Friday 11-9-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Avalanche at Jets
Gracenote
Nov 8, 2018

The Winnipeg Jets are getting a bit antsy to start playing games again, finally returning to the ice Friday at home against the Colorado Avalanche following a week-long break after their two-game series in Finland last week. The Jets, who split two games with the Florida Panthers in Helsinki, will play just their third game in a 13-day span Friday, and while the practice time has been beneficial, the players are ready to resume the season.

“It almost feels like it’s too much,” Jets center Bryan Little admitted to reporters on Wednesday. “We’re ready to start playing games again and everyone’s kind of back into it, so ready to go.” While the Jets hope the extended break results in better 5-on-5 play, the Avalanche have stumbled following their 7-2-2 start - earning just one point in their past four games after Wednesday’s 4-1 defeat to Nashville. “I think our execution was poor,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar told reporters after the game, citing two goals overturned by offside calls. The matchup features two of the top power plays in the NHL, as Winnipeg entered Thursday second at 33.3 percent and the Avalanche sat tied for seventh at 26.4 percent.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude2 (Colorado), TSN3 (Winnipeg)

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (7-5-3): Matt Calvert scored his first Colorado goal Wednesday, while Semyon Varlamov recorded 30 saves in losing his fourth consecutive appearance (allowing nine goals in his past two outings). Forward Mikko Rantanen entered Thursday leading the NHL in points (24) and assists (19) - two points ahead of teammate Nathan MacKinnon (11 goals, 11 assists). The Avalanche have allowed five power-play goals on 16 attempts across the past four games.

ABOUT THE JETS (8-5-1): Forward Patrik Laine scored four goals in two games in his native country, shaking off a slow start in which he scored just three times in 12 games. Forward Blake Wheeler’s 14 assists is tied for fourth in the league through Wednesday, while goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is 5-5-1 after starting both games against the Panthers. Winnipeg has dropped three of its past five games, giving up 14 goals during that stretch.

OVERTIME

1. MacKinnon recorded his 200th NHL assist Wednesday.

2. Jets F Brendan Lemieux was suspended two games for an illegal check to the head on Florida F Vincent Trocheck during the final game in Finland.

3. Winnipeg and Colorado split their four meetings a season ago, the Avalanche winning twice at home in overtime and the Jets capturing their two home games by a combined score of 9-1.

PREDICTION: Jets 3, Avalanche 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Wild at Ducks
Gracenote
Nov 9, 2018

The Anaheim Ducks attempt to post back-to-back wins for the first time since mid-October when they host the Minnesota Wild on Friday. Anaheim, which hasn't won consecutive contests since Oct. 14 and 17, began its three-game homestand on Wednesday with a 3-2 triumph over Calgary.

Captain Ryan Getzlaf snapped a 2-2 tie just 6:33 into the third period and Jakob Silfverberg also tallied to register his 200th point as a Duck. Cam Fowler notched an assist against the Flames and is one away from tying Scott Niedermayer (204) for first place on the franchise list among defensemen. Minnesota improved to 3-2-0 on its seven-game road trip with a 3-1 victory in Los Angeles on Thursday. Zach Parise recorded a goal and an assist while captain Mikko Koivu set up all three tallies for the Wild, who conclude their trek Sunday in St. Louis.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, FS North (Minnesota), Prime Ticket (Anaheim)

ABOUT THE WILD (9-4-2): Matt Read was recalled from Iowa of the American Hockey League on Thursday but was a healthy scratch for the victory over the Kings. The 32-year-old right wing, who failed to notch a point in five games earlier this season after signing a one-year contract with Minnesota, scored 24 goals as a rookie with Philadelphia in 2011-12 and 22 two seasons later but has recorded just 30 in 246 games since. Parise notched an assist in the first period on Thursday and scored a goal in the second for his 700th career point.

ABOUT THE DUCKS (7-7-3): Josh Manson returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing four games with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old defenseman received just over 23 1/2 minutes of ice time during which he notched an assist and two shots. The victory over the Flames was the 461st of Randy Carlyle's coaching career, moving him past Roger Neilson for 30th place on the all-time list.

