Thursday 11-16-17 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

The Los Angeles Kings have seen their fortunes at Staples Center take a turn for the worse during their five-game homestand. Los Angeles looks to end a three-game slide on home ice when it hosts the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

The Kings went 5-0-2 over their first seven at Staples Center but have begun their homestand with three straight losses, including a 3-2 setback against Vancouver on Tuesday. Los Angeles squandered an early 2-0 lead in the defeat, but Anze Kopitar remained hot as the captain scored a power-play goal to give him three tallies and eight assists during his career-high nine-game point streak. While the Kings have hit the skids at home, Boston has been consistently abysmal on the road this season. The Bruins fell to 0-3-2 in their last five and 1-4-2 overall away from home when they kicked off their four-game road trip Wednesday with a 4-1 loss at Anaheim.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, NESN (Boston), FSN West (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE BRUINS (6-7-4): David Pastrnak leads the team in goals (10) and points (17) but is in a mini-slump he hopes to end Thursday. The 21-year-old Czech has been kept off the scoresheet in each of his last two contests after registering four goals and two assists during a four-game point streak. David Krejci, who has missed 11 games with a back injury, has been deemed "probable" for Thursday's contest by coach Bruce Cassidy.

ABOUT THE KINGS (11-5-2): Los Angeles could have Jussi Jokinen in the lineup after acquiring the veteran left wing from Edmonton on Tuesday for Mike Cammalleri. The 34-year-old Finn notched one assist over 14 games in his first season with the Oilers and has collected 186 goals and 547 points in 905 career contests with six teams. Center Andrew Crescenzi made his NHL debut against the Canucks, going 5-3 on faceoffs in just over seven minutes of ice time after being recalled from Ontario of the American Hockey League earlier in the day.

OVERTIME

1. Kings RW Dustin Brown is second on the team with 18 points and has recorded two goals and three assists during his four-game point streak.

2. While Krejci could be back in Boston's lineup, LWs Brad Marchand (concussion) and Anders Bjork (undisclosed) will not as neither accompanied the team to California.

3. Kopitar is six assists away from 500 for his career.

PREDICTION: Kings 4, Bruins 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

The Florida Panthers received a much-needed boost from a shootout victory before embarking on a difficult California trip that begins with a matchup against the surging San Jose Sharks on Thursday night. Florida rallied to tie Dallas in the third period, weathered the storm in overtime and got the winner from Vincent Trocheck in the bonus format for a 4-3 victory Tuesday to avoid owning sole possession of last place in the Atlantic Division.

"You see teams win one, lose one all the time," Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo told reporters after the victory. "The good teams are able to put it on the ice every night on a consistent basis. That's how we're going to turn this thing around." Florida, which is 30th in the league goals-against per game (3.76), also meets Los Angeles and Anaheim on the trip and leans on an offense which boasts four players that are averaging at least one point per outing. San Jose will present quite a challenge for the Panthers after winning six of its last seven games while lowering its league-best, goal-against mark to 2.25. Logan Couture has led the Sharks offense, registering 10 goals and 15 points on the season after scoring twice against Vancouver in a 5-0 victory Saturday and notching an assist in Sunday's 2-1 triumph over Los Angeles.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida, NBCSN California (San Jose)

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (6-9-2): Left wing Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice against Dallas and pushed his team-leading total to 21 points - two better than center Aleksander Barkov, who has two goals and two assists over the past three contests. Trocheck had an assist before his shootout winner and has accumulated seven points in six games this month while Evgenii Dadonov (17 points) has three in the last three. Captain Derek MacKenzie and Jared McCann are questionable with lower-body injuries and Florida recalled fellow forward Chase Balisy from the American Hockey League as insurance.

ABOUT THE SHARKS (10-6-0): Tomas Hertl and fellow forward Joe Thornton, who missed practice the last two days but will likely be in the lineup, are the only other players in double figures with 10 points. Forwards Barclay Goodrow (two assists, four games) and Joel Ward (two goals, one assist, four games) have formed a solid duo on the fourth line this month: "The thing for us is not giving away the puck," Ward told reporters. Reigning Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns (seven assists) still seeks his first goal after scoring 29 last season, while fellow defenseman Paul Martin (ankle) is close a return after missing five weeks.

