Thursday 12-6-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Colorado Avalanche vs. Florida Panthers Preview and Predictions 2018-12-06

NHL Predictions 5th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/05/2018

Red-hot Jonathan Huberdeau looks to tie the franchise record for consecutive multi-point games and keep his Florida Panthers climbing in the Eastern Conference when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night. Huberdeau registered at least two points in six straight games - 14 points overall - to pull within one of Hall of Famer Pavel Bure (2001) for the club record and the Panthers are 3-1-2 during that stretch.

"Everything is working right now," Huberdeau, who leads the team with 31 points and is two from 300 for his career, told reporters. "It's unbelievable. I want to try to keep it simple out there, and it's been working. I just want to keep doing that game after game." Florida, which ends its monster eight-game homestand against the New York Rangers on Saturday, shut out Boston 5-0 on Tuesday and will need another big effort against the high-powered Avalanche. Colorado is second in the league in goals per game (3.64) through Tuesday and owns the NHL's top power-play unit (32.2 percent), but must sharpen up its defense after suffering a 6-3 loss at Pittsburgh on Tuesday. "We have to have a short memory," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told reporters after his team's 11-game point streak ended. "That's what we've been preaching when we've been 9-0-2. ... I'm worried about the next game and that's the way our whole team thinks, and that's the way we approach it. It's why we've been able to sustain (the point streak). Now we've lost and the message doesn't change. It's consistent. We want to make sure that we respond and get back at it the next game."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), FS Florida

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (16-7-5): Right wing Mikko Rantanen leads the league with 46 points and recorded at least one in the last nine games, posting four goals and 13 assists during the run. Nathan MacKinnon (19 goals) is next with 43 points, but has been kept off the scoresheet in two of the last three games, and the third member of the potent top line captain Gabriel Landeskog has five of his 31 points in the past four contests. Defenseman Tyson Barrie scored Tuesday in his return to the lineup after missing four games with an undisclosed injury.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (11-10-5): Roberto Luongo returned to the lineup with 33 saves Tuesday after missing five games with a knee injury and notched his 77th career shutout to pass Ed Belfour and Tony Esposito for ninth on the NHL's all-time list. "It was great for (Luongo) to be back in there," coach Bob Boughner told reporters. "His rebound control was amazing. ... He didn't leave a lot laying around the crease." Right wing Evgenii Dadonov boasts a four-game goal streak and has at least one point in six straight while captain Aleksander Barkov is riding a five-game point streak (three goals, five assists).

OVERTIME

1. Colorado G Semyon Varlamov had a shutout in Detroit on Sunday and gave up a season high-tying six goals Tuesday.

2. Florida F Nick Bjugstad left Tuesday's game after being hit into the boards and is questionable with an upper-body injury.

3. The Avalanche took both meetings last season, including 7-3 at Florida.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 5, Panthers 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Preview and Predictions 2018-12-06

NHL Predictions 6th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/06/2018

Auston Matthews told reporters that he's starting to feel like his old self following a shoulder injury that forced him to miss 14 games, a prognosis that is positive for the 21-year-old and extremely negative for potential opponents. Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs bid to keep streaking along on Thursday as they host the Detroit Red Wings in a battle of Original Six rivals.

Matthews collected his second three-point performance in three games on Tuesday as he capped a two-goal effort by scoring with three seconds remaining in overtime of a 4-3 win over Buffalo. The top overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft has five goals and two assists in that stretch in addition to his two tallies in Toronto's 5-3 victory over Detroit on Oct. 11. While the Maple Leafs have outscored their foes 24-11 during their five-game winning streak, the Red Wings have dropped five of seven after rebounding from a dismal start to the season by winning nine of their previous 11. Frans Nielsen recorded his second career hat trick and Gustav Nyquist tallied twice in Tuesday's 6-5 shootout loss to Tampa Bay.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, Sportsnet Ontario (Toronto)

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (12-12-4): Injuries are starting to mount for Detroit, which was still reeling from the loss of forward Anthony Mantha to a hand injury when defenseman Danny DeKeyser was on the receiving end of a slap shot from Tampa Bay star forward Steven Stamkos on Tuesday. Coach Jeff Blashill told reporters that DeKeyser is expected to be sidelined "multiple weeks" with a hand injury. "It's hard because Danny's shoes, they really can't be filled. He's a big-minute guy. It's going to be tough without him," fellow blue-liner Nick Jensen said of the Detroit native, who averages a team third-best 21:17 of ice time.