OVERTIME

1. Ducks G Ryan Miller is tied with Andy Moog for 17th place on the all-time list with 372 victories and trails John Vanbiesbrouck by two wins for most among U.S.-born goaltenders.

2. Koivu has collected five assists in his last two games and is five goals shy of 200 for his career.

3. Anaheim is 7-0-2 when allowing fewer than three goals.

PREDICTION: Ducks 3, Wild 1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Wizards at Magic


The Washington Wizards looked like they had turned things around in a win over the New York Knicks on Sunday, but a terrible start to the road trip in Dallas on Tuesday showed them how far they have still to go. The Wizards will try to pull even on the three-game trip and quiet some critics when they visit the Orlando Magic on Friday.

Washington allowed fewer that 107 points for the first time this season in the 108-95 home triumph over New York on Sunday but watched their gains on the defensive end evaporate while surrendering 70 first-half points in the 119-100 loss to the Mavericks. "I thought we played real cool in the first half," Wizards guard Austin Rivers told ESPN.com. "Cool gets you L's. There's nothing cool about losing. Maybe we thought, 'Oh, we won finally. It's just going to click for us now because we're talented.' Like, it's hard to get wins in the NBA. It's hard. Unless you're the (expletive) Warriors. For everybody else, it's hard. You've got to compete every night." The Magic missed a chance to earn a three-game winning streak with a 103-96 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday while the reserves struggled, and coach Steve Clifford is trying to raise expectations for the franchise. "You can't play five guys and win, and everybody's got to be ready to play," Clifford told reporters. "You know what one of the things that does have to change is that all of us have to have expectations of playing well. ... It's not OK (to lose)."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington-plus, FS Florida

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (2-8): Washington is last in the NBA in scoring defense at an average of 120.5 points allowed and coach Scott Brooks is trying to keep the team together while rumors swirl about his job security. "There’s only one way to do it and it’s doing it together," Brooks told reporters. "Staying together, doing it together and believing in each other. We've been here before. We have enough in our locker room." The Wizards' defensive issues start with their struggles to rebound the ball, and they were outgained on the glass 50-32 in Tuesday's loss despite center Dwight Howard grabbing 11 boards.

ABOUT THE MAGIC (4-7): Evan Fournier scored 27 points on 12-of-19 shooting on Wednesday and Nikola Vucevic nearly pulled off another double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds, but he was not happy after the game. "There are some things that we need to change as players, maybe some habits that we as players have that need to change," Vucevic told reporters. "Obviously, if that wasn't the case, we wouldn’t have won 20 (something) games the last couple of years. Obviously, there's a lot of work for us to do." That starts with getting more out of the reserves after Jarell Martin, Mo Bamba, Jonathon Simmons and Jerian Grant combined to go 1-of-14 from the floor on Wednesday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Wizards SF Kelly Oubre Jr. is 3-of-26 from 3-point range over the last five games.

2. Magic PF Jonathan Isaac (ankle)is expected to miss his fourth straight game.

3. Orlando snapped a four-game slide in the series with a 101-92 home win in the final meeting of 2017-18.

PREDICTION: Magic 123, Wizards 113

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Hornets at 76ers


The Philadelphia 76ers finally got a monkey off their back with their first road win on Wednesday and have a chance to make it back-to-back victories when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. The 76ers, who have yet to lose in their own arena, are staring at a three-game road trip beginning Saturday in Memphis.

Philadelphia appeared to bottom out with a 122-97 loss at Brooklyn on Sunday but looked like a different team in Wednesday's 100-94 triumph at the Indiana Pacers, and point guard Ben Simmons offered a simple explanation. "We just had fun. Honestly, just have fun," Simmons told reporters. “I think we were just overthinking things, putting too much pressure on ourselves." The Hornets spent their last two games beating up on teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with double-digit wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks at home. Charlotte, which suffered a 105-103 loss at Philadelphia on Oct. 27, went 3-1 on its homestand and is kicking off a three-game road trip on Friday before returning home on Nov. 17 to host the 76ers.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS Southeast (Charlotte), NBCS Philadelphia

ABOUT THE HORNETS (6-5): Charlotte is led by All-Star point guard Kemba Walker, who contributed 29 points on 12-of-22 shooting and seven assists in Tuesday's 113-102 win over Atlanta, boosting his scoring average to 28.1. The 28-year-old, who scored 37 points in the Oct. 27 loss at Philadelphia, also grabbed a season-high three steals on Tuesday as part of a defensive effort that forced the Hawks into 22 turnovers. Power forward Marvin Williams scored a season-high 20 points on Tuesday after managing single digits in eight of the first 10 games.

