's what you need to do right from the start."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (35-9-2): McDonagh scored the only goal Sunday - his second in six games this month and fifth overall - and leads the team with a plus-20 rating while fellow defenseman Victor Hedman (upper body) left the game after colliding with a referee. Right wing Nikita Kucherov tops the league with 75 points, despite being shut out on two shots Sunday, and captain Steven Stamkos had an assist against the Islanders - his fifth point in three games. Center Anthony Cirelli (nine goals, 17 points, plus-10) had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut at Dallas last March.

ABOUT THE STARS (23-19-4): Dallas GM Jim Nill said in a statement about Cogliano: "In acquiring Andrew, we are able to add an conscientious player who brings a veteran presence to our room. His explosive speed, 200-foot game and iron-man mentality will help our team both on and off the ice." Center Tyler Seguin leads the team with 43 points, including six goals to go along with five assists in his last eight games. Captain Jamie Benn tops the team with 18 goals - three in his last six games - and defenseman John Klingberg is heating up with five points in four contests.

OVERTIME

1. Tampa Bay C Brayden Point has a team-high 29 goals, three away from his career high set last season.

2. Former Tampa Bay F Erik Condra scored his first goal with Dallas on Saturday and is one point shy of 100 for his career.

3. The Lightning have won the last three meetings, including a 5-4 overtime triumph in Dallas last season.

PREDICTION: Lightning 4, Stars 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. San Jose Sharks Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NHL Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

The San Jose Sharks have stamped themselves as a serious contender in the Pacific Division due in large part to their success at SAP Center. The Sharks have won five straight at home and a season-best six in a row overall heading into Tuesday's contest against two-time Hart Trophy recipient Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

All-Star defenseman Brent Burns had a goal and an assist to record his 15th multi-point performance of the season during Saturday's 4-1 win over Ottawa as San Jose improved to 8-1-0 in its last nine games overall and 16-4-4 at home. The 33-year-old has scored five goals and set up 12 others in his last 10 contests overall to boost his team-leading totals in assists (43) and points (52). Burns collected a goal and two assists as the Sharks split last season's series versus Pittsburgh, with Evgeni Malkin notching a hat trick in the Penguins' 5-2 win on Jan. 30. The 2012 Hart Trophy recipient extended both his assist and point streaks to six games (two goals, eight assists) by setting up Jake Guentzel's power-play goal on Saturday as Pittsburgh saw its season-high six-game road winning streak halted with a 5-2 setback at Los Angeles.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN-Plus, Sportsnet1, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, NBCS California (San Jose)

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (25-14-6): Guentzel (team-leading 23 goals) has enjoyed his tour of California thus far, as the NHL Third Star of the Week answered his second hat trick of 2018-19 in Friday's 7-4 win over ice-cold Anaheim with two more tallies the following night. The power surge extended the 24-year-old Guentzel's point streak to six contests, during which he has seven goals and three assists. Crosby set up Guentzel's short-handed goal early in the first period on Saturday, giving the former 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in his last 15 games.

ABOUT THE SHARKS (27-13-7): Tomas Hertl set up captain Joe Pavelski's team-leading 26th goal on Saturday to push his point streak to four games (two goals, three assists) and give him at least a point in eight of his last 10 contests (six goals, five assists). Joonas Donskoi, who was white-hot with eight goals in his last eight games, participated in Monday's optional skate and said he hopes to play versus the Penguins after he was dazed following a hit from Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki. "I feel pretty good. Nothing too serious," the 26-year-old Finn told the San Jose Mercury News. "There's a good chance I'm in tomorrow."

OVERTIME

1. Pittsburgh G Matt Murray has won his last nine starts overall and is 8-0-1 with two shutouts on the road this season.

2. San Jose G Martin Jones turned aside 27 shots versus the Senators to win his seventh consecutive start, which is one shy of the career high he set to begin his NHL career from Dec. 3-21, 2013, while playing with the Kings.

3. The Penguins are 7-2-1 versus Pacific Division representatives this season.

PREDICTION: Sharks 4, Penguins 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Seton Hall Pirates vs. Providence Friars Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

Seton Hall has played one of the nation's most rugged schedules and will try to avoid a third loss in four games when it visits Providence on Tuesday night in a Big East matchup. Coming off a 70-66 loss at No. 13 Marquette on Saturday, the matchup against the Friars marks the fourth time in the last five games that the Pirates will be playing away from home.

Saturday's loss was the fifth time in six games that the outcome was decided by four points or fewer for Seton Hall, which has dropped two of three following a seven-game winning streak. "I'm proud of the way we played," Pirates coach Kevin Willard said after the Marquette game. "You're going to lose some games in the league, especially playing on the road." Providence remained winless in Big East play, absorbing a crushing 96-90 defeat in double overtime at Georgetown as the Hoyas hit a pair of long 3-pointers at the end of regulation and the first extra session. "It's our third game where we are right there at the end," Friars coach Ed Cooley said. "Hopefully we can get over the top soon."

TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, FS1

ABOUT SETON HALL (12-5, 3-2 Big East): Guard Myles Powell, the team leader in scoring at 22.6 points per game, nearly matched his average with 21 and a career high-tying nine rebounds Saturday -- his 10th 20-point output of the season. However, Powell is struggling from long range over the past three games, connecting on 7 of 25 from behind the arc to drop his 3-point shooting percentage to 36.2 after shooting 38.4 last season. Guard Quincy McKnight has scored in double figures in three of five conference games and also had a career-high seven assists Saturday.

ABOUT PROVIDENCE (10-6, 0-3): Junior Alpha Diallo, who leads the conference in rebounding at 8.8 overall and 10.0 in league play, registered his sixth double-double with 24 points and a career-high 13 boards against Georgetown. With second-leading scorer A.J. Reeves (14.2 ppg) sidelined for the sixth consecutive game due to a foot injury, center Nate Watson knocked down 9 of 11 shots to score a career-best 21 points -- one more than he had in the previous four games combined. Drew Hall also had a season high with 19 points after scoring six in the first 11 games.

TIP-INS

1. Seton Hall swept the season series in 2017-18, winning by 16 and 12 points.

2. Providence averages a Big East-best 12.3 offensive rebounds but is last in free-throw shooting (66.7).

3. Powell is shooting a career-best 86.2 percent at the foul line.

PREDICTION: Seton Hall 67, Providence 65

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Buffalo Bulls vs. Western Michigan Broncos Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

Dontay Caruthers has long been a tone-setter on the defensive end for No. 17 Buffalo, which hits the road Tuesday for a Mid-American Conference game at Western Michigan. The services of Caruthers, a former two-time MAC Defensive Player of the Year, were needed Saturday to help the Bulls put away a pesky Miami (Ohio) squad en route to their 19th straight home victory.

