Thursday 1-3-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vancouver Canucks vs. Montreal Canadiens Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NHL Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

The Montreal Canadiens could have their star goaltender back in the crease when they host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. Carey Price, who hasn't played since Dec. 22 due to a lower-body injury, practiced on Wednesday and hopes to be on the ice when the Canadiens begin their three-game homestand.

"I'll see how things go on Thursday," Price, who also was selected to represent Montreal in this month's All-Star Game on Wednesday, told the team's website after practice. "We'll see how I recover tonight. If everything goes well, I should be able to play." The Canadiens concluded a 4-2-0 road trip Monday with a 3-2 overtime win in Dallas as Phillip Danault scored his second goal of the game midway through the third period to forge a tie before defenseman Jeff Petry tallied 14 seconds into the extra session. Vancouver is coming off a 4-3 victory at Ottawa on Wednesday in which rookie Elias Pettersson completed his first career hat trick 1:38 into overtime. The 20-year-old Swede has scored five of his team-leading 22 goals over his last four games for the Canucks, who are 3-1-0 on their six-game road trip and 6-1-1 in their last eight away from home.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), TSN2, RDS (Montreal)

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (20-19-4): The hat trick against the Senators capped a huge day for Pettersson, who was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for December and selected to represent Vanouver in the All-Star Game prior to the victory. He is the youngest in franchise history and just the third rookie to receive the honor as he leads all first-year players in the NHL in a plethora of categories, including goals, assists (20), points, power-play tallies (six) and game-winners (seven). Defenseman Alex Edler notched three assists on Wednesday for his fourth multi-point performance in eight games.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (21-14-5): Joel Armia also could be back in the lineup Thursday after missing the team's last 25 games with a right knee injury. The 25-year-old Finn, who also practiced on Wednesday, has notched three goals and four assists in 15 games but hasn't played since Nov. 6. Armia could take the place of fellow right wing Andrew Shaw, who exited the win over the Stars with an upper-body injury.

OVERTIME

1. Danault has scored five of his seven goals on the season over his last four games and collected nine points in his last five contests.

2. Vancouver acquired LW Tom Pyatt and G Mike McKenna, who served as the backup on Wednesday, along with a 2019 sixth-round draft pick from Ottawa for G Anders Nilsson and RW Darren Archibald prior to their matchup.

3. Montreal scored first in each contest of its season-high six-game road trip.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 4, Canucks 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Washington Capitals vs. St. Louis Blues Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NHL Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
Capitals vs. Blues Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

A six-game goal drought hardly is cause for alarm for most NHL players, but Alex Ovechkin's current fruitless stretch is his longest since he failed to score in six straight contests from Nov. 10-20, 2017. The three-time Hart Trophy recipient looks to end his current power outage and make some history on Thursday as the Washington Capitals open a three-game road trip against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center.

Ovechkin's next tally will link the 33-year-old Russian alongside Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Gartner as the lone players to start their NHL careers with 14 consecutive 30-goal seasons. Fellow center Jakub Vrana scored his sixth goal in his last 12 outings to double his season total in Monday's 6-3 setback to Nashville, a result that gave Washington its first loss in five outings and fourth in 20 games. St. Louis had won five of seven before mustering just one goal in back-to-back setbacks to Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers to conclude the 2018 calendar year. All-Star Ryan O'Reilly, who leads the team in goals (15), assists (20) and points (35), extended his point streak to three games (two goals, one assist) by scoring midway into the first period of Monday's 2-1 setback versus the Rangers.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet East, FS Midwest (St. Louis)

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (24-11-3): Ovechkin made news on Wednesday by announcing that he would sit out the upcoming All-Star Game and accept a league-mandated one-game suspension despite being voted as the captain of the Metropolitan Division team. "First of all, thanks for all the fans who voted for me," Ovechkin said. "I know it's a tough decision, obviously. I like to be part of all the events, but right now I think that time of the year and my age we decide to take a one-week break. It's hard but it's better for me, I think, at this point." Nicklas Backstrom has set up 10 goals in nine games to raise his team-leading assist total to 34 while Chandler Stephenson has scored three times in his last five contests to give him five on the season, one shy of his total from his rookie campaign in 2017-18.

ABOUT THE BLUES (15-18-4): O'Reilly has lamented the offensive struggles of St. Louis, which has scored twice on 153 shot attempts over the last two games overall while seeing its 17th-ranked power play convert just three times on 32 attempts last month. "It (stinks)," the 27-year-old O'Reilly said. "You've got to put the puck in the net, especially the power play too. We've got to find a way to bury something." Fellow forward David Perron, who set up the one-timer by O'Reilly on Monday, has two goals and four assists during his four-game point streak.

OVERTIME

1. St. Louis LWs Vladimir Tarasenko (seven goals, one assist) and Jaden Schwartz (two goals, six assists) each have eight points in their last seven games versus Washington.

2. Capitals G Braden Holtby and D John Carlson were named to the All-Star Game on Wednesday.

3. St. Louis G Jake Allen has allowed 13 goals in his last six outings, but only has a 3-3-0 mark to show for it.

PREDICTION: Capitals 4, Blues 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Los Angeles Kings Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NHL Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
Lightning vs. Kings Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

The NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning look to extend their point streak to 16 contests, after finishing off a historic month, when they continue a three-game California trip against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. The Lightning set franchise records for wins (13) and points (27) in December and are 14-0-1 in their last 15 contests after edging Anaheim 2-1 in overtime on Monday.

