Tuesday 3-13-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The New York Knicks are one loss away from matching their longest slide of the season, and they don't appear ready to end it anytime soon. The Knicks will try to bounce back from another lopsided setback and snap their seven-game losing streak when they continue a five-game homestand against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

All five starters scored in double figures but New York offered no resistance on the other end of the floor in a 132-106 loss to Toronto on Sunday to begin the homestand, its third defeat of at least 20 points this month. "They drove by us," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek told reporters of the Raptors. "We weren't good on the ball. They got open looks and they made them. It's a challenge to keep a guy in front of you. You got to slide your feet, and it's not easy. They really attacked us on that end." The Mavericks had their first winning streak in two months come to an end at two games with Sunday's 105-82 loss to Houston at home. They play 10 of their final 15 games on the road, where they're 7-24.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (21-46): Standout rookie Dennis Smith Jr. returned from a one-game layoff due to a quadriceps injury but struggled against the Rockets, shooting 2-of-12 and missing all three of his 3-point tries. Meanwhile, fellow guard Wesley Matthews missed the contest due to a right leg injury suffered the night before against Memphis and is not expected to travel with the team to New York. Dwight Powell finished a point shy of his career high with 20 points against Houston on 9-of-11 shooting, and the Stanford product averages 13.3 points on 66.7 percent from the floor as a starter.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (24-43): New York tinkered with its starting lineup ahead of the matchup with Dallas, as center Enes Kanter (back) was given the day off and regular starter Courtney Lee came off the bench after being away from the team for personal reasons. Rookie Luke Kornet made the most of his first career start by scoring 18 points - more than in his previous seven games combined - on 7-of-15 shooting. Tim Hardaway Jr. continued his turnaround from a lengthy shooting slump by producing 25 points and he is averaging 23.5 over his last four contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Mavericks PF Dirk Nowitzki needs eight made field goals to become the eighth player in NBA history with 11,000.

2. Knicks SF Lance Thomas (thumb) missed Sunday's loss and is day-to-day.

3. Kanter had 13 points and 18 rebounds in 25 minutes to help New York pick up a 100-96 win at Dallas on Jan. 7.

PREDICTION: Knicks 105, Mavericks 102

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Charlotte Hornets vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The New Orleans Pelicans pushed their way up the Western Conference standings with 10 straight wins and are trying not to fall too far back after dropping back-to-back contests. The Pelicans will try to find the win column again and maintain a grip on the No. 4 spot in the West when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.

New Orleans watched its winning streak come to an end while superstar Anthony Davis (ankle) sat out a loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday and could not come up with a win even in Davis' return while falling to a team behind it in the standings -- the Utah Jazz -- on Sunday. "I think, during the win streak, we had a lot of resilience," Pelicans guard Ian Clark told the team's website. "We'd get down. Teams would make runs and we would be able to bounce back. The last two games we have been wavering there, but I think we can get back to it." New Orleans will have to get back to it against a Hornets team that snapped a five-game slide with a 122-115 win over the lowly Phoenix Suns on Saturday. Charlotte played its way out of playoff contention in the East during the slide and is kicking off a five-game road trip against the Pelicans.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Charlotte), FS New Orleans

ABOUT THE HORNETS (29-38): The Suns were playing without leading scorer Devin Booker, but Charlotte was happy to pick up any win. "Hey, so sometimes you just have to win a game," Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "How about that? That's what I told the guys. No, I mean it. You lose five in a row, and at the end of the day, why do they invent competition? Some guy can win; some guy can lose. ... We needed to win a game and we won a game, so that's it. That's how I feel. It's what I'm saying and I'm sticking with it. How about that?" Dwight Howard led the way with 30 points and 12 rebounds in the win -- his second 30-point outburst in the last three games.

ABOUT THE PELICANS (38-28): Davis turned in a triple-double on Sunday with 25 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks but was in no mode to talk about his individual success after the loss. "It doesn't matter," Davis told reporters. "We lost, so I don't really care about any career high or anything like that. We lost." New Orleans entered Monday tied with two other teams for the No. 4 spot but is just 1 1/2 games ahead of a trio of teams tied for the No. 8 spot and is staring at a three-game stretch against San Antonio, Houston and Boston after finishing up with Charlotte.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hornets C Cody Zeller (knee) sat out Saturday and is questionable for Tuesday.