"Me and Davonta (Jordan) had one bad night against Marquette and it's still in the back of our head," Carruthers told the media. "I'm just trying to be that guy the team needs to get stops. It's my last year. I don't want any home losses." Caruthers started the second half with his team up by four points and immediately went to work getting defensive rebounds and steals. The senior from Rochester, N.Y., finished with six rebounds, six assists and three steals to go along with 11 points and has 100 steals in his three seasons with the Bulls. Sophomore Michael Flowers scored 21 points, his third game in the last four with 20 or more points, but it wasn't enough to lead the Broncos past Toledo, a team Buffalo beat by 30 points last week.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, No TV

ABOUT BUFFALO (15-1, 3-0 MAC): Jeremy Harris will look to continue his onslaught on the MAC, which has seen him average 20 points in three league contests this season. The senior guard did the same thing last season when averaging 17.8 points in 21 MAC games - six better than he did in non-conference play - including going for double figures in the last 20 contests. Harris had 36 points and drained eight 3-pointers in two games against the Broncos last season as the Bulls prevailed by 10 and six points, respectively.

ABOUT WESTERN MICHIGAN (6-10, 0-3): The Broncos have dropped six of their last seven games and most of it can be attributed to bad shooting. Steve Hawkins' team is near the bottom of the MAC in scoring (72.5 per game) and shooting (43.2 percent) and has been particularly bad since the start of league play (38.1 percent). The troubles have even hit Flowers, who has made 33.3 percent, including 6-of-24 from deep, in the last three games.

TIP-INS

1. The Bulls have won three straight and four of the last five meetings to even the series with the Broncos at 15 wins apiece.

2. Buffalo's 19-game home winning streak is the fourth-longest in the nation, trailing only Houston (31), Nebraska (20) and Utah Valley (20).

3. By averaging 85.4 points this season, Buffalo is one pace to break last season's single-season school record of 84.6 points per game.

PREDICTION: Buffalo 89, Western Michigan 73

[Can'tPickAWinner]

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Texas Christian Horned Frogs Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

TCU answered a nine-game winning streak by dropping back-to-back decisions against a pair of ranked adversaries to fall out of the Top 25 poll. The Horned Frogs bid to nip their woes in the bud on Tuesday when they host reeling West Virginia, which has limped to an 0-4 start in conference play for the first time since the 1995-96 season -- its inaugural Big East campaign.

Defending the interior continues to plague TCU, which allowed Dedric Lawson to record 31 points and 14 rebounds in Wednesday's 77-68 loss to Kansas before Kristian Doolittle hit a runner with less than three seconds remaining in Saturday's 76-74 setback to Oklahoma. "Our defense was really good for us early in the year but it's let us down the last two games," said TCU coach Jamie Dixon, who saw his team outrebounded 22-12 in the second half against the Sooners. West Virginia junior guard James "Beetle" Bolden scored 29 of his career-high 31 points in Saturday's 85-77 setback to Oklahoma State while freshman forward Derek Culver recorded his second straight double-double and third in six games with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Bolden and Culver's offensive explosions came after coach Bob Huggins elected to sit regular starters Wesley Harris (8.2 points per game) and Esa Ahmad (13.1 ppg) while Sagaba Konate (team-best 13.6 ppg) has missed seven straight games with a knee injury.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (8-8, 0-4 Big 12): Junior transfer Jermaine Haley hasn't caught the eye of Huggins, and apparently that's a good thing after the point guard logged a team-high 36 minutes versus the Cowboys. "I think the biggest compliment that you can give (Haley) is that you don't notice him. You notice some of those guys, and not for a positive deal. You don't notice him," Huggins told the Charleston Gazette-Mail of the 6-foot-7 Vancouver native, who had 10 points and seven rebounds against Oklahoma State. Huggins may elect to keep Haley on his radar should Bolden once again be limited due to foul trouble.

ABOUT TCU (12-3, 1-2): Sophomore forward Kouat Noi gave credence to the notion that he has put his knee injuries behind him by shooting 8-of-12 from 3-point range and finishing with a career-high 30 points vs. Oklahoma on Saturday. Jaylen Fisher is not as fortunate, however, as Dixon told reporters on Monday that the junior guard's right knee still needs to be drained and the program is considering looking at a medical redshirt for him if his condition doesn't improve. Fisher, who has missed the team's last three games, was limited to 17 contests last season before sustaining a torn meniscus in his right knee last January.

TIP-INS

1. West Virginia F Lamont West is 7-for-17 from 3-point range in the last two contests.

2. Horned Frogs senior G Alex Robinson collected 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in an 82-73 win over the Mountaineers on Jan. 22.

3. Bolden score 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting in just 17 minutes of action during West Virginia's 82-66 victory versus TCU.

PREDICTION: TCU 68, West Virginia 58

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Purdue Boilermakers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

Purdue looks to notch back-to-back wins in Big Ten play for the first time this season when it hosts Rutgers on Tuesday. The Boilermakers edged Wisconsin 84-80 in overtime on Friday to end a four-game road losing streak and hope to stay in the race for the Big Ten regular-season title by beating the Scarlet Knights for the 10th consecutive time.

"It's a win that we really wanted, but we want to win every game really bad," Purdue star Carsen Edwards told reporters. "Going into every game I feel like I have to raise my level because it's high-level basketball we're playing." Rutgers failed to build on its 64-61 upset win over No. 21 Ohio State as it dropped an 88-70 decision to Minnesota on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights have lost 19 of their 20 Big Ten road games under third-year coach Steve Pikiell, including a pair of defeats this season, and hope to get back on track by recording their first win over the Boilermakers since 1975. "We've got to play better on the road," Pikiell admitted to reporters. "We'll keep plugging through as it's a tough league, but we've shown we're capable of beating anybody."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

ABOUT RUTGERS (8-7, 1-4): Myles Johnson scored a career-high 13 points and grabbed a team-best eight rebounds in the loss to Minnesota to finish in double figures for the first time in conference play. Geo Baker, who knocked down the go-ahead jumper in the final 10 seconds against Ohio State, also finished with 13 points, and Ron Harper Jr. added nine. Caleb McConnell tallied nine points in 11 minutes before suffering an apparent groin pull and is likely to miss Tuesday's clash, while Eugene Omoruyi, who leads the team in scoring (14.6) and rebounding (7.5), sat out the loss to Minnesota with a left kneecap injury and could miss another four weeks.

ABOUT PURDUE (10-6, 3-2): Edwards drilled six 3-pointers en route to a game-high 36 points and pulled down four rebounds in the win against Wisconsin to move into 24th place on the program's all-time scoring list with 1,450 career points. Ryan Cline added 14 points against the Badgers and vaulted into 10th place on Purdue's all-time 3-pointers list with 177 while Nojel Eastern produced 10 points and nine rebounds. Trevion Williams flirted with a double-double in his first career start as the freshman forward produced nine points, 11 rebounds and three steals while Evan Boudreaux is likely to miss his second straight game with an adductor strain.

