Friday 2-1-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:13 PM

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Charlotte Bobcats Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NBA Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

The Charlotte Hornets are a different team in their own arena and are hoping to bounce back at home after getting crushed 126-94 at the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Hornets will try to regroup and post their fourth consecutive home victory when they begin a three-game homestand by hosting the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

Charlotte is 17-8 in front of its own fans but fell to 7-18 on the road with Wednesday's loss and sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference 50 games into the season. "We navigated a tough schedule on the road," Hornets coach James Borrego told reporters after finishing up a month of January that saw the team play 10 of its 14 games on the road. "I thought we got better overall. This isn't how we wanted it to end, but we get to go home. We have a big game at home on Friday night." One of Charlotte's seven road wins was a 118-107 triumph at Memphis on Jan. 23, part of a stretch of 16 losses in 18 games for the Grizzlies that continued with a 99-97 overtime setback at Minnesota on Wednesday. "It's tough," Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters. "We're putting ourselves in position, giving us a chance. Tonight, they made one more play than we did. We just have to make that play when it's called upon."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS South (Memphis), FS Southeast (Charlotte)

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (20-32): Memphis is reportedly shopping veteran stars Mike Conley and Marc Gasol and is giving some younger players a chance to shine. Power forward Ivan Rabb, 21, made the most of an opportunity on Wednesday and recorded his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. "I thought the game was a little too lackadaisical in the first quarter, and I saw that's something I could impact if I did get my number called and I just tried to get in and bring that energy and I feel like just pick guys up," Rabb told reporters. "The bench was behind us and we just kept rolling."

ABOUT THE HORNETS (24-26): Charlotte allowed Boston to shoot 55.6 percent from the floor on Wednesday and was outrebounded 58-38 while letting the game get away in the second half. "We came out kind of sluggish in the third quarter and they just jumped on us," Hornets All-Star guard Kemba Walker told reporters. "... We just have to continue to get better. Tonight, we were a step slow, a step behind." Walker finished with 21 points in the loss and scored 20 or more points in seven of the last nine games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hornets PG Tony Parker (ankle) sat out Wednesday and is day-to-day.

2. Grizzlies SF Justin Holiday went 0-of-10 from the floor on Wednesday.

3. Memphis dropped a 140-79 decision at Charlotte last season, marking the worst loss in franchise history.

PREDICTION: Hornets 108, Grizzlies 97

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:13 PM

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NBA Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

Aside from both teams reportedly being contenders in the Anthony Davis sweepstakes, the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks don't have much in common these days. The Celtics will try to post their eighth win in nine games and hand the host Knicks a 12th straight setback when the teams meet in Madison Square Garden on Friday.

The Celtics are making their way up the standings in the Eastern Conference and it doesn't seem to matter whether or not All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving is in the lineup. Irving sat out three of the last four games to rest a sore hip and Boston won all three games, capped by a 126-94 drubbing of the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday that wrapped up a month of January in which the team won 10 of 11 at home. The Knicks are racing toward the bottom of the standings with losses in 19 of their last 20 and failed to score at least 100 points in any of the last four contests. "Like I said, this is just the beginning for us," New York coach David Fizdale told reporters. "This is not something that's going to define us as a group. The character of this group is a winning character and I see great things coming for them. So, they're taking their lumps. And that's fine. Somebody has to be in that spot right now and that's us."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, NBCS Boston, MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE CELTICS (32-19): Boston took a four-point lead into halftime on Wednesday but outscored the Hornets 63-35 after the break to run away with the win. "It just snowballed," Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters. "It feels good to be on a run like this with different guys involved throughout. Everybody that went in off the bench added to it without missing a beat, so that's a good thing." One of those guys coming off the bench was shooting guard Jaylen Brown, who led the team with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting and 10 rebounds.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (10-40): New York buried center Enes Kanter on the end of the bench while giving other players a longer look, leading to the 26-year-old telling the team through the media to play him or trade him. Fizdale decided to insert him into the game on Wednesday, and Kanter entered to cheers from the crowd before bending down and kissing the team logo at midcourt. "I was planning this for a long time," Kanter, who managed five points in nine minutes, told reporters. "I was just waiting to get back in. You never know how long I'm going to play here. I was so happy I got in, just to show the fans some love for maybe, I don't know, one last time."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Knicks PG Frank Ntilikina (groin) is expected to miss his third straight game.