OVERTIME

1. San Jose captain C Joe Pavelski has not scored a goal in four games and is one shy of 300 in his career.

2. Florida D Keith Yandle had two assists Tuesday to push his season total to nine points with a team-best plus-8 rating.

3. The Sharks have earned at least a point in five straight games (3-0-2) against the Panthers, but lost 6-5 in overtime at home last February.

PREDICTION: Panthers 5, Sharks 4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Despite winning his first two games by a total of 39 points, South Carolina's Frank Martin spent an inordinate amount of time after his team's most recent victory talking about how he has let his team down. The sixth-year coach will try to get the Gamecocks to tie up their loose ends Thursday when they face Illinois State in first-round action of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in Carson, S.C., which is hosting the event this season following the devastation on the island following Hurricane Maria.

South Carolina opened its season Friday with a 73-52 triumph at Wofford before returning home to beat preseason Mid-American Conference favorite Western Michigan 78-60 three days later - a performance that left Martin surprisingly critical of himself. "I did a poor job preparing these guys. For as bad of a job as I did to prepare us offensively, they did a good job on the court. ... For a young squad, our guys adapted pretty well," Martin said. Despite getting career-high point totals from two players in their opener, the Redbirds fell 98-87 at Florida Gulf Coast in a back-and-forth affair Saturday. Illinois State is coming off a school-record 28-win campaign and won a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular season last season.

TV: 11:30 a.m. ET, ESPN 2

ABOUT ILLINOIS STATE (0-1): Junior guard Keyshawn Evans was honored as the team's most improved player last year and appears primed to make another huge step forward after draining seven 3-pointers and scoring a career-high 28 points versus the Eagles. Preseason MVC second-team forward Phil Fayne poured in a personal-best 24 points as well and is one of seven players returning to their schools this season after shooting at least 59 percent, scoring at least 300 points, pulling down at least 200 rebounds and blocking at least 40 shots. Freshman forward Taylor Bruninga was limited to only 21 minutes due to foul trouble in his college debut, but he went 4-of-7 beyond the arc to contribute to the Redbirds' 14-for-29 effort from long-range and finished with 14 points.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (2-0): Graduate transfer Frank Booker (13 points per game) has emerged as the Gamecocks' best offensive option so far following the loss of Sindarius Thornwell to the NBA, and the Florida Atlantic transfer has been highly efficient, shooting 64.3 percent from the field and 54.5 percent beyond the arc. Preseason All-SEC second-team forward Chris Silva (9.5 points, 10 rebounds per game) fell one point shy in the opener of being able to post a double-double in each game despite averaging only 20.5 minutes. Junior Hassani Gravett played only 19 minutes after some early foul trouble Monday, but he scored 13 of his career-high 15 points after the break, going 3-for-3 beyond the arc to set a new personal best in the process.

TIP-INS

1. The winner of this contest will face either Boise State or UTEP in the semifinals.

2. The Redbirds have won each of the last 15 games in which they have outrebounded their opponent, but they were pounded 48-24 on the glass against Florida Gulf Coast.

3. The Gamecocks are converting 43.5 percent of their 3-point attempts through two games after shooting 33.7 percent beyond the arc in 2016-17.

PREDICTION: South Carolina 75, Illinois State 64

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Already having hammered a Power Five opponent, Indiana State hopes to do it again Thursday as it takes on Auburn in the first round of the Gildan Charleston Classic in South Carolina. The Sycamores pounded in-state rival Indiana by 21 points in their opener, but they'll face a tough task trying to slow down an Auburn team that hit triple digits in a season-opening win over Norfolk State.