TIP-INS

1. Edwards is ranked fifth nationally in points per game (25.3).

2. Rutgers has dropped 11 of 12 all-time meetings with the Boilermakers.

3. Purdue has committed 10 or fewer turnovers in seven straight games.

PREDICTION: Purdue 85, Rutgers 71

[Can'tPickAWinner]

South Florida Bulls vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

Cincinnati wasn't particularly pleased with its effort the last two games despite pulling out overtime wins and looks to put forth a better performance when vastly improved South Florida pays a visit for an American Athletic Conference matchup Tuesday. The Bearcats allowed 14 makes from 3-point range in a 70-65 win at Tulsa on Thursday and were outrebounded at home in the 74-72 triumph against Connecticut two days later.

"We don't want to compete," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin told reporters. "We want to flash our (Cincinnati) badge and think teams are going to run the other way. Nobody's running anywhere." Cronin said the toughest thing about his team Saturday was the home crowd that pulled it through, but the Bearcats have still won three of four to start the conference season as they prepare to take on a USF team that already boasts two more wins than it accumulated all of last season. The Bulls came close to matching Cincinnati in the standings, rallying from a 14-point halftime deficit to tie before falling 82-80 in overtime at Temple on Saturday despite a triple-double from junior guard Laquincy Rideau. "I thought we did some good things, but not enough good on the road to beat a quality team," USF coach Brian Gregory told reporters. "We have to do some things better in order to win some games on the road, but it was a great game with tough kids out there playing every possession."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNews

ABOUT USF (12-4, 2-2 AAC): Rideau, a transfer from Gardner-Webb, finished with 18 points, 10 assists and 10 steals against Temple for USF's first triple-double since 2006, when McHugh Mattis turned the trick. Sophomore guard David Collins leads the team in scoring (14.6), but is shooting just 38.6 percent from the field overall, and Rideau is second at 13.9 points per game to go along with a league-best 5.8 assists. Sophomore forward Alexis Yetna averages a double-double (12.8 points, 10.8 rebounds) and is scoring 16 while grabbing 11.3 rebounds per contest over his last six outings.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (14-3, 3-1): Junior guard Jarron Cumberland is sixth in the AAC in scoring (16.9) after averaging 19 in league play, and third in 3-point shooting percentage (44.0) despite making just 5-of-18 the last three games. Sophomore guard Keith Williams is the only other player averaging in double figures for scoring (11.2) and shoots 50.3 percent from the field. Junior forward Tre Scott must rebound from a tough game against UConn (1-of-7 shooting, one rebound) and junior center Nysier Brooks hopes to build off a 17-point effort (6-of-8 shooting) against the Huskies.

TIP-INS

1. USF sophomore G Justin Brown is averaging just 4.5 points in league play after coming in at 9.3 per game.

2. Cincinnati senior G Justin Jenifer is averaging 10 points in the first four AAC games, 2.1 above his season mark.

3. The Bearcats have won the last nine meetings, including a 78-55 triumph at USF last season.

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 70, USF 62

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Florida Gators vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

It's getting to be desperate times for Mississippi State and visiting Florida as both teams entered SEC play with high hopes yet they have combined for just one victory in five league games going into Tuesday's matchup. The Gators are in danger of going 1-3 in conference action for the first time since the 1996-97 season while Mississippi State is looking for its first SEC win after plummeting from No. 14 in the rankings to 23rd following an 81-77 loss to rival Ole Miss on Saturday.

"I've always been a coach that believes defense wins first," Bulldogs coach Ben Howland told reporters after the Ole Miss setback. "We really did a poor job of defending here in the last few games and even our efficiency defensively on the year is not even close to what we're doing offensively. Defensively, we've got to get better. ... This is two games in a row now where we've had the power forward on the opposing team have career nights against our defense." Freshman forward Blake Hinson was the latest to do so with a breakout 26-point performance for Ole Miss, but the missing ingredient for the Bulldogs may actually have been their desire. Now the urgency figures to be there for slumping Mississippi State after two consecutive losses toppled them from their highest spot in the rankings since Dec. 26, 2011, when they also sat at No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The defensive-minded Gators don't pose nearly the same kind of offensive threat as Florida's leading scorers - guards KeVaughn Allen and Noah Locke - are putting up just 11.3 and 10.4 points per game, respectively, although they have picked it up in SEC play with Allen averaging 15.3 and Locke 14.3 in three games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network

ABOUT FLORIDA (9-6, 1-2 SEC): While Allen and Locke are taking on a greater share of the offensive burden with 34 points combined in Saturday's 78-67 loss to No. 3 Tennessee, the Gators still struggle to score - managing just 64.3 points in SEC action - and their best field goal percentage in the three conference games was 37.7 percent against South Carolina. The Gators boast the nation's 11th-best scoring defense (61.2, No. 1 in SEC), but they gave up the lead late once again versus Tennessee, which shot 57.7 percent from the field in the second half. "We need more focus down the stretch," Locke told reporters. "It's been a problem three games now, with being locked in and focused down the stretch, and we can't let those things happen."

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (12-3, 0-2): Guard Quinndary Weatherspoon (17.1 points per game) continues to be the go-to guy and he scored a team-high 18 points against Ole Miss - his seventh straight game in double figures and his 14th this season. Fellow guard Lamar Peters chipped in with 16 points and the Bulldogs shot 46.9 percent from the field, but the Rebels shot nearly the same (7-of-15, 46.7 percent) from beyond the arc in the second half. Aric Holman ranks fourth in the SEC in rebounds (8.4), but the 6-10 senior comes off his worst outing of the season with just four boards and was also held to eight points after racking up at least 20 in the two prior contests.

TIP-INS

1. Florida has won the last eight meetings in this SEC rivalry, which the Gators lead 65-49.

2. The Bulldogs have won 14 straight games when holding opponents to 60 points or fewer.

3. The Gators have held three opponents (West Virginia, Butler and Arkansas) more than 30 points below their season scoring average entering the game.

PREDICTION: Mississippi State 68, Florida 64

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Georgia Bulldogs Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

No. 14 Kentucky has rebounded with back-to-back victories following a loss in its SEC opener, but visit Georgia on Tuesday seeking the type of performance at the beginning of games it has displayed in the second half. In both of the Wildcats' conference victories - home triumphs against Texas A&M and Vanderbilt - Kentucky found itself trailing by double digits in the first half before finding its stride after halftime.

"We've got to figure out how we start games," Kentucky coach John Calipari told reporters after Saturday's 56-47 win over the Commodores, a game in which his team trailed 16-4 in the first half. "This is getting ridiculous." Georgia entered the weekend after an impressive victory over Vanderbilt, but for the second Saturday in a row lost on the road to a ranked team. The Bulldogs, who were routed by 46 points in their SEC opener Jan. 5 at No. 3 Tennessee, suffered a 93-78 defeat at No. 12 Auburn last Saturday. "When we were sitting there at 10, 11 (points down), I always felt like we were right there, and our guys did, too," Georgia coach Tom Crean told the media afterward. "A game like this comes down to the hustle points."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT KENTUCKY (12-3, 2-1 SEC): Ashton Hagans and Keldon Johnson scored 15 points apiece to help lift the Wildcats on Saturday, and the Wildcats shot 50 percent from the field to improve to 7-0 when making at least half their shots. Hagans is averaging 10.4 points per game since moving into the starting lineup, and the freshman ranks second in the SEC in steals per game (2.1) while recording three or more in five consecutive games. Johnson ranks eighth in the conference in scoring (15.5) and 13th in field-goal percentage (52 percent).