Nikita Kucherov (399 career points), named the NHL's First Star for December, had 30 of his league-leading 65 points and captain Steven Stamkos added 21 last month for Tampa Bay's high-octane offense, but the Lightning know they will need defensive efforts like the one in Anaheim to reach their goals. "If we want to play in the spring and try and go deep in the spring, you've got to be able to keep the puck out of the your net," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters Monday. "That was a big point for us coming into this game and this trip, is we have to do that." The Kings had earned points in six of seven games (5-1-1) before getting outshot 48-17 and losing 2-0 at Vegas on Tuesday as Jack Campbell turned aside 46 shots to keep Los Angeles in the contest until the final minute. "We've had some pretty good games," Kings coach Willie Desjardins told reporters after Tuesday's setback. "The past 10 games, it's not like they've been bad. This was a tough night. It's a tough building to come into. We didn't have our legs."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, Sportsnet360, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), FS West (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (31-7-2): Kucherov has seven goals and 16 assists during his 11-game point streak -- recording multiple points in six consecutive contests -- while Stamkos owns 15 goals in his last 15 outings despite being blanked in the last two. "To think, especially in this era where there is a lot of tight checking and low-scoring games, to accumulate those types of points, it's (just) what those guys do," Cooper told reporters. Center Brayden Point, who scored the winner Monday, leads the team with 23 goals and has points in seven straight games (19 points in December).

ABOUT THE KINGS (16-22-3): Captain Anze Kopitar leads the team in points (27) after notching his 299th career goal and four assists in the last five games while fellow forward Dustin Brown had two of his team-leading 11 tallies in the last four contests. Los Angeles needs more from forwards Jeff Carter and Ilya Kovalchuk, who have been kept off the scoresheet for three and four games, respectively, while being stuck on 17 points. Jonathan Quick will likely be back in net Thursday to go for his 300th career win after going 4-1-0 with a .936 save percentage and nine goals allowed over his last five contests.

OVERTIME

1. Tampa Bay G Andrei Vasilevskiy earned his 100th career victory in his 175th game Monday and is 11 minutes from 10,000.

2. Los Angeles is 1-for-9 on the power play in the last four games and sits 25th in the league (15 percent) while Tampa Bay is first (29.2).

3. The Lightning have swept both meetings each of the last two seasons, outscoring the Kings 16-6 overall.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Kings 1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Indiana Hoosiers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NCAAB Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

No. 22 Indiana returns to game action after an 11-day break on Thursday when it plays host to struggling Illinois. The Hoosiers went 6-0 in December to move into the national rankings and the Fighting Illini closed out a dismal final month of 2018 by losing four of six games.

Both teams resume Big Ten action after each played two conference games in early December followed by the completion of their non-conference schedule. Indiana is on a roll and should be in good position to boost its Big Ten record to 3-0 against Illinois, which finished its pre-conference slate with a 73-71 overtime loss at home to Florida Atlantic on Dec. 29. Freshman Romeo Langford and senior Juwan Morgan give Indiana a dynamic 1-2 punch. Langford is the Hoosiers' leading scorer (17.5 per game) and second leading rebounder (5.7), while Morgan leads the team in rebounding (7.6) and is second in scoring (16.2).

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT INDIANA (11-2, 2-0 Big Ten): During the first two months of the season, the Hoosiers established themselves as the top shooting team in the Big Ten and they rank second nationally in field goal percentage (52.9) despite playing through some injuries. Leading the way are Morgan at 69.3 percent, Justin Smith (55.6) and Langford (50.3). Conversely, Indiana has run into trouble making free throws, shooting just 63.5 percent from the line - 13th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten.

ABOUT ILLINOIS (4-9, 0-2): A December not to remember was made even worse with the loss to Florida Atlantic, but the good to come out of that game was the play of five-star recruit Ayo Dosunmu, who scored 21 points and hit a 3-point shot with 3.1 seconds left to send it to overtime. The freshman has scored in double figures seven times this season, but is shooting just 40.5 percent from the field. Trent Frazier, Illinois' leading scorer at 15.9 points, missed two free throws with 28.8 seconds left in overtime that would have given the Illini a three-point lead against the Owls - who had a 51-38 edge on the boards Saturday.

TIP-INS

1. Morgan joined Steve Downing (versus Michigan in 1971) as the second Indiana player in school history with a triple-double when he finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 94-64 win over Jacksonville on Dec. 22.

2. Indiana ranks fifth nationally in two-point field goal shooting at 60.4 percent.

3. Illinois took 76 shots from the field against Florida Atlantic on Saturday, making just 24, and 19 misses were layups - including 12 in the second half.

PREDICTION: Indiana 82, Illinois 64

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Purdue Boilermakers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NCAAB Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

Purdue looks to put together all the pieces it needs to be a contender around All-American candidate Carsen Edwards when the Big Ten season resumes Thursday night against visiting Iowa. The Boilermakers showed some progress Saturday when they limited Belmont to 24 points in the first half of a 73-62 victory and received another strong performance from Edwards, the nation's second leading scorer at 25.8 points per game.