Auburn has faced plenty of turmoil leading up the season, with associate coach Chuck Person indicted on federal fraud charges and the program under a full-blown investigation, but was impressive in a 102-74 season-opening victory. "I don't know what can happen," forward Horace Spencer told reporters. "There's a whole bunch of might-bes and maybes. You just don't know what's going to happen next week. Whatever happens is going to have to happen. We're just going to have to focus on what we can control." The Sycamores are trying for back-to-back wins against Power Five opponents for the first time since the 2012 Diamondhead Classic, where they beat Ole Miss and Miami (Fla.) in consecutive games. Indiana State has not started 2-0 since winning its first five contests in 2011-12.

TV: 11:30 a.m. ET, ESPNU



ABOUT AUBURN (1-0): The Tigers had five double-digit scorers in their opener, with streaky guard Bryce Brown leading the way with 31. That's a frightening thought for future opponents, considering forward Danjel Purifoy and center Austin Wiley - the team's No. 2 and No. 4 scorers a season ago - are being held out indefinitely in relation to the investigation. Presbyterian transfer Desean Murray filled in well in the frontcourt against Norfolk State, collecting 13 points and seven rebounds in his debut with the Tigers.

ABOUT INDIANA STATE (1-0): The Sycamores were a blistering 17-for-26 from 3-point range against Indiana, which probably isn't sustainable. They do have a couple of sharpshooters, though, in Brenton Scott and Jordan Barnes, who combined to go 11-for-16 from beyond the arc in the opener. Scott is one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in program history with 214 career treys and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week after pouring in 24 points against the Hoosiers.



TIP-INS

1. Auburn has scored in triple digits four times under coach Bruce Pearl after going 339 consecutive games without topping 100 points.

2. Auburn G Mustapha Heron has scored in double figures in 32 of his 33 career games, including a 10-point effort against Norfolk State.

3. Indiana State is 80-9 when holding opponents to 63 points or fewer under eighth-year coach Greg Lansing.



PREDICTION: Auburn 81, Indiana State 79

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Temple will be the last NCAA Division I team to open its season when it faces Old Dominion on Thursday in the first round of the Gildan Charleston Classic in South Carolina. The Monarchs are trying to start with a 3-0 record for the third time in the last four seasons.



For the Owls, it will be the first look at arguably the best recruiting class in coach Fran Dunphy's lengthy career, with four highly touted freshmen making their debuts. "All four of them have come in and been ready to go right from the start, and it has been exciting," Dunphy told reporters. "The competitiveness at practice has risen exponentially, and it has been great." The Monarchs already have two games - and two wins - under their belts. They've played excellent defense in beating Towson (57-54) and James Madison (69-53) to open the season.

TV: 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3



ABOUT OLD DOMINION (2-0): The Monarchs are led by brothers B.J. and Brandan Stith, as well as Ahmad Caver. B.J. Stith has poured in 17 points per game through two contests, Caver is averaging 10, Brandan Stith adds eight and six boards per contest and Trey Porter has given the Monarchs 8.5 points and 7.5 rebounds despite averaging just 16.5 minutes due to foul trouble. Old Dominion has held its first two opponents under 35 percent shooting.

ABOUT TEMPLE (2016-17: 16-16): The Owls are excited to welcome back point guard Josh Brown, who was limited to five games last season due to an Achilles tendon injury after averaging 4.9 assists in 2015-16. Brown will combine with Shizz Alston Jr. (13.9 points, 4.1 assists in 2016-17) to give the Owls an excellent backcourt duo, while swingman Quinton Rose (10.1 points) and forward Obi Enechionyia (13.1, 5.8 rebounds) also averaged double digits in points last season. Dunphy hopes the quartet of freshmen - forwards J.P. Moorman II, Justyn Hamilton and De'Vondre Perry and guard Nate Pierre-Louis - will help bolster the bench and elevate Temple to an NCAA Tournament team.



TIP-INS

1. Alston made his last 28 free throws last season, the Owls' longest streak since Khalif Wyatt sank 32 straight during the 2012-13 season.

2. Old Dominion has held its first two opponents to 26.7 percent shooting from 3-point range.

3. Temple was 15-1 last season when scoring at least 70 points but 1-14 when falling short of the mark.



PREDICTION: Old Dominion 67, Temple 63

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Clemson hopes to continue its history of success in the Gildan Charleston Classic, which it opens Thursday in South Carolina with a first-round game against Ohio. The Tigers are in the tournament for the third time, having won it in 2008 and claiming a runner-up finish in 2013.