2. Pelicans PF Nikola Mirotic totaled 13 points in the last two games after averaging 16.8 during the winning streak.

3. New Orleans took the last three in the series, including a 101-96 win at Charlotte on Jan. 24.

PREDICTION: Pelicans 119, Hornets 106

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Chicago Bulls Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The weekend failed to provide any real separation in the Western Conference, and the Los Angeles Clippers are teetering on the edge of the top eight. The Clippers will try to take advantage of an opponent sliding to the bottom of the standings when they visit the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game road trip.

Los Angeles entered play on Monday in a virtual three-way tie for the No. 8 spot but was also sitting just 1 1/2 games behind three teams tied for No. 4. "Tough games, every game," Clippers coach Doc Rivers told reporters of the upcoming road trip, which includes stops at Houston and Oklahoma City after Chicago. "We've just got to keep our focus. We've got to keep the one-game-at-a-time mantra, which we've kept all year." The Bulls are more focused on the bigger picture but are winners of three of their last five games, with all three wins coming against teams below them in the standings. Chicago placed seven scorers in double figures and handed out 31 assists in a 129-122 win at Atlanta on Sunday.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), NBCS Chicago

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (36-29): Los Angeles is tinkering with its lineups due to injury and ineffectiveness but still picked up wins in 11 of the last 15 games. Lou Williams moved into the starting lineup for the last two games, bumping Wesley Johnson to the bench, and scored 25 points to lead the way in Saturday's 113-105 win over Orlando. "Again, I have a great group," Rivers told reporters. "Every night we can change the lineups. Nobody complains. Everybody is always ready. Certain nights some guys play, other guys don't play, and no one cares. They just want to win and that's why we're winning games."

ABOUT THE BULLS (23-43): Chicago continues to give opportunities to young players on the roster and gave rookie Antonio Blakeney his longest run since November with 19 minutes on Sunday. The LSU product responded with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and impressed his teammates. "He brought a lot of scoring, a lot of confidence, a lot of swag," Bulls forward Bobby Portis told the team's website of Blakeney. "He's a guy that is very confident in his game. He's a great scorer. He can score with the best of them. I always see him at the gym late nights and early mornings. I'm happy to see it pay off for him. It's fun basketball, playing for each other, making each other better. It's fun when you win, but it's always fun seeing your teammates smiling and happy when you're playing, too."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Portis scored 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting Sunday after being held to two points on 1-of-10 at Detroit on Friday.

2. Clippers C DeAndre Jordan is averaging 19.2 rebounds in five games this month.

3. Los Angeles took the last four in the series, including a 113-103 home win on Feb. 3.

PREDICTION: Clippers 108, Bulls 99

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Detroit Pistons vs. Utah Jazz Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Utah Jazz can't seem to lose a game, but they also can't seem to make up any ground in a tight Western Conference race. The Jazz will try to win their seventh straight and 19th in the last 21 games when they host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

Utah entered Monday in a virtual three-way tie for the No. 8 spot in the West, 1 1/2 games behind a trio of teams tied for No. 4, and it just finished sweeping a three-game road trip by trouncing a team above it in the standings -- the New Orleans Pelicans, 116-99. "Of course, we pay attention," Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio told reporters of the standings, "but we don't have to worry about it. We know that our game has taken another level, and we believe that we can make it just being us." Utah is beginning a four-game homestand against teams with losing records versus the Pistons, who have been off since snapping a four-game slide with a 99-83 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday. Detroit is sitting in the No. 9 spot in the East but entered play on Monday five games behind the eighth-place Milwaukee Bucks with 16 games left in the regular season.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah)

ABOUT THE PISTONS (30-36): Detroit dropped 10 of its last 13 games to fall off the pace in the postseason race and is beginning a six-game trip at Utah. "This time of year, you take any win, however you can get it," Pistons forward Blake Griffin told reporters after beating the Bulls. "Any time, any place, anywhere. So that's a good win." Griffin is doing his part to drag the Pistons out of their funk and is averaging 28 points on 50.6 percent shooting over the last four games.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (37-30): Utah is trying to avoid the temptation to dwell on what the other teams around it in the standings are doing and just concentrate on winning. "Winning feels good: You don't need another reward," Rubio told reporters. "It's a win, you go home and you feel good about yourself and feel you did a good job. That's why we're doing what we're doing." Rubio collected 30 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists on Sunday in his second consecutive points-rebounds double-double.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pistons SF Reggie Bullock was in a car accident over the weekend and is day-to-day.

