Monday 11-19-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ATS Trends
Kansas City

Chiefs are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Chiefs are 4-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Chiefs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Monday games.
Chiefs are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games overall.
Chiefs are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games on grass.
Chiefs are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up win.
Chiefs are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 road games.
Chiefs are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing less than 15 points in their previous game.
Chiefs are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games following a ATS loss.
Chiefs are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games in Week 11.
Chiefs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games in November.

L.A. Rams

Rams are 16-40-1 ATS in their last 57 games after allowing less than 150 yards passing in their previous game.
Rams are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
Rams are 8-23-1 ATS in their last 32 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
Rams are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 Monday games.
Rams are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 home games.
Rams are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games after allowing more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
Rams are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Rams are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
Rams are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games in Week 11.
Rams are 1-4 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Rams are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games on grass.
Rams are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
Rams are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
Rams are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
Rams are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games after allowing more than 30 points in their previous game.

OU Trends
Kansas City

Under is 7-1 in Chiefs last 8 vs. a team with a winning record.
Over is 6-1 in Chiefs last 7 road games.
Under is 17-4 in Chiefs last 21 games in Week 11.
Over is 4-1 in Chiefs last 5 Monday games.
Under is 4-1-1 in Chiefs last 6 games on grass.
Over is 4-1 in Chiefs last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Under is 20-8-1 in Chiefs last 29 games in November.

L.A. Rams

Under is 5-0 in Rams last 5 games after allowing more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
Under is 4-0 in Rams last 4 games in Week 11.
Over is 7-1 in Rams last 8 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
Over is 6-1 in Rams last 7 games after allowing less than 150 yards passing in their previous game.
Over is 4-1 in Rams last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
Over is 10-4 in Rams last 14 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
Over is 5-2 in Rams last 7 games after allowing more than 30 points in their previous game.
Over is 7-3 in Rams last 10 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
Over is 11-5 in Rams last 16 games following a ATS loss.
Over is 21-10 in Rams last 31 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Head to Head

Chiefs are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 meetings.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Celtics at Hornets


Just when it seemed as if the Boston Celtics had figured some things out and might be primed for a breakout, they put up another clunker. The Celtics will try to bounce back from a woeful offensive effort at home when they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.

"You know, I had an old friend [Paul Patterson, a longtime coach at Taylor University], and the phrase that his team used was, 'The game honors toughness.' And boy, is that true," Boston coach Brad Stevens told the media after Saturday's 98-86 loss to the Utah Jazz. "You see that over and over. And so, I would say that if we're struggling with the ball going in the hole that we should just lock into what we need to do better, and that will take care of itself." Stevens was forced to pull several starters early in the fourth quarter as the Jazz took over with a series of dunks and his team -- which ranks 29th in the NBA in shooting at 43.2 percent -- could not recover. The Celtics must now contend with a motivated Kemba Walker, whose career-high and franchise-record 60 points were not enough in a 122-119 overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. "I'm still proud, that's an unbelievable thing to do right there," Walker told reporters of his effort. "I'm just mad that we lost. I'm a competitor. It would have been even better with a win."

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

ABOUT THE CELTICS (9-7): Leader Kyrie Irving had some pointed words following Saturday's loss, and it was rather evident that he was taking aim at young teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. "I think last year, the young guys that are in the locker room now, some of the guys that are playing, they were a little bit younger," he told the media. "They weren't expected to do as much, and I think that the amount of pressure that we put on them to perform every single night is something that they have to get used to, being part of a great team like this. If you're not playing to the standard then, as a team, we just don't all click." Brown shot 1-of-9 in the loss to see his field-goal percentage dip to 36.2 from 46.5 a season ago, while Tatum is down to 42.4 percent -- also from 46.5 in 2017-18.

ABOUT THE HORNETS (7-8): Walker, who scored seven points on 2-of-16 shooting in a loss at Cleveland his previous game, was 21-of-34 from the floor against the Sixers while chipping in seven rebounds and four steals. "Kemba Walker is just an amazing ball player," coach James Borrego told reporters. "He's just an incredible ball player. What happened tonight was very unfortunate." The two-time All-Star is averaging 31.1 points on 53.8 percent shooting in seven home games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Boston PG Terry Rozier missed all 12 of his 3-point attempts over a three-game span.