"I think that's what we're searching for," Purdue coach Matt Painter told reporters. "Now, can we beat good teams when we don't shoot the ball well? We didn't shoot the ball well in the second half (Saturday), and we beat a good team so that's what I think we have to keep working toward." Edwards scored 24 while the Boilermakers held Belmont to almost 30 points below its average and look for a similar effort against Iowa, which has won five in a row since losing its first two Big Ten contests. The Hawkeyes shot the ball poorly in losses to Wisconsin (39 percent) and Michigan State (32.8) to open their conference campaign, but knocked off Iowa State by 14 to start the winning streak and survived a scare from Bryant on Saturday with a 72-67 triumph. "It's going to be a challenge going back into conference play," Iowa junior guard Jordan Bohannon told reporters. ". ... These next 18 games, it's going to be a lot of fun to be able to travel on the road in hostile environments, (and) to play against an All-American (Thursday)."

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

ABOUT IOWA (11-2, 0-2 Big Ten): Junior forward Tyler Cook leads the team in scoring (16.8) and rebounds (8.5) while shooting 59.2 percent from the field after recording his fourth double-double in seven games on Saturday. Cook's partner up front Luka Garza (12.7 points) will be a game-time decision Thursday after missing the last two contests with an ankle injury, and 6-7 senior Nicholas Baer would take his place in the lineup if he can't go. Freshman guard Joe Wieskamp scores 11.2 per game and is draining 42.9 percent from 3-point range, including 9-of-18 in his last four outings.

ABOUT PURDUE (8-5, 1-1): Edwards scored at least 20 in 11 of 13 games this season and has teamed with senior guard Ryan Cline to drain 90 shots from 3-point range -- connecting on 39 percent of their attempts combined. Cline is the only other Boilermaker scoring in double figures (13.1) and he sits seventh in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (2.5) while dishing out 45 assists -- one behind Edwards for the team lead. Matt Haarms (7.6 points, 60 percent from the field), a 7-3 sophomore center, scored 12 and grabbed eight rebounds to go along with three blocks versus Belmont.

TIP-INS

1. Purdue junior F Evan Boudreaux averaged 11.2 points the first seven games this season, but managed just 3.5 the past six.

2. Bohannon is averaging 10.5 points overall, but poured in 35 with all the field goals (11) coming from 3-point range in the last two games.

3. The Boilermakers lead the series 89-76 and connected on a school-record 20 3-pointers in an 87-64 win at Iowa last season.

PREDICTION: Purdue 76, Iowa 70

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Penn St. Nittany Lions vs. Michigan Wolverines Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NCAAB Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

Fourth-ranked Michigan looks to pick up where it left off in 2018 when it resumes Big Ten play at home against Penn State on Thursday. The Wolverines, who are one of four undefeated teams left in the nation, have won 27 of their last 28 games - including 13 straight to start the 2018-19 campaign - and hope to extend their home winning streak to 16 games by taking down the Nittany Lions for the seventh consecutive time.

Michigan coach John Beilein has built a reputation for his innovative offenses, but the defense has been the catalyst for the Wolverines' incredible run as they have held nine of their 13 opponents to 60 points or fewer and hope to set the pace in the race for the conference title with another victory. Penn State bounced back from a 73-64 loss to Alabama by routing Maryland-Baltimore County 74-52 on Saturday to wrap up a challenging non-conference slate on a winning note. The Nittany Lions have dropped three of their four true road games this season, but have played the Wolverines tough in recent years, with the last three meetings decided by an average of 6.3 points and look to get over the hump with their first win in Ann Arbor since Feb. 20, 2010. "We could have easily done a different thing with our scheduling, but we didn't and we decided to put these guys through a very difficult stretch of being on the road playing tough teams," Penn State coach Patrick Chambers told reporters. "I think that's why we are mentally and physically ready to head to Michigan."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN


ABOUT PENN STATE (7-6, 0-2 Big Ten): Rasir Bolton led the Nittany Lions in scoring for the fifth time this season as he tallied 18 points in the win against UMBC. Lamar Stevens added 16 points and seven rebounds to finish in double figures for the 20th straight game as Penn State improved to 4-0 against the Retrievers. Josh Reaves scored nine points and dished out a team-high five assists to move past Mike Walker (258) for 18th place on the program's all-time list with 261 while Mike Watkins produced seven points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.

ABOUT MICHIGAN (13-0, 2-0): Ignas Brazdeikis was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the third time after scoring a team-high 21 points to go along with eight rebounds in the 74-52 win against Binghamton on Sunday. Jordan Poole knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers en route to 18 points and four assists while Isaiah Livers added 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting in a reserve role against the Bearcats. "Jordan Poole shot so well, Iggy shot well and Isaiah Livers just gave us enough to get the win," Beilein told reporters. "We need to continue this sense of urgency if we want to win a championship in the Big Ten."