It's a short trip for the Tigers, who are off to a 2-0 start after routs of Western Carolina and North Carolina A&T. Clemson was expected to struggle at the offensive end after losing leading scorer Jaron Blossomgame to graduation, but they've shot at a 53.1 percent clip through two contests. The Bobcats had a bit of trouble putting away visiting Alabama A&M in a 61-53 win in their season opener on Saturday. Ohio was outrebounded in that game, which is bad news against a Clemson team that averages 15 more boards than the opposition through two contests.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2



ABOUT CLEMSON (2-0): The Tigers have been patient at the offensive end and run their offense through their big men, with Donte Grantham (15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds) and Elijah Thomas (12, seven) dominating. Grantham is 12-for-15 shooting and has stepped out to make 4-for-6 from 3-point range while Thomas is 10-for-13. The guards also have gotten it done, as Gabe DeVoe (12 points, six rebounds) and Marcquise Reed (11.5 points) are shooting better than 50 percent while Shelton Mitchell is averaging a team-high six assists.

ABOUT OHIO (1-0): The Bobcats were one of the most-improved defensive teams in the nation a season ago, and they continued to defend well in the opener, holding Alabama A&M to 33.9 percent shooting and 21.1 percent from 3-point range. Three players scored in double digits Saturday, with freshman guard Teyvion Kirk leading the way with 16 points and swingman Gavin Block adding 12, nine rebounds and five assists. The Bobcats will have a tough time matching up in the post against Clemson, with only one player in their rotation taller than 6-7.



TIP-INS

1. Clemson has scored at least 85 points in each of its first two games after doing so only seven times all of last season.

2. Ohio is 1-1 against ACC opponents under fourth-year coach Saul Phillips, with the win coming last season at Georgia Tech.

3. Clemson has attempted 53 free throws, making 40, while opponents are just 15-for-28 from the line.



PREDICTION: Clemson 68, Ohio 59

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Iowa State was prepared for a rough 2017-18 season, but the first two games of the season suggest coach Steve Prohm has his work cut out for him just trying to get his team to maintain some degree of respectability. The Cyclones attempt to set aside two lopsided losses to begin the season Thursday when they face Appalachian State in first-round action of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in Carson, S.C.

While a 74-59 setback at up-and-coming Missouri in Friday's season opener wasn't cause for alarm for a squad that lost four starters, a 74-56 home defeat versus Milwaukee was, especially after committing 18 turnovers and shooting 39 percent against a team expected to finish near the bottom of the Horizon League. "You know what everybody's going to say. You don't have to check Twitter. You already know what's on Twitter," Prohm told the Des Moines Register. The Mountaineers enter this event fresh off a pair of blowouts against overmatched competition, blasting Division II foe Toccoa Falls 135-34 on Saturday before routing Division III opponent Bridgewater 95-57 on Sunday. As a result, Appalachian State is 2-0 to begin a season for the first time since 2010-11.

TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT IOWA STATE (0-2): Help should be on the way for the Cyclones as they expect to welcome back 6-9 Cameron Lard from suspension and 6-9 Princeton graduate transfer Hans Brase, who is completing his recovery from a second ACL surgery. Sophomore Solomon Young (seven points per game) is the lone returning starter from last season's NCAA Tournament team, and he's off to a bit of a rough start offensively (42.9 field-goal percentage) after shooting 64.3 percent in a limited role last season. Nick Weiler-Babb, who is averaging 37 minutes per game and the only Cyclone who has scored at least 10 points in each of the first two games, is one of five Big 12 players averaging 12.5 points, five rebounds and 2.5 assists this season.