2. Celtics C Al Horford is shooting 67.4 percent from the floor over his last four games.

3. Boston took two of the first three meetings, including a 103-101 triumph in New York on Oct. 20.

PREDICTION: Celtics 116, Knicks 95

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:13 PM

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NBA Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
Thunder vs. Heat Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

The Oklahoma City Thunder seek to match their season-long winning streak of seven games when they visit the Miami Heat on Friday. Oklahoma City is averaging 122.2 points during the six-game streak that has seen just one victory come by double digits.

Paul George scored 37 points and Russell Westbrook had 23 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists for his fourth straight triple-double as the Thunder rallied for a 126-117 road win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. Oklahoma City is 12-5 this season when Westbrook posts a triple-double and his 121 total is 17 behind second-place Magic Johnson. The Heat dropped five of their past eight games and played one of their worst games of the season on Wednesday when it dropped a 105-89 home decision against the lowly Chicago Bulls. "Nothing in this league is easy," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters afterward. "We haven't played the way we wanted to in January. This closes out the month and it overall has been a disappointing month for us, but we have an opportunity to bounce back in February and change that."

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

ABOUT THE THUNDER (32-18): Backup guard Dennis Schroder was a key cog in the win over Orlando as he made seven straight shots during one stretch and finished with 21 points. "I do the same every night," Schroder told reporters after his 13th 20-point effort of the season. "I try to stay aggressive, look for my shot, look for open teammates and just make the right play. It's not like I'm out there 48 minutes, but it's working out so far." Forward Jerami Grant scored 18 points versus the Magic for his 10th straight double-digit outing and he is averaging 15.7 points during the stretch.

ABOUT THE HEAT (24-25): Wayne Ellington started at shooting guard against the Bulls and is averaging 16 points over the past two games after not playing in 13 of the previous 15 games. Dwyane Wade (knee) missed the contest and Spoelstra opted to bring Tyler Johnson (15 points in 28 minutes) off the bench after he missed the previous contest due to a calf injury. "I just wanted to monitor Tyler," Spoelstra told reporters of his thought process. "I thought it was easier if I brought him in off the bench. Hopefully, he feels OK with those minutes. I probably played him more than I anticipated playing him."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Thunder won the past five meetings.

2. Oklahoma City C Steven Adams (ankle) hopes to return after sitting out Tuesday.

3. Miami SG Josh Richardson is just 18-of-60 shooting over the past five games.

PREDICTION: Thunder 115, Heat 105

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:13 PM

Atlanta Hawks vs. Utah Jazz Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NBA Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

The Utah Jazz attempt to bounce back from their worst defensive performance of the season when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The Jazz were torched for 45 first-quarter points by the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday and never recovered, and the 132-105 trouncing represents the most points they've allowed all season.

Utah won nine of its last 11 games with both setbacks during the stretch coming against Portland. "We're playing well, we're playing better," Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters after the debacle against the Trail Blazers. "It's hard to see that right now after this loss. We've done so many good things. We've got to continue to fight and push through." Atlanta is 2-2 on a seven-game road trip after committing 21 turnovers during Wednesday's 135-113 loss to the Sacramento Kings. "We're not going to use any excuses," Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce told reporters after the loss. "The real message is this is part of the NBA. This is our longest road trip and this is part of the NBA where we really want to get some growth."