TIP-INS

1. Michigan has won 14 of the last 15 home meetings with Penn State.

2. Reaves leads the Big Ten in steals per game (2.6).

3. Brazdeikis has scored at least 20 points in five games this season.

PREDICTION: Michigan 73, Penn State 64

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NC State Wolfpack vs. Miami-Florida Hurricanes Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NCAAB Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

No. 19 North Carolina State and Miami (Fla.) have finished the non-conference tuneups and get their Atlantic Coast Conference seasons under way in South Florida on Thursday night. The Wolfpack are inching up the rankings after a perfect 6-0 mark in the month of December and they are off to their best start since 2005-06, while the Hurricanes have regained footing after a surprising swoon and are riding a confidence-boosting three-game winning streak.

"They will be a big challenge for us because they play 10 guys and try to wear you down," Miami coach Jim Larranaga told reporters after the Hurricanes' 73-62 victory over Campbell on Saturday. "We're playing seven and some of those guys, we don't have any frontcourt subs for them. A guy like Buka (center Ebuka Izundu), there's no sub for him. (Forward) Sam Waardenburg, there's no sub for him. We've got a lot of guys logging a lot of minutes." That lack of depth, exacerbated by the continued absence of forward Dewan Hernandez due to eligibility issues, figures to be problematic for the Hurricanes throughout the entire rugged ACC slate - beginning against a Wolfpack team getting hefty contributions from its deep, talented bench, with every player on the roster scoring in double digits in at least one game. Ten Wolfpack are in the rotation and average at least 12.6 minutes per game compared with just seven for Miami and N.C. State is using that depth to bring in fresh subs to play tenacious defense for coach Kevin Keatts and the result has been a 3-1 mark against Power 5 teams, including a 78-71 triumph over then-No. 7 Auburn. The Wolfpack bench has scored at least 40 points in six games, including a school-record 62 in a recent win over South Carolina Upstate, and the team as a whole is averaging 89.4 points per game (tied for sixth best in the nation), nearly 12 points better than Miami (77.6), which has been held below 76 in five of the last six games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT N.C. STATE (12-1): Star point guard Markell Johnson, the team's second-leading scorer at 11.8 points per game, was a difference-maker in the win over Auburn (27 points) but in the two games since - wins over USC Upstate (98-71) and Loyola Maryland (97-64) - he has scored a total of four points in 26 minutes combined. The team didn't miss a beat, led by senior guard Torin Dorn, who has been a consistent threat with double digits in every game except the Auburn win, and six players are hitting at least 50 percent from the field overall. Defensively, the pressure style favored by Keatts has resulted in turnovers and blocked shots - a season-high 13 blocks in the last win - and the team is surrendering just 64.8 points per game - with only Wisconsin (79), in the team's lone loss, and Penn State (78) surpassing the 77.6 points that Miami is averaging per game.

ABOUT MIAMI (8-4): Senior Zach Johnson comes off a big outing for the Hurricanes, rolling up a game-high 22 points in the victory over Campbell thanks to nailing five of his six shots from long distance and he hit the 1,500-point mark for his college career, which began at Florida Gulf Coast. With five Hurricanes scoring in double figures overall, Johnson is tied for second with fellow guard Anthony Lawrence at 13.3 points behind team leader Chris Lykes (16.6), who tallied 21 points in the Campbell win - one shy of his career high. Miami's defense was up to the challenge of containing the nation's best scorer last time out, limiting Campbell's Chris Clemons to a season-low 19 points - 10 of which were put up in the final four minutes - far below the 30.5 per game he averaged coming in.

TIP-INS

1. The Wolfpack own a slim 12-11 advantage in the series, but Miami has narrowed the gap with wins in the last three - including an 86-81 victory in the last meeting on Jan. 21, 2018, in Raleigh, N.C.

2. N.C. State comes off its best shooting outing of the season (62.5 percent) against Loyola Maryland along with a season-best 25 assists.

3. The Hurricanes are facing their first ranked opponent this season.

PREDICTION: N.C. State 82, Miami 72

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Utah Utes vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NCAAB Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

A prime letdown spot was indeed last Saturday as Arizona State fell to visiting Princeton and out of the national rankings. A clean slate, though, awaits the Sun Devils as they tip off Pac-12 play Thursday night by hosting Utah.


Arizona State had knocked off top-ranked Kansas a week prior to getting edged by the Tigers. The Sun Devils' subsequent fall from No. 17 to outside the national rankings means the struggling Pac-12 enters the New Year without a ranked team. "It definitely hurts," Arizona State senior forward Zylan Cheatham told reporters after the Sun Devils shot a season-worst 32.3 percent in the 67-66 loss to Princeton. "Basketball humbles you real quick." Utah also is coming off a defeat - an 86-71 home loss to No. 5 Nevada on Saturday - and California (5-7) was the only other Pac-12 team to fail to post a winning non-conference record.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network


ABOUT UTAH (6-6): Since opening December with a 69-64 win over Tulsa, the Runnin' Utes have dropped three of their last five, but the last two losses have come against top-14-ranked foes in Kentucky (88-61) and Nevada. Senior guard Sedrick Barefield leads the team in scoring with 15 points per game and has averaged 21.3 - including a season-high 33 versus Nevada - while coming off the bench the last three games in coach Larry Krystkowiak's reconfigured rotation. Forward Donnie Tillman is the only other Utah player averaging double digits (10.0), and the 6-7 forward also averages a team-best 6.4 rebounds.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (9-3): The Sun Devils feature one of the nation's top freshmen and the Pac-12's third-leading scorer in guard Luguentz Dort (18.1 points), but he has averaged only 10.3 points over his last four outings, including a season-low six on 1-of-8 shooting against Princeton. Backcourt mate Remy Martin (12.2) along with forward Kimani Lawrence (11.9) and Cheatham (11.3) also are averaging double figures while the latter also paces the team with 10.1 rebounds per outing. The Sun Devils are averaging a Pac-12-best 44 rebounds per game - a figure which also is tied for fifth nationally - but they also are shooting a conference-worst 43.2 percent from the field despite ranking tied for second with 79.7 points per outing.