ABOUT APPALACHIAN STATE (2-0): Junior guard Ronshad Shabazz (24.5 points) has paced the Mountaineers in scoring in both games and is averaging over a point per minute while shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 54.5 percent beyond the arc. Forward Tyrell Johnson (17 points per game, 6.5 rebounds) hasn't been quite as proficient as his classmate, but he is Appalachian State's second-leading scorer and one of five Mountaineers averaging at least five rebounds. Jake Wilson is posting team-high marks in rebounds (21) and blocks (five) despite playing only 24 total minutes, spearheading the team with the nation's best per-game rebounding margin (plus-35), although most of that came as a result of the 71-16 advantage Appalachian State enjoyed in the opener.

TIP-INS

1. The winner of this contest will face either Tulsa or Western Michigan in the semifinals.

2. Appalachian State knocked down eight 3-pointers versus Bridgewater after draining a school-record 20 against Toccoa Falls.

3. All eight players that have been available to play in the first two games have scored in both games for the Cyclones.

PREDICTION: Iowa State 69, Appalachian State 68

[Can'tPickAWinner]

St. John's will have one night off before taking the floor once again as it hosts Nebraska on Thursday as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. The Red Storm improved to 2-0 with an easy 80-55 victory over Central Connecticut on Tuesday, while the Cornhuskers head on the road for the first time following Monday's 86-67 rout of North Texas.

"It's going to be a physical matchup," St. John's coach Chris Mullin told reporters at a press conference. "I told our players ... this is going to be the biggest and strongest team that we've played so far. They are going to bring their physicality ... that's always been the case with the Big Ten Conference. We have to meet that with force, and then get back and play our game." The Red Storm game includes lots of all-around strong play from sophomore guards Shamorie Ponds (21 points) and Marcus LoVett (15 points) and a ton of turnovers as St. John's forced 21 for the second straight game, turning those miscues into 31 points. Nebraska comes off a much-needed easy win after struggling to get things going in the opener and barely getting past Eastern Illinois 72-68 -- the Huskers shot just 38 percent from the field and were just 23-of-39 from the line -- but the Cornhuskers took no chances in the victory over North Texas and roared out to a 52-point first half, the third time they scored 50 before halftime under sixth-year coach Tim Miles. " I thought that we've learned from our previous start where we didn't share the ball and didn't guard the ball," Miles told reporters after the win over North Texas. "We had two goals tonight; pass the ball, guard the ball. I thought we did that well for a long time. We jumped way out on them."

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

ABOUT NEBRASKA (2-0): James Palmer Jr., sparked the team's game-opening 25-2 run against North Texas with 11 of his game-high 18 points and he also finished with five rebounds. Fellow guards Glynn Watson Jr. (15 points, four rebounds) and Evan Taylor (12 points, the majority from the free-throw line where he was 10-for-12) also chipped in. Forward Isaac Copeland posted a team-high eight of the squad's 45 rebounds and blocked a career-best four shots, as Nebraska totaled nine blocks overall, matching its highest total under Miles.

ABOUT ST. JOHN'S (2-0): The Johnnies were outrebounded by New Orleans in the opener but they took greater control of the boards against Central Connecticut (38-29), with guard Justin Simon continuing to make his presence felt after transferring from Arizona with his first career double-double, setting career highs with a team-best 11 rebounds and 12 points. Ponds also came up big on the glass with nine rebounds to go with his 21 points, with junior forward Tariq Owens again coming off the bench to provide needed muscle with five rebounds. "We have to do it as a group," Mullin said. "Who gets them (rebounds) is not that important, but we have to go get them. ... I've asked them (Ponds and Simon) to get into the paint. If their guy is not underneath the basket, get in the paint and help our bigs get the basketball. They are doing a good job, but it's going to be a huge test on Thursday."

TIP-INS

1. This will be the first meeting between the Cornhuskers and Red Storm.

2. St. John's has won six of its last seven games at Carnesecca Arena dating back to last season.

3. Nebraska went to the foul line 45 times (33 made) against North Texas, the most since it had 48 free throws against Penn State on Feb. 20, 2014.

PREDICTION: St. John's 82, Nebraska 75

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Michigan looks for its second 3-0 start in as many seasons when it concludes the mainland portion of the Maui Invitational at home against Southern Miss on Thursday. The Wolverines opened the new campaign with an 86-66 win over North Florida before grinding out a 72-65 victory against Central Michigan, and hope to extend their non-conference home winning streak to eight games in their first-ever meeting with the Golden Eagles.