2. Hornets SG Jeremy Lamb is averaging 21 points and eight rebounds during the team's two-game losing streak.

3. The Celtics have won seven straight meetings, including a 134-106 rout in the previous encounter in February.

PREDICTION: Celtics 108, Hornets 106

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Cavaliers at Pistons


The Cleveland Cavaliers had four full days off to figure out how they went from an impressive win to another disappointing loss as they prepare for a tough stretch. The Cavaliers will go in search of their first road victory when they visit the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

Cleveland snapped a five-game slide with a 113-89 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday as they dominated the glass and controlled the 3-point line, but Wednesday's 119-95 loss at Washington proved that consistency in those two areas is something for which the team is still striving. "We just didn't play well," Cavaliers coach Larry Drew told reporters. "We didn't play with a lot of energy. ... I just didn't think we had a true defensive presence early in the game. All of the things we had built up over the last four or five games, we kind of reverted back to some old habits, which we can't have, particularly on the road." The Pistons got a full four days off as well to deal with the emotional hangover from a 106-104 victory over the Raptors on Wednesday in coach Dwane Casey's return to Toronto. "To have that momentum is great, but we've also got to go back to the drawing board," forward Blake Griffin told reporters. "We've got to work on some stuff and be ready and not let this game not mean anything by going out next time and falling flat."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cleveland), FS Detroit

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (2-12): Injuries to several rotation pieces opened up more playing time for rookie point guard Collin Sexton, and he is taking advantage of the situation. Sexton poured in a season-high 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting in Wednesday's loss and is averaging 18.8 points over the last four contests. "He's still a work in progress and he understands that," Drew told reporters of Sexton. "But right now, it really looks like he's got into a rhythm. He's got into a groove as far as his play. Last couple games he's played against two premier point guards and I would say he's held his own. That's a huge sign of growth. Looks like he's in a pretty good rhythm as a starter."

ABOUT THE PISTONS (7-6): Casey used the unusually long break to focus on consistency and defensive intensity. "That’s our challenge," Casey told reporters. "Playing defense and playing hard and playing together is not optional if we’re serious about winning. If we’re not, then we’ll continue to be inconsistent and continue to get inconsistent wins. And I mean that in a positive way because I have all the faith in the world in our talent level, but our consistency has to be there for us to be successful." Detroit held Toronto to 16 points in the fourth quarter as small forward Stanley Johnson turned up the pressure on Raptors superstar Kawhi Leonard.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Cavaliers SG Kyle Korver (foot) missed the last two games but is expected to return on Monday.

2. Pistons C Andre Drummond recorded a double-double in five straight games and 11 of the first 13.

3. Drummond collected 26 points and 22 rebounds in a home win over Cleveland on Oct. 25.

PREDICTION: Pistons 116, Cavaliers 105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Jazz at Pacers


The Utah Jazz looked more like the team they want to be in a 98-86 win at Boston on Saturday, which came on the heels of two straight tough losses. The Jazz will try to carry that momentum over to the finale of a five-game trip when they visit the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

Utah was crushed 118-68 at Dallas on Wednesday and fell 113-107 at Philadelphia on Friday before locking down at the defensive end in Boston. "For us to come out as focused as we did shows a lot of character from our group - against a very good team in a difficult environment to play in," Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters. "I think we should be pleased with the effort." The Pacers are winners of three of four but had to finish off a 97-89 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday without All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who left in the first quarter with knee soreness and is questionable for Monday. Indiana held Atlanta to 35.6 percent from the field and Bojan Bogdanovic picked up some of the scoring slack with 22 points.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), FS Indiana

ABOUT THE JAZZ (8-8): Utah guard Donovan Mitchell took some criticism and was mad at himself for needing 35 shots to reach 31 points in Philadelphia without recording an assist. The second-year star put together a more well-rounded effort at Boston, scoring 28 points on 10-of-21 shooting while handing out six assists. "Man, we played well," Mitchell, putting all the attention on the team, told reporters after the win. "We did our thing and responded against a tough team on a back-to-back. I'm really proud of the way we played."

ABOUT THE PACERS (10-6): Rookie point guard Aaron Holiday didn't find his way off the bench for nine straight games before coming on in relief of Oladipo on Saturday and scoring 12 points - seven more than his previous NBA total - on 4-of-6 shooting in 15 minutes. "I'm a competitor, so if I get the chance, I'm going to go out there and take advantage and that's what I did," Holiday told reporters. "I just went out there and played my game. I'm just happy I could help my team win. I was told before halftime, just be ready and eventually my number was called and I was ready." Holiday knocked down three 3-pointers and added three rebounds and two assists.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Jazz C Rudy Gobert grabbed nine rebounds on Saturday - the first time this season he failed to reach double digits in the category.