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (20-8-0): William Nylander is expected to make his season debut on Thursday, five days removed from signing a six-year contract worth $6.9 million annually. "Hopefully he can do what Auston does, jump right in like he has not missed a beat," veteran Patrick Marleau said of the 22-year-old, who has collected 61 points in each of the last two seasons and 135 (48 goals, 87 assists) in 185 career NHL games. John Tavares leads the team with 17 goals, although he was rather generous in setting up a career-high four tallies in the first encounter versus Detroit.

OVERTIME

1. Toronto C Mitch Marner has 11 of his team-leading 33 assists in his last five contests.

2. Red Wings LW Tyler Bertuzzi will sit out the second contest of his two-game suspension against the Maple Leafs after punching an unsuspecting Avalanche LW Matt Calvert on Sunday.

3. Toronto G Frederik Andersen has turned aside 38 shots in each of his last four games -- all wins.

PREDICTION: Maple Leafs 6, Red Wings 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview and Predictions 2018-12-06

NHL Predictions 5th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/05/2018

The Boston Bruins may finally be feeling the effects of an injury-plagued roster and will try to manage a split in their swing through the Sunshine State when they visit the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night in an Atlantic Division battle. The Bruins have dropped two straight, including a 5-0 setback at Florida on Tuesday, with All-Star center Patrice Bergeron and three top-six defensemen unavailable.

"Tonight it was men against boys," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters after Tuesday's setback. ". ... There are no easy answers. What we've done over the last few weeks as we've been depleted in the blue line is that we've stayed in games, played good team defense, got good goaltending and our power play has picked us up when we needed it." The Bruins, who could get defenseman Charlie McAvoy (concussion) back in the lineup soon, were 4-1-1 before their two-game slide and face the red-hot Lightning for the first time this season after being eliminated by them in the second round of the playoffs in May. Tampa Bay, which starts a four-game homestand after winning four straight and seven of its last eight contests to lead the league in points (43), rallied from a two-goal deficit twice and earned a 6-5 shootout win at Detroit on Tuesday. "We had a lot of different players step up (Tuesday)," Lightning coach Jon Cooper told reporters. "That's a sign that good things are happening."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TVA, NESN (Boston), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

ABOUT THE BRUINS (14-9-4): Brandon Carlo returned the last two games after missing three weeks with a shoulder injury to give Boston three regulars on the blue line with captain Zdeno Chara (knee), McAvoy and Kevan Miller (throat) still out. Right wing David Pastrnak leads the team with 19 goals and 30 points, but has been kept off the scoresheet four times in eight games since linemate Bergeron went down with a shoulder injury. Left wing Brad Marchand (seven goals, 24 points), the other member of the top line, has been held to a goal and three assists in eight games since Bergeron (nine goals, 26 points) was knocked out of the lineup.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (21-7-1): Right wing Nikita Kucherov (12 goals, 30 assists) saw his 10-game point streak come to an end Tuesday, but scored the deciding tally in the shootout as Tampa Bay improved to 5-1 after regulation. Mathieu Joseph scored twice and set up Cedric Paquette for the tying short-handed goal Tuesday while their fourth-line mate Ryan Callahan registered his first multi-point effort of the season (two assists). Paquette, who already has two more goals (seven) than last season, told reporters: "I'm feeling really good. Confidence is high. I think the way our line is playing, our team's playing, we're having success just by playing simple."

OVERTIME

1. Tampa Bay G Louis Domingue, who was 8-3-0 in 11 straight starts before being rested Tuesday, should be back in net.

2. Boston G Tuukka Rask has a .934 save percentage his last five games overall and is expected between the pipes Thursday.