TIP-INS

1. Utah owns an 8-4 series edge since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, and the two teams split a season ago with each winning on the road.

2. Arizona State is opening Pac-12 play at home for only the fourth time in the last 11 seasons, and will have four of its first six conference contests in Tempe.

3. Utah went 1-5 in road/neutral games during non-conference play while averaging 66.7 points and 14.3 turnovers.


PREDICTION: Arizona State 78, Utah 68

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Wisconsin Badgers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NCAAB Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

No. 23 Wisconsin hopes to learn from a tough road loss that ended the non-conference portion of the schedule as it resumes Big Ten play Thursday night against visiting Minnesota. The Badgers won their first two conference games and had only lost against two ranked teams (Virginia, Marquette) before allowing 55.2 percent shooting from the field en route to an 83-76 setback at Western Kentucky on Saturday.

"When you're playing in a hostile environment on the road against a good team, you don't have many mulligans in your pocket," coach Greg Gard told the Wisconsin State Journal. "So you can't give away opportunities that create momentum or energy and fuel their fire more, and we did too much of that." The Badgers look to limit defensive lapses as they go for a ninth straight win against Minnesota, which has a five-game winning streak that started with an 85-78 conference triumph against Nebraska on Dec. 5. Senior forward Jordan Murphy leads the Golden Gophers in scoring (15.7) and rebounds (12.6, leads the nation) while 6-10 freshman center Daniel Oturu has made a strong impression with four straight double-doubles. "(He was) a top-50 player in the country, big-time recruit, so I'm not surprised at all," Minnesota coach Richard Pitino told reporters of Oturu. "... I still think he can get a lot better."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network.

ABOUT MINNESOTA (11-2, 1-1 Big Ten): The Golden Gophers added an impact player Sunday in the 71-53 win over Mount St. Mary's as 6-9 sophomore Eric Curry returned from multiple knee surgeries that forced him to miss all of last season. "It was amazing," Curry told reporters after collecting four points and six rebounds in 17 minutes Sunday in his first game since the 2017 NCAA Tournament. "I couldn't even sleep at night. I was so excited to be back out on the floor in front of the fans." Junior guard Amir Coffey scored 51 points in the first two Big Ten games and is second on the team at 15.1 points per game.
ABOUT WISCONSIN (10-3, 2-0): Senior forward Ethan Happ continues to dominate for the Badgers, leading the team in scoring (19.2), rebounds (10.7) and assists (4.8) while recording 10 double-doubles. Sophomore D'Mitrik Tice is also off to a strong start, averaging 15.5 points and connecting on 50.7 percent from behind the 3-point arc, but the 6-0 guard made only 2-of-10 from long range in his last two contests. Sophomore guard Brad Davison is averaging 19 points and has drained 10-of-16 from 3-point range over his last three outings after scoring a season-high 26 against Western Kentucky.

TIP-INS

1. Minnesota freshman G Gabe Kalscheur is 8-of-41 from the field the last four games after draining 35-of-69 the first nine.

2. Happ needs six field goals to pass Michael Finley (739) for second on Wisconsin's all-time list.

3. The Badgers are second in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting percentage (39.1) and the Golden Gophers (30.6) are last.

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 78, Minnesota 68

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Colorado Buffaloes vs. Arizona Wildcats Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NCAAB Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

It was anything but easy, but Arizona closed out a 9-4 non-conference schedule with a 70-68 home win over UC Davis on Dec. 22. Now, after a 12-day layoff, the two-time defending Pac-12 regular-season champions open conference play Thursday night by hosting Colorado.


Almost all of the recent numbers and trends point toward another fast conference start and successful Pac-12 season for the Wildcats. Arizona is a conference-best 73-17 in Pac-12 play over the last five years and owns the nation's best home record (89-4) since the start of the 2013-14 season. Additionally, the Wildcats have won eight straight conference openers under coach Sean Miller and play four of their first six Pac-12 games at the McKale Center. Still, this is a revamped Arizona team featuring five new starters and is without the elite 1-2 punch (center DeAndre Ayton and guard Allonzo Trier) that carried it to the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles a season ago.

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


ABOUT COLORADO (9-3): The Buffaloes matched Arizona State for the best non-conference record in the Pac-12 but failed to close out December strong, dropping two of three to finish seventh at the eight-team Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu over Christmas. Sophomore point guard McKinley Wright IV leads the team in scoring (13.8) and assists (5.8) while averaging 5.6 rebounds, but is coming off a season-worst two-point effort on 1-of-6 shooting in the Diamond Head seventh-place game. Forward Lucas Siewert (12.8 points) and guard Tyler Bey (11.7), also are averaging double figures for the Buffaloes who rank second in the conference in field-goal percentage (47.0) but next to last in turnovers (14 per contest).