2. Pacers PF Domantas Sabonis grabbed 16 rebounds on Saturday and is averaging 11.2 over the last five contests.

3. The visiting team took the two meetings last season, with Utah claiming a 104-84 win at Indiana on March 7 behind 23 points and 14 rebounds from Gobert.

PREDICTION: Pacers 106, Jazz 99

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Suns at 76ers


The Philadelphia 76ers are already getting plenty from newcomer Jimmy Butler, who has quickly become the go-to scorer at the end of games. Butler will try to lead his new team to a third straight win when the 76ers host the Phoenix Suns on Monday.

Butler missed a chance to win the game in regulation on Saturday but got another opportunity in overtime and drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Philadelphia a 122-119 win at Charlotte. "That's what the great players can do," 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters of Butler. "That's what we spoke about with the inclusion of him, that he's got the ability ... to create his own looks, and that is a rare gift in the NBA, those players who can generally do that at a high rate, and he's one of them, and he's ours." The Suns are kicking off a four-game road trip and are searching for their first win away from home. Phoenix looked ready to turn things around with a 116-96 win over San Antonio on Wednesday but ended the two-game homestand with a 110-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS Arizona (Phoenix), NBCS Philadelphia

ABOUT THE SUNS (3-12): Shooting guard Devin Booker admitted after Saturday's loss that he remains a step slow since suffering a hamstring injury last month and is putting more of an emphasis on making plays for others. Booker handed out 12 assists in each of the last two games and is trying to get his team to play with more consistency. "I think we were playing in spurts," Booker told reporters after Saturday's setback. "We went down and brought it back. They expanded the lead again, we brought it back, again. It's just about playing with that same consistency. I feel like we're playing off momentum right now. If we play with consistency, I think we'll be fine."

ABOUT THE 76ERS (11-7): Point guard Ben Simmons finished an assist shy of a triple-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday and already earned the respect of Butler. "He's so calm," Butler told reporters of Simmons. "He's always telling everybody the right things, positive things, and he scores the ball at will, and passes the ball on time, on target. He's huge. He's always going to be that. He's a key piece of this thing." The 23 points marked a season-high for Simmons, who averages 14.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. 76ers C Joel Embiid recorded a double-double in 16 of the first 18 games.

2. Suns SF Trevor Ariza (personal) missed the last two games and is questionable for Monday.

3. The visiting team took the two meetings last season, with Phoenix earning a 115-101 victory at Philadelphia on Dec. 4.

PREDICTION: 76ers 122, Suns 109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Clippers at Hawks


The Los Angeles Clippers have three of the top 35 scorers in the NBA as they head to Atlanta for a Monday night matchup with the Hawks, but contributions from outside that trio helped fuel a four-game winning streak. Saturday it was reserve forward Montrezl Harrell coming off the bench to score 16 points with 10 rebounds, helping Los Angeles rally in the fourth quarter to earn a 127-118 road victory at Brooklyn.

Harrell scored 10 points in the final period, teaming with 71 points combined from Danilo Gallinari, Tobias Harris and Lou Williams as the Clippers began a three-game road swing with their sixth victory in the past seven games. “This was a game for us tonight that we had to throw every logical thing out and just try to find five guys that can make a run,” Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers told reporters afterward. Atlanta returns home after losing all four games on a road trip, but the NBA’s second-worst team record-wise was competitive in three of the contests – including Saturday’s 97-89 defeat at Indiana in which the Hawks led late in the third quarter. “Just trying to get a group to finish the game,” Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce told the media after the Hawks seventh consecutive defeat. “Most good teams put their foot on the gas and they keep going.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), FS Southeast (Atlanta)

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (10-5): Harris (20.7 points per game), Gallinari (19.6) and Williams (19.1) drive an offense ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring (117.3 points per contest). The Clippers shot 50.5 percent from the field Saturday and hit 11-of-23 3-point attempts, despite not holding shootaround Saturday morning, and are second in the league from beyond the arc at 39 percent. Gallinari is tied for 10th in 3-point shooting (46.3 percent) and is 9-for-17 in his past two games.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (3-13): One positive for Atlanta in Saturday’s loss was the season debut of John Collins, who scored 12 points in 12 minutes after missing the first 15 games with a left ankle injury. Rookie point guard Trae Young is fourth in the NBA in assists per game (7.8), but missed all 14 of his 3-point attempts in the past three games and is shooting 20.6 percent overall from the field in that span. The Hawks are last in the league in points allowed per game (117.7).

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Hawks played Saturday without F Taurean Prince (right Achilles pain) and lost F Alex Poythress in the third quarter with a left ankle contusion.