Michigan, which has trailed in each of its first two games, is averaging 32 points in the first half while scoring 47 in the second session, and aims to smother a Southern Miss squad which was ranked 340th nationally in points per game (63) last season. "We have shown that we have a long way to go," Wolverines coach John Beilein told reporters. "It's going to be quite a journey until we mold this team and figure this thing out." Michigan has split its last four meetings with Conference USA opponents, including a 102-47 romp over Charlotte in its most recent matchup on Nov. 15, 2015. Southern Miss started the 2017-18 campaign with 79-69 win against Southern-New Orleans and sets its sights on recording a signature win under fourth-year coach Doc Sadler.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, BTN

ABOUT SOUTHERN MISS (1-0): Tyree Griffin, who sat out last year after transferring from Oklahoma State, set career highs with 21 points and 13 rebounds to record his second career double-double in the win against SUNO. Dominic Magee scored 11 of his 15 points from the free-throw line and pulled down seven rebounds in a reserve role, while Tim Rowe and Cortez Edwards each added 10 points. "Any time it's the first game of the year, you aren't going to be as good as you need to be," Sadler told reporters. "We have to understand that the faster the ball moves, the better a team we are."

ABOUT MICHIGAN (2-0): Senior co-captain Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored 17 points to lead five players in double figures in the win against Central Michigan. Charles Matthews and Zavier Simpson both continued their stellar play by adding 13 points apiece while 3-point specialist Duncan Robinson finished with 10 points despite going 2-of-8 from behind the arc. Mo Wagner, who was named to the watchlist for the John Wooden Award, contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds to record his second double-double in as many games after registering one in his previous two seasons.

TIP-INS

1. Robinson has made at least one 3-pointer in nine of his last 10 regular-season games.

2. The Wolverines have won 61 of their 64 games when scoring 80 or more points under Beilein.

3. Southern Miss is 1-8 in non-conference road games since the start of the 2015-16 season.

PREDICTION: Michigan 85, Southern Miss 69

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ohio State looks to remain perfect under new coach Chris Holtmann when it hosts Texas Southern in a non-conference contest Thursday night. The Buckeyes have won their first two contests this season while the Tigers come into the contest looking for the first win of 2017-18.

Juinor forward Keita Bates-Diop has come back better than ever after a stress fracture in his left leg sidelined him for much of the 2016-17 campaign, averaging 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in the first two games this season. He's joined by four other teammates sporting double-figure scoring averages, led by junior guard C.J. Jackson's 13 and senior guard Kam Williams' 12.5. The Buckeyes have shown some strength on the boards so far this season, outrebounding their opponents 48.0-27.5 on average. The Tigers started the season out west, falling to Gonzaga and Washington State, though the setback to the Cougars was a two-point loss in overtime.

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

ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN (0-2): Over the years, college basketball has proven that smaller players can make a big impact, and Tigers guard Demontrae Jefferson is proving to be the latest example of that. Jefferson, listed at 5-7, averaged 21 points and 3.5 assists in the Tigers' first two contests, nearly pushing Texas Southern to an upset of the Cougars with 22 points, six assists and two steals on Sunday. The setback could be looked at as a moral victory, though coach Mike Davis would certainly have rather had his team hold onto the 22-point lead it had in the first half, something he'll stress to his young floor general in the games to come.

ABOUT OHIO STATE (2-0): The Buckeyes earned a 10-point win over Radford in their last outing, but Holtmann certainly had some criticism for his squad after they nearly squandered a 26-point second-half lead. The Highlanders' Carlik Jones scored 14 points in the final six minutes, making what had been a ho-hum blowout into a competitive game in the closing moments. After looking dominant in the first half on both ends of the floor, Ohio State seemed to let up late, something Holtmann is certainly going to point to as something that needs to improve going forward.