ABOUT GEORGIA (9-6, 1-2): Nicolas Claxton finished with 15 points in the loss to Auburn, and shares the SEC lead in rebounding (9.5) while topping the league in blocked shots (3.3). William Jackson hit four 3-pointers en route to a season-best 16 points against the Tigers, while Rayshaun Hammonds - Georgia's leading scorer at 13.9 per contest - finished with nine points, 10 rebounds and four assists. The Bulldogs rank third in the league and 25th in the country in shooting percentage defense (39.5 percent).

TIP-INS

1. The Wildcats lead the SEC and rank seventh nationally in rebounding margin per game (9.9).

2. The Bulldogs are 9-1 when leading at halftime, and 0-5 when tied or trailing at intermission.

3. Kentucky has beaten Georgia 11 times in a row and lead the all-time series 126-26, including a 62-49 victory over the Bulldogs in last season's SEC quarterfinals.

PREDICTION: Kentucky 77, Georgia 67

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Tennessee Volunteers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 15th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/15/2019

Third-ranked Tennessee aims for its first 11-game winning streak in 11 seasons when it hosts Arkansas for an SEC matchup on Tuesday. The Volunteers have won 17 straight home games - their longest streak under coach Rick Barnes.


Nine of the Vols' 10 straight wins have come by double digits, including three impressive victories to open conference play. Tennessee began the SEC portion of its schedule with a 46-point rout of Georgia and recorded double-digit road wins at Missouri and Florida last week. After stealing a victory at Texas A&M to open conference play, the Razorbacks suffered two rare home losses last week, falling to Florida and LSU. Arkansas will need more road success this week to avoid digging a deep hole in the conference standings, as it follows its game at Tennessee with a trip to No. 20 Ole Miss.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2


ABOUT ARKANSAS (10-5, 1-2 SEC): The Razorbacks are one of the most inexperienced teams in the nation with no seniors and only three juniors. They're led by preseason SEC Player of the Year Daniel Gafford (17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds) and fellow sophomore Mason Jones (14.8, 4.9). Jones and freshman guard Isaiah Joe (14.1 points) both love to let it fly from 3-point range, and the latter shoots a healthy 43.2 percent from beyond the arc.

ABOUT TENNESSEE (14-1, 3-0): The Vols create matchup problems for most teams with four starters who are 6-6 or taller, including dominant forward Grant Williams (18.9 points, 7.9 rebounds). Swingman Admiral Schofield (17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds) has improved his outside shooting range, hitting 44.6 percent from 3-point range this season, and the 6-11 Kyle Alexander (10.1, 7.9) is solid in the post. Reserve Jordan Bowden (10.1 points) also averages double digits in points and Lamonte Turner (9.5) is working his way back from injury, adding to the list of scorers to which point guard Jordan Bone (13.8 points, 6.2 assists) can dish the ball.


TIP-INS

1. The all-time series is tied at 20 wins apiece after the Vols snapped the Razorbacks' six-game winning streak with an 84-66 victory in last year's SEC tournament.

2. Arkansas' five losses have come by an average of 3.8 points, with one of their six-point defeats occurring in overtime.

3. Tennessee has shot 50 percent or better 12 times this season, including nine of its last 10 games.


PREDICTION: Tennessee 77, Arkansas 68

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Virginia Cavaliers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

Virginia hasn't broken much of a sweat while beginning ACC play with three straight wins for the second straight season, using its trademark recipe of precision offense and suffocating defense. The top-ranked Cavaliers figure to get tested in a big way this week, however, as they begin a challenging two-game stretch Tuesday when they host No. 7 Virginia Tech in the 148th edition of the Commonwealth Clash.

The Division I leader in fewest turnovers per game (8.9) and scoring defense (51.2 points), Virginia is coming off decisive road victories over Boston College (83-56) and Clemson (63-43) and have yet to play a game closer than 13 points during league action. The Cavaliers return home in hopes of avenging their only regular-season conference loss from a season ago - a 61-60 overtime defeat to the Hokies on Feb. 10 - before traveling to No. 2 Duke this weekend. Virginia Tech matched its best start to a season since 1982-83 with Wednesday's 52-49 road victory over Georgia Tech, as the nation's second-best 3-point shooting team entering the contest survived an 18.5-percent effort beyond the arc to earn its ninth straight win. "As demented as it sounds, I think what transpired tonight was very good for us. We were in a similar position 43 days ago (in a 63-62 loss) at Penn State and didn't handle it as well. I thought our guys hung in there even though it wasn't as pretty as we want it to be offensively," coach Buzz Williams told reporters.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Raycom Sports

ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH (14-1, 3-0 ACC): The Hokies are one of only six Division I teams with four players averaging 12 points, including leading scorer Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.2 steals), who was named to the midseason Top 25 watch list for the Wooden Award prior to Wednesday's game. Kerry Blackshear Jr. (14.1 points, 6.2 boards) posted his second double-double of the season and is averaging 18.3 points and eight rebounds during conference play. Justin Robinson (13.1 points) ranks second in the ACC in assists (5.8) and needs only 18 more to tie Bimbo Coles (547) for the most in school history, while Ahmed Hill (12.7 points) is one of five Hokies shooting at least 42 percent from 3-point range.

ABOUT VIRGINIA (15-0, 3-0): Kyle Guy (team-high 15.3 points) struggled offensively against Clemson (5-for-15 from the field, including 3-for-9 beyond the arc) but it didn't keep his coach from paying his 46-percent 3-point shooter a nice compliment. "Dell Curry was one of the best I saw when I played with him (in the NBA). Sometimes he wasn't even square, but he could just get that shoulder or that wrist pointed at the rim. Didn't really matter what else was there. ... I think Kyle has that ability," coach Tony Bennett told the Daily Press. Jay Huff - a 7-1 sophomore who averages 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds - made his impact felt for the second time in four games Saturday, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds and a block in only 10 minutes of action.

TIP-INS

1. Tuesday will mark the first time that both teams enter the Commonwealth Clash ranked inside the top 10.

2. Virginia has held seven opponents below 50 points, while Virginia Tech has done so five times.

3. The Hokies' win in Charlottesville last season is the Cavaliers' only home loss in the last 26 games.

PREDICTION: Virginia 65, Virginia Tech 63

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NC State Wolfpack vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

North Carolina State second-year coach Kevin Keatts has put together a competitive team much faster than anybody expected, piecing together a team last season that made it to the NCAA Tournament before taking a squad that returned just three players this season and getting them ranked for the first time in six years. His 16th-ranked Wolfpack hope to continue surging when they visit a struggling Wake Forest team on Tuesday.