2. Clippers G Avery Bradley missed his sixth straight game Saturday with a sprained left ankle.

3. Atlanta plays seven of its next 10 games at home but it’s a difficult stretch, including games with Toronto, Boston, Oklahoma City and Golden State in that stretch.

PREDICTION: Clippers 122, Hawks 107

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Mavericks at Grizzlies


The Dallas Mavericks have a chance to string together five consecutive wins for the first time in three seasons on Monday, when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies. Behind 24 points from standout rookie Luka Doncic, the Mavericks got past a short-handed Golden State Warriors squad 112-109 on Saturday.

Dallas has given up an average of 92.8 points during its four-game run as it begins to thrive on a physical style. "Our guys worked incredibly hard to wear on them throughout the game, and we made their shots a little more difficult," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters after the victory over the defending champs. "When you work as hard as we did, you get luck to go your way." The Grizzlies are on a streak of their own after topping Minnesota 100-87 on Sunday for their third straight triumph. Marc Gasol registered his second consecutive double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds while Memphis held the Timberwolves to 39.2 percent shooting.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), FS Southeast (Memphis)

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (7-8): All five starters scored at least 13 points on Saturday, with Doncic and Harrison Barnes (23 points) leading the way as Dallas improved to 6-2 at home. J.J. Barea added 13 points off the bench, and the veteran guard is averaging 14.6 in only 20.2 minutes while shooting 52.9 percent over his last five games. Dorian Finney-Smith has started two of the last three contests in place of Wesley Matthews, who remains day-to-day with a hamstring strain.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (10-5): Gasol hit 4-of-7 3-point attempts and has 12 makes from beyond the arc during the team's three-game winning streak. "It's a game-changer," coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters of Gasol's outside shooting. "It puts a ton of pressure on big guys who aren't used to guarding in that position. Big guys' natural instinct is to protect the paint, drop off and be back, but his ability to shoot the basketball... it opens up driving lanes because you're pulling other guys, largest defenders, away from the baskets. And those shots break games open for you." Forward JaMychal Green recorded eight points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes in his return from a 12-game layoff due to a broken jaw.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Dallas last won five games in a row when it put together a six-game run late in the 2015-16 season.

2. Grizzlies PG Mike Conley has averaged 23.8 points over his last five games.

3. The Mavericks won three of last season's four meetings, including a 34-point triumph in the final encounter.

PREDICTION: Grizzlies 106, Mavericks 103

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Nuggets at Bucks


The Milwaukee Bucks traded wins and losses over the last eight games following a 7-0 start and will try to jump above .500 on a six-game homestand when they host the Denver Nuggets on Monday. The Bucks fell to the Memphis Grizzlies to suffer their first home loss in the opener of the homestand on Wednesday but bounced back with a dominating second-half performance against the Chicago Bulls on Friday.

Milwaukee trailed the Bulls by 18 points going into the half but ended up with a 123-104 victory sparked by a 46-point third quarter. "I thought the competitive spirit, the competitiveness, the toughness, the energy, the effort, and the focus, all those things you have to have, were apparent in the third and fourth quarter," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. "Hopefully, as a group, we can think about what we want to do that from the start of the game to the end of the game. Give credit to the players, playing a half like they did." Milwaukee enjoyed a similarly explosive third quarter at Denver on Nov. 11, with center Brook Lopez draining six of his eight 3-pointers in the period to help spark Milwaukee to a 121-114 win. The Nuggets are enduring a rough stretch with losses in five of six and began the three-game road trip with a 125-115 loss at New Orleans on Saturday.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (10-6): Denver coach Michael Malone is looking for a consistent effort from his team and was not happy that the Nuggets appeared to be outworked by the Pelicans on Saturday. "Twenty-three second-chance points allowed," Malone told reporters. "We need our starters to rebound the basketball. And then you give up 20 fastbreak points. That's 43 points off of solely hustle, effort, getting back, finding a body giving them one shot, and we didn't have that tonight." Starting power forward Paul Millsap finished with one rebound on Saturday, marking the second time in three games that he managed one or no boards.

ABOUT THE BUCKS (11-4): Budenholzer is in his first season with the team after parting ways with the Atlanta Hawks over the summer but has already earned the respect of the players. "Coach came in and he let us know we weren't putting enough effort and energy into the game and we had no pace on offense - we were trying to do it ourselves," superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters of Budenholzer's halftime speech on Friday. "He was mad. He was really upset. But he believes in us, he trusts us. We don't have to have that type of half for us to pick it up. We have to be able to - from the first minute of the game - be able to set the tone and do what we do." Antetokounmpo finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in that win and is averaging 25.6 points on 55.8 percent shooting and 12.7 boards.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Nuggets PF Juan Hernangomez recorded his second career double-double - first this season - with 20 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday.