3. The Bruins, who lost in five games to the Lightning in the playoffs last spring, won three of four in the regular season.

PREDICTION: Lightning 4, Bruins 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators Preview and Predictions 2018-12-06

NHL Predictions 5th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/05/2018

Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin are proving to be a formidable duo up front and they seek a second straight standout performance when the Montreal Canadiens go for a sweep in the home-and-home set against the host Ottawa Senators on Thursday. Domi and Drouin combined for three goals and three assists as the Canadiens pulled away for a 5-2 victory over Ottawa at home Tuesday for their second win in three games.

"I know how (Drouin) is going to pass the puck," Domi told reporters after Drouin set up Domi's team-leading 12th and 13th goals Tuesday. "You read the spin on it. He knows where the sweet spot is. Good players like (Drouin) can find that and all I had to really do was smack the puck." Domi, who had 45 points in 82 games with Arizona in 2017-18 before the offseason trade, leads Montreal with 30 in 28 outings and Drouin boasts 17 of his 25 points in the past 15 contests. The Canadiens have points in eight of the last nine meetings (7-1-1) against the Senators, who saw their season high-tying three-game winning streak come to end after giving up three goals in a 3:39 stretch late in the second period Tuesday. "Everything tonight was self-inflicted for us," Ottawa defenseman Dylan DeMelo told reporters. "They did a good job of capitalizing on their opportunities. ... It would be a setback if there's a snowball effect. If we can rectify it, and I'm very confident we can, I think when Thursday comes you'll see a better effort from us."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, RDS, TSN2, TSN5

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (13-10-5): Right wing Brendan Gallagher scored his first goal in five games Tuesday to sit second on the team behind Domi with 12 and one ahead of linemate Tomas Tatar. Artturi Lehkonen registered three of his five goals this season in the last three games, including the final tally in Tuesday's victory, and fellow forward Paul Byron owns two assists in three games since returning from injured reserve. Former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Carey Price (9-8-4, 3.01 goals-against average, .899 save percentage) has won two of three starts this month after finishing November with four straight losses and is expected in net Thursday.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (12-13-3): Center Matt Duchene leads the team with 34 points - 22 coming in 15 games during November - but he has managed one point (assist) and one shot on net combined in the first two games this month. Right wing Mark Stone notched his team-leading 13th goal Tuesday and boasts four tallies along with two assists in the last five games to reach 30 points - third on the team behind Duchene and defenseman Thomas Chabot (31). Gritty rookie forward Brady Tkachuk, who recorded 16 points (nine goals) in his first 14 NHL games this season, has not hit the scoresheet in three consecutive contests - a season high.

OVERTIME

1. Chabot entered Wednesday leading all defenseman in the league in points and tops Ottawa with 77 shots.

2. Montreal D Shea Weber boasts three points, a plus-four rating and 14 shots in four games since returning from offseason surgery.

3. The Senators own points in 11 of 15 home games (9-4-2) this season, but sit last in the league in penalty killing overall (70.7 percent).

PREDICTION: Canadiens 4, Senators 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Minnesota Wild vs. Calgary Flames Preview and Predictions 2018-12-06

NHL Predictions 5th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/05/2018

Coming off their biggest offensive eruption in nearly eight years, the surging Calgary Flames take aim at the fourth consecutive victory when they host the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night. The Pacific Division-leading Flames are riding a five-game point streak (4-0-1) and capped off their latest victory with a nine-goal eruption in a victory at Columbus.