ABOUT THE 76ERS (7-5): Philadelphia forward Dario Saric got off to a slow start shooting the basketball and was at 23.3 percent from 3-point range before going 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in Wednesday's win. Saric, who averaged 14.6 points and shot 39.3 percent from 3-point range last season, scored a season-high 18 points at Indiana. "I thought in general he was excellent," 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters of Saric. "He made shots, he made some tremendous reads on passing. I thought that his floor game, along with his shooting, was as good as it's been all year."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. 76ers SG JJ Redick is 1-of-13 from beyond the arc in the last two games.

2. Hornets SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (finger) left Tuesday's game and is questionable for Friday.

3. Philadelphia took the last seven in the series, including four in a row at home.

PREDICTION: 76ers 116, Hornets 109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Pistons at Hawks


The Detroit Pistons snapped a five-game losing streak with a 103-96 win at Orlando on Wednesday as the bench stepped up to support the starters. The Pistons are looking for a similar effort when they close out their two-game road trip by visiting the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

Langston Galloway was the only reserve to manage more than four points in a 120-115 overtime loss to the Miami Heat on Monday but the unit turned things around when Stanley Johnson and Ish Smith stepped up to support Galloway among the bench crew on Wednesday. "I thought their level of activity, their level of pursuit, their defensive intensity was at an all-time high," Pistons coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "I thought that was the best thing about that unit." The Hawks are at the beginning of a transition to a younger team and are starting at least two rookies. Those youngsters nearly pulled off a comeback win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday but ended up falling 112-107 after putting up 35 points in the fourth quarter.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Detroit-Plus, FS Southeast (Atlanta)

ABOUT THE PISTONS (5-5): The biggest surprise on Wednesday came from Johnson, who scored 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting and went 3-of-6 from 3-point range. The 22-year-old lost his starting spot in part because of his shooting struggles and went scoreless in Monday's loss after going a combined 2-of-11 from the floor in the previous two contests. "That's the Stanley Johnson we need and that's the Stanley Johnson we want," Smith told reporters. "When he's playing clear minded, just playing and not overthinking it, it makes him so much better. Just react instead of overthinking. It gives him a lot of confidence. When he's playing at that level, that makes our team so much better."

ABOUT THE HAWKS (3-8): No. 5 overall pick point guard Trae Young is the star of the Atlanta rookie class, but power forward Omari Spellman is carving out his own niche and scored a season-high 20 points while going 6-of-11 from the floor and knocking down three 3-pointers on Wednesday. Spellman also added 10 rebounds for his first double-double and collected four assists and three blocks. "I was just trying to make the right plays, statistically it showed up," Spellman told reporters. "Unfortunately, we still lost, which is tough."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pistons C Andre Drummond collected 23 points and 19 rebounds on Wednesday, narrowly missing his fifth 20-20 game of the young season.

2. Young is 3-of-23 from 3-point range over the last four games.

3. Detroit took three of the four meetings last season.

PREDICTION: Pistons 121, Hawks 108

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Pacers at Heat


The Indiana Pacers played three tight games on their homestand but came away with losses in the last two and are hoping for better luck when they hit the road for a tough two-game road trip. The Pacers open the trip on Friday by visiting the Miami Heat, who won their last two games despite dealing with some key injuries.