2. Bucks SF Khris Middleton is averaging 23 points on 25-of-43 shooting over the last three games.

3. Milwaukee SG Donte DiVincenzo (knee) sat out Friday and is not expected to play Monday.

PREDICTION: Bucks 126, Nuggets 120

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Spurs at Pelicans


Anthony Davis carries an impressive scoring streak into a matchup with one of the few teams that has had some success slowing him down over the years when he leads the New Orleans Pelicans against the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Monday. Davis has scored at least 40 points in back-to-back games and is averaging 32.5 over a six-game stretch for the Pelicans, who have gone 5-1 in that span.

He tied his season lows with 17 points and eight rebounds in a loss to the Spurs earlier this month and is averaging 20.4 points lifetime against them, his lowest mark versus any Western Conference opponent, although that means little with the way the superstar forward is playing right now. "It's pretty hard to stop him, especially when he gets in a groove like that," Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday told reporters after Davis went for 40 points in Saturday's 125-115 win over Denver. "We don't think anyone can guard him in the first place." San Antonio ended a three-game slide by topping short-handed Golden State 104-92 on Sunday. LaMarcus Aldridge snapped out of his offensive funk with 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting as the Spurs improved to 8-4 against the West.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (San Antonio), FS New Orleans

ABOUT THE SPURS (8-7): Aldridge made just six of his 27 shot attempts over the previous two games before breaking out in the win over the Warriors. Both he and DeMar DeRozan (20 points, nine assists) played 40 minutes on the front end of the back-to-back, while no other player on the team was used for more than 30. DeRozan is averaging 6.5 assists after setting a career high of 5.2 last season with Toronto.

ABOUT THE PELICANS (9-7): Davis also recorded eight assists - and no turnovers - against the Nuggets to tie a career high. "I just realized that a lot of teams are scouting for me," he told reporters. "They didn't want me to go off, I guess, so I'm just trying to find guys, and guys are playing with a lot of confidence and making shots. They know - and I know - where they are going to be, and they know where I like them to be." The 25-year-old Davis is averaging 4.9 assists on the season, far above his career mark of two per game.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pelicans PF Nikola Mirotic has recorded three straight double-doubles since returning from an ankle injury.

2. Spurs SF Davis Bertans (concussion) missed Sunday's game while C Pau Gasol (foot) has sat out six in a row.

3. New Orleans won both home meetings in 2017-18 by an average of 20.5 points.

PREDICTION: Pelicans 113, Spurs 107

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Thunder at Kings


The streaking Oklahoma City Thunder could have superstar guard Russell Westbrook back in action when they continue a three-game road trip at the Sacramento Kings on Monday. The Thunder began the trip with a 110-100 win at Phoenix, their third straight victory and 10th in 11 games following an 0-4 start.

They've played the last six without Westbrook, the first five as his sprained ankle healed and the sixth as the former MVP sat for personal reasons. While getting Westbrook back will be huge for any team, the rest of Oklahoma City's roster has used this stretch to get stronger as a unit. "We've been together," forward Paul George told reporters after scoring 32 points in the win over the Suns. "I can't say that enough. There's no more confusion, there's no more trying to figure it out. We know what to do. We've been together long enough now to know what to do in those moments." The Kings delivered one of the Thunder's four straight losses to begin the season as part of a 6-3 start, but they have dropped five of their last seven.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBA TV, FS Oklahoma, NBCS California (Sacramento)

ABOUT THE THUNDER (10-5): Center Steven Adams scored a season-high 26 points against Phoenix while grabbing 10 rebounds to record his seventh double-double. The 25-year-old from New Zealand is averaging 20.4 points on 68.8 percent shooting and 9.2 boards over a five-game span. "Steven's the kind of guy where if a Russell or a Paul or Dennis (Schroder) are going really well, he's not going to inject himself into that," Thunder coach Billy Donovan told the media. "But when they need him rolling or posing up or doing different things, he'll do whatever he can for the team."