Calgary erased an early three-goal deficit by scoring five times in one period for the fourth time this season -- more than all the other league teams combined. "The guys are maturing, the young guys especially," Flames head coach Bill Peters said after the 9-6 win. "The leaders do a good job leading and we don't feel like we're ever out of a game. The Wild were heading in the opposite direction of Calgary before snapping a season-worst three-game slide with a 3-2 victory at Vancouver on Tuesday night. Minnesota is 7-3-1 against Pacific Division opponents this season but has won only two of the last seven matchups against the Flames.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), Sportsnet West (Calgary)

ABOUT THE WILD (15-10-2): Devan Dubynk was in net for each of the past three losses and had allowed at least four goals in four straight starts before turning aside 29 of 31 shots against Vancouver to halt his slump. "That was an important game for him," Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. "It could have gone south for him when the first shot on net goes in, everybody is looking to the stars. But he hung in there, and mental toughness for him, and battled his way through." Forward Jason Zucker has goals in back-to-back games but has only four points in 14 matchups against Calgary.

ABOUT THE FLAMES (17-9-2): Calgary's outburst was fueled by its top two scorers as linemates Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan each had two goals and two assists each to boost their respective point totals to 35 and 33. Gaudreau, who is riding a five-game point streak, has been on a tear with six goals and nine assists over the last eight contests and has two tallies and nine points in 11 career matchups against Minnesota. Monahan, who matched his career high by scoring 31 times last season, has goals in three straight games and eight tallies in the last nine contests to give him 17.

OVERTIME

1. Flames F Matthew Tkachuk has six goals and 13 points in the last 10 games.

2. Minnesota has 11 power-play goals in its last 10 games after converting three times Tuesday.

3. The Flames are 9-0-0 this season when Monahan notches at least two points in a game.

PREDICTION: Flames 4, Wild 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Washington Capitals vs. Arizona Coyotes Preview and Predictions 2018-12-06

NHL Predictions 5th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/05/2018

The Washington Capitals ascended to the top of the Metropolitan Division on the heels of a seven-game winning streak, but they have followed that up with back-to-back losses in which their defense has been repeatedly victimized. The Capitals will look to put a halt to their mini-slide when they continue their three-game road trip against the surging Arizona Coyotes on Thursday.

Offense has not been an issue for Washington, which has scored at least three goals in nine straight games, but it blew a four-goal lead in a loss to Anaheim on Sunday and allowed four tallies in the third period at Vegas on Tuesday night. "We were up there 2-1, and we just couldn't hold it," Capitals forward Jakub Vrana said after the latest defeat. "So we've just got to take the positive parts of the game and take it to the next game." The Coyotes have plenty of positives to take into Thursday's matchup against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, following a four-game slide with a four-game winning streak. Arizona has points in its last four games against the Capitals (3-0-1), including a 4-1 victory in Washington on Nov. 11.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, FS Arizona Plus

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (15-9-3): Rugged forward Tom Wilson, known for his physical play, had scored seven times during a six-game goal-scoring streak before he was knocked out of Tuesday's matchup by a blindside hit from Vegas' Ryan Reaves. With Washington not practicing Wednesday, there was no update on Wilson's condition but coach Todd Reirden lambasted Reaves for targeting Wilson. "You could hear it on every faceoff. You could hear the things that were being said," Reirden said. "It's a blindside hit where an unsuspecting player hits his head on the ice. That's disappointing."

ABOUT THE COYOTES (13-11-2): The unlikely tandem of goaltender Adin Hill and forward Nick Schmaltz -- neither of whom started the season with the team -- has fueled the hot stretch for Arizona. Hill, summoned from the minors due to injuries to starting netminder Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper, has earned four straight wins and surrendered two goals over his last three starts. The 22-year-old Schmaltz, a former first-round pick acquired from Chicago late last month, has made quite an impression with his new team with a pair of goals and three assists in his first four games.

OVERTIME

1. Arizona has the No. 1-ranked penalty kill with a 90.0 percent success rate.

2. Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin has eight goals during a nine-game point streak.

3. Coyotes F Clayton Keller, who is playing on a line with Schmaltz, has three goals in his last five games.

PREDICTION: Capitals 3, Coyotes 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Nashville Predators vs. Vancouver Canucks Preview and Predictions 2018-12-06

NHL Predictions 5th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/05/2018

The Nashville Predators limp into Vancouver on Thursday to face the Canucks as they take a two-game trip through Western Canada with four key players on injured reserve. Nashville, though, remains in first place in the ultra-tough Central Division despite missing the exceptional services of Norris Trophy-winning defenseman P.K. Subban and center Kyle Turris (upper body), along with wingers Filip Forsberg (hand) and Viktor Arvidsson (thumb).

