Friday 2-2-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Pelicans vs. Thunder Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
The Oklahoma City Thunder have dropped consecutive games following a season-high eight-game winning streak. The Thunder look to start a new run in Friday's home game, one night after suffering a last-second 127-124 road loss to the Denver Nuggets.

A defensive breakdown led to Denver's Gary Harris sinking the game-winning 3-pointer in a contest that saw Oklahoma City All-Stars Paul George (season-high 43 points) and Russell Westbrook (20 points, season-best 21 assists) have big offensive performances. Westbrook lost track of Harris on the decisive play and then shoved a taunting fan who came on the court - "they can't come on the floor, that's totally unacceptable," Westbrook told reporters. The Pelicans have lost both games since All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury and now have a tough road back-to-back with the Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. New Orleans made a move Thursday by acquiring forward Nikola Mirotic from the Chicago Bulls for center Omer Asik and guards Tony Allen and Jameer Nelson as well as a 2018 first-round draft pick.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, FS Oklahoma

ABOUT THE PELICANS (27-23): Mirotic requested a trade earlier this season after being punched in the face by teammate Bobby Portis and missing the first 23 games, and he finally got his wish granted. The 26-year-old has played well since his return with career-best averages of 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds and had his $12.5 million option for next season picked up by New Orleans as a condition of the deal. I'm really happy about it," Mirotic told reporters after the trade, "and I just want to keep enjoying this moment because this is the best moment I've felt in the NBA and it's kind of really fun for me."

ABOUT THE THUNDER (30-22): George was 19-of-26 from the field against the Nuggets and his fifth 3-pointer of the contest tied the score with 1.4 seconds left. He is meshing well with Westbrook and is averaging 30 points over the past seven games, topping 25 six times during the stretch. Westbrook's 20-20 outing was his second in the past seven games and he is averaging 28.9 points during the stretch, including a season-high 46 points against the Washington Wizards on Jan. 25.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Thunder have won four consecutive home meetings with the Pelicans.

2. New Orleans All-Star PF Anthony Davis had 36 points and 15 rebounds in a 114-107 victory over Oklahoma City on Nov. 20.

3. Slumping Oklahoma City F Carmelo Anthony is averaging 14.8 points on 37 percent shooting over the past six games.

PREDICTION: Thunder 116, Pelicans 111

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Warriors vs. Kings Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
The Golden State Warriors lay an egg every once in a while on the road, and Tuesday was one of those times when the defending champs fell flat on their faces. The Warriors will try to move past a 30-point loss to a sub-.500 team when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

Golden State allowed the Utah Jazz to shoot 58.2 percent from the floor and went 5-of-25 from 3-point range on the other end in a 129-99 loss. "I think our guys will tell you that was a pathetic effort out there," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "That was disgusting basketball. We just didn't start out the game with any force defensively. We weren't staying into bodies, they were just stopping behind screens, we were lazy on our switches. We played with no sense of urgency, no sense of purpose, and they're obviously fighting for the playoffs." Golden State has yet to drop consecutive games this season but will be going up a Kings squad that won three of its last four to close out a solid road trip. The Kings finished up the six-game trip with a 114-103 win at New Orleans on Tuesday and are getting strong play from a pair of veterans who were being pushed to the side.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, NBCS Bay Area (Golden State), NBCS California (Sacramento)

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (40-11): All-Star Stephen Curry was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for January and then went out in the final game of the month at Utah and slumped to 4-of-13 from the floor, including 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. "I asked Draymond (Green) on the bench in the fourth quarter if he could remember that bad of a performance that we've had in recent memory, and we really can't," Curry told reporters. "You can't just show up, especially on the road, and expect to win. That's kind of cheating the game." Curry was coming off a performance against Boston on Saturday in which he exploded for 49 points and went 8-of-13 from beyond the arc.

ABOUT THE KINGS (16-34): Sacramento made the decision last month to give its veterans days off in order to open more playing time for younger players, but injuries to some of those young players in the frontcourt are keeping Zach Randolph and Kosta Koufos on the floor. Randolph led the way with 26 points in Tuesday's win at New Orleans while Koufos collected 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. "We've all shown we can play in this league for a long time," Koufos told the Sacramento Bee. "For us though, right now when we get an opportunity, we're playing hard and I give credit to all the vets. They're being very professional with the situation. And the young guys, they're getting healthy and working hard so it's our responsibility, whenever we get time, help the team win."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Warriors SF Kevon Looney (illness) sat out Tuesday and is day-to-day.