The common thread in each of Indiana's five losses is a lack of execution on the offensive end, and the team is aware of its issues. "We just have to get everybody more involved with the offense and play with a little more flow, more pace," power forward Thaddeus Young told reporters after a 100-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. "We'll just figure it out as far as moving the ball. I think that's the biggest thing. As long as we continue to move the ball, we get good results. If we don't, then we get stagnant on offense, then we score 98 or 95 points." The Heat were without guards Goran Dragic (knee) and Dwyane Wade (personal) on Wednesday but still managed to knock off the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 and will attack Indiana with a defense that blocked 11 shots in the victory. Nine of those blocks came from center Hassan Whiteside, who enjoyed his best game of the season with 29 points and 20 rebounds.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, FS Sun (Miami)

ABOUT THE PACERS (7-5): Indiana star Victor Oladipo went 14-of-30 from the floor en route to a season-high 36 points on Wednesday but was just 4-of-14 from 3-point range, and coach Nate McMillan bemoaned the team's lack of shot-making. "You’ve got to make some shots," McMillan told reporters. "If you’re not making shots, then they’re not going to double team. If you can't create penetration and break the defense down, they don’t have to leave the perimeter. So, we've got to make some shots." The Pacers finished 8-of-31 from 3-point range on Wednesday and sit 27th in the league with an average of nine made 3-pointers per game.

ABOUT THE HEAT (5-5): Whiteside, who is averaging 14.2 points and 15.2 rebounds, sat out Monday's win over the Detroit Pistons with a knee injury but played 32 minutes Wednesday against San Antonio. "The ball will find energy and he was a bundle of energy on both ends," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters of Whiteside. "That’s the karma of the game. We ran probably less than a handful of direct plays to him, and he was making guys see him with his force. That’s what it’s all about." Whiteside's eight first-half blocks set a franchise record.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Wade is questionable after he and his wife welcomed a baby girl on Wednesday.

2. Pacers C Myles Turner averaged seven points on 4-of-15 shooting in the last two games.

3. The teams split the four-game series last season, with Indiana earning a 120-95 victory in its trip to Miami on Nov. 19.

PREDICTION: Pacers 106, Heat 103

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Nets at Nuggets


The Denver Nuggets have been surprisingly good but they will be looking to bounce back from a setback when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Denver struggled during Wednesday's road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies when it tallied a season low for points in an 89-87 defeat.

The Nuggets shot just 39 percent from the field, including 8 of 32 from 3-point range, while falling against a Memphis squad that established its deliberate pace. "It was a slow, slow game and I think that benefitted them a little more," Denver backup center Mason Plumlee told reporters. "We probably should've got out and run a little more." Brooklyn notched back-to-back victories by an average of 23.5 points, including a 104-82 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in the opener of a four-game trip that features a visit to the Golden State Warriors. "Not to look forward, but you look at the schedule and you know who you have next and this one is definitely a winnable game," Nets power forward Ed Davis told reporters after the rout. "It's a game we definitely needed to win and handled business."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), Altitude (Denver)

ABOUT THE NETS (5-6): Shooting guard Caris LeVert continued his strong play with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting against the Suns. LeVert is averaging 25 points over the past three games - making 8-of-15 from 3-point range during the stretch - and has seven 20-point outings while averaging 20.5 per game. Point guard D'Angelo Russell is having trouble with his long-range stroke as he is just 3-of-23 from 3-point range over the last four games after making 21 over the first seven.

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (9-2): Point guard Jamal Murray scored just 15 points on 6-of-21 shooting against Memphis after registering a career-best 48 two nights earlier against the Boston Celtics. "I don't know what it was, but the ball didn't like me," Murray told reporters after he went 2-for-9 from 3-point range and couldn't find the flow against the Grizzlies. Standout center Nikola Jokic matched his season low of four points - his fourth straight single-digit effort - and his only field-goal attempt was a missed 3-pointer at the buzzer.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Nuggets won the past three meetings, including both of last season's matchups.

2. Davis registered a season-best 12 rebounds against the Suns for his fifth double-digit effort on the boards.

3. Denver PF Paul Millsap scored a season-low two points on 1-of-7 shooting against Memphis.

PREDICTION: Nuggets 114, Nets 107

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Celtics at Jazz


Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward certainly will be hearing taunts and jeers when he returns to Salt Lake City to face his former Utah Jazz teammates on Friday. Hayward spurned Utah's efforts to re-sign him following the 2016-17 campaign, which left hard feelings among a fan base that adored him.