ABOUT THE KINGS (8-8): Sacramento allowed 109 points through the first three quarters in Saturday's 132-112 loss at Houston and it was clear on several possessions that this young group has some learning to do on the defensive end. "This is a tough team to play on the back end of a back-to-back, and they were rested, they were focused, they were locked in and they do it well, they do it really well," coach Dave Joerger told reporters. "We tried to give them different looks. We're not at a college or graduate level experience wise in playing pick-and-rolls the way these guys are a scientist at it." Buddy Hield led the way on the other end of the floor with 23 points, the seventh time in the last 12 games he has scored at least 22.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Kings SG Iman Shumpert scored a season-high 26 points in the win over the Thunder last month.

2. George scored at least 32 points in three consecutive games while hitting 14-of-31 3-pointers and all 19 of his foul shots.

3. Sacramento C Willie Cauley-Stein was 1-for-9 from the floor at Houston after shooting 57.7 percent in his first 15 contests.

PREDICTION: Thunder 116, Kings 112

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Blue Jackets at Maple Leafs


The Toronto Maple Leafs aim to continue the momentum of their first three-game road sweep in the Golden State since the 1995-96 season on Monday when the Columbus Blue Jackets pay a visit to Scotiabank Arena. The Maple Leafs have outscored the opposition 27-12 while winning six of their last seven, capped by a 2-1 overtime victory in Anaheim on Friday.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner extended their point streaks to five (three goals, four assists) and four games (one goal, six assists), respectively, as the latter set up the former for his career high-tying ninth goal at 3:17 of overtime. Patrick Marleau's first-period goal was set up by Nazem Kadri, who has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his last seven contests overall and clobbered Columbus with three goals and two assists in a 6-3 win on Feb. 14. Cam Atkinson recorded his franchise high-tying fifth career hat trick on Saturday as the Blue Jackets posted their third straight win and improved to 5-0-2 in their last seven with a 4-1 triumph over Carolina. The 29-year-old Atkinson has scored six of his team-leading 12 goals and added three assists during his four-game point streak.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Columbus), TVA, Sportsnet Ontario (Toronto)

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (12-6-2): Artemi Panarin, who set up three goals Saturday to increase his club-best assist (16) and point (21) totals, scored 3:11 into overtime of a 3-2 victory versus Toronto on Jan. 8. Pierre-Luc Dubois notched two assists versus the Hurricanes to give him 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in his last 11 contests while securing his fifth multi-point performance of the season - one shy of linemates Atkinson and Panarin. Alexander Wennberg also set up a goal on Saturday to boost his point total to six (one goal, five assists) in his last six games.

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (14-6-0): Frederik Andersen has turned aside 169 of 175 shots during his five-game winning streak entering Monday's tilt versus Columbus, against which he made a career-high 54 saves in the 6-3 win last season. Marleau, who scored a goal and set up two others in that contest, continued his strong performance in November with his fourth tally of the season Friday and 539th career to move past Keith Tkachuk for sole possession of 32nd place in the NHL's all-time list. The 39-year-old has three goals and four assists this month after netting just five points (one goal, four assists) in October.

OVERTIME

1. Columbus G Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed just one goal in four consecutive contests and six of the past seven.

2. Toronto C John Tavares saw his seven-game point streak snapped in Anaheim and returns home where he has recorded just six of his 23 points this season.

3. The Blue Jackets are 7-2-1 on the road this season heading into the tilt in Toronto, where it is 8-2-0 in the past 10 encounters.

PREDICTION: Blue Jackets 4, Maple Leafs 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Stars at Rangers


The New York Rangers got off to a rough start at home this season, losing three of their first five, but have been unstoppable ever since. The Rangers seek their sixth straight win at Madison Square Garden when they continue their three-game homestand Monday against the Dallas Stars.

Chris Kreider helped lead New York to its fifth home triumph in a row on Saturday, recording a goal and two assists in a 4-2 victory over Florida. The 27-year-old left wing, who was drafted 19th overall in 2009, has registered four tallies and three assists during his four-game point streak and has been kept off the scoresheet in only three of his last nine contests - notching seven goals and four assists in that span. Dallas kicked off its three-game road trip in strong fashion Sunday as it skated to a 6-2 victory over the New York Islanders behind three-point performances from each member of its top line. Alexander Radulov scored two goals and set up another, Tyler Seguin recorded a tally and two assists and captain Jamie Benn set up three scores as the Stars produced their highest output of the season.

