Thursday 12-14-17 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Maple Leafs vs. Wild Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/13/2017

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota Wild likely will have notable absences in their lineup on Thursday when the clubs complete their two-game season series at Xcel Energy Center. Reigning Calder Memorial Trophy recipient Auston Matthews has been ruled out for his third straight game for the Maple Leafs with an upper-body injury while Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk is expected to be sidelined with a lower-body ailment.

"It's concerning because he's our No. 1 goalie. We want to know, but you can't race ahead of what the doctors (say) and everybody wants," Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. Former Maple Leafs netminder Alex Stalock made 16 saves in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout win over Calgary in relief of Dubnyk, who exited after the first period. Like Boudreau, Toronto coach Mike Babcock is also in the dark as it relates to Matthews, who has been listed as day-to-day since colliding with teammate Morgan Rielly in Saturday's win over Pittsburgh. "What that means, I don't know for sure," Babcock said. "I just know that he didn't skate again today. That means you're not playing tomorrow."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Ontario (Toronto), FSN North (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (20-11-1): Matthews also missed the first meeting between the teams, a 4-2 win for Toronto that saw four different goal scorers for Babcock's club. Patrick Marleau tallied in that contest and also did so for his 1,100th career point in Tuesday's 4-2 setback to Philadelphia, with his 519th career goal moving him past Dale Hawerchuk into sole possession of 37th place on the NHL's all-time list. Frederik Andersen made 35 saves in the first meeting with the Wild, with Boudreau even admitting that the 28-year-old Dane effectively "won them the game."

ABOUT THE WILD (16-11-3): Jason Zucker began his goal-scoring spree when he tallied twice versus Toronto to ignite an eight-goal surge in five games, although he has just three in his last 12. The 25-year-old has 14 goals to lead the team and his 25 points are just one shy of Eric Staal, who answered a blistering November by being held off the scoresheet in four of five December outings. Defenseman Ryan Suter has an assist in back-to-back games and also set up a goal in the first meeting with Toronto.

OVERTIME

1. Toronto LW James van Riemsdyk has 10 goals and three assists in his last 17 games.

2. Minnesota D Jared Spurgeon returned to practice on Wednesday after being sidelined seven games due to a groin injury.

3. The Maple Leafs have been outshot in 21 of 32 games this season, including 164-99 in their last four.

PREDICTION: Maple Leafs 3, Wild 1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ducks vs. Blues Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/13/2017

The Anaheim Ducks had their struggles on a recent six-game trip and now head out on another six-game trek that will carry them into the Christmas break. Coming off a 2-0-1 homestand, the Ducks will face five teams from the Metropolitan Division after opening the road trip against the Western Conference leading St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.

Injury-ravaged Anaheim welcomed back captain Ryan Getzlaf from a 19-game absence on Monday, only to see leading scorer Corey Perry hurt in the same game. "It's just hard watching your teammates go down but you have to continue to improve and push forward," Ducks forward Cam Fowler said. "This is a big part of our schedule, this road trip coming up. We're going to learn a lot about ourselves." The Blues had a four-game winning streak snapped in a 3-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday night in a showdown between the teams with the two best records in the NHL. Despite owning the best record in the West, St. Louis is 3-4-0 in its last seven games at home, including a 3-2 defeat to Anaheim on Nov. 30.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

ABOUT THE DUCKS (13-11-7): The latest blow for Anaheim was an injury to the lower right leg of Perry, who will be sidelined on a week-to-week basis. "When you see him, it's not like he's limping. He's not on crutches or anything," coach Randy Carlyle said Tuesday. "He's in the weight room this morning. That's a great sign. But to give you a more definitive time frame, probably in a week or so." Carlyle did note that center Ryan Kesler, who has yet to play this season, and defenseman Hampus Lindholm will accompany the team on the road trip.

ABOUT THE BLUES (21-9-2): St. Louis also is missing some key players, with second-leading scorer Jaden Schwartz expected to miss up to six weeks and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on injured reserve after taking a puck off the foot. Fellow blue-liner Jay Bouwmeester also sat out Tuesday's game for what coach Mike Yeo termed a "nagging" injury. "You wish they were in your lineup but that's the way it goes," netminder Jake Allen said. "We can't feel sorry for ourselves and people won't feel sorry for us because we're missing three of our top players."