N.C. State rebounded from a 90-82 loss to No. 15 North Carolina by knocking off the Panthers 86-80 on Saturday despite point guard Markell Johnson playing just nine minutes before departing with a leg injury and Wyatt Walker getting ejected two minutes into the contest for a flagrant foul. The Wolfpack, however, found a way to survive behind 54 combined points off the bench from Devon Daniels, DJ Funderburk and Eric Lockett. "What a game for us," Keatts told the Raleigh Observer. "We found a way to win a game when things weren't going our way. I think we're building something really special here where our guys are learning how to fight and really compete every day." Wake Forest, with a roster dominated by underclassmen, was expected to struggle in conference games this season, and the Demon Deacons dropped their third straight by double digits 76-65 at Miami on Saturday.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Raycom Sports

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE (14-2, 2-1 ACC): Daniels (10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds) shot 9-of-14 from the floor and added four rebounds in 23 minutes, Funderburk (9.5, 4.5), made 8-of-10 free throws and added nine rebounds to go along with four blocks in 34 minutes while Lockett (5.9 points) converted 6-of-9 shots, including 3-of-4 beyond the arc, with seven rebounds in 22 minutes. Lockett, who is a 6-5 graduate transfer from Florida International, scored a career-high 30 points nearly a year ago against Charlotte. "He didn't play (much) the last two games, in the conference, and to come in and save us, really, with 17 points and two back-to-backs 3s late in the game, that's beautiful for me," Funderburk said. "Me personally, I'd have had my head down coming into this game. He showed something different."

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (7-8, 0-3): Sophomore Chaundee Brown notched a career-high 22 points against the Hurricanes, Michael Wynn and Brandon Childress each added 11 points - a career high for the freshman Wynn - and freshman Jaylen Hoard led the Deacons with 11 boards. Junior Childress leads the team in scoring (16.5 points), 3-pointers per game (2.6) and assists (4.3), but fifth-year coach Danny Manning is hoping to build around the 6-8 freshman Hoard (14.7 points and 8.0 rebounds in 29.7 minutes), a consensus Top 25 recruit and the Deacons' highest-rated in 10 years. Brown is third on the team in scoring at 11.9 points followed by two more freshmen, Isaiah Mucius (7.5 points) and Sharon Wright, Jr. (7.3).

TIP-INS

1. N.C. State swept the series last season and leads all-time 98-72 but lost at Wake Forest the last time the teams played when the Wolfpack were ranked (2012-13 season).

2. Wolfpack senior G Torin Dorn leads the team in scoring (14.2 points) and rebounds (6.9), while Johnson adds 11.6 points on 56.8 percent shooting and 4.1 assists.

3. Hoard is one of eight freshmen in the country averaging 14 points and eight rebounds and joins Duke's Zion Williamson as the only two in the ACC.

PREDICTION: North Carolina State 85, Wake Forest 70

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Georgetown Hoyas Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

Georgetown and its league-worst scoring defense will welcome one of the hottest scorers in the nation Tuesday when hosting No. 13 Marquette in a Big East game. The Hoyas, long known for their stingy defense, have been anything but heading into a matchup with Markus Howard and the Golden Eagles.

Howard, the leading scorer in the Big East and the No. 4 in the nation at 25.8 points per game, has been on fire since logging eight points in a New Year's Day loss to St. John's. The junior from Arizona has averaged 35 points while making 19-of-38 from beyond the arc as Marquette has won three straight games, including Saturday's 70-66 victory over Seton Hall. Howard has mostly been held in check in four career games against Georgetown, averaging 13.8 points with a high of 23 points as freshman, but the 5-11 guard has been a different player this season. The Hoyas will counter with their stable of freshmen, including Mac McClung and James Akinjo, each of whom hit a big 3-pointer Saturday as Georgetown outlasted Providence at home.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT MARQUETTE (14-3, 3-1 Big East): Theo John emerged from the shadows to produce one of his better all-around games for the Golden Eagles against Seton Hall. The sophomore from Minneapolis, who leads the Big East with two blocks per game, recorded his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds while also blocking three shots, giving him seven in the last two games. Sam Hauser had 13 points against Seton Hall to join Howard in the 1,000-point club and the junior moved into ninth place in school history in career 3-pointers (198).

ABOUT GEORGETOWN (12-5, 2-2): Just went it looked like the Hoyas' losing streak to Providence would reach nine, in stepped McClung and Akinjo. McClung forced overtime with a 3-pointer as time expired in regulation and Akinjo followed to force double overtime, which the Hoyas won thanks to some clutch foul shooting by senior Jessie Govan. "Even when we were down three in both overtimes, guys were able to step up and make shots," Govan, who made five free throws in double overtime, told the media. "I think that shows a lot about our team and our heart."

TIP-INS

1. The 105 points and 20 assists in the last three games are the most Howard has had over a three-game span.

2. The Hoyas are allowing 77.9 points per game and are sixth in the conference in field goal defense (43.1 percent) and 3-point defense (33.9 percent).

3. Georgetown has dropped two straight and four of the last five against Marquette to fall below .500 at 13-12 in the series.

PREDICTION: Marquette 88, Georgetown 75

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

Notre Dame tries to build off its first ACC win of the season as it visits North Carolina on Tuesday evening. The 15th-ranked Tar Heels will be trying bounce back from an uncharacteristic performance where they got dominated at home on Saturday.

The Fighting Irish learned just before tip-off that they would be without their leading scorer but still managed to eke out a 69-66 win over Boston College on Saturday afternoon. "As T.J. (Gibbs) was exiting the building throwing up, I walked in and told our guys, 'We've got six (players) and Liam (Nelligan, a walk-on) - be ready. Let's make it a great story. And it is. I'm really proud of our group. A lot of different guys stepped forward and made plays. Great for Prentiss (Hubb), and Johnny (Mooney) continues to be a flat-out man," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey told reporters after the win. North Carolina suffered its largest home defeat in 16 seasons under coach Roy Williams on Saturday as Louisville crushed the Tar Heels 83-62 in Chapel Hill, N.C. "We never really got into the game. I'd like to give you a brilliant answer as to why, but I can't give you that brilliant answer," Williams told the media following the loss.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (11-5, 1-2 ACC): Hubb, a freshman guard, scored a season-high 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting and nailed two free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining to seal the win. Mooney erupted for a career-high 27 points and added 12 rebounds to go along with three blocks for his ACC-leading eighth double-double of the season. The Irish used just six players, as junior forward Juwan Durham also sat out the game with an ankle injury; there is no word on Gibbs' or Durham's availability for Tuesday.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (12-4, 2-1): The Tar Heels played poorly in just about every aspect of the game Saturday, shooting 35 percent from the floor - including 3-of-22 behind the arc - and committing 14 turnovers. North Carolina, who is sixth in the nation in rebounding margin (plus-10.3), was outrebounded 40-31 by Louisville. Senior guard Kenny Williams led the team offensively with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting while leading scorer Cameron Johnson (15.8 points) was held to 10 points on 3-of-8 from the floor.