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

ABOUT THE STARS (11-7-2): Sunday was a day of firsts for Dallas' roster as 22-year-old Finnish left wing Roope Hintz scored his initial NHL goal and 24-year-old defenseman Gavin Bayreuther recorded his first point with an assist in his second career game. Blue-liner Esa Lindell also got in on the act, as the Finn registered his first two-goal performance in the NHL. Defenseman Ben Gleason, who was recalled from Texas of the American Hockey League along with Hintz on Saturday, was in the lineup against the Islanders while center Tyler Pitlick sat out due to an illness.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (10-8-2): Henrik Lundqvist continued his climb up the all-time wins chart on Saturday, registering the 438th of his career to pass Jacques Plante for seventh place. The 36-year-old Swede, who notched his 24th assist in the victory to pull within one of John Vanbiesbrouck for most by a goaltender in franchise history, is seven victories away from tying Terry Sawchuk for sixth all-time in the NHL. Ryan Strome made his team debut on Saturday after being acquired from Edmonton a day earlier and saw 16 minutes, 42 seconds of ice time on 21 shifts.

OVERTIME

1. Kreider has scored only three of his team-leading 11 goals this season at home.

2. Dallas C Jason Spezza notched two assists on Sunday, with the first being his 900th career point.

3. The Rangers assigned F Vinni Lettieri, who failed to notch a point in 14 games this season, to Hartford of the American Hockey League.

PREDICTION: Rangers 4, Stars 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Sabres at Penguins


The Buffalo Sabres are in the midst of their longest winning streak in over six years and largest 20-game point total since 2009-10 while the Pittsburgh Penguins have plummeted to the bottom of the Metropolitan Division following a dismal 1-7-1 stretch. The Sabres bid for their sixth straight victory on Monday when they visit the slumping Penguins, who are 3-5-1 at PPG Paints Arena.

"It goes to show we have a different group, a different mindset and a different attitude," Buffalo forward Jason Pominville told reporters after scoring the go-ahead goal with 90 seconds remaining in Saturday's 3-2 win over Minnesota. Captain Jack Eichel notched a pair of assists to move within one point of 200 for his career after collecting 17 (one goal, 16 assists) in his last 13 games. While the Sabres are enjoying their best run in ages, the Penguins dropped a 6-4 decision in Ottawa on Saturday and have been battered for 14 goals during their three-game losing streak. "We're in a deep hole, and we have to figure it out," said Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang, who will skate in his 700th NHL game on Monday. "We can't be sorry for ourselves. ... We have all the skill in the world, but right now it's not working."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Pacific, MSG Buffalo, AT&T Sportsnet Pittsburgh

ABOUT THE SABRES (12-6-2): Jeff Skinner will look to rebound after seeing his four-game goal scoring streak come to a halt versus the Wild when he plays his 600th NHL contest on Monday. Conor Sheary joins defenseman Matt Hunwick in returning to the Steel City after being traded from the Penguins in June for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. "I don't really know what to expect," Sheary told the Buffalo News about his return. "Hopefully I can take the crowd and everything else out of it, play my game and not be nervous. I feel like it's going to be my first game again for some reason. We'll see what happens."

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (7-8-3): Two-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Matt Murray's disastrous season continued on Saturday as he allowed three goals on 10 shots in the first period before being replaced by Casey DeSmith to start the second. "(Murray is) a proud guy and he wants to do well," coach Mike Sullivan told reporters. "Sometimes when you get in these types of circumstances, sometimes you can try a little too hard and then it gets in the way of your instinctual play. There's always that fine line of trying, but making sure you don't try too hard, because that can be counterproductive." The 24-year-old Murray, who owns a 3-0-0 career mark versus Buffalo, has yielded 22 goals on 129 shots in his last six appearances overall dating back to a 6-3 setback versus the New York Islanders on Oct. 30.

OVERTIME

1. Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin has set up a pair of goals in back-to-back games to boost his team-leading totals in assists (18) and points (25).

2. Buffalo G Carter Hutton has turned aside 95 of 100 shots over his last four appearances.

3. Penguins RW Patric Hornqvist has scored three goals and set up three others in his last three encounters with the Sabres.

PREDICTION: Penguins 3, Sabres 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Capitals at Canadiens


The injury-plagued Washington Capitals look to complete a winning road trip when they visit the improving Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. The Capitals were without top-six forwards T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov due to head injuries, along with No. 1 goalie Braden Holtby (upper body), as they grinded out a 3-2 victory on Nicklas Backstrom’s overtime goal at Colorado on Friday.