2. Kings F Skal Labissiere (shoulder) will miss the next two weeks while C Willie Cauley-Stein (knee) could return from a two-game absence on Friday.

3. Sacramento earned a 110-106 win at Golden State on Nov. 27.

PREDICTION: Warriors 125, Kings 103

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Capitals vs. Penguins Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins have picked up speed in their respective bids to distance themselves from the rest of the teams in the congested Metropolitan Division. The first-place Capitals carry an 8-2-2 mark in their last 12 contests into Friday's tilt versus the Penguins, who have won eight of their last 10 and are attempting to complete a perfect four-game homestand.

Chandler Stephenson doubled his season total in goals after scoring twice in a 47-second span and T.J. Oshie ended a 13-game goal drought on Wednesday as Washington overcame an early two-goal deficit to post a 5-3 victory over Philadelphia. "It's been a while," said the 31-year-old Oshie, who also joined Stephenson in finding the back of the net in the Capitals' 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Nov. 10. Sidney Crosby could echo a similar thought on a much smaller scale, as the Penguins' superstar captain has failed in his quest to net his 400th career goal in each of his last six contests. Crosby, however, had an assist in Tuesday's 5-2 win over San Jose to extend his point streak to 10 games (three goals, 17 assists) while fellow former Hart Trophy recipient Evgeni Malkin was named NHL First Star of the Month for January after upping his point total to 23 (14 goals, nine assists) in his past 15 games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, TVAS, NBCS Washington, AT&T Sportsnet-Pittsburgh

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (30-15-5): Defenseman John Carlson and Lars Eller each notched two assists versus the Flyers, increasing the former's point total to 13 (four goals, nine assists) in his past 12 games while the latter has eight points (five goals, three assists) in his past nine. Carlson resides at the 40-point plateau for the second time in his career and likely is driving up his asking price as he skates toward unrestricted free agency. The 28-year-old scored and set up a goal in the more recent meeting with Pittsburgh and notched three assists in as many encounters versus the club last season.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (28-21-3): Conor Sheary's time on the top line has hit a snag as the 25-year-old is now considered week-to-week after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Sharks. "Conor is a really good player, he's not an easy guy to replace," coach Mike Sullivan said following Thursday's practice. "... But certainly we have capable people. We have capable guys that we can plug in that give us an opportunity to continue to win games." Bryan Rust is one such possibility as the 25-year-old has five points (two goals, three assists) in his past four contests, albeit with an 11-game absence due to an upper-body injury included in that stretch.

OVERTIME

1. Washington has allowed the first goal in eight straight games.

2. Pittsburgh F Carter Rowney returned to practice on Thursday after missing the last 11 contests with an upper-body injury.

3. The Capitals are 6-for-15 on the power play in the last four outings after going 1-for-14 in the previous four.

PREDICTION: Capitals 4, Penguins 3

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Sharks vs. Blue Jackets Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
The San Jose Sharks have not won since veteran center Joe Thornton suffered a serious knee injury, a streak they hope to end when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night. It's the third stop of a five-game road trip for San Jose, which has lost a season-high four in a row after dropping a back-to-back at Pittsburgh and Detroit.

Thornton was hurt in an overtime loss to Winnipeg on Jan. 23 and the Sharks have dropped the next three without him, tightening up the race for second place in the Pacific Division. "We've played three games without (Thornton) and we've lost all three and gotten one point. That has to stop now," San Jose forward Logan Couture said. "He's a great player but we've got to find a way to start winning hockey games without him." Columbus is also coming off a shootout defeat -- 3-2 at home to Minnesota -- and has failed to score more than two goals in regulation for the 10th time in the last 11 games. "A big part of winning in the league is the will," coach John Tortorella said after Wednesday's practice. "That's been very inconsistent in our game. And I know it's there. I've seen it there. We just need to get back to it consistently."