EXTRA POINTS

1. Allen took the loss in the Nov. 30 setback to the Ducks, but he is 5-2-0 with a 1.76 goals-against average versus Anaheim.

2. Getzlaf, who has been sidelined since Oct. 29 before returning Monday, has 34 points in 37 games against St. Louis.

3. Blues F Kyle Brodziak had two goals against Anaheim last night but has failed to hit the scoresheet in seven games since.

PREDICTION: Blues 3, Ducks 2

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Lightning vs. Coyotes Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/13/2017

The NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high six games when they visit the struggling Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night. The Lightning opened their four-game road trip with a 3-0 victory at St. Louis on Tuesday as Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 32 shots for his league-leading 20th win and 21-year-old center Brayden Point scored for the fourth consecutive contest.

Tampa Bay, which also plays Colorado and Vegas on the trip, has outscored opponents 23-9 during its win streak and boasts the league's top two scorers with captain Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov at 42 points apiece. The Lightning won't take this game for granted after dropping both contests to the Coyotes last season by identical 5-3 scores, but Arizona has lost four in a row overall and managed only two goals combined in the last three games. The Coyotes have won two of their last three at home against two of the top teams in the league - New Jersey and Los Angeles - but stand second to last in the NHL in goals for (2.24) and last in goals against (3.42). Rookie Clayton Keller still leads Arizona with 23 points, but has been held without a goal in 17 straight games and holds a minus-19 rating overall as the Coyotes open a five-game homestand.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), FSN Arizona

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (22-6-2): Kucherov recorded his team-leading 21st goal in the victory over St. Louis and boasts eight points in the last seven games while Stamkos owns five in the past four contests. Point also had an assist Tuesday to push his way past Vladislav Namestnikov for third on the team with 28 points and linemate Tyler Johnson boasts nine points (three goals) in five December games after scoring once and setting up another versus the Blues. Mikhail Sergachev assisted on Kucherov's goal and has 21 points overall - most among rookie defenseman.

ABOUT THE COYOTES (7-21-5): Arizona is 1-for-10 on the power play over the last six games and the top three scorers have all cooled off as Keller owns only six assists during his 17-game goal drought. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (18 points) has been held off the scoresheet in six consecutive contests and veteran center Derek Stepan (18) has not posted a point in the last three games. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun has registered a goal and an assist with 11 shots on net while averaging 22:01 on ice time in his first four games of the season after coming off injured reserve.

OVERTIME

1. The Coyotes have played the most road games (21) in the league and are 3-8-1 on home ice.

2. Tampa Bay RW Ryan Callahan missed Tuesday's game with an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day.

3. The Lightning have recorded a power-play goal in 14 of the last 16 games and lead the league at 27.7 percent.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Coyotes 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sharks vs. Flames Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/13/2017

After a three-day rest following a three-game homestand on which they earned five points, the San Jose Sharks kick off a three-game trek through Western Canada on Thursday with a matchup against the Calgary Flames. San Jose won the first two contests of its stretch at SAP Center before dropping a 4-3 decision to Minnesota in overtime on Sunday.

Reigning Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns scored twice to double his goal total for the season as the Sharks rallied from a 3-0 deficit to extend their home point streak to five games (3-0-2). The 32-year-old Burns has recorded two points in each of his last three contests, including three of his tallies. Calgary also lost to the Wild last time out - a 2-1 road setback in a shootout on Tuesday that ran its point streak to four games (2-0-2). Johnny Gaudreau leads the Flames with 38 points but has landed on the scoresheet in only three of his last nine contests, notching a goal and three assists.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCSN California (San Jose), Sportsnet Flames (Calgary)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (16-10-3): Joe Thornton has collected a goal and four assists during his three-game point streak and is three points away from passing Doug Gilmour (1,414) for 18th place on the all-time list. Barring injury or a lengthy slump, the 38-year-old former Hart Trophy winner also figures to move ahead of Adam Oates (1,420) and Bryan Trottier (1,425) this season but would need to record 46 more points to overtake Teemu Selanne (1,457) for 15th place. Martin Jones, who has won only one of his last four starts, is one shy of 100 for his career.

ABOUT THE FLAMES (16-12-3): Micheal Ferland scored the lone goal against Minnesota to pull even with Gaudreau (12) for second on the club behind Sean Monahan (17). The 25-year-old Ferland is three tallies away from matching the career high he set in 76 games last season. Monahan has been kept off the scoresheet in back-to-back contests after registering three goals and an assist in his previous three.