2. Pelicans PG Raul Neto suffered a fractured wrist on Sunday and will miss at least two weeks.

3. Utah earned a 98-95 overtime win at Detroit on Jan. 24.

PREDICTION: Jazz 109, Pistons 98

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Phoenix Suns Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Cleveland Cavaliers are reeling from back-to-back 14-point losses in Los Angeles as they arrive in Phoenix and aim to defeat the Suns for the sixth straight time on Tuesday. Cleveland allowed an average of 121.5 points in setbacks against the Clippers and Lakers and has dropped four of its last six games.

The Cavaliers opened a six-game road excursion with a win in Denver but continue to experience matchup issues in the interior with power forward Kevin Love (broken left hand) and center Tristan Thompson (sprained right ankle) sidelined. "I think the rebounding hurts us," Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said after Sunday's 127-113 loss to the Lakers. "I think the physicality on the block. Not having as many bigs, having to double team the post a lot and scramble around, but that's what we have to do right now, so, no excuses." Phoenix has far worse issues than the Cavaliers as it has endured five straight losses and 20 in its last 22 games. Shooting guard Devin Booker (triceps) sat out Saturday's 122-115 loss to the Charlotte Hornets and his availability may not be decided until Tuesday.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cleveland), FS Arizona (Phoenix)

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (38-28): Forward LeBron James said, "I will never accept a loss, it is not in my DNA," after Sunday's defeat but he also expressed similar sentiments than those of Lue about the shortage of players. "At the end of the day, you have to make the most with whoever is on the floor and get the most from whoever is playing but sometimes you can't overcome the injuries we have," James told reporters. "It is next man up and sometimes you fall short." Forward Cedi Osman (hip flexor, expected to miss two weeks) and swingman Rodney Hood (back) were injured was in Friday's loss to the Clippers and the Cavaliers hope to get Hood back against the Suns.

ABOUT THE SUNS (19-49): Phoenix made 18-of-32 3-point attempts and played well offensively in the loss to the Hornets, especially considering Booker (25.3 average), forward TJ Warren (19.7) and rookie swingman Josh Jackson (11.5) were all out of the lineup. Warren missed the last two games because of a lower back sprain while Jackson was held out Saturday due to a left knee injury after being 2-of-14 shooting over the previous two games. Power forward Dragan Bender showed some life with 16 points against Charlotte after 10 consecutive single-digit efforts.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. James averaged 24.5 points, 9.5 assists and 8.5 rebounds as the Cavaliers won both of last season's meetings.

2. Cleveland PF Larry Nance Jr. recorded 16 points and eight rebounds against the Lakers and has seven straight double-digit scoring performances.

3. Phoenix backup SG Troy Daniels made five 3-pointers against Charlotte, marking the eighth time this season he has made five or more.

PREDICTION: Cavaliers 115, Suns 108

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
If the Denver Nuggets are going to make the playoffs, they will have to perform well on the road. The Nuggets begin a closing stretch loaded with road games when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in the rematch of a recent chippy affair in Denver.

The Nuggets finished off a 2-1 homestand with a 130-104 rout of Sacramento on Sunday and remain tied with two other teams in the race for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, but they play 10 of their final 15 contests on the road, where they are 11-20. "It's great when you can build the lead and sustain that lead," Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters after the win over the Kings. "We were able to do that tonight and obviously for what we have in mind, what our goals are, to be a playoff team, you need to do that." The Lakers fell 125-116 at Denver on Friday in a game that ended with coach Luke Walton yelling at Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, but they bounced back to coast past Cleveland on Sunday. Julius Randle scored 36 points on 14-of-18 shooting as Los Angeles improved to 15-7 in its last 22 games.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, Altitude (Denver), Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (37-30): Nikola Jokic notched his seventh triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the win over the Kings as Denver led by as many as 36 points. "Long overdue for a blowout like that," forward Paul Millsap told reporters after the Nuggets' most lopsided victory since Nov. 17. Gary Harris and Murray also hit the 20-point mark for Denver, which carries a 5-16 road record against conference opponents into the Staples Center.

ABOUT THE LAKERS (30-36): Los Angeles will be beginning a back-to-back that also involves a visit to Golden State on Wednesday and coach Luke Walton is electing to give standout forward Brandon Ingram - who has missed five straight games with a strained groin - both games off before he is re-evaluated. Randle is averaging 22.4 points with Ingram out and Brook Lopez has posted 21.2 points per game in the same stretch while making at least 10 field goals in each of the last three contests. "We're just connecting at both ends, and we're able to really establish the way that we want to play," Randle told the media. "It's been great."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Jokic is averaging 25.7 points over his last three games after posting an average of 7.3 over his previous three.