ABOUT THE SHARKS (26-16-8): Goaltender Martin Jones was among the players who said they have to "step up" in Thornton's absence, and he did his part by making a season-high 43 saves against Detroit. Jones has struggled through an erratic, injury-plagued campaign, but coach Peter DeBoer said he has no concerns about him entering the stretch run. "I don't even think that's a question," DeBoer said. "I think he's going to do that. I think we're going to get great goaltending the whole second half here."

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (27-19-4): Columbus still has the league's worst power play at 14.1 percent, although there has been an uptick in production with six goals in 19 chances over the past eight games. "That was a big part of our game last year," Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones said at Thursday's practice. "Our power play won us a lot of games last year, and we need to get to that (level)." Artemi Panarin, who scored in regulation and the shootout Tuesday, has five points in five games versus San Jose.

OVERTIME

1. Blue Jackets G Sergei Bobrovsky is 5-4-2 with a 2.53 goals-against average versus San Jose.

2. Sharks D Brent Burns had his seven-game point streak stopped in Detroit despite a season-high nine shots on goal.

3. Blue Jackets F Boone Jenner has been hold off the scoresheet in 11 straight games.

PREDICTION: Sharks 3, Blue Jackets 2

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Red Wings vs. Hurricanes Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
The Carolina Hurricanes have won three straight games to move into a virtual tie for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and hope to keep climbing when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. The Hurricanes have allowed a total of one goal in their last two wins, including Thursday's 2-0 triumph over Montreal in the second contest of their eight-game homestand.

Brock McGinn and defenseman Brett Pesce scored in the latest victory for the Hurricanes, who have not reached the playoffs since losing to Pittsburgh in the 2009 conference finals. The Red Wings are trying to stay afloat in the playoff race, earning points in three of their last four games (2-1-1) after losing four of the previous five. Detroit, which starts a stretch during which it plays six of eight on the road, received another strong performance from Petr Mrazek on Wednesday and registered a season-high 44 shots in a 2-1 shootout victory over visiting San Jose. "I told the team that was a glaring area that had to get better," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill told reporters. "I think (we were) ranked 30th or something in shots per game. You don't need to be first or second in that stat, but you can't be 30th."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS Carolinas

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (20-21-8): Mrazek, who has sat behind Jimmy Howard most of the season, has allowed a total of five goals in his last five games (3-1-1) and is expected to get another start on Friday. "I just think (Mrazek) feels confident right now," Blashill told reporters. "When he is at his best, when he's confident like that, he is a really, really good goalie." Defenseman Trevor Daley scored the only goal in Wednesday's victory, his second in three games, while leading scorer Dylan Larkin (38 points) has been kept off the scoresheet in three straight contests and Gustav Nyquist (23) is pointless in his last six.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (24-19-8): Veteran Justin Williams notched an assist Thursday, giving him six points in his last six games as he ranks third on the team with 33. Teuvo Teravainen (40 points) and fellow Finn Sebastian Aho (38), who has scored four of his team-leading 17 goals in the last six contests, also have been major contributors for Carolina - which is 11-for-35 on the power play over its last 11 games. Cam Ward (15-6-2) has played each of the last two contests for the Hurricanes, who could give Scott Darling (9-13-6, .892 save percentage) his first start since he allowed three goals on eight shots against Vegas on Jan. 21.

OVERTIME

1. The Hurricanes posted a 3-1 victory on Jan. 20 in Detroit as Elias Lindholm recorded a pair of goals.

2. Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg, who has notched one point in his last six games, is one power-play goal shy of 100 for his career.

3. Carolina C Victor Rask has registered a goal and three assists - including one on Thursday - while posting a plus-4 rating over his last three games.

PREDICTION: Hurricanes 3, Red Wings 2

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Golden Knights vs. Wild Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
The Minnesota Wild have been dominant at home this season and hope to continue the trend when they host the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. Minnesota owns a 17-4-4 record at Xcel Energy Center and carries a nine-game home point streak (7-0-2) into the matchup against the surprising expansion team.