OVERTIME

1. Sharks RW Joel Ward's next point will his 300th in the NHL while D Justin Braun is one assist away from 100 for his career.

2. Calgary G Mike Smith has gone 1-0-2 while allowing a total of four goals in his last three starts.

3. San Jose placed RW Barclay Goodrow (lower body) on injured reserve and recalled C Danny O'Regan from the American Hockey League's San Jose Barracuda.

PREDICTION: Flames 3, Sharks 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Panthers vs. Avalanche Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/13/2017

The Colorado Avalanche erupted for a season-high goal total during their just-concluded four-game road trip and will face the team they victimized on Thursday night in the opener of a three-game homestand. Five days after rolling to a 7-3 rout of Florida in Miami, the Avalanche will take on the Panthers in a rematch at the Pepsi Center.

Despite ending the road trip with a 5-2 loss at Washington, Colorado general manager Joe Sakic was happy with the split, especially since it followed a horrendous 1-4-0 homestand. "Every team has a dip at some point," Sakic said. "It's how you bounce back, how you stop the losing streak, and I've thought we've done a pretty good job on this trip." The Panthers will make the third stop on a five-game trek after getting trampled by the Avalanche, edging Detroit in overtime 2-1 before falling to Chicago 3-2 in OT. Aleksander Barkov, Florida's third-leading scorer, sat out last week's meeting versus Colorado, but he is riding a five-game point streak.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Florida, Altitude (Colorado)

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (12-14-5): Forward Evgenii Dadonov (upper body) returned to the lineup Tuesday after a 2 1/2-week absence, well ahead of his estimated recovery timetable of four to six weeks. However, linemate Denis Malgin was knocked out of the game early in the first period after absorbing a hard hit and was termed day-to-day by coach Bob Boughner, who said there's a chance he could be in the lineup Thursday. Goaltender James Reimer, who was dented for five goals by Colorado last week, will make his fifth consecutive start.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (14-14-2): Nathan MacKinnon leads the team in goals (11), assists (22) and points (33), providing the production expected from a player drafted No. 1 overall in 2013. "This is Nathan's fifth year in the league -- he's still only 22 -- but he's taken the next step that Gabe (Landeskog) has, that EJ (Erik Johnson) has," Sakic said. "We've got the guys who are leading and the other guys are following." Rookie center Alex Kerfoot, who scored in the previous matchup versus Florida, is listed as day-to-day with a leg injury.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado was 0-for-14 on the power play during its last four games.

2. Panthers C Vincent Trocheck has three goals and six assists over a six-game point streak.

3. MacKinnon has just two points in nine games versus Florida.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Panthers 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Predators vs. Oilers Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/14/2017

The Nashville Predators have begun the month with a five-game point streak (4-0-1) and look to extend it when they continue their three-game trek through Western Canada on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers. Nashville opened the road trip Wednesday with a 7-1 triumph in Vancouver, avenging its most recent regulation loss - a 5-3 home setback against the Canucks.

That loss has marked the only time the Predators have failed to earn at least one point in their last 12 games. Nashville got even Wednesday as defenseman P.K. Subban scored twice while Craig Smith recorded a tally and two assists, with the latter matching the amount of goals (12) he totaled in 78 games last season. Edmonton returns home from a 2-1-0 road trip that concluded Tuesday with a 7-2 victory in Columbus. Connor McDavid led the charge with a goal and three assists, giving him nine points in his last six games and raising his team-leading total to 39.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), Sportsnet West, TVA (Edmonton)

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (19-7-4): Filip Forsberg continued his offensive onslaught in the win over Vancouver, recording a goal and an assist to increase his team lead to 31 points and give him at least one in 13 of his last 15 games. The 23-year-old Swede, who has collected seven of his club-high 15 goals and 10 assists in that span, set a career high Wednesday with his ninth power-play tally of the season. Subban's two-goal effort was a welcome sight as the veteran blue-liner had gone seven straight games without a point and 13 in a row without a tally.