TIP-INS

1. North Carolina has a 23-7 edge in the all-time series and is on a five-game winning streak against Notre Dame that dates back to 2016.

2. Johnson is third in the ACC in 3-point percentage (47).

3. Gibbs ranks second in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.41).

PREDICTION: North Carolina 84, Notre Dame 62

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Nevada Wolf Pack vs. Boise St. Broncos Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 14th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/14/2019

Nevada moved up a spot in the national rankings to No. 10 on Monday thanks to an impressive road win at Fresno State. But the Wolf Pack, trying to become the first team in Mountain West history to win three consecutive outright regular-season titles, still have some work to do in that regard, starting with Tuesday night's game at conference co-leader Boise State.

Nevada trails the Broncos and UNLV, who are both off to 3-0 starts in Mountain West play, in the standings thanks to a shocking 85-58 loss at New Mexico on Jan. 5, the team's only loss in 17 games. The Wolf Pack have bounced back from the debacle at the Pit to blow out lowly San Jose State (92-53) followed by Saturday's 74-64 win at Fresno State, which is tied for third with Nevada. With snowy weather hitting the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the Wolf Pack shunned a trip home after the win over the Bulldogs and bused to Oakland instead, where they stopped by the Raiders' facilities before flying to Boise. The Broncos, who finished second to Nevada last season and are one of only 21 programs to win at least 20 games in each of the past six seasons, have won four of their last five games and come in off a 87-64 victory at San Jose State on Saturday.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

ABOUT NEVADA (16-1, 3-1 MWC): Senior swingman Caleb Martin, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year, leads the team in scoring (19.1) and has averaged 25 points and five rebounds over the last two games while connecting on 10-of-26 3-pointers. Jordan Caroline, a 6-7, 235-pound senior forward who also was a preseason first team All-Mountain West pick, is averaging almost a double-double (18.4 ppg, 9.8 rpg) and had 19 points and 16 rebounds in the Fresno State victory. Junior guard Jazz Johnson (11.4), a 5-10 transfer from Portland, and senior swingman Cody Martin (10.2), the twin brother of Caleb, also are averaging in double figures.

ABOUT BOISE STATE (8-8, 3-0): Junior guard Justinian Jessup leads the team in scoring (12.8) and is shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point range after sinking 90 treys last season, second-most in school history for a season. He is 10-of-20 beyond the arc in Mountain West play while also averaging 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Junior guards Roderick Williams (12.7) and Alex Hobbs (10.4) and 6-8 senior Derrick Alston (10-4) also are averaging in double figures with Williams also grabbing a team-best 6.3 rebounds per contest.

TIP-INS

1. Nevada leads the all-time series with Boise State, 44-27, and has won the last four in a row.

2. Cody Martin, the reigning conference defensive player of the year, leads the Mountain West in assists (5.5) and also assist/turnover ratio (3.0).

3. Caroline posted his 40th career double-double in the win at Fresno State and has 10 in 17 games this season.

PREDICTION: Nevada 70, Boise State 64

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Louisiana State Tigers vs. Mississippi Rebels Preview and Predictions 2019-01-15

NCAAB Predictions 15th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/15/2019

After knocking off two top-15 opponents last week, No. 20 Ole Miss looks to avoid a letdown when it hosts LSU on Tuesday. The contest is a matchup between two of the four remaining undefeated teams in the SEC standings.


The Rebels have won 10 straight - their longest streak in 11 seasons - after posting impressive victories over Auburn and Mississippi State last week. The hot streak has earned Ole Miss a spot in the Top 25 for the first time since 2013. The Tigers have been nearly as hot, winning five straight - including high-scoring victories over Alabama and Arkansas to begin conference play. The Rebels have won eight of the last 13 meetings, including five of the last six at home, but LSU posted an 82-66 triumph on its court last season.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, SEC Network


ABOUT LSU (12-3, 2-0 SEC): The Tigers start three freshmen, including point guard Tremont Waters (13.2 points, six assists) and 6-11 forward Naz Reid (13.2, 5.5 rebounds), who scored 27 points in 26 minutes against Arkansas. Waters and junior Skylar Mays (13.3 points) form a dynamic backcourt duo, and freshman guard Ja'vonte Smart (10.4) also started the first 13 games but has come off the bench in the first two SEC contests. LSU has drained 10 3-pointers in each of its first two conference games.

ABOUT OLE MISS (13-2, 3-0): The Rebels love to shoot from beyond the arc, with guards Breein Tyree (17.5 points), Terence Davis (15.7, 5.6 rebounds) and Devontae Shuler (10.6, 4.2) all shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point range. Davis is the reigning SEC Player of the Week after averaging 19.5 points in the wins over Auburn and Mississippi State. Freshman Blake Hinson (9.7 points) poured in a career-high 26 points against the Bulldogs and is averaging 14.7 in three SEC games to emerge as a fourth offensive option.


TIP-INS

1. Ole Miss is one of two teams in the nation that rank in the top 20 in field-goal percentage (15th) and free-throw percentage (20th).

2. LSU snapped its nine-game road losing streak with its 94-88 overtime win at Arkansas on Saturday.

3. The Tigers rank second in the SEC and 10th nationally with 9.7 steals per game.


PREDICTION: Ole Miss 76, LSU 73

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sal Michaels Jan 15 '19, 7:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-B | Eastern Michigan vs Akron
Play on: Akron -6½ -110 at YouWager

Free Play on Akron -6½ -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bobby Conn Jan 15 '19, 7:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-B | Kentucky vs Georgia
Play on: Kentucky -7 -108 at YouWager

1* Free Play on Kentucky -7 -108

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mike Williams Jan 15 '19, 7:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-B | Buffalo vs Western Michigan
Play on: Western Michigan +14 -109 at GTBets

1* on Western Michigan +14 -109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jimmy Boyd Jan 15 '19, 7:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-B | Kentucky vs Georgia
Play on: Georgia +8 -110 at sportsbook

1* Free NCAAB Pick on Georgia Bulldogs +8
Love the value here with Georgia as a big home dog against Kentucky. Not the first time we have seen the Wildcats overvalued away from home. Kentucky is just 1-3 SU and 1-3 ATS on the road this season.
This game has been sold out since June. It's just a whole different ballgame when Kentucky comes to your house in the SEC and the atmosphere will be electric tonight. I think Georgia can ride that energy from the fans to a win here and all we need is for them to keep it within 7 points.
Bulldogs come in off a 78-93 loss at Auburn, but I think they are still getting no respect from that earlier 46-point loss at Tennessee. The Vols are simply that good and the Bulldogs are 7-2 ATS last 9 after a straight up loss, 10-1 ATS last 11 after giving up 90+ points and a perfect 6-0 ATS last 6 on the road. Take Georgia!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hunter Price Jan 15 '19, 7:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-B | Ball State vs Bowling Green
Play on: Bowling Green +1½ -107 at YouWager