ABOUT ARIZONA (9-4): Leading-scorer Brandon Randolph, a sophomore guard, has increased his scoring average 12.9 points (3.7 to 16.6), marking the largest increase of any Power Five conference player. Chase Jeter, a 6-10 transfer from Duke, is averaging 12.8 points and a team-best seven rebounds while freshman guard Brandon Williams contributes 11.0 points and a team-leading 3.8 assists. Unlike last season, though, Arizona ranks in the middle of the Pac-12 pack in most of the key team stats, including scoring (74.0), field-goal percentage (45.0) and average rebound margin (plus-0.7).


TIP-INS

1. Arizona has won 13 of the 18 meetings since Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011, including an 83-67 victory in last season's Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals.

2. Jeter is tied for second in Pac-12 field-goal percentage at 65.7, which also matches the best non-conference mark by an Arizona player since 2007.

3. Six of Colorado's nine wins have come at home, but the Buffaloes are in the midst of a rugged stretch where they play nine of 11 away from Boulder, including five of their first seven Pac-12 contests.


PREDICTION: Arizona 74, Colorado 70

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Wichita St. Shockers vs. Memphis Tigers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NCAAB Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

Wichita State returns from an extended 12-day holiday break Thursday to begin its American Athletic Conference schedule on the road against Memphis. The Tigers have won five of six as they finish off a seven-game homestand Thursday, with their only blemish a 102-92 setback to then-No. 4 Tennessee on Dec. 15.

Memphis matched its season-high by scoring 57 second-half points as the Tigers wrapped up non-league play with a 96-65 home victory over Florida A&M Saturday. "They weren't thinking about basketball in the first half," head coach Penny Hardaway told reporters after his team went 9-of-13 from downtown after halftime. "In the second half, we got locked in on the keys of what we needed to work on." The opposite is true of Wichita State in its last outing on Dec. 22 as the Shockers missed their first 11 shots after halftime and surrendered a coinciding 16-0 run that sealed a 70-54 loss to VCU. Wichita State suffered through a 6-for-26 performance from 3-point range in the loss, the Shockers' second-worst output of the season from downtown - ahead of a 5-for-27 showing in an 80-48 setback to Oklahoma Dec. 8.

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

ABOUT WICHITA STATE (7-5): Senior Markis McDuffie enters the new year as the team's leading scorer (18.8) and he has the most points per game for a Shockers' player on Jan. 1 since Jason Perez's 21.6 in 2000. Jaime Echenique, Wichita State's leading rebounder (6.1) and shot blocker (13), left the loss to VCU with a foot injury late in the first half and did not return. The Shockers have outscored opponents by 17.8 points per 40 minutes when the 6-11 Echenique is on the floor, and have been outscored by 13.8 when he sits.

ABOUT MEMPHIS (8-5): Senior Jeremiah Martin matched a season-high with 22 points in Saturday's win and also led the Tigers in assists (eight) and steals (six). Hardaway's emphasis on pushing the ball up the floor has been evident as the Tigers sit in the top 10 nationally in pace (76.3 possessions per game) and lead the American in scoring offense (85.1). While their offense is on pace to break Wichita State's conference record from a season ago (82.8), the Tigers' scoring defense has been the worst among American teams (77.2).

TIP-INS

1. The Shockers lead the series 11-10 and have won the only two meetings since 1983.

2. Memphis has had a different coach for each of the last five meetings - Wayne Yates (1976), Dana Kirk (1983), Josh Pastner (2014), Tubby Smith (2018) and Hardaway (2019).

3. Wichita State is 0-2 in true road games this season after leading the nation in road wins (49) and road winning percentage (.860) over the past five seasons.

PREDICTION: Memphis 92, Wichita State 80

[Can'tPickAWinner]

California Golden Bears vs. Southern California Trojans Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NCAAB Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

After battling injuries and inconsistency throughout non-conference play, USC is trending upward ahead of Thursday's Pac-12 opener against visiting California. The Trojans have won two straight following a four-game losing streak and figure to be favored against the rebuilding Bears, who were 2-16 in conference play last season and have no seniors on the roster.

Five players are averaging double figures for USC - including 6-10 forward Bennie Boatwright, who leads the team at 15 points per game and scored a game-high 19 in last Sunday's 73-55 win over UC Davis. "I think we're improving as a basketball team, especially the last week-and-a-half, two weeks," coach Andy Enfield told reporters. "We're improving in practice, and we're improving in games. The last two games we've held teams to 49 and 55 points. We've had 24 and 20 assists. So we know the formula for success; we just have to go out and execute it." USC boasts one of the league's top frontline duos in Boatwright and center Nick Rakocevic, who is averaging 14.3 points and 10.3 rebounds. Boatwright and Rakocevic should face little resistance against Cal, whose minus-6.3 average rebounding margin ranks last in the league.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT CAL (5-7): Guards Paris Austin and Darius McNeill combined for 39 points in last Saturday's 82-73 loss to Seattle while sophomore forward Justice Sueing added 15 points. The Bears were dominated in the paint without center Connor Vanover, who has missed the last three games due to a broken nose and concussion and remains listed as day-to-day. Guard Matt Bradley is averaging 10 points while shooting 61.5 percent from 3-point range, but the freshman was held to two points in 17 minutes against Seattle.