"It's huge motivation," Predators center Ryan Johansen told reporters about maintaining their lofty perch in the standings without four key cogs. "We have to step up. Guys need to step up, including myself, including Pekka Rinne and Roman Josi. We need everyone stepping up right now throughout our whole lineup. That'll be motivation every game." Rinne is playing like the reigning Vezina Trophy winner that he is with a 12-4-1 record and league bests of a 1.81 goals-against average and .935 save percentage while not allowing more than three goals in any of his 19 appearances this season. Vancouver has fallen on hard times since a 10-6-1 start, succumbing to Minnesota 3-2 on Tuesday for its fourth straight loss - all at home - and dropping to 1-10-2 in its last 13 games. "Our team hasn't got the results, and it's hard when you don't win, but I'll give our team credit, they're going out and competing,'' Canucks coach Travis Green told reporters. "They're not letting themselves not show up. And that's hard when you haven't won in a while."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Tennessee (Nashville), Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (19-8-1): Forsberg has a team-high 14 goals while Arvidsson potted eight in 13 games before his injury. Ryan Hartman (seven goals) and Kevin Fiala (five), who has scored in two straight games and in three of the last four, have joined the top line centered by Johansen (team highs of 24 points - three in his last two contests - and 19 assists). Josi (five goals, 19 points), Mattias Ekholm (three, 17) and Ryan Ellis (two, 13) provide offensive support from the blue line with Ellis scoring Monday in the win over Buffalo, Josi recording four assists in the last five games and Ekholm assisting in two straight contests.

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (11-16-3): Rookie Elias Pettersson burst out of the gate with 10 goals and 17 points in his first 11 career games but has only three goals and six points in his last 13 contests. Bo Horvat paces the team with 25 points and his 12 goals are one behind Pettersson for the club lead. Center Jay Beagle returned Tuesday after missing 24 games because of a broken arm and was a plus-1 with two shots and two hits in 8 minutes, 33 seconds of ice time.

OVERTIME

1. Vancouver is 0-for-12 with the man advantage over its last four games and allowed three power-play goals in three chances against Minnesota, dropping to No. 27 in the league in penalty killing at 74.8 percent.

2. Nashville has held its opponents to zero or one goal nine times this season.

3. The Predators have won the three-game series 2-1 in each of the last four seasons.

PREDICTION: Predators 3, Canucks 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights Preview and Predictions 2018-12-06

NHL Predictions 6th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/06/2018

The Vegas Golden Knights began the 2018-19 campaign with a Stanley Cup hangover, losing 11 of their first 18 games after reaching the Final in their inaugural season. They appear to have cleared the cobwebs as they seek their seventh win in eight contests when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

Vegas had its five-game winning streak snapped in Edmonton on Saturday but bounced back with a 5-3 home victory over Washington three days later. Defenseman Nate Schmidt scored his first two goals of the season in the final 1:25 of the third period, including the tiebreaker on a power play, and added an assist as the Golden Knights tallied four times in the session to notch their third straight win at T-Mobile Arena. Chicago is coming off a 4-2 setback in Anaheim on Wednesday that extended its losing streak to five games. Alex DeBrincat and defenseman Erik Gustafsson scored while Patrick Kane notched an assist for his team-leading 31st point as the Blackhawks fell for the seventh time in eight contests.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, SportsnetOne, Sportsnet360, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, NBCS Chicago, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Vegas)

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (9-15-5): Kane's assist Wednesday gave him six points in his last six games and prevented him from being kept off the scoresheet in back-to-back contests for only the second time this season. Jonathan Toews is closing in on a pair of milestones after setting up a goal in the loss to the Ducks. The 30-year-old captain enters Thursday seven assists shy of 400 in the NHL and needs three points to reach 700 for his career.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (15-13-1): Vegas hopes to have Max Pacioretty back in the lineup Thursday after the 30-year-old left wing sat out the win over Washington because of an illness. Pacioretty was kept off the scoresheet in Edmonton after registering eight goals and three assists during a seven-game point streak that concluded with three consecutive two-point performances. Cody Eakin has collected six points over his last four contests, with his team-leading 11th goal on Tuesday being his 200th career point.