1* Free Pick on Bowling Green +1½ -107

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Totals Guru Jan 15 '19, 7:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-B | South Florida vs Cincinnati
Play on: UNDER 127½ -109

Free Total Annihilator On South Florida vs Cincinnati under 127½ -109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Steve Janus Jan 15 '19, 7:00 PM in 3h
NCAA-B | West Virginia vs TCU
Play on: West Virginia +7½ -110 at sportsbook

1* Free Sharp Play on West Virginia +7½ -110
My money is on the Mountaineers to cash in an easy win and cover here as a decently priced road dog. This is clearly not one of Bob Huggins' best teams at West Virginia, but I think the fact that the Mountaineers have started out 0-4 in Big 12 play, has them way undervalued here against a TCU team that is coming off back-to-back hard fought losses at Kansas and Oklahoma. Note that while West Virginia is without a win in conference play, they have covered 3 of the 4 and are 3-0 in league play as a dog. Bet the Mountaineers +7.5!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Scott Rickenbach Jan 15 '19, 7:05 PM in 3h
NHL | Hurricanes vs Rangers
Play on: OVER 6 -104

Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Tuesday Free Pick OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The Rangers have lost 6 of their past 7 games and New York has allowed a ridiculous 5.5 goals per game in those 6 defeats. Massive slump for the Blueshirts and now they host a red hot Hurricanes team so the lamp is likely to be lit early and often in this one. Carolina has won 7 of its past 8 games and they've averaged scoring 4.4 goals per game in those 7 victories. Only 1 of the past 7 Canes games resulted in an under. Only 3 of the Rangers past 10 games resulted in an under. Only 2 of the past 9 meetings between these teams resulted in an under and the only match-up between these teams this season resulted in 13 goals being scored. The over is 43-21 in Rangers divisional games including 9-4 this season. Free Pick OVER the total in New York Rangers

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dave Price Jan 15 '19, 7:05 PM in 3h
NBA | Suns vs Pacers
Play on: Suns +10½ -100 at pinnacle

Dave’s Tuesday Free Play:
1* on Phoenix Suns +10.5
The Key: The Suns are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games overall and have been more competitive than the books are giving them credit for. And now they are double-digit road underdogs to the Indiana Pacers tonight. It’s too much. The Suns will want to avenge their 5-point home loss to the Pacers in their first meeting this season. Phoenix is 17-7 ATS in road games against Eastern Conference teams over the last two seasons. The Suns are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games overall. The Pacers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall. Indiana is 0-4 ATS in its last four games off a win. The Suns are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 visits to Indiana. Take Phoenix.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mark Franco Jan 15 '19, 7:05 PM in 3h
NBA | Wolves vs 76ers
Play on: 76ers -6 -105 at pinnacle

76ers
Jimmy Butler will play against his former team for the first time since being traded when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. Butler clashed with the Minnesota organization prior to the season and was critical of teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins before eventually being dealt to Philadelphia on Nov. 12.

The 76ers have gone 20-10 since the trade, but Butler is having trouble fitting in and recently challenged coach Brett Brown about his offensive role. Butler is averaging 18.7 points in 25 games with Philadelphia after being acquired along with center Justin Patton for forwards Robert Covington and Dario Saric and guard Jerryd Bayless.
The 76ers have won four straight home meetings with the Timberwolves and are 25-10 ATS in their last 35 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. Timberwolves are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. Timberwolves are 1-7 ATS in the last 8 meetings.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ben Burns Jan 15 '19, 7:35 PM in 3h
NHL | Panthers vs Canadiens
Play on: Panthers +115 at Bovada

I like the Panthers' chances of an upset tonight. On an extended losing streak, at the end of a road trip and looking to avenge an earlier loss, they're going to be extremely hungry. While the Panthers had last night off, the Habs are off an emotional OT win against the Bruins, a long-time rival. The Canadiens, who will now be playing their sixth game in the past nine days, were outshot by a 43-22 margin last night, Carey Price playing the hero. Off that win and now in a back-to-back spot, its possible that Price gets rested this evening. Either way, schedule in their favor, I like the Panthers. Consider Florida.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kenny Walker Jan 15 '19, 8:00 PM in 4h
NCAA-B | NC State vs Wake Forest
Play on: NC State -9½ -109 at GTBets

Free Pick on NC State

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Info Plays Jan 15 '19, 8:00 PM in 4h
NCAA-B | Virginia Tech vs Virginia
Play on: Virginia Tech +8½ -110 at sportsbook

1* Free Play on Virginia Tech +8½ -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Brandon Lee Jan 15 '19, 8:00 PM in 4h
NCAA-B | NC State vs Wake Forest
Play on: Wake Forest +9 -107 at pinnacle

10* FREE NCAAB PICK (Wake Forest +9)
I'll take my chances here with the Demon Deacons covering at home against the Wolfpack. NC State is a quality team, but I just think this is way too many points for them to be laying on the road. I just think we are seeing a big number due to the fact the Wolfpack are ranked No. 17 and Wake Forest comes in at 0-3 in the ACC. The thing is the Demon Deacons had to play 2 of their first 3 on the road and the lone home game was against Duke. NC State is 2-1 in ACC play, but neither of their wins have come easy. They won by just 5 at Miami and by 6 at Pitt. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they lost this game. Give me Wake Forest +9!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Red Dog Sports Jan 15 '19, 8:00 PM in 4h
NCAA-B | NC State vs Wake Forest
Play on: OVER 161 -110

over 161
I think we see an over on Tuesday night. Wake Forest has Childress to score while NCSU has Torin Dorn, DJ Funderburke and Braxton Beverly to add to the total. These two reached 172 points last year at Wake Forest.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

John Martin Jan 15 '19, 8:05 PM in 4h
NBA | Heat vs Bucks
Play on: Heat +8½ -101 at pinnacle

1 Unit FREE PLAY on Miami Heat +8.5
The Miami Heat have gone 14-7 SU & 14-6-1 ATS in their last 21 games overall. They are coming off home wins over Memphis and Boston, and now they’ve had two days to get ready for the Bucks after playing on Saturday last. Nobody plays the Bucks tougher than the Heat do. Miami has gone 6-0 SU & 6-0 ATS in its last six meetings with Milwaukee. The Heat won 94-87 as 2-point home underdogs in their first meeting this season, holding the Bucks to a season low in points. They have held the Bucks to 101 or fewer points in each of the last six meetings. I simply believe 8.5 points is too much tonight given their track record against Giannis and company. Give me the Heat.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Andre Ramirez Jan 15 '19, 8:05 PM in 4h
NHL | Golden Knights vs Jets
Play on: Golden Knights +105 at pinnacle