“I really like our leaders,” Washington coach Todd Reirden told reporters. “Between the goals that (Alex) Ovechkin and Backstrom scored, and (John) Carlson setting up the (winning) goal, they did a strong job. We missed some key guys and key leaders in the room. Those guys were important to us.” The Capitals have won four of the last six meetings against Montreal, which finished its three-game road trip with a 3-2 win at Vancouver on Saturday after beating Calgary by the same score two days earlier. “A big character win for us to come back,” Canadiens goalie Carey Price told reporters Saturday after the team finished a 2-1-0 trip. “It’s good to get a couple bounce-back games after Edmonton (6-2 loss) and make it a successful road trip.” Leading scorer Max Domi takes a nine-game point streak into the contest and fellow forward Tomas Tatar has scored six times in his last six games for Montreal, which is 3-1-1 in its past five contests.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, RDS, TSN2 (Montreal)

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (9-7-3): Backstrom has taken over the team lead with 22 points - one more than Ovechkin and Kuznetsov - after posting nine in his last eight games, including two in the win at Colorado. Holtby practiced Sunday and may be close to returning, but backup Pheonix Copley (4-2-1, .908 save percentage) allowed just six goals on 77 shots in his place the last three games and made 24 saves Saturday for his second win in the stretch. “That’s the most comfortable he has looked, in my opinion,” Reirden told reporters of Copley after Friday’s win. “. … I just thought he was a real calming influence on our team today and it’s so important to have your goalie do that.”

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (11-6-3): Price sat out two consecutive games after giving up six goals against Buffalo on Nov. 8, but rebounded to turn aside 79 of 83 shots in the wins over Calgary and Vancouver. “We all knew he hadn’t been playing his best when we gave him that little bit of a break, but now he’s back to being Carey, that’s the difference,” Montreal coach Claude Julien told reporters. “He’s calm, he’s making saves. Sometimes a little step backwards and time to refocus is not a bad thing. These goalies play under pressure every game.” Forward Jonathan Drouin is tied with Tatar for second on the team with 17 points after recording seven during a five-game streak.

OVERTIME

1. Montreal F Andrew Shaw needs two goals to reach 100 in his career and has five during a five-game point streak.

2. Washington F Chandler Stephenson, who had an assist Friday, is slated to play his 100th NHL game Monday.

3. Canadiens RW Brendan Gallagher is tied for second on the team with nine goals, but has not scored in eight games.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 4, Capitals 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Panthers at Senators


Mike Hoffman knows his franchise-record point streak will end one day, but he wants nothing more than to extend it at least one more game. Hoffman aims to land on the scoresheet for a 16th straight contest when the Florida Panthers continue their six-game road trip on Monday against his former team in the Ottawa Senators.

The 28-year-old Hoffman spent the first seven seasons of his NHL career with Ottawa after being selected in the fifth round of the 2009 draft but was traded to San Jose a month after a harassment scandal involving his fiance and the wife of a teammate became public in May. Hoffman was dealt to Florida by the Sharks soon after and has flourished, collecting eight goals and 10 assists during his 15-game streak after being blanked in his first two contests with Florida. The Panthers look to avoid a third straight loss and improve to 2-2-0 on their trek when they visit Ottawa, which has won three of four contests and two straight since falling 5-1 at Florida on Nov. 11. Matt Duchene recorded two goals and an assist while Mark Stone also scored twice on Saturday as the Senators withstood a third-period comeback attempt and posted a 6-4 victory over Pittsburgh.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Florida, TSN5, RDSI (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (7-7-3): Hoffman is tied for the team lead in both goals (eight) and points with Evgenii Dadonov, who has landed on the scoresheet in 13 of his last 14 games and 14 of 17 overall. Aaron Ekblad's season-opening 14-game goal-scoring drought has become a distant memory as the 22-year-old former Calder Trophy winner has netted a power-play tally in each of his last three contests. Ekblad is five goals away from tying Robert Svehla (61) for most by a defenseman in franchise history.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (9-8-3): Duchene has registered back-to-back multi-point performances and three in his last four games, collecting three goals and five assists in that span. The 27-year-old center, who leads the team with 24 points, recorded the 500th of his career in Saturday's win over the Penguins. Stone shares the team lead with Ryan Dzingel at nine goals as he aims for his fifth straight season with at least 20 and has notched at least one point in eight of his last nine games, registering five tallies and 10 assists in that stretch.

OVERTIME

1. Hoffman is the first player to record a point streak of at least 15 games in his first season with a team since Dany Heatley's 22-gamer with the Senators in 2005-06.

2. Ottawa D Thomas Chabot is tied with Stone for second on the team with 23 points - two shy of the career high he set last season.

3. Florida has scored a power-play goal in eight consecutive contests and is 10-for-27 with the man advantage over its last seven games.

PREDICTION: Panthers 3, Senators 2