OVERTIME

1. Pacioretty scored only two goals in 16 contests prior to his point streak.

2. Chicago Ds Duncan Keith and rookie Henri Jokiharju both have notched 10 assists but have yet to record a goal this season.

3. Vegas C William Karlsson, who is tied for the team lead with 21 points, had his four-game goal-scoring streak halted Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Golden Knights 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings Preview and Predictions 2018-12-06

NHL Predictions 5th December 2018 by Gracenote
Devils vs. Kings Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 12/05/2018

The New Jersey Devils have been solid at home and a disaster on the road, but the team's focus right now is to end a six-game slide that has sent them plummeting to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Having won only twice in 13 games away from home (2-10-1), New Jersey kicks off a three-game California road trip with a visit to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.

The Devils extended their slide with a 5-1 loss to nemesis Tampa Bay to fall for the 17th time in 22 games (5-12-5) since opening the season with four consecutive victories. "The road forces you to play simple, and just go play, not worry about momentum as much," forward Taylor Hall said. "There's no doubt about it that we're not feeling it as a team right now, and maybe a chance of scenery is good." The punchless Kings, who own the worst record in the Western Conference, have lost three of four and scored a combined four goals in that span. Los Angeles also has struggled against the Devils, getting outscored 8-1 in a two-game season sweep in 2017-18 and losing four of its last five at home versus New Jersey.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), FS West (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE DEVILS (9-12-5): Hall, the league's reigning Most Valuable Player, was benched for nearly 7 1/2 minutes in Monday's loss but did not dispute coach John Hynes' reason for yanking him from the lineup. "Just sometimes you gotta take your lumps and try and come back and play better," Hall said. "Everyone has a role on this team, and whether it's big or small, you have to do your best in that role." Cory Schneider, who has lost all five of his starts this season, replaced Keith Kinkaid during Monday's loss, but Hynes declined to name a starter for the matchup against Los Angeles.

ABOUT THE KINGS (10-17-1): Los Angeles has scored one goal or less 10 times and among the players who are struggling to find the net are linemates Tyler Toffoli (mired in a 10-game goal drought) and Jeff Carter, who has tallied once in his last 15. Special teams continue to be an issue for the Kings, who allowed a power-play goal and a short-handed tally in Tuesday's 2-1 setback to Arizona. Los Angeles ranks 30th in the league with the man advantage, converting on only 14.1 percent (12-for-85) of its chances while the penalty kill also is also near the bottom of the NHL at No. 28 (73.8).

OVERTIME

1. Schneider is 5-4-0 with a 2.05 goals-against average versus Los Angeles.

2. Kings G Jonathan Quick is 4-4-2 with a 2.47 GAA versus New Jersey.

3. Devils F Jesper Bratt is expected back in the lineup after sitting out the last game due to illness.

PREDICTION: Devils 3, Kings 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Maryland Terrapins vs. Purdue Boilermakers Preview and Predictions 2018-12-06

NCAAB Predictions 5th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/05/2018

No. 24 Purdue looks to recover from back-to-back losses when it hosts 23rd-ranked Maryland on Thursday in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers dropped a 73-72 decision to No. 11 Florida State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge before they were routed 76-57 by fifth-ranked Michigan on Saturday to slide down the national polls and hope to avoid their fourth straight loss to a ranked opponent in the last three weeks by knocking off the Terrapins for the fifth consecutive time.