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

ABOUT THE HAWKS (16-34): Shooting guard Kent Bazemore (ankle) returned from a 14-game absence to score nine points in 19 minutes off the bench against the Kings. "A lot goes into recovering from an injury as severe as the one I had," Bazemore told reporters. "Felt good to be back out there. I didn't really miss a beat. It's just all about trying to get back in shape where you can play as hard as you can for as long as you can." Power forward John Collins struggled to 5-of-15 shooting and 14 points against Sacramento after averaging 26 points on 29-of-38 shooting over the previous three games.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (29-23): Utah coach Quin Snyder was highly disappointed with the defensive intensity during Portland's 45-point opening quarter as Trail Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum went 9-for-9 for 20 points in the stanza. "If you give up a 45-point quarter, it becomes a long game and you expend a lot of energy trying to get back in the game and we weren't able to do that," Snyder said afterward. "It was a tough night." Mitchell scored 22 points and has topped the 20-point mark in each of the past 13 games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Hawks held the Jazz to an average of 92 points while winning last season's two meetings.

2. Atlanta rookie PG Trae Young scored 23 points against the Kings for his sixth 20-point effort in the past eight games.

3. Utah PF Derrick Favors (4,055) passed former star PG John Stockton (4,051 from 1984-2003) to move into third place on the team's all-time rebounding list.

PREDICTION: Jazz 110, Hawks 103

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:13 PM

Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NBA Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

The Houston Rockets look to defeat Denver for the 10th consecutive time when they visit the Nuggets on Friday. The Rockets posted two double-digit victories over Denver earlier this season and look for another in the opener of a four-game road trip.

Houston star guard James Harden continued his scoring rampage with 37 points on Tuesday for his 24th straight game of 30 or more points but he was highly disappointed after the 121-116 loss to the visiting New Orleans Pelicans. "It's a terrible loss for us. Terrible," Harden told reporters afterward. "A letdown. We had no energy from the beginning of the game." The Nuggets defeated host New Orleans 105-99 the following night for their fourth straight victory and 14th in the past 18 contests as center Nikola Jokic had 20 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his eighth triple-double of the season. "Everybody knows where the ball is going and Nikola Jokic is out closer - and that's what you want from your franchise player, your All-Star, your MVP, whatever you want to call him," Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters. "Down the stretch, give him the ball and let him make plays. He wants it. He has the confidence and he's been delivering, which is the best thing about it."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), Altitude (Denver)

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (29-21): Harden was just 11-of-32 shooting against the Pelicans as he concluded one of the top months in NBA history by averaging 43.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 2.1 steals in 14 games. The reigning MVP scored at least 35 points in each of the past 11 games, including efforts of 61, 58 and 57 and made at least five 3-pointers on 11 occasions. Harden scored 610 points in the month to become the first player since Michael Jordan - 729 in March of 1987 - to reach 600 in a month.

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (35-15): Point guard Jamal Murray (ankle) will likely miss his fourth straight game and that will give backup Monte Morris a chance to follow up on Wednesday's strong effort of 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Most importantly, Morris didn't commit a single turnover in 40 minutes in his second career start and has just four miscues in 118 minutes over the past four games. "He did a great job," backup shooting guard Malik Beasley told reporters. "He knows his role - score when he has to and facilitate. He's just a smart player."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Rockets prevailed in their last four visits to Denver, including a 109-99 triumph on Nov. 13.

2. Houston PF Kenneth Faried - who spent his first seven NBA seasons with the Nuggets - recorded three straight double-doubles and is averaging 17.3 points and 11.7 rebounds during the stretch.

3. Beasley scored 22 points against New Orleans and is averaging 18.3 points over the last four contests.

PREDICTION: Nuggets 118, Rockets 116

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:14 PM

Ottawa Senators vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NHL Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

The Pittsburgh Penguins limped out of the All-Star break with a porous performance against a last-place team before recording arguably their best of the season against a club on the fast track toward the Presidents' Trophy. The Penguins hope to continue that momentum on Friday when they host the league-worst Ottawa Senators, who own two victories over Pittsburgh this season.