NHL 75 DIME GAME
GOLDEN KNIGHTS +105
Vegas is 4-0 in the last four meetings between these two teams and Hellebuyck has some pedestrian career numbers versus the Golden Knights head into this matchup. The Jets’ starting goaltender has also been much more vulnerable this season in comparison to years past, as his current GAA and save percentage would stand as the second-highest marks of his career in both categories. Meanwhile, Fleury has been lights out for the better part of the past two months and Vegas has been on fire during that span. Take the Golden Knights to come out on top versus one of the top home teams in the NHL on Tuesday night.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cole Faxon Jan 15 '19, 9:00 PM in 5h
NCAA-B | Nevada vs Boise State
Play on: Nevada -6½ -110 at YouWager

FREE PLAY on Nevada -6½ -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dustin Hawkins Jan 15 '19, 9:00 PM in 5h
NCAA-B | LSU vs Ole Miss
Play on: LSU +4 -105 at Bovada

Free Play on LSU +4 -105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mark Wilson Jan 15 '19, 9:00 PM in 5h
NCAA-B | LSU vs Ole Miss
Play on: LSU +5 -109 at GTBets

Free Play on LSU +5 -109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jack Jones Jan 15 '19, 9:05 PM in 5h
NBA | Warriors vs Nuggets
Play on: Nuggets +1 -105 at pinnacle

Jack’s Free Pick Tuesday: Denver Nuggets +1
The Denver Nuggets have been a thorn in the side of the Golden State Warriors. They have gone 3-1 SU & 3-0-1 ATS in the last four meetings, which includes two outright wins as home underdogs. And now they are home dogs here again Tuesday night when they shouldn’t be.
The Nuggets are the real deal this season at 29-13 with the best record in the Western Conference. That’s saying something with how loaded it is this season. And the Nuggets simply do not lose at home, going 18-3 SU in their 21 home games this season. It’s rare that you’ll get the opportunity to back them as a home dog like tonight.
Golden State hasn’t exactly been dominant on the road this year. The Warriors are 12-8 SU & 8-12 ATS in their 14 road games. The Warriors are 1-4 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning record. Golden State is 5-16 ATS in its last 21 vs. Western Conference opponents.
The Nuggets are 12-1 ATS in home games off a win this season. Look for Denver to make a statement here with another win over Golden State, especially now that they are nearly fully strength health-wise. Bet the Nuggets Tuesday.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mike Lundin Jan 15 '19, 10:35 PM in 6h
NBA | Bulls vs Lakers
Play on: UNDER 215 -115

*34-22 L56 NBA SIDES ~ +$19,000 TOP PLAY RUN*
The Chicago Bulls have played five straight overs, but all but one closed with a total of 209 points or lower. The Bulls are tied with Memphis for the worst scoring average in the NBA this season and I think the total for this matchup with the LA Lakers look a bit high.
The Lakers have struggled through a 3-7 stretch since losing LeBron James to a groin injury, particularly on the offensive end; they're coming off back-to-back 95-point performances and under is 6-1 through their last seven games.
Under is 10-1 in Lakers last 11 vs. a team with a losing straight up record. Under is 9-3 in Bulls last 12 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
This will be the fifth meeting of the season. Each of the last three have gone under the total.
Free pick on UNDER.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ace / V.I.P. NBA GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS ‑110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

DONNY ACTION NHL WASHINGTON CAPITALS +130

[Can'tPickAWinner]

FURBOOKIE NHL TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING ‑125

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Lasvegasmoneymachine NCAA Basketball BOWLING GREEN STATE FALCONS +1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Monster Sports Picks NCAA Basketball BOWLING GREEN STATE FALCONS +1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

PointSpreadJonny NCAA Basketball SAINT LOUIS BILLIKENS ‑300

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Golden Lock Sports NHL NEW YORK RANGERS +125

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Guaranteed Cappers NHL FLORIDA PANTHERS +115

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mikey Money NCAA Basketball MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES ‑2.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mikey Sports NCAA Basketball BALL STATE CARDINALS +1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Pure Lock NCAA Basketball SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS +13 ‑105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

R and R Totals NCAA Basketball DAVIDSON WILDCATS/SAINT JOSEPH'S HAWKS ‑115 u142

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Top Dog NCAA Basketball NEW MEXICO LOBOS +260

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Top Shelf Sports Pick NHL COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS ‑180

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vegas Investment Picks NCAA Basketball MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS ‑3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mike Wynn

Free Play: Free Akron -5½ Over E Michigan

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Comp Pick, Tuesday, January 15, 2019



1/15 06:00 PM PT / 9:00 PM ET

CB (643) NOTRE DAME VS (644) NORTH CAROLINA

Take: (644) NORTH CAROLINA

Reason: Your free play for Tuesday, January 15, 2018 is in the College basketball slate between Notre Dame and North Carolina. Your free play is on North Carolina.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Razor Sharp

YOUR RAZOR SHARP FREE PICK FOR TUESDAY: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS +7½ over Illinois St

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Totals4U

Tuesday's Free Selection: Davidson/St Joseph's under 140

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jeff Allen

Free Selection is on the Boston Celtics

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Roz Wins

Roz's Tuesday, January 15, 2019, Free Pick

01/15 04:00 PM CB (605) RUTGERS VS (606) PURDUE

Take : Purdue

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Atlantic Sports

Tuesday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: Virginia - 8 1/2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

#1 Sports

Tuesday's Free Selection: Akron Zips - 5 1/2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Platinum Plays

Free Pick: the Chicago Bulls +6½ over LA Lakers

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sharp Bettor

SharpBettor FREE Play for Tuesday, January 15, 2019

01/15 06:05 PM NBA (521) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS (522) DENVER NUGGETS

Take : Nuggets

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Easy Money Sports

Lee's Tuesday Free Selection Is

Cincinnati -13

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Nevada Sharpshooter

Your free winner for Tuesday: Take DAVIDSON -5 over St Josephs

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Golden Dragon

FREE WINNER for Tuesday

Chicago +6

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hawkeye Sports

Tuesday's Free Pick: St Louis Blues + 140

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Huddle Up Sports

Free Play: LSU +5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arthur Ralph

FREE play Davidson-5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

The Last Call

Tuesday's Free Play: Southern Illinois + 1 1/2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Teyas Sports

FREE PICK 1/15 NBA MILWAUKEE OVER 218 1/2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vegas Steam Line

Your free winner for Tuesday: CINCINNATI -11½ over South Florida

[Can'tPickAWinner]

High Stakes Syndicate

Free Selection for Tuesday: Bowling Green Falcons - 1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kenny Towers

FREE PLAY FOR TUESDAY - MINNESOTA/PHILADELPHIA UNDER 232

[Can'tPickAWinner]

John Anthony Sports

Tuesday's Free Selection: NC State Wolfpack - 9 1/2