"We have to go back to the drawing board and work on doing our jobs better," Purdue guard Carsen Edwards told reporters. "Doing the small things on defense and the offensive end." Maryland bounced back from its first loss of the season to fourth-ranked Virginia (76-71) with a 66-59 win against Penn State in its Big Ten opener on Saturday. The Terrapins' dynamic frontcourt duo of Bruno Fernando and Jalen Smith, who are both projected to be NBA draft picks, combined for 28 points and 21 rebounds against the Nittany Lions, and hope to lead the Terrapins to their first win against Purdue since Feb. 6, 2016. "Our biggest thing that we wanted was to come out 1-0 as I think that does a lot for our momentum in the Big Ten," Maryland guard Anthony Cowan Jr. told reporters. "It's going to be a crazy game up at Purdue and we can just get ready for that now."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network




ABOUT MARYLAND (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten): Smith continued his stellar start to his college career as he led the way with 16 points to go along with eight rebounds in the win over Penn State. Cowan scored 15 points and dished out four assists while Fernando added 12 points and 13 rebounds against the Nittany Lions to become the first Terrapins player to register three straight double-doubles since Jordan Williams in 2011. Aaron Wiggins continued to provide some timely production off the bench as he added nine points while fellow freshman Eric Ayala tallied eight points and four rebounds.

ABOUT PURDUE (5-3, 0-1): Edwards scored a team-high 19 points to go along with three assists against Michigan to finish in double figures for the 28th consecutive time. Ryan Cline drained three 3-pointers en route to 15 points against the Wolverines and is 27-of-53 (51 percent) from beyond the arc over his last six games. Aaron Wheeler provided a spark off the bench as he made all three of his shots from the field to finish with eight points and collected five rebounds in 17 minutes while Evan Boudreaux was held to three points on 1-of-8 shooting after averaging 13 points in his previous three games.


TIP-INS

1. Purdue is 32-4 at home in Big Ten play since 2014-15.

2. Cowan needs 25 points to reach 1,000 for his career.

3. Edwards leads the Big Ten in scoring at 24.4 points per game.


PREDICTION: Purdue 79, Maryland 70

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Iowa State Cyclones vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Preview and Predictions 2018-12-06

NCAAB Predictions 5th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/05/2018

Iowa State faces its first true road test of the season when it visits 19th-ranked Iowa on Thursday in the annual Cy-Hawk series. The Cyclones have won four consecutive games, including an 81-59 victory against North Dakota State on Monday, to move on the cusp on the national rankings after receiving the second-most votes (33) outside the Top 25, and hope to continue their upward trajectory by knocking off the Hawkeyes for the fifth time in the last six years.


"We know Iowa is a very good team and they have won some big games, but we have to go in there and take care of business," Iowa State forward Michael Jacobson told reporters. "We need to move the ball and try to be versatile and hopefully come out with a win." Iowa turned some heads by racing out to a 6-0 start, but expectations have been tempered after they suffered back-to-back losses in Big Ten play - including a 90-68 setback to No. 10 Michigan State on Monday. The Hawkeyes averaged 85.3 points during their six-game winning streak, but have been held to fewer than 70 while being outscored 86-46 in the paint over their last two defeats, and hope to bounce back by avoiding its first home loss to the Cyclones since 2014. "We didn't expect things to go perfectly for the whole year," Iowa forward Tyler Cook told reporters. "It's a hiccup and it doesn't change the way I look at this team."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1


ABOUT IOWA STATE (7-1): Marial Shayok scored 20 points and matched a career high with three steals in the win against North Dakota State to finish in double figures for the eighth time in as many games. Jacobson added 15 points and 10 rebounds to notch his second consecutive double-double as the Cyclones posted their fourth win of 20 or more points this season. Cameron Lard, who averaged 12.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in 2017-18, scored two points and blocked two shots in 10 minutes during his season debut Monday after missing the previous seven games due to suspension.

ABOUT IOWA (6-2): Cook scored 15 points and collected eight rebounds in the loss to Michigan State to move within 40 points of reaching 1,000 for his career. Isaiah Moss added 13 points while Jordan Bohannon drilled a pair of triples en route to 11 points against the Spartans to move within two 3-pointers of becoming the seventh player in program history to reach 200 for his career. Highly-touted freshman Joe Wieskamp produced eight points and four rebounds before suffering an ankle injury in the second half against Michigan State and his status for Thursday's clash is unknown.