ABOUT THE OILERS (13-16-2): Anton Slepyshev returned to the lineup Tuesday after being scratched for four contests and notched an assist, giving the 23-year-old Russian three points in 14 games this season. Defenseman Adam Larsson has missed six straight games with an upper-body injury but has been working toward returning to the lineup soon. "He skated today, he skated when we were on the road, so things are improving," coach Todd McLellan told the team's website Wednesday. "We're probably back to that day-to-day scenario, but with his injury, he could wake up tomorrow and it could be back to where it was before. So we've got to get completely through it and make sure that he's fine."

OVERTIME

1. Predators C Ryan Johansen (upper body) and RW Scott Hartnell (lower body) were activated from injured reserve and returned to the lineup Wednesday, with the former recording two assists.

2. Edmonton C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has notched a point in four of his last five games and shares the team lead in goals (12) with McDavid.

3. Nashville assigned C Frederick Gaudreau, who has registered three assists in 17 contests, to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Oilers 3, Predators 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Penguins vs. Golden Knights Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/13/2017

Marc-Andre Fleury plans to turn it up a notch on Thursday when he leads the Golden Knights into T-Mobile Arena to face the team with which he won three Stanley Cups and spent the first 13 seasons of his NHL career. The 33-year-old enters the much-anticipated reunion with the Pittsburgh Penguins after returning from a two-month absence due to a concussion with 35 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 shootout loss to Carolina.

"I still have a lot of friends on the team. That would be nice to see them, try to do good," said Fleury, who was selected by Vegas in the expansion draft in June. "They're a good team. The Cup champs, it's a good challenge for our team. I'd like to do my part to beat them." The Golden Knights have answered a three-game skid with a 4-0-1 mark to keep the heat on Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles. Pittsburgh, however, has dropped two in a row and three of four on the heels of a four-game winning streak. Matt Murray, Fleury's understudy and eventual successor, was activated from injured reserve on Tuesday and will roll the dice as the Penguins open a three-game road trip in Vegas.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NHL Network, Sportsnet, SN360, AT&TSN-Pittsburgh, AT&TSN-Rocky Mountains (Vegas)

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (16-13-3): Phil Kessel extended his point streak to five games (four goals, one assist) after scoring his team-leading 15th goal with 12 seconds remaining in a 2-1 loss against Colorado on Monday. The 30-year-old has recorded at least a point in 25 of 32 games this season. Fellow forward Evgeni Malkin set up Kessel against the Avalanche to increase his point streak to six, during which he has two goals and five assists.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (19-9-2): Fleury isn't the only former Penguin in this game, as alternate captain Deryk Engelland spent parts of his first five NHL seasons in the Steel City. The 35-year-old defenseman scored a goal early in the second period versus Carolina and has two points in his last four contests following a nine-game point drought. Reilly Smith scored in back-to-back contests to give him four points (three goals, one assist) in six games in December while fellow forward Erik Haula has three goals and as many assists during his four-game point streak.

OVERTIME

1. Vegas has secured at least a point in 12 of its 14 home games (11-2-1), while Pittsburgh has dropped 10 of 16 (6-8-2) away from PPG Paints Arena.

2. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan is one regular-season win shy of 100.

3. Golden Knights LW David Perron has one goal and three assists in three games since returning from injured reserve.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 3, Penguins 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bethune Cookman vs. South Florida Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats07:00 PM
by Gracenote on 12/13/2017

South Florida looks to end a four-game losing streak when it hosts in-state foe Bethune-Cookman on Thursday night. USF has not won since defeating Arkansas State on Nov. 24 and dropped three of the last four by double-digits.

The Bulls have remained solid defensively, but struggle to make baskets on a consistent basis and come in off a night in which they shot 33.3 percent in a loss to Florida International. While USF is starting to get inside scoring with the emergence of Isaiah Manderson, who went 6-for-8 shooting and lead the Bulls with 12 points, the rest of the lineup finished just 14-of-52 on Monday. The backcourt trio of Stephan Jiggetts, Terrence Samuel and Payton Banks, who played over 30 minutes each, combined to go 6-for-28. "We've got a long way to go, but we're not too far off in some areas,'' Bulls coach Brian Gregory told reporters. "We just need to get some consistency. Consistency in our work ethic on a daily basis, which will then give us the best opportunity to have consistency come game time.''

TV: 7 p.m. ET, No TV

ABOUT BETHUNE-COOKMAN (5-5): The duo of Malik Maitland and Shawntrez Davis stepped up in the absence of leading scorer Brandon Tabb, who missed the last game due to suspension. Davis recorded his sixth career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Maitland added 21 points in a victory against Cal Poly. The status of Tabb, who averages 19.6 points per game, is unknown for Thursday.

ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA (4-6): Forward Tulio Da Silva, one of the few returners to the USF lineup, was challenged by Gregory to be stronger on the glass and the 6-7 sophomore responded in his last outing. Da Silva set a career high with 17 rebounds, the most by any player in the American Athletic Conference this season. The 17 rebounds are the most by a USF player since Chris Perry pulled down the same amount on Nov. 13, 2015 against Troy.

TIP-INS

1. The Bulls are tied for the 19th best 3-point field goal defense in Division I, holding opponents to 28.6 percent on 60-for-210 shooting from beyond the arc.

2. Samuel is shooting 92.1 percent from the free throw line, tied for 23rd nationally.

3. Jiggetts needs 18 points to reach 1.000 for his career, which began at Fairleigh Dickinson.

PREDICTION: Bethune-Cookman 67, USF 61

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Prairie View A&M vs. Tulsa Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats08:00 PM
by Gracenote on 12/13/2017

Tulsa had to adjust its defensive strategy after an injury to its top defender and the results were good last week against Kansas State. The Golden Hurricane will try to repeat that defensive performance when they host Prairie View A&M on Thursday.

Tulsa junior guard DaQuan Jeffries (11.4 points) had surgery after hurting his hand in practice days before the Kansas State game and will be out for at least four weeks. The Golden Hurricane used different zones and a solid team effort to frustrate Kansas State. "The past couple games I feel like we've been playing good defensively; we were just missing one thing every other game," sophomore forward Martins Igbanu told the Tulsa World. "I feel like (the Kansas State game) was the first game when we had everything completed together as a team. That feels good." The Panthers have lost four straight to start a string of eight consecutive true road games.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN3.

ABOUT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M (2-7): Junior guard Gary Blackston (17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds) earned his second Southwestern Athletic Conference player of the week honors after averaging 22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals last week against Hawaii and Texas A&M. Senior forward Zachary Hamilton adds 17.6 points and 4.2 rebounds and junior guard Dennis Jones is averaging 9.7 points since joining the starting lineup three games ago. The Panthers rank last nationally in assists, averaging 8.1 on 21.9 field goals.

ABOUT TULSA (5-4): Senior forward Junior Etou leads the Golden Hurricane with 17.3 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 52.2 percent from the 3-point line. Junior guard Sterling Taplin adds 12.9 points and 4.0 assists while Jeffries - who was shooting 62.1 percent from the floor before the injury - was the team's third-leading scorer. Igbanu (7.1 points, 4.6 rebounds) had 10 points and seven rebounds in his first start Saturday in place of Jeffries.

TIP-INS

1. Tulsa has outrebounded each of its last three opponents by double digits (for a plus-16.7 average) after being minus-4.5 through its first six games.

2. The Golden Hurricane are 3-1 this season when Etou scores at least 20 points.

3. Hamilton has scored in double figures in 16 consecutive games dating back to last season.

PREDICTION: Tulsa 78, Prairie View A&M 62

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Valparaiso vs. Northwestern Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/13/2017

Northwestern looks to build on a historic win when it hosts Valparaiso on Thursday. The Wildcats held Chicago State to eight first-half points en route to a 96-31 win to claim their largest margin of victory in program history, and they hope the blowout serves as a catalyst for a turnaround following an underwhelming start to the season.

"We're trying to regain our defensive identity that's been such a staple of our program," Northwestern coach Chris Collins told reporters. "Got a great test ahead of us on Thursday as I have a lot of respect for Valpo and who they are as a program and a team." The Wildcats have won three straight meetings with the Crusaders, but the teams haven't faced off since 1979. Valparaiso has dropped back-to-back games after starting the season with eight consecutive victories and is coming off a 71-70 setback to Ball State on a 3-pointer in the final seconds on Saturday. The Crusaders have lost six straight games to Big Ten opponents since the start of 2012-13, including an 80-50 defeat to No. 17 Purdue last week, and hope for a resume-building victory by beating a Power 5 opponent on the road for the first time since Nov. 22, 2015.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

ABOUT VALPARAISO (8-2): Joe Burton buried four 3-pointers en route to a team-high 17 points in the loss to Ball State to finish in double figures for the second straight game after being limited to a combined eight points in his previous three outings. Bakari Evelyn added 14 points and six assists while Max Joseph contributed eight points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Tevonn Walker, who leads the Crusaders in scoring (16.4) and rebounding (4.8), missed the loss to the Cardinals due to illness but is likely to play on Thursday.