"After a normal loss I don't think we have a meeting, but after a loss that important (a 6-3 setback to New Jersey on Monday) against a team that's lower in the standings, we needed to answer and I think it was to make sure everybody was ready to go," defenseman Kris Letang said following Wednesday's 4-2 win over Tampa Bay. The 31-year-old Quebec native scored his 108th goal to tie Paul Coffey for the most by a defenseman in Penguins history and boosted his point total to eight (three goals, five assists) in his last five games. Although Letang converted on the power play to open the scoring in the first encounter with Ottawa, the Senators netted the next five goals en route to a 6-4 win on Nov. 17 and Ryan Dzingel tallied 1:20 into overtime of a 2-1 victory on Dec. 8. The 26-year-old Dzingel scored and set up a goal in Ottawa's last contest -- a 3-2 loss to Arizona on Jan. 22 -- to lift his point total to 13 (seven goals, six assists) in his last 11 games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN5, RDS (Ottawa), AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh

ABOUT THE SENATORS (19-26-5): Mark Stone, who leads the team in goals (22) and points (50), scored twice in the first meeting with Pittsburgh before notching a pair of assists in the second while defenseman Thomas Chabot (team-high 29 assists) scored a goal and set up two others in the two contests. Matt Duchene, who collected two goals and an assist in the first encounter with the Penguins, has five of each over his last eight games to move within three of Stone for the team lead in points. Bobby Ryan has recorded a point in nine of his last 11 outings, although he was held off the scoresheet and recorded a minus-2 rating in the meeting with Pittsburgh.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (27-17-6): Matt Murray, who turned aside 33 shots versus the Lightning, owns an 11-2-0 mark and has allowed two goals or fewer in nine of the 13 starts since returning from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for nine games. The two-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender received an early hook after yielding three goals on 10 shots in the first period of the loss to Ottawa in November. Phil Kessel has three goals and an assist in his last four games overall and 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 29 career home contests versus the Senators.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa C Colin White, sidelined since Jan. 10 with what is believed to be a shoulder injury, is expected to return to the lineup for Friday's game versus Pittsburgh.

2. Penguins D Justin Schultz joined the team in Thursday's practice as he continues to work his way back from a significant lower leg injury sustained on Oct. 13.

3. The Senators' seven road wins this season are the second-fewest in the league (New Jersey, six).

PREDICTION: Penguins 5, Senators 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:14 PM

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Islanders Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NHL Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

The NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning showed some rust during their first game since Jan. 19 and look to get back into top form when they visit the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Islanders on Friday in Uniondale, N.Y. The Lightning gave up three goals in the first 8:21 of the contest en route to a 4-2 defeat at Pittsburgh on Wednesday after the 11-day break, giving them a third loss in five games.

"It's dig your heels in time now. It's the same for us," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters after the setback in which his team had a 35-22 edge in shots. "We've got to take this to the finish line. It's about honing our game. Some good things come out of this? There's no question. But in the end, we didn't get any points out of it, and now we've got to move on and play a tough Islander team." Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored a late power-play goal Wednesday to extend his point streak to seven games and Nikita Kucherov added an assist for his league-leading 79th point, but the Russian right wing was held off the scoresheet in the Islanders' 5-1 victory Jan. 13. That victory ignited a six-game point streak (5-0-1) for New York, which has allowed seven goals in its past seven contests after a 3-2 shootout loss at Chicago on Jan. 22 in its last outing before the break. Center Mathew Barzal recorded six points to help the Metropolitan Division win the All-Star Game tournament and leads the Islanders with 45 points - 18 of them coming in the last 16 contests.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), MSG Plus (New York)