TIP-INS

1. The home team has won 13 of the last 15 meetings in the rivalry.

2. Iowa State is 16-4 in December games under Steve Prohm.

3. Iowa has won 55 of its last 59 non-conference home games since 2012.


PREDICTION: Iowa 84, Iowa State 79

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Opening Line Report - Week 14
Joe Williams

It was a strange set of games in Week 13. Underdogs were hitting all over the board, including a double-digit underdog, the Arizona Cardinals, winning outright. Joey Public got buried last Sunday, as generally they play the favorites and that wasn't the place to invest your money. The books, who were hammered a few weeks ago, certainly could use a comeback and Week 13 was it. Rarely, if ever, will books have multiple poor weeks in a season. However, there are plenty of weeks when they clean up, and if they didn't have those weeks frequently Las Vegas would like more like Fargo or Little Rock. In other words, you might beat the house here and there. You might end up ahead at times. Overall, however, the house will end up on top, and that's how Vegas was made.

(Consensus Odds as of Tuesday)

Thursday, Dec. 6

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (-4.5, 37.5)

The Jaguars surprised the Indianapolis Colts by a 6-0 score last Sunday in Jacksonville, the lowest-scoring game of the 2018 National Football League regular season. Vegas isn't feeling the Jags, as they're moderate 'dogs in the Music City. Westgate SuperBook opened the Titans at -5, but the public is apparently feeling the Jags, as the line is down to -4. Several other books opened the Jags at -4 1/2 and it's also down to -4, and more movement might be likely. The total is on the move, too, ever so slightly. Southpoint opened the game at 38, and it's down to 37 1/2 there and at a majority of the other shops.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL
Long Sheet

Week 14

Thursday. December 6

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JACKSONVILLE (4 - 8) at TENNESSEE (6 - 6) - 12/6/2018, 8:20 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TENNESSEE is 30-54 ATS (-29.4 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1992.
TENNESSEE is 15-33 ATS (-21.3 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points since 1992.
TENNESSEE is 116-152 ATS (-51.2 Units) against conference opponents since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
TENNESSEE is 4-1 against the spread versus JACKSONVILLE over the last 3 seasons
TENNESSEE is 4-1 straight up against JACKSONVILLE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL

Week 14

Trend Report

Thursday. December 6

Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville is 1-5-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Jacksonville is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Jacksonville's last 6 games
Jacksonville is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Jacksonville is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Jacksonville is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Tennessee
Jacksonville is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tennessee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Jacksonville's last 6 games when playing Tennessee
Jacksonville is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Tennessee
Jacksonville is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Tennessee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Jacksonville's last 7 games when playing on the road against Tennessee

Tennessee Titans
Tennessee is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Tennessee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tennessee's last 6 games at home
Tennessee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Jacksonville
Tennessee is 5-9-2 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Jacksonville
Tennessee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Jacksonville
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tennessee's last 6 games when playing Jacksonville
Tennessee is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Jacksonville
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tennessee's last 7 games when playing at home against Jacksonville

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL

Week 14

Thursday
Jaguars (4-8) @ Titans (6-6)— Tennessee won five of last six meetings, upsetting Jaguars 9-6 (+6.5) in first meeting in Week 4; yardage was 233-232 that day- Titans threw for only 83 yards. Jaguars lost their last four true road games, by 16-33-3-3 points; they snapped 7-game skid overall with 6-0 win over Indy LW. Jags are 7-5-1 in last 13 games as road underdogs, 0-1-1 this year- they went under their team total six of last eight weeks. J’ville lost its last four true road games, by 16-33-3-3 points; they’re 0-4 in games decided by 4 or fewer points. Tennessee is 5-1 when it scores 20+ points, 1-5 when it doesn’t; they’re 8-4-1 in last 13 games as home favorites, 1-1 this year. Titans won four of their five home games, with only loss 21-0 to Baltimore.