2. Lakers PG Lonzo Ball recorded his second career triple-double in the first meeting with the Nuggets at Los Angeles on Nov. 19, leading his team to a 127-109 victory.

3. The Lakers are 7-12 at home against the West.

PREDICTION: Lakers 121, Nuggets 119

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Washington Wizards Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Minnesota Timberwolves have struggled mightily away from home of late, while the Washington Wizards have found wins hard to come by at home. The two playoff hopefuls will try to reverse their respective trends when they match up Tuesday in the nation's capital.

The Timberwolves secured a big victory in their quest to end a long playoff drought by defeating Golden State 109-103 on Sunday at home to snap a three-game slide, but they are 1-9 in their last 10 road games and the lone victory came at lowly Sacramento. While Minnesota sits in the middle of a cluster of eight teams fighting for six playoff spots in the Western Conference, the Wizards are in fifth in the East but just a game out of third. They fell at Miami 129-102 on Saturday in the second half of a back-to-back - their fourth setback in the last six games - and return to Washington looking to put an end to a 2-5 swoon at Capital One Arena. "I'm disappointed," Wizards coach Scott Brooks told reporters in Miami. "I'm disappointed in myself. I'm disappointed in our guys. ... Not too many guys in the history of this game can go out and play the way we did tonight and have success. It's not acceptable."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS North (Minnesota), NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (39-29): Minnesota is 3-3 since losing All-Star guard Jimmy Butler to a knee injury and 1-0 since getting newly acquired Derrick Rose into the rotation, although the latter had just two points on 1-of-5 shooting in seven minutes against Golden State. "My wind was good," Rose told reporters of his first on-court action in over a month, which also included two quick turnovers, "but as far as rust, yeah, losing the ball, just not there yet." Karl-Anthony Towns shouldered the load with 31 points and 16 rebounds for his 57th double-double, five shy of the career high he set last season.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (38-29): Washington impressed in a victory at New Orleans on Friday before flying to Miami and it simply couldn't stick with the Heat after a competitive first 20 minutes. "It's definitely embarrassing," guard Jodie Meeks - who scored a season-high 23 points - told reporters. "There's no excuses for being tired." The Wizards receive two full days off before the matchup with the Timberwolves and - after visiting Boston on Wednesday - play just one game in the following six days for a total of three contests in 10 days.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Wizards SG Bradley Beal, who leads the team with 36.4 minutes per game, played under 30 minutes in back-to-back games for the first time since October.

2. Timberwolves SF Andrew Wiggins produced at least 21 points in six of the last seven contests.

3. Washington SF Otto Porter Jr. collected 22 points and eight rebounds in a 92-89 win at Minnesota on Nov. 28.

PREDICTION: Wizards 106, Timberwolves 104

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Indiana Pacers vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Indiana Pacers jumped into third place in the Eastern Conference with a win over the No. 2 Boston Celtics on Sunday but are still charging forward with five teams hot on their trail. The Pacers will try to hold off one of those five teams when they visit the sixth-place Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.

Indiana took advantage of a Celtics team that was missing All-Star Al Horford and lost another All-Star, point guard Kyrie Irving, during the game and just held on for a 99-97 win to open a stretch of four straight games against East playoff contenders. "It feels good, man," Pacers All-Star Victor Oladipo told reporters after knocking off Boston and jumping a half-game in front of the Cleveland Cavaliers for third place in the East. "Definitely a hard-fought win for us. Tough environment. Even though they had some guys out they still played well together. They're still well coached, so that's a great win for us. Just got to continue to keep getting better." The 76ers are sitting in sixth place in the East but are only two games behind Indiana after finishing up a four-game road trip with a 120-97 thrashing of the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. Philadelphia owns a 13-game winning streak on its homecourt and will play seven of its next nine games at the Wells Fargo Center.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, NBCS Philadelphia

ABOUT THE PACERS (39-28): Indiana center Myles Turner provided the go-ahead basket on Sunday by backing his defender down and is trying to show off his post skills. "It's big. Just knowing I can be trusted down there in the post," Turner told reporters. "I've been telling people, I tell this team, I've always had a post game. It's just something I never, I guess, utilized this season and season's past. But, I'm going to grow more and more confident down there. I know it's just the next step in my development." Turner averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds in the last two games and will be trying to record three straight double-doubles for the first time this season on Tuesday.