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (37-11-2): Stamkos boasts four goals and seven assists during his streak and sits third on the team in scoring with 58 points behind only Kucherov along with center Brayden Point (65, team-high 30 goals). Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy had little chance on three of the four goals allowed Wednesday and owns a .920 save percentage in January, which included the loss against the Islanders when he stopped 23 of 27 shots. Defenseman Victor Hedman added an assist against Pittsburgh and owns five of his 34 points in his last three games.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (29-15-5): New York was 28th in save percentage last season (.900) and has climbed to first in 2018-19 with Robin Lehner (15-7-4, 2.02 goals-against average, .931 SP) leading the way. Lehner boasts a .955 SP in his past five games and Thomas Greiss (14-8-1, 2.50, .920) has won three of his last four in net, including a victory over the Lightning earlier this month when he turned aside 38 shots. Captain Anders Lee (37 points) has been kept off the scoresheet in his last three games after posting 10 points in the previous eight outings.

OVERTIME

1. New York D Scott Mayfield leads the team with a plus-17 rating this season after being a minus-14 his first 83 NHL games.

2. The Lightning are 4-of-10 on the power play in their last three games and leads the league at 29.8 percent while the Islanders are 22nd in penalty killing (78.7).

3. New York recalled D Devon Toews, who was sent to the minors during the break after posting five points and a plus-9 rating in his first 15 NHL games.

PREDICTION: Lightning 4, Islanders 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:14 PM

Calgary Flames vs. Washington Capitals Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NHL Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

The combined NHLPA-mandated/All-Star break came at a great time for the Washington Capitals, who will try to snap a seven-game losing streak when they host the Calgary Flames on Friday without their best player. Alex Ovechkin, who leads the league with 37 goals, will serve a one-game suspension for not participating in the All-Star Game - leaving Washington short-handed against red-hot Calgary.

"I think the break is coming at a good time for us," Washington coach Todd Reirden told reporters. "We understand that there is a lot of work to be done when we get back, and I have a lot of confidence in our leadership group and in the group in that room that has been through adversity and have shown their true colors when push comes to shove. So that's what I expect when we get back." The 0-5-2 slide, which was paused after a 6-3 loss at Toronto on Jan. 23, is the club's longest in some five years and has brought them back into a four-team scrimmage with the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh and Columbus for Metropolitan Division supremacy. The Flames haven't played since a 3-2 overtime win over Carolina on Jan. 22 was their eighth victory in the last nine games (8-0-1), and they lead the Western Conference with 71 points - five shy of league-leading Tampa Bay. "We're proud of what we've done up to this point, but we're not where we want to be yet," Calgary forward Mark Jankowski told reporters. "There's a lot of season left to go, and these next 30-something games are going to be a grind. We have to come back from the break ready to come right back right where we left off."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Calgary), NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE FLAMES (33-13-5): Calgary's top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm has accounted for 40.5 percent of the team's goals and 37.1 percent of its points. Gaudreau leads the club with 29 goals and 73 points, scoring eight times and finishing with 18 points in 11 January games. Monahan (27 goals, 61 points) and Lindholm (21, 58) weren't as prolific as Gaudreau last month, but combined for nine goals and 18 assists.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (27-17-6): Ovechkin leads the team with 57 points followed by Nicklas Backstrom (51), who has a goal and four assists in his last three games. John Carlson, who won the Hardest Shot competition at the All-Star game, has 47 points - fourth-most among defensemen in the league - and his 39 assists pace the club. Braden Holtby allowed 16 goals in three games prior to the break and has struggled in eight contests versus Calgary, going 4-2-1 with a 3.07 goals-against average and .889 save percentage.

OVERTIME

1. Calgary averages 3.73 goals - second in the league to Tampa Bay (3.96) - and paces the NHL with 15 short-handed scores.

2. Washington has yielded four power-play goals in nine chances over the last three games while Calgary is 7-for-17 with the man advantage in its past four contests.

3. The teams have split their last 10 meetings with the road team winning seven of the last nine after Washington's 4-3 shootout victory Oct. 27.