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (6-4): Vic Law went 7-of-7 from the foul line en route to 18 points to lead five players in double figures as the 65-point margin of victory over Chicago State bested the Wildcats' previous mark of 57 set in 1944. Aaron Falzon added a season-high 15 points while Dererk Pardon added 13 points and eight rebounds as Northwestern forced 25 turnovers against the Cougars. Freshman forward Rapolas Ivanauskas, who appeared in three games this season, will miss the rest of the campaign after having surgery on his shoulder earlier in the week.

TIP-INS

1. Northwestern has held opponents to an average of 55 points over its last five games.

2. Wildcats G Bryant McIntosh is ranked fifth nationally in free-throw percentage (96.2).

3. Walker has scored 22 or more points in three games this season.

PREDICTION: Northwestern 71, Valparaiso 65

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Texas Southern vs. Baylor Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/13/2017

No. 21 Baylor hopes to have a more complete lineup put together when it continues a long homestand against winless Texas Southern on Thursday. The Bears dressed just six scholarship players in a 105-82 win over NCCAA school Randall on Saturday.

Leading scorer Manu Lecomte (finger) was among those who was rested, along with freshman forward Mark Vital (hamstring), as Baylor won its second straight since a two-game slide. "The last couple of years we've been really blessed," coach Scott Drew told reporters after the win. "We haven't had many injuries or illnesses or season-ending stuff. I think they all added up and came this year. The good thing is we've still only lost two (games) and we'll get people back." The Tigers of the SWAC are one of seven teams in the country without a victory, but the record may be deceiving as they've played an exceptionally challenging nonconference slate that includes single-digit losses to Washington State, Clemson and Oregon. They've dropped 10 straight at Baylor, including an 89-63 setback last season.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN (0-9): Senior Donte Clark led four players in double figures with 17 points in the 74-68 loss to Oregon on Monday. He averages 17.3 points per game, second on the team to 5-foot-7 sophomore Demontrae Jefferson, who scored at least 20 points in each of his first six games before being held to 16 on 5-of-21 shooting versus the Ducks. Junior Trayvon Reed, listed at 7-foot-2, nearly averages a double-double with 10.1 points and 9.7 rebounds, and he is the only player among the Tigers' top five scorers making better than 40 percent of his shots (62.7).

ABOUT BAYLOR (7-2): Senior Nuni Omot took advantage of the opportunity to fill in some gaps and scored a career-high 30 points in Saturday's win, making 6-of-8 3-pointers. Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., a 7-footer from Australia, chipped in 19 points and 16 rebounds for his fifth double-double, and junior guard King McClure added 23 points. Lual-Acuil had a double-double in last season's meeting with the Tigers, while Lecomte had 14 points and seven assists.

TIP-INS

1. Baylor G Tyson Jolly, who didn't play in the team's first six games, had 10 assists and eight rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench against Randall.

2. Clark is averaging 22.7 points over his last three games.

3. Bears F Terry Matson (hand), who averages 11.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, has missed three straight games and is not expected back until January.

PREDICTION: Baylor 85, Texas Southern 73

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Santa Clara vs. USC Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/13/2017

With five starters back from a team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 and won a school-record 26 games, USC came into the season well-positioned for another deep run in March. Instead, the Trojans will be trying to snap an early three-game losing streak when they host Santa Clara on Thursday night.

USC, which was ranked as high as No. 10 after opening the season with four straight victories, comes into the game with the Broncos unranked and looking to end the school's longest nonconference slide since 2012. Granted, all three losses were to quality opponents -- No. 10 Texas A&M (75-59), at revenge-minded SMU (72-55), which lost to the Trojans in the NCAA Tourney last season, and No. 24 Oklahoma (85-83). Each defeat featured second-half offensive droughts by a team that returned 98 percent of its scoring, but head coach Andy Enfield saw some light at the end of the tunnel in last Friday's loss to the Sooners when it rallied from a 59-41 deficit and had a chance to win it at the end. "We finally looked like the offense we expected to be," Enfield said after Jordan McLaughlin missed a potential game-winning half-court heave at the buzzer. "We came out and played the kind of USC basketball we've been waiting for. ... They never gave up. Sometimes they didn't play as well as they should. Or could. But they have a lot of heart."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network


ABOUT SANTA CLARA (3-6): The Broncos come in off a 87-84 home loss to Portland State, which made its final 16 field goal attempts. Junior guard KJ Feagin leads the team in scoring (18.9) and assists (3.3) and is shooting 40.0 percent from 3-point range. Henry Caruso, a grad transfer from Princeton, is second in scoring (13.2) and leads the team in rebounding (7.3) while Matt Hauser (11.4) and Josip Vrankic (11.1) also average in double figures.