ABOUT THE 76ERS (36-29): Philadelphia went 2-2 on its four-game trip but was happy to close it out with a victory at Brooklyn. "Lately, we have been kind of up and down," 76ers center Joel Embiid, who scored 21 points in 26 minutes, told reporters, "but I'm glad we got a win tonight. We're trying to go to the playoffs, and you have to be able to go on the road and win games." Philadelphia is trying to climb into the No. 3 or 4 spot in the East to ensure homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs and will play 11 of the remaining 17 regular-season games at home.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pacers SG Bojan Bogdanovic went 4-of-5 from 3-point range on Sunday and is shooting 58.3 percent from beyond the arc over the last five games.

2. 76ers PF Dario Saric is averaging 20.5 points on 67.4 percent shooting over the last four contests.

3. The teams split the first two meetings, with Philadelphia grabbing a 121-110 win at home on Nov. 3.

PREDICTION: 76ers 113, Pacers 109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Toronto Raptors are beginning to gain some separation in the race for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Following a win over the New York Knicks in Manhattan, the Raptors take their eight-game winning streak to Brooklyn on Tuesday to face the Nets.

The 132-106 dismantling of the Knicks - coupled with a loss by the Boston Celtics - gave Toronto a season-high 3 1/2-game lead in the East with 16 to play, although two are against the Celtics. "We just want to hoop, man," All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan told reporters at Madison Square Garden following a rocky 4-for-16 shooting effort. "Every time we get an opportunity to hoop, we're going out there and doing what we know how to do and that's to play, whether if it's an early game, a late game, whatever it may be. No matter who we're playing." The Raptors have had no issues playing the Nets of late by winning 10 straight matchups, although they needed overtime to survive 114-113 in their most recent visit to Brooklyn on Jan. 8. The Nets opened a two-game homestand with a 23-point loss to Philadelphia on Sunday and remain tangled with five other teams near the bottom of the East.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN 1/4 (Toronto), YES (Brooklyn)

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (49-17): DeRozan can afford some down games more than most other stars due to the fact that Toronto's bench continues to dominate, outscoring the Knicks' reserves by a whopping 69-29 margin. CJ Miles led the effort with 13 points in 18 minutes while Pascal Siakam had nine points, seven rebounds and six assists in the same amount of time. "It's great," DeRozan said of the bench. "For us to be able to get rest will definitely benefit us in the long run. It's great to see those guys playing and for us to sit and be cheerleaders."

ABOUT THE NETS (21-46): Brooklyn performed admirably on a recent five-game road trip by losing three games by single digits, competing well with the defending champion Golden State Warriors and finishing it off with a win at Charlotte, but it fell flat in the return home. "I just feel like we've got to treat every team like Golden State. When we came out ready to play, everybody stepped up," guard D'Angelo Russell told the media. "It wasn't 48 minutes, but we started the game and gave ourselves a chance [in Golden State]. I feel like today we didn't really give ourselves a chance." Russell scored 26 points against the Sixers and hit the 20-point mark in three of his last six games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. DeRozan is averaging 33 points on 57.1 percent from the field through the first two meetings.

2. Nets SF DeMarre Carroll was 1-for-9 from the floor against Philadelphia after shooting 51.6 percent on the road trip.

3. Toronto scored at least 100 points in 19 straight games, one shy of matching the franchise record accomplished in 2010.

PREDICTION: Raptors 114, Nets 104

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The banged-up Boston Bruins play their third game in four days while continuing a four-game road trip Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes and could be without their leading scorer for a second straight contest. Brad Marchand, who boasts team bests of 29 goals and 69 points in 53 games, missed Sunday's 3-1 loss in Chicago with an upper-body injury, adding to the list of injured Boston players.

Patrice Bergeron (fractured foot) and rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy (sprained left MCL) are out for an extended period of time while fellow top four blueliner Torey Krug left Sunday's game with a groin injury. Carolina is fading fast in the Eastern Conference wild-card race after a 6-3 loss to the Rangers in New York on Monday dropped them to 3-7-2 in their last 12 games. Time is running out on the Hurricanes, who trail New Jersey by seven points for the final playoff spot with 13 games remaining. The Bruins won the first two of three meetings this season - 7-1 on Jan. 6 and 4-3 in overtime Feb. 27, both in Boston - with Bergeron recording four goals and Riley Nash scoring in each game.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet 1, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario; NESN (Boston), FS Carolinas

ABOUT THE BRUINS (43-16-8): Brian Gionta, who captained the United States in last month's Winter Olympics, recorded two goals and four assists in his first five games with the club before being held off the scoresheet Sunday. David Pastrnak (24 goals, 64 points) was also quiet Sunday after piling up two goals and seven assists in his first five games in March. David Backes will return to the lineup after serving a three-game suspension for delivering a head shot against Detroit's Frans Nielsen on March 6.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (30-28-11): Teuvo Teravainen (20 goals) scored for the fifth time in seven games Monday and leads the team with 54 points. Right on his heels is Sebastian Aho, whose assist against the Rangers gave him 53 points and six in his last seven games. Cam Ward is expected to be in goal after Scott Darling lost Monday for the fourth time in his last five starts and saw his save percentage plummet to .873 in three March contests.