ABOUT USC (7-6): Freshman guard Elijah Weaver returned after missing one game due to an ankle injury and scored a career-high 13 points against UC Davis while point guard Derryck Thornton added 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting. The Trojans are using an eight-man rotation minus Charles O'Bannon (finger), Kevin Porter Jr. (quad) and reserve forward Jordan Usher, who announced his decision to transfer on Monday. Usher's departure could lead to a larger role for forward Victor Uyaelunmo, a 6-11 sophomore from Miami known for his shot-blocking ability.

TIP-INS

1. Cal holds a 136-125 lead in the series, but USC has won the last two meetings.

2. USC has won 36 straight games when holding an opponent to 70 points or fewer.

3. Cal is seeking its first Pac-12 road win since beating Stanford on Dec. 30, 2017.

PREDICTION: USC 77, Cal 61

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Stanford Cardinal vs. UCLA Bruins Preview and Predictions 2019-01-03

NCAAB Predictions 2nd January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/02/2019

Eager for a fresh start following four straight losses, UCLA dismissed coach Steve Alford ahead of Thursday's Pac-12 opener against visiting Stanford. Murry Bartow was named interim coach for the Bruins, who were picked to finish second in the Pac-12 preseason poll but have dropped six of their last nine games - including last Saturday's stunning 15-point loss to Liberty.

Bartow, the son of former UCLA coach Gene Bartow, takes over a team that has dropped its last four games by an average margin of 15 points and hit a new low with the loss to Liberty, which forced 24 turnovers and dominated the paint. Sophomore guard Kris Wilkes averages 17.5 points to lead the Bruins, who are seeking their first win since recording a 65-62 victory over Notre Dame at home on Dec. 8. UCLA looks to begin anew against a Stanford team that prepared for conference play with a challenging schedule that included losses to Kansas, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Florida. Senior center Josh Sharma received Pac-12 player of the week honors after recording career highs in points (23) and rebounds (18) in last Saturday's 93-86 victory over Long Beach State.

TV: 11 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT STANFORD (7-5): The 7-foot Sharma struggled offensively early in the season but has averaged 9.7 points over his last seven games and ranks sixth in the conference in field goal percentage at 60.6. Sophomore wing KZ Okpala continued to impress with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting in the win over Long Beach State while sophomore guard Daejon Davis added 17 points and five assists. Forward Jaiden Delaire made his first career start and scored 10 points in place of fellow freshman Cormac Ryan, who has missed the last three contests due to an ankle injury and remains listed as day-to-day.

ABOUT UCLA (7-6): Sophomore point guard Jaylen Hands averages 11.5 points and leads the Pac-12 in total assists (91) but was held to eight points and committed five turnovers in the loss to Liberty. The Bruins are fourth in the Pac-12 with a plus-5.2 rebounding margin thanks in part to 7-1 freshman center Moses Brown, who is averaging 11.5 points and 8.8 rebounds but is shooting just 38.1 percent from the foul line. The Bruins could use more production from junior guard Prince Ali, who has scored 12 points or fewer in six straight games.

TIP-INS

1. UCLA has won its last 12 home games against Stanford and owns a 145-94 lead in the series.

2. Stanford is 20-20 in conference openers since the 1978-79 season - including 5-11 on the road.

3. UCLA has won 37 of 42 games in Pauley Pavilion since the start of the 2016-17 season.

PREDICTION: UCLA 77, Stanford 73

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Inside the Paint - Thursday
Chris David

Game of the Night (TNT, 10:35 p.m. ET)

Houston (21-15 SU, 18-17-1 ATS) at Golden State (25-13 SU, 16-22 ATS)

All eyes will be on Oracle Arena this Thursday as the Rockets will meet the Warriors in the Bay Area for the first time this season. BookMaker.eu opened Golden State as a healthy eight-point favorite and some bettors could be scratching their heads based on the current form of both teams.

Houston has quietly won five straight and 10 of its last 11 games. More importantly, the club has gone 9-1-1 against the spread during this run and the last five victories came without the services of point guard Chris Paul, who is still nursing a hamstring injury. While the Rockets have been hot, the Warriors are near the bottom of the league for bettors (16-22 ATS) this season and they’ve gone 8-12 ATS at home despite owning one of the best straight up home records (15-5).

The Warriors have won and covered their last two games, both decisions came by double digits and they were on the road. At home, Golden State has dropped its last two games from Oracle and its just 2-8 ATS in the last 10 contests from Oakland. Make a note that head coach Steve Kerr and company haven’t put together three straight wins since it ripped off four victories in a row in early December.

NBA handicapper Tony Mejia weighed in on the marquee matchup for Thursday.