Hayward broke his ankle in last season's opener, so he didn't have a chance to return to Utah but has said he is looking forward to playing the team with which he spent seven seasons. "I kind of knew they were going to be upset," Hayward told Boston-area reporters. "None of it bothered me, except for the people that threw some stuff on fire at our house. That's not acceptable. But other than that, people have a right to be mad." The Celtics recovered from a 22-point, third-quarter deficit to post a 116-109 overtime win over Phoenix on Thursday, while the Jazz halted their four-game slide with a 117-102 home win over Dallas a day earlier. "After losing four straight, you kind of need that confidence going into Friday," Utah guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters. "Obviously, it's going to be a grind on Friday, and we're fully aware of that, but we know we can do it. That's the difference - we always know we can do it, and we went out there and did it, and we've got to continue to do it."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, NBCS Boston, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Utah)

ABOUT THE CELTICS (7-4): Postseason hero Terry Rozier has seen his playing time dip this season with Hayward and guard Kyrie Irving healthy, but he strongly denied a report saying he is unhappy with the organization. "I'm not complaining, and if you know me, I would never go to the media or bring out the unhappy thing," Rozier told reporters. "I would never do that. Like I said, people who know me know I wouldn't do that. I've never been a selfish type of person, selfish player. You can tell the way I play, I'm all about team. Everything will be all right. It's not as bad as people make it seem." Irving ignited Thursday's rally and scored a season-best 39 points in the victory over Phoenix.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (5-6): Utah's veterans were asked about Hayward's return on Thursday, and the consensus is that there was disappointment with his decision, but everyone has moved on 16 months later. "Gordon is a good guy, I think I'm a good guy," center Rudy Gobert told reporters. "Sometimes you make choices that you think are good for you. You don't have to judge anyone. It's just a game, and we're gonna go play basketball." Gobert is enjoying a strong start to the season, producing 11 straight double-digit rebounding efforts while averaging 16.4 points and 13.1 rebounds.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The teams split two meetings last season, with the road club winning on each occasion.

2. Hayward has scored in single digits in five of his last seven games.

3. Mitchell scored 23 points against Dallas for his sixth 20-point effort of the season.

PREDICTION: Jazz 105, Celtics 101

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Timberwolves at Kings

The Minnesota Timberwolves will try to avoid a winless five-game road trip when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Minnesota fell for the fourth straight time when it suffered a 114-110 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and stands 0-7 on the road this season.

Timberwolves point guard Derrick Rose continued to turn back the clock while making a career-best seven 3-pointers and scoring 31 points against the Lakers but the club was unable to grab key rebounds down the stretch. "It seemed like these last couple road games, we've been really playing hard and the energy was there, the fight was there, just coming up short from rebounding the ball," power forward Taj Gibson said afterward. "We are a better rebounding team than what we showed." Sacramento dropped back-to-back games and it opened up a four-game homestand with a 114-105 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. The Kings allowed an average of 129 points in the losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Raptors and have held just two opponent under 100.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), NBCS California (Sacramento)

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (4-8): Rose enjoyed another superb outing with his 11-of-17 shooting effort that occurred exactly one week after he scored a career-best 50 against the Utah Jazz. "I feel the same. I feel the same now like I felt five, six years ago," the former MVP told reporters after the contest. "Like I said, it was just opportunity, getting my bounce back, and having a coach (Tom Thibodeau) that believes in me. That's pretty much it." Minnesota knocked down a franchise-record 20 3-pointers in the loss as shooting guard Jimmy Butler drained five while scoring 24 points.

ABOUT THE KINGS (6-5): Shooting guard Buddy Hield and center Willie Cauley-Stein (10-of-15 shooting) each scored 24 points and point guard De'Aaron Fox added 20 to account for nearly two-thirds of the scoring in the loss to Toronto. Hield is averaging 23.3 points over the past seven games, topping 20 points on six occasions and scoring 19 in the other. Rookie forward Marvin Bagley III tallied 13 points against the Raptors and scored in double digits in nine of his first 11 NBA contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Timberwolves won all three of last season's meetings, including a 118-100 victory in Sacramento.

2. Minnesota C Karl-Anthony Towns averaged 28.3 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and 3.3 blocked shots against the Kings last season.

3. Sacramento SG Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee) made his season debut against Toronto and scored seven points in 18 minutes.

PREDICTION: Kings 116, Timberwolves 114