OVERTIME

1. Boston has won seven straight against the Metropolitan and is 14-3-4 versus the division this season.

2. Carolina RW Lee Stempniak, whose season didn't start until Jan. 12 because of back and upper-body injuries, scored his first goal of the campaign Monday.

3. Marchand was named the NHL's Second Star after recording four goals and four assists in three games last week.

PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Hurricanes 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dallas Stars vs. Montreal Canadiens Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Dallas Stars hope to get their offense back in gear and continue to solidify a Western Conference playoff spot when they visit the struggling Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. The Stars, who hold the first wild-card spot, managed five goals in the last four games (1-2-1) after a 3-1 setback Sunday against Pittsburgh in the opener of a six-game road trip.

"We have the opportunity to generate and we want to make the next play," Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock told reporters. "We don't want to do the hard stuff to score. We don't want to put (the puck) into areas that we need to. We don't put it on the net and pick it up from there." Backup Kari Lehtonen, who is 1-2-1 despite giving up seven total goals in the last four games, is expected to make his fifth straight start for the Stars with Ben Bishop (lower-body) still out. The Canadiens can identify the Dallas' offensive struggles as they sit 29th in the league in goals per game (2.51) after suffering a 5-2 setback Monday in Columbus for their fifth straight loss (0-3-2). Montreal, which is 16-10-8 at home, registered 40 shots Monday - the second time in three games it has done so in a defeat - and received goals from Brendan Gallagher and Jonathan Drouin.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN2, RDS (Montreal), FS Southwest Plus (Dallas)

ABOUT THE STARS (38-25-6): Center Tyler Sequin is one of the only players producing on offense of late, recording seven goals and seven assists over the last nine games to push his team-leading total to 65 points. Right wing Alexander Radulov is slated to play his 300th NHL game Tuesday against his former team and notched his 25th goal Sunday - one away from his career high in 2007-08 while with Nashville. Captain Jamie Benn is tied with Radulov for second on the team with 60 points and defenseman John Klingberg is next with 57, but has only three in his past 10 games.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (25-32-12): Gallagher boasts four goals in his last six games and tops the team with 25 - topping his previous career high of 24 in 2014-15 - while leading Montreal with 42 points. Drouin notched his 11th goal and defenseman Jeff Petry increased his career high to 33 points with an assist Monday for the Canadiens, who are 1-for-18 on the power play in the last six games. Left wing Artturi Lehkonen snapped a 13-game goal drought in Tampa Bay on Saturday and came up empty against Columbus, but led the team with five shots.

OVERTIME

1. Montreal G Antti Niemi, who was rested Monday, has allowed two goals or fewer in seven of his last nine starts.

2. Four of the five goals Dallas has scored in the last four games have come on the power play, which is 4-for-14 in that span.

3. Seguin and F Devin Shore each had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 victory over Montreal on Nov. 21 in the first meeting.

PREDICTION: Stars 4, Canadiens 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ottawa Senators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Tampa Bay Lightning unveiled another new face last time out while devising another new way to gain two points, and look to extend their winning streak to six games when the Ottawa Senators pay a visit Tuesday night. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh made his debut Saturday for the NHL-best Lightning, who rallied late in the third period to tie before edging Montreal 3-2 in a shootout.

"You have to give credit to the guys," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters after his team improved to 9-0-1 in the last 10 contests. "They've found a way to get points and that's what you have to do." McDonagh logged 19:15 of ice time in his first game with the Lightning and will be expected to carry a heavy load for an defense that has been shaky since the calendar turned to 2018. The Senators won't be going back to the playoffs this season, but have showed some signs of life in March with points in four of six contests (3-2-1) after ending Florida's nine-game point streak and eight-game home winning streak with a 5-3 triumph Monday. Ottawa accomplished the feat without leading scorer Mark Stone (20 goals, 62 points), who did not make the trip to the Sunshine State after suffering a leg injury Friday against Calgary.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN5, RDS2 (Ottawa), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