TIP-INS

1. Jackson scored a career-high 19 points in the win over Radford.

2. The Buckeyes have had their trouble from 3-point range, hitting 13-of-45 (28.9 percent) over the first two games.

3. Bates-Diop has eight career double-doubles -- including two this season -- and the Buckeyes are 8-0 in those contests.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 86, Texas Southern 70

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Rice transfer Egor Koulechov hopes to produce another strong effort after his dazzling debut in a Florida uniform when the seventh-ranked Gators host road-weary North Florida on Thursday night. Koulechov, who was a first team All-Conference USA pick last season, drained 6-of-9 from 3-point range en route to 34 points in a 116-74 rout of Gardner-Webb on Monday to tie the school record for scoring in the first game as a Gator.

"I'm happy this day finally came," Koulechov, who matched Tom Baxley (1962) for the most points in a Florida debut, told reporters. "I've been waiting for this since I decided to come here. It's a great environment, a great program. It's a lot of fun, especially when you win." The top four scorers were playing their first game in a Florida uniform, but Koulechov stole the show while adding five rebounds and five assists. "Some guys can do it in practice and can't do it when they get in front of people, but he's played a lot of college basketball," Gators senior guard Chris Chiozza told reporters. "And, honestly, I was really more surprised at how many shots he missed (six)." North Florida of the Atlantic Sun completes a four-game road gauntlet to open the season after losing games to Michigan State by 32, Michigan by 20 and to VCU by 10.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network

ABOUT NORTH FLORIDA (0-3): The Ospreys drained 17-of-40 from 3-point range against VCU and have made 37 shots from behind the arc while draining 44 percent of their attempts from long range. The top five scorers are all sophomores with Garrett Sams (16 points, 7.3 rebounds) leading the way while Ivan Gandia-Rosa (15 points, 4.3 assists, 11 made 3-pointers) and J.T. Escobar (13 points, 11-of-19 from behind the arc) also contribute. "The little details make the biggest difference and we still have a few things we just need to work on and clean up moving forward," coach Matthew Driscoll told reporters.

ABOUT FLORIDA (1-0): Jalen Hudson, playing his first game for the Gators after transferring from Virginia Tech, scored 16 against Gardner-Webb while freshmen Deaundrae Ballard (14 points) and Mike Okauru (13 points, four assists) also had big nights in their debuts. Top-returning scorer KeVaughn Allen had a quiet opener with nine points (3-of-9 from the field), five rebounds and three assists. "The way we play, we have a system. What's working, we go back to it," Koulechov told reporters. "Today, it was me. The next time, it could be KeVaughn or Jalen or someone else."

TIP-INS

1. Chiozza, who was a game-time decision Monday with a shoulder injury, had five points, six rebounds and six assists.

2. North Florida sophomore F Wajid Aminu has struggled from the field (8-for-28), but leads the team in rebounding (8.7).

3. The Gators knocked off the Ospreys 91-60 last season and defeated them 97-68 in the NIT at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.

PREDICTION: Florida 86, North Florida 62

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Florida A&M's road trip continues as the Rattlers head south to Miami looking for their first victory for new coach Robert McCullum. The 12th-ranked Hurricanes are off to a 2-0 start after Sunday's 89-55 victory over Navy and remain almost unbeatable at home with 29 wins in their last 31 games at the Watsco Center.

For the second straight outing, the Hurricanes showed their offensive balance with five players scoring in double figures -- they accomplished the feat just three times last season -- but this time, star Bruce Brown, Jr., wasn't in the mix after producing a triple-double outing in the season-opening win over Gardner-Webb. "We don't care who scores," sophomore guard Dejan Vasiljevic told reporters. "It's just learning how to play together." Sophomore forward Dewan Huell earned his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds and center Ebuka Izundu came off the bench to score 12 to help Miami dominate in the paint, where it held a 50-26 point advantage. Miami wound up outshooting Navy 54.7 to 33.3 percent, which doesn't bode well for a Florida A&M squad that also hit for just 33.3 percent (25 of 75) in last Saturday's 108-66 loss to UNLV.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra.