ABOUT USC (4-3): Chimezie Metu, an athletic 6-foot-11 junior forward who is considered a potential NBA lottery pick, leads the team in scoring (15.6), rebounding (8.1) and blocks (2.0). Bennie Boatwright is second in scoring (14.6), rebounding (7.9) and blocks (1.6) but has struggled with his outside shot, connecting on just 12-of-43 3-pointers (27.9 percent). McLaughlin (14.4) and Elijah Stewart (11.4), who recently scored his 1,000th career point, also are averaging in double figures.


TIP-INS

1. Metu has as many blocks (14) as Santa Clara's entire team.

2. McLaughlin picked up his 500th career assist in the Oklahoma loss and leads the Pac-12 in assists (6.3) and ranks second in steals (2.3).

3. USC leads the all-time series 22-8 and won the last meeting, 86-73, on Nov. 15, 2010.


PREDICTION: USC 86, Santa Clara 78

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Thursday, December 14

Valparaiso @ Northwestern

Game 511-512
December 14, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Valparaiso
55.232
Northwestern
68.687
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Northwestern
by 13 1/2
134
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Northwestern
by 9
141 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Northwestern
(-9); Under

Santa Clara @ USC

Game 513-514
December 14, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Santa Clara
49.557
USC
70.612
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
USC
by 21
150
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
USC
by 16 1/2
141
Dunkel Pick:
USC
(-16 1/2); Over

South Dakota @ Northern Arizona

Game 515-516
December 14, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
South Dakota
53.224
Northern Arizona
44.769
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
South Dakota
by 8 1/2
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
South Dakota
by 13 1/2
145 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Northern Arizona
(+13 1/2); Over

Texas Southern @ Baylor

Game 517-518
December 14, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas Southern
48.638
Baylor
66.642
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baylor
by 18
147
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baylor
by 20
No Total
Dunkel Pick:
Texas Southern
(+20); N/A

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAB

Thursday, December 14

Northwestern is 6-4 vs schedule #155; they haven’t won consecutive games in over a month. Wildcats are #40 experience team that is 1-4 vs top 100 teams, with only win over Illinois in OT two weeks ago. Northwestern is forcing turnovers 21.6% of time. Valparaiso lost its last couple games after an 8-0 start; Crusaders are #258 experience team that has played schedule #213- they’re 1-2 in true road games, with only win at #315 SI-Edwardsville. Valpo lost at Purdue by 30, in their only game vs a Big 14 team this season.

Santa Clara is 2-5 vs D-I teams (schedule #344), with an additional loss to a D-II team; their only wins are vs teams ranked #337/348. Teams have shot 45.7% on arc vs Broncos so far this season. Santa Clara lost by 30 at home to Nevada, in their only top 100 game so far. USC lost its last three games after a 4-0 start, but all three losses are to top 30 teams; Trojans are playing without Melton, one of their best guys- USC’s bench is #305 in minutes played. Pac-12 teams are 22-21 vs spread as non-conference home favorites. WCC road underdogs are 8-8.

South Dakota is 9-3 vs schedule #271; they’re 2-2 in true road games, with wins by 9 at Bowling Green, 9 at UMKC- the losses were at top 20 teams (TCU/Duke). Coyotes are forcing turnovers 21.7% of time. Northern Arizona is 1-7 vs D-I teams with a loss to an NAIA team; Lumberjacks are 0-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 34-35-22 points. NAU is turning ball over 27.2% of time, worst in while country- they’re shooting only 28.7% on arc. Summit League favorites are 3-2 vs spread away from home; Big Sky home underdogs are 3-1.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAB

Thursday, December 14

Trend Report

This source is showing "no trends to report" for all of today's matchups.