The Wild, who are six points out of third place in the Central Division and part of a crowded pack that is battling for wild-card spots in the West, went 5-0-2 in their own building in January and haven't lost there in regulation since dropping a 3-2 decision to Edmonton on Dec. 16. Minnesota has earned points in nine of its last 11 overall contests (7-2-2) after Zach Parise tallied in the fourth round of the shootout at Columbus on Tuesday for a 3-2 triumph. Vegas owns a 12-point lead in the Pacific Division after edging Winnipeg 3-2 in overtime on Thursday for its third straight road victory and second on its six-game trek. David Perron scored the winner and also set up a goal, giving him four tallies and six assists during his seven-game point streak as the Golden Knights moved to 4-0-1 in their last five away from home.

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

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (34-12-4): Perron is not the only member of the team wielding a hot stick, as Erik Haula is riding a four-game goal-scoring streak and a seven-game point run during which he has collected four tallies and five assists. The 26-year-old Haula, who spent the first four seasons of his career with Minnesota, needs one goal to reach 20 for the first time in the NHL. Reilly Smith has scored in each of the first two games of the road trip after being kept off the scoresheet in six consecutive contests.

ABOUT THE WILD (27-18-5): Jason Zucker reached the 20-goal plateau for the third time in four seasons - and his career - on Tuesday, forging a tie with All-Star Eric Staal for the team lead. The 26-year-old left wing, who is two tallies away from matching the career high he set last season, has scored in five of his last six contests and is riding a seven-game point streak during which he has collected five goals and two assists. Nino Niederreiter, who needs two goals to reach 100 for his career, is expected to return Friday after missing eight games with a lower-body injury.

OVERTIME

1. Wild D Ryan Suter's next assist will be his 400th in the NHL.

2. Vegas' win on Thursday was its 34th of the season, setting a new record for an expansion team.

3. Minnesota has earned points in 17 of its last 18 home games (14-1-3).

PREDICTION: Wild 3, Golden Knights 2

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Rhode Island vs. VCU Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
The old saying is that it is better to be lucky than good, but in the case of No. 21 Rhode Island, which plays an Atlantic 10 game Friday at VCU, it is better to be both. Rhode Island went down early and then had to hang on late in Tuesday's victory against Massachusetts and will need to post its first road win against VCU to reach 14 straight victories.

After winning seven of its first 11 league games by double digits, Rhode Island has now been pushed to the brink in back-to-back games, this time by the Minutemen, who it beat by 22 points two weeks earlier. "Our lack of defensive focus early kind of got them going," coach Dan Hurley told the media following the 85-83 victory. "We had a chance to win that one comfortably, up 14 late in the game. That's on me." Jeff Dowtin had the best game of his young career with 19 points and 10 assists and the sophomore is averaging seven assists in Atlantic 10 games for Rhode Island, who have won 18 straight league games and 10 in a row on the road. Justin Tillman has averaged 18.2 points and 9.7 rebounds for VCU and coach Mike Rhoades' team has won three straight games, including back-to-back road wins.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT RHODE ISLAND (18-3, 10-0 Atlantic 10): Re-establishing their perimeter defense will be critical for the Rams if they hope to push their win streak to 14 straight, which would the longest in team history since 1939-40. After holding seven of their first eight league opponents to less than 29 percent shooting from beyond the arc, Rhode Island permitted Duquesne and UMass to make a combined 13-of-25 from deep. The Rams will need to be on the lookout for VCU's De'Riante Jenkins, who his third in the A-10 in 3-point shooting at 43.7 percent.

ABOUT VCU (14-8, 6-3): Registering double-doubles is commonplace for Tillman, who has had 18 in his last 30 conference games, but Khris Lane got into the act for the first time this season during Saturday's win over George Mason. The 6-7 senior forward, who had six double-doubles last season while averaging 17.1 points and 7.3 rebounds at Longwood, had 25 points and 12 rebounds, both season highs, against George Mason. "I think going all the way back to GW (George Washington), the minutes I played, I played well," Lane, who has averaged 8.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 15.6 minutes, told the media. "That was kind of the trampoline."

TIP-INS

1. The 18-game league win streak for Rhode Island is tied with George Washington for the fourth-longest in A-10 history behind Saint Joseph's (21) and Temple (25, 27).

2. Led by five such games from Jared Terrell and three from E.C. Matthews, Rhode Island has had a 20-point scorer in each of the past nine contests.

3. Though it has won the last two meetings with VCU, including a 70-63 victory in the A-10 tournament final last season, Rhode Island is 0-5 in road games and 4-6 overall in the series.