ABOUT THE SENATORS (24-33-11): Forwards Matt Duchene and Magnus Paajarvi each notched a pair of goals in Monday's victory - the third this month against a team fighting for a playoff spot. Captain Erik Karlsson continued to produce with two assists last time out and boasts 10 of his 52 points in the last seven games while Duchene has six points in his past five contests. Left wing Mike Hoffman is three points away from his reaching 50 for the third straight season and owns three goals to go along with five assists in the last eight games.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (48-17-4): Cooper switched J.T. Miller, who came over with McDonagh from the New York Rangers on Feb. 26, to a line with Nikita Kucherov and captain Steven Stamkos in the third period Saturday and the trio tied the game. "It's a heck of an opportunity," Miller, who has two goals and four assists in six games with Tampa Bay, told reporters. "It makes my job easy playing with those guys." Kucherov has six of his league-leading 88 points in the last four games and Stamkos owns eight of his 79 in the past five contests.

OVERTIME

1. Tampa Bay G Andrei Vasilevskiy (40-12-3) is expected to be in net to go for a franchise-record 41st victory.

2. Ottawa LW Alex Burrows' next game will be his 900th in the NHL and RW Bobby Ryan needs one point to reach 500.

3. The Lightning won two of the first three meetings this season and 22 total goals were scored.

PREDICTION: Lightning 4, Senators 1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Winnipeg Jets vs. Nashville Predators Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The red-hot Nashville Predators look to keep a safe distance atop the Central Division when they host the second-place Winnipeg Jets for a showdown Tuesday night. The Predators saw their 10-game winning streak come an end Saturday with a 3-2 shootout loss against New Jersey at home, but still own a six-point lead over the Jets in the Central with one game in hand.

"It speaks for our team," Nashville defenseman Roman Josi told reporters. "Winning 10 in a row shows a lot of consistency and that's what you want toward the playoffs. ... Obviously we were hoping to keep it going, but we've just got to forget about that one and come back the next game." The Predators are 24-7-4 on home ice and won two of the first three this season against the Jets, who are 4-1-1 in their last six games after suffering a 3-2 overtime loss at Washington on Tuesday. Sizzling right wing Patrik Laine scored one of Winnipeg's goals in the loss, giving him 10 tallies during a six-game streak and 41 for the season - one behind Alex Ovechkin for the league lead. Jets center Mark Scheifele, who has four points in three games against Nashville this season, is likely to sit out his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TVA, TSN3 (Winnipeg), FS Tennessee (Nashville)

ABOUT THE JETS (41-18-10): Laine also boast a 12-game point streak in which he has recorded 16 goals and six assists to push his season total to 64 points - second only behind captain Blake Wheeler (76). Veteran center Paul Stastny has proved to be a valuable pick up at the trade deadline, posting two goals and six assists in seven games since coming over from St. Louis. Connor Hellebuyck (35-11-9) made 40 saves Monday - seven in overtime - to earn a point and may get a rest Tuesday in favor of backup Michael Hutchinson (2-0-0, .933 save percentage).

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (44-14-10): Veteran Pekka Rinne (37-9-4, 2.28 goals-against average, .928 save percentage) was rested against New Jersey and should be back in net to go for his ninth consecutive victory. Right wing Viktor Arvidsson leads the team in goals (25) and points (51) after recording seven tallies and setting up seven others in his last 11 contests while center Ryan Johansen owns goals in back-to-back games. Defenseman P.K. Subban is second on the team in points, but has managed only two assists in his past eight contests.

OVERTIME

1. Winnipeg LW Nikolaj Ehlers scored the other goal Monday and has registered 11 points in his last nine contests.

2. Nashville F Austin Watson is tied for second in the league with three short-handed goals entering Monday.

3. Jets Ds Toby Enstrom (lower-body) and Dmitry Kulikov (upper-body) each missed the last two games and are questionable for Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Predators 4, Jets 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Minnesota Wild have the fewest regulation home losses in the NHL while the Colorado Avalanche are the league's hottest team at home. Minnesota has witnessed Colorado's dominance at home firsthand on two occasions this season and will get the chance to avenge a pair of lopsided beatings when it hosts the Avalanche on Tuesday night.