ABOUT FLORIDA A&M (0-2): Three Rattlers scored in double figures against UNLV, with preseason All-MEAC second-teamer Desmond Williams leading the way with 21 points followed by junior-college transfer Isaiah Martin with 20 and All-MEAC third-teamer Marcus Barham with 11. Martin also topped the team with 10 boards (seven offensive) to post his first career double-double for the Rattlers. Florida A&M posted 29 second-chance points against UNLV as 22 of the team's 40 rebounds came on the offensive glass.

ABOUT MIAMI (2-0): Brown put his name in the record books with his triple-double in the opener then came out and hit just 1 of 10 shots for three points against Navy, although he did lead the team with six assists, while also posting six rebounds. "He's (Brown) just a very, very good player and plays very hard, competes," coach Jim Larranaga said in a press conference after the game. "For us to have five guys in double figures and him not being one of them, it says we've got good balance. ... Some nights you miss." Vasiljevic picked up the slack with Brown off the mark, posting a game-high 16 points after he had his own struggles in the opener with just seven points (2-for-12).

TIP-INS

1. The Hurricanes are 7-0 against the Rattlers but they haven't met since Dec. 18, 2001.

2. Since falling behind 7-0 against Gardner-Webb in the opener on Friday, Miami has not trailed in the last 72 minutes, 41 seconds of game time over the last two contests.

3. Last season, Miami was 17-1 overall and 8-1 in ACC play when it scored 70-plus points.

PREDICTION: Miami 82, Florida A&M 57

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Trends - Tennessee at Pittsburgh

ATS TRENDS

Tennessee

Titans are 17-35-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. Titans are 16-35-4 ATS in their last 55 games on grass. Titans are 17-41-4 ATS in their last 62 games overall. Titans are 8-20-3 ATS in their last 31 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game. Titans are 14-36-2 ATS in their last 52 games following a straight up win. Titans are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 road games. Titans are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Titans are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game. Titans are 11-37-4 ATS in their last 52 vs. AFC. Titans are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game. Titans are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game. Titans are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games in November.

Pittsburgh

Steelers are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss. Steelers are 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. Steelers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games. Steelers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 home games. Steelers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games in Week 11. Steelers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game. Steelers are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games in November.

OU TRENDS

Tennessee

Over is 5-1 in Titans last 6 games following a straight up win. Over is 5-1-1 in Titans last 7 games in November. Over is 4-1 in Titans last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Over is 6-2 in Titans last 8 games overall. Under is 6-2 in Titans last 8 games in Week 11. Under is 8-3 in Titans last 11 vs. a team with a winning record. Over is 13-5-1 in Titans last 19 games following a ATS loss. Over is 5-2 in Titans last 7 games on grass. Over is 5-2 in Titans last 7 vs. AFC.

Pittsburgh

Under is 4-0 in Steelers last 4 Thursday games. Under is 7-0 in Steelers last 7 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game. Under is 7-1 in Steelers last 8 games on grass. Under is 5-1 in Steelers last 6 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game. Under is 5-1 in Steelers last 6 vs. a team with a winning record. Under is 4-1 in Steelers last 5 games in November. Under is 4-1 in Steelers last 5 games following a ATS loss. Under is 35-15-1 in Steelers last 51 games overall. Under is 37-16-1 in Steelers last 54 games following a straight up win. Under is 41-20-1 in Steelers last 62 vs. AFC.

HEAD TO HEAD

Underdog is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings. Over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings in Pittsburgh. Titans are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 meetings.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL
Long Sheet

Week 11

Thursday, November 16

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TENNESSEE (6 - 3) at PITTSBURGH (7 - 2) - 11/16/2017, 8:25 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TENNESSEE is 8-22 ATS (-16.2 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 103-73 ATS (+22.7 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1992.
PITTSBURGH is 50-30 ATS (+17.0 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points since 1992.
PITTSBURGH is 90-63 ATS (+20.7 Units) in home games when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL

Week 11

Trend Report

Thursday, November 16

TENNESSEE @ PITTSBURGH
Tennessee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tennessee's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games
Pittsburgh is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home