PREDICTION: Rhode Island 76, VCU 71

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Utah vs. Colorado Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
Neighboring Pac-12 rivals Utah and Colorado are fighting to escape the mid-conference pack as they meet Friday night in Boulder. After winning three of their last four, the Runnin' Utes are sitting sixth in the Pac-12 at 5-5 while the Buffaloes are ninth at 4-6 following three straight setbacks.


Utah came within a point of upending No. 9 Arizona on Saturday after erasing a 13-point second-half deficit on the road, but in the end saw its win streak end at three. "I think what I took away from this week that we're definitely getting better," Utes freshman forward Donnie Tillman told the Salt Lake Tribune on Saturday. "Defensively as a team, we're putting it together. We're all healthy, and we're just going to try to get some big wins. ... Let's finish out the Pac-12 league (schedule) with a winning record." Colorado has the same goal in mind, and is looking to get a jump-start when it tips off a three-game homestand with Friday's contest. "(It's a) key stretch, no doubt," Buffaloes coach Tad Boyle told the media at practice earlier this week. "And you can't win all of them unless you win the next one. That's all we have to concentrate on, is how do we beat Utah."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1


ABOUT UTAH (13-8, 5-5 Pac-12): Junior guard Sedrick Barefield has played a leading role in the Utes' mid-season surge, averaging 19 points on 58.6 percent shooting over the last three games. Barefield hit 8-of-12 shots and scored a season-high 26 against Arizona to up his season average to 11.7 points per game. Guard Justin Bibbins (14.0 points), and forwards David Collette (12.6) and Tyler Rawson (11.1) also are averaging double figures while Rawson (6.2 boards), 7-foot reserve Jayce Johnson (5.9) and Tillman (5.6) are the team's leading rebounders.

ABOUT COLORADO (12-10, 4-6): Two weeks ago, the Buffaloes stood 4-3 in the conference after posting four wins in a five-game stretch which included home victories over Arizona and Arizona State, but they've dropped three straight since, all by nine points or more. Senior swingman George King and freshman point guard McKinley Wright are averaging 14.3 points apiece to pace the Buffs while King is the team's leading rebounder, grabbing 8.2 per outing to rank third in the Pac-12. Guard Namon Wright (11.1 points) is the only other player averaging double digits for Colorado, which is putting up 69.6 points in Pac-12 play to rank ninth in the conference.


TIP-INS

1. Colorado leads the series 26-21, but Utah has won the last seven after notching 76-60 (home) and 86-81 (road) victories a season ago.

2. Bibbins has scored in double figures in 11 straight games and his 45.3 3-point shooting percentage ranks second in the Pac-12 and 17th nationally.

3. The Buffaloes figure to have the edge on the glass as they enter the contest with a 3.7 rebounding margin while Utah is at minus-0.6, but Colorado has had trouble taking care of the ball overall, ranking 11th in the conference with a minus-3.2 turnover margin.


PREDICTION: Colorado 74, Utah 72

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Mike Wynn

Free Play: Free Pick Milwaukee -4½ Over NY Knicks

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Free Selection from Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Comp Pick, Friday, February 2, 2017

2/02 05:05 PM PT / 8:05 PM ET

NBA (809) MIAMI HEAT VS (810) PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Take: UNDER

Reason: Your free play for Friday, February 2, 2018 is in the NBA scheduled contest between the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Heat have been a very good under team, evidenced by their 0-5 O/U mark their last five games, 6-20 O/U mark their last 26 Friday games, 16-36 O/U mark their last 52 road games vs a team with a winning record. The Sixers have had mixed results, but they are 2-5 O/U their last 7 games following a S/U or ATS loss. I like the UNDER here tonight.

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Jeff Allen Sports

Friday's Free Selection is on the Red Wings/Canes Under

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Razor Sharp

YOUR RAZOR SHARP FREE PICK FOR FRIDAY: Take YALE +7½ over Princeton

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Totals4U

Friday's Free Selection: Utah Jazz/Phoenix Suns under 210 1/2

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John Anthony Sports

Friday's Free Selection: Canisius - 7

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Atlantic Sports

Friday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: Columbus - 130