The Wild had a three-game winning streak snapped in a 4-1 setback at Edmonton on Saturday but they still hold a three-point edge over Dallas for third place in the Central Division. Minnesota is 24-5-6 at Xcel Energy Arena and may need every ounce of fan support to turn the tables on Colorado, which thrashed the visiting Wild twice in 2018 -- 7-2 on March 2 and 7-1 on Jan. 6. "I think it's in the back of your mind for sure, they spanked us pretty good twice in their barn," Minnesota forward Eric Staal said. "The big picture, most important thing is the two points, regardless of who we're playing against. But there's a little extra in there because of how we've played the last two games against them in Colorado." Nathan MacKinnon amassed eight points in the last two wins over the Wild and has seven goals during an eight-game point streak for Colorado, which is 4-0-3 in its last seven games and trails Dallas by two points for the top wild card.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (36-24-8): MacKinnon kept up his torrid pace by setting up two goals in Saturday's 5-2 win over Arizona, giving him 20 points over his last 10 games and pushing his season total to 81. Linemate Mikko Rantanen is on a tear of his own with 13 points over the past seven games, including a goal and three assists in the demolition of the Wild on March 2. Goaltender Jonathan Bernier, in his return from a three-week absence due to a concussion, had to exit Saturday's game shortly after taking a puck off his mask.

ABOUT THE WILD (39-23-7): Staal was held off the scoresheet in Edmonton but he has been on a goal-scoring binge, tallying 11 times over the past 10 games to boost his season total to 37. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk is 19-3-5 at home with a goals-against average (2.14) that is more than one lower than on the road (3.22), with the latter mark inflated in part by the two losses at Colorado, in which he yielded 11 goals and was yanked each time. Charlie Coyle followed a 12-game goal drought by scoring in back-to-back contests.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado has scored a power-play goal in seven consecutive games.

2. Wild rookie D Nick Seeler is expected to return to the lineup after sitting out the last three games.

3. Avalanche F Carl Soderberg has three goals in his last two games and three tallies and an assist in three meetings versus the Wild this season.

PREDICTION: Wild 4, Avalanche 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames Preview and Predictions 03-13-2018

12th March 2018 by Gracenote
Calgary Flames coach Glen Gulutzan lit a fire under his charges during Monday's practice with an expletive-filled rant that would make many a sailor blush. Gulutzan hopes his liberal use of four-letter words translates into a much-needed victory as the Flames bid to end a seven-game winless skid versus the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday in the latest installment of the Battle of Alberta.

"We're trying to climb a mountain, we only have to take what we need with us because we're getting close to the top, so we have to drop what we don't need, and make sure we're taking the essentials," Gulutzan said during the clean portion of Monday's practice. The Flames need to locate their offense as the club has mustered just 15 goals during its last seven contests (2-4-1) to drop on the wrong side of the postseason picture in the Western Conference. While Johnny Gaudreau is riding a four-game point streak (one goal, five assists), Edmonton captain Connor McDavid increased his run to seven (six goals, seven assists) by scoring two goals and setting up another as the team collected its third straight win with a 4-1 triumph over Minnesota on Saturday. The reigning Hart Trophy recipient torched the Flames with a hat trick on opening night before setting up a goal in each of the other two encounters, capped by scoring in the third round of the shootout in the Oilers' 4-3 win on Jan. 25.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, Sportsnet1 (join in progress)

ABOUT THE OILERS (30-34-4): Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recorded a goal and an assist against the Wild and has two of each in four games since returning to the lineup following a rib injury. Fellow center Leon Draisaitl also tallied versus Minnesota for his 29th point (12 goals, 17 assists) in his last 27 games and has three assists in three meetings this season with Calgary. The 22-year-old German's tally on Saturday came with the man advantage, but Edmonton's 30th-ranked power play has failed to convert on all seven opportunities this season versus the Flames.

ABOUT THE FLAMES (34-26-10): Matthew Tkachuk, who scored twice against Edmonton on Jan. 25, missed Monday's practice on the heels of the 20-year-old sustaining an apparent head injury following an awkward fall into the boards in Sunday's 5-2 setback to the New York Islanders. Tkachuk was not alone as fellow forwards Sean Monahan (undisclosed) and Mikael Backlund (undisclosed) were also absent, with Gulutzan noting that "they all had maintenance days or they would have been on the ice." Monahan, who leads the NHL in game-winning goals (11) and has a club-best 30 tallies, has been held off the scoresheet in all three games against the Oilers.

OVERTIME

1. Edmonton G Cam Talbot, who sports an 8-2-0 career mark versus Calgary, turned aside all 27 shots he faced in a 3-0 win on Oct. 4.

2. Backlund has notched three assists in his last two encounters with the Oilers.

3. Edmonton LW Milan Lucic has scored one goal and set up three others against the Flames this season.

PREDICTION: Oilers 4, Flames 3