He said, “Over James Harden’s last 10 games, he’s averaging 40.8 points per game and is the first player who has scored 30 or more in 10 consecutive contests since 2014. He’s averaged 8.9 assists in putting the Rockets on his back for wins in 10 of 11 and knows exactly what he’ll be facing here with Klay Thompson as a primary defender who will help try and steer him into other defenders. He shot just 8-for-23 in the only meeting against Golden State thus far, which included a 4-for-14 showing from 3-point range. Houston took advantage of Steph Curry’s absence and rolled 107-86, pulling away in the second half, but Chris Paul, Eric Gordon and James Ennis III all participated. It remains to be seen whether Mike D’Antoni will have any of the three available since Gordon and Ennis are close to a return. If the Rockets remain depleted, it will be easier for the Warriors to make Harden a distributor.”

There’s definitely a valid reason to stay away from the Rockets tonight and its directly attributed to its road mark. Houston has struggled away from the Toyota Center (10-8 SU, 8-10 ATS) this season and it’s just 3-7 in last 10 as a visitor.

Still, Harden has been on fire and nobody can dismiss Houston’s league-best record against winning teams (14-5) this season and eight of its last 10 came against clubs with .500 or better records.

Last season, Houston won two games at Oracle as a live underdog. It stunned the Warriors 122-121 on opening night with a late rally and it also captured Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals with a 95-92 win. The ‘under’ connected easily in that postseason game and the low side is on a 7-1 run in this series, which includes a 6-1 result in last year’s conference finals.


Toronto (28-11 SU, 16-22-1 ATS) at San Antonio (21-17 SU, 22-15 ATS)

The first game of the TNT double-header on Thursday also offers a lot of intrigue as Raptors small forward Kawhi Leonard will make his first trip back to San Antonio. Mejia offered up his thoughts on the possible drama from the AT&T Center. “Kawhi Leonard shot 17 free-throws in scoring a career-high 45 points in Toronto’s 122-116 over Utah on Tuesday, attacking the paint relentlessly despite the presence of elite defensive center Rudy Gobert,” said Mejia.

“He’s really been aggressive over the past few games and looks all the way back after missing most of last season, so Spurs fans will be able to boo an effort that helped carry them to another title in ’14. The manner in which he forced his way out of San Antonio ensures he isn’t going to get a fond welcome in his return, but you can expect him to handle the scorn like any other basketball-playing robot would. The Raptors have lost four of the last five road games that Leonard has participated in, but he’s averaged 28 points and 7.4 rebounds in those contests.”

San Antonio opened as a 1 ½-point home favorite for the matchup and it should receive plenty of support perhaps more for new Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, who was traded from Toronto for Leonard in the blockbuster deal last summer. The former USC standout has posted similar numbers in his first season with San Antonio but he still can’t buy a shot from 3-point land (17.5%) and surprisingly the Spurs lead the league from shooting percentage from distance (39.7%).

Support at home hasn’t been an issue recently for the Spurs, who have won and covered nine of their last 10 home games. The offense (118.1 PPG) and defense (101.4 PPG) have both been amazing during this stretch and two of their recent victories came against another pair of Eastern Conference contenders in the Celtics (120-111) and 76ers (123-96). Will the trend continue?

As Mejia noted, the Raptors have been in a funk on the road (1-4 SU, 0-5 ATS) and their only win was a two-point decision at Miami. Even though the club won’t have point guard Kyle Lowry (back) available, the confidence should still be high knowing they’ve gone 11-4 versus the West this season and that includes an impressive 7-2 mark on the road. The Spurs have gone 5-5 versus the East. At home versus the East, with the two aforementioned wins coming versus Boston and Philadelphia.

The home team has won the past three games in this series but all of the games were decided by four points or less.


Denver (24-11 SU, 19-16 ATS) at Sacramento (19-18 SU, 21-15-1 ATS)

The other game on tap for Thursday takes place from the Golden 1 Center in Northern California as Sacramento (+2 ½) will look to cool off Denver as a home underdog. The Nuggets have won seven of their last nine games and they currently own the best winning percentage in the West. However, Denver has been mired in a funk at the betting counter, dropping its last five games versus the number.

It’s also lost its last two games on the road and its record as a visitor (9-8) is much different than playing at the Pepsi Center (15-3) and that’s been a common theme for this club. A better barometer for me is what team’s doing against winning clubs and Denver (12-8) has answered the bell this season. The same can’t be said for Sacramento, who is 7-14 against teams above .500 while going 12-4 versus losing clubs.

The Kings have been better at home (10-8 SU, 11-6-1 ATS) this season but it enters this game with a pedestrian 5-5 record over the last 10 and the last three wins came by a combined seven points.

The Nuggets have won and covered six of the past seven encounters between the pair, which includes a 126-112 over Sacramento on Oct. 23 as an 11 ½-point favorite. The ‘over’ connected (228 ½) in that game and the number for this matchup opened a tad lower (227 ½). The Kings own the best ‘over’ mark (25-12) in the NBA but their total numbers have been a stalemate (9-9) at home. Denver has leaned to the ‘under’ (20-14-1) and that includes a 10-6-1 record away from home.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, January 3


Toronto @ San Antonio

Game 519-520
January 3, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
125.209
San Antonio
123.773
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1 1/2
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 1 1/2
216 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+1 1/2); Over

Denver @ Sacramento

Game 521-522
January 3, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
119.360
Sacramento
115.431
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 4
231
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 3
227 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(-3); Over

Houston @ Golden State

Game 523-524
January 3, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
118.556
Golden State
130.812
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 12 1/2
229
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 8
225 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-8); Over