PREDICTION: Flames 3, Capitals 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:14 PM

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Buffalo Sabres Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NHL Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

Aside from a 10-game winning streak in November, the Buffalo Sabres have been unable to generate any consistency, which was apparent in their first two contests after the All-Star break. The Sabres may have their best chance to go on another run and move up in the standings when they open a franchise record-tying seven-game homestand against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.

Buffalo was foiled in its bid to win back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 11-13, dropping a 1-0 decision at Dallas on Wednesday after posting a 5-4 victory at Columbus one night earlier. "There are no moral victories at this point of the season," Sabres captain Jack Eichel said. "We've got a big game and a long homestretch we need to take advantage of." The Blackhawks were among the few teams who probably rued the timing of the break after they posted consecutive wins over defending Stanley Cup champion Washington and the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Islanders. "Well, we got our confidence," Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said after the New York game. "It's nice for us to be able to make a big difference for our team right now."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVAS, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, NBCS Chicago, MSG-Buffalo

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (18-24-9): All-Star Patrick Kane, who leads Chicago in goals (29), assists (42) and points (71), grew up in Buffalo and has a chance to reach a major milestone in his hometown, needing one point to hit 900 for his career. Kane was on a tear prior to the All-Star break, scoring seven goals and collecting 14 assists during a nine-game point streak, and has been a nemesis for the Sabres by scoring eight times and setting up nine more tallies in 15 career matchups. Toews was red-hot heading into the break, notching a hat trick as part of a five-point night against Washington before netting a goal versus the Islanders.

ABOUT THE SABRES (25-19-6): Buffalo owns a solid 14-6-3 mark at KeyBank Center but has played only three games at home since the calendar flipped to 2019, setting up what could be a make-or-break stretch over the next two weeks. "We've got a seven-game homestand," said netminder Linus Ullmark, a hard-luck loser after turning aside 26 shots versus the Stars. "We've just got to bring the pace, bring the tempo and bring out greatest effort into those games." Leading scorer Eichel, who had a four-game point streak halted, has a goal and four assists in six games versus Chicago while posting a minus-9.

OVERTIME

1. Buffalo ended a 12-game losing streak in the series with a 5-3 victory on March 17.

2. Chicago assigned D Henri Jokiharju to Rockford of the American Hockey League.

3. Sabres F Jeff Skinner, who is six goals shy of his career high of 37, has scored three times in 12 games versus the Blackhawks.

PREDICTION: Sabres 3, Blackhawks 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:14 PM

Nashville Predators vs. Florida Panthers Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NHL Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

The Nashville Predators rebounded after losing four of five contests to post strong defensive performances in a pair of victories heading into the All-Star break. The Predators bid to continue that momentum on Friday when they visit the Florida Panthers, who answered a seven-game losing skid (0-5-2) with three straight wins -- including a 4-2 decision in Music City on Jan. 19.

Vincent Trocheck returned following a 27-game absence due to a broken ankle to register four points in his last three contests, including a goal and an assist against Nashville. "It's been tough for us this year in that department," the 25-year-old Trocheck said. "To go into a break like this with a little bit of momentum, having some fun, it's going to make a big difference for the second half." The Predators also changed their tune after the setback to Florida, with Nick Bonino repeating his feat of scoring and setting up a goal in a 4-1 win at Colorado before extending his goal-scoring streak to three games in a 2-1 triumph at Vegas. Ryan Johansen has six of his club-best 34 assists and seven of his team-leading 43 points over his last seven contests, although he missed the meeting with the Panthers while serving a two-game suspension.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Tennessee (Nashville), FS Florida

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (30-18-4): Pekka Rinne, who sits one win shy from tying Harry Lumley (330) for 24th place on the league's career list, surrendered a staggering 14 goals during a three-match losing skid before turning 35 shots against the Avalanche. Fellow Finn Juuse Saros, conversely, posted a 4-1-0 mark with one shutout and a rail-thin 1.47 goals-against average in six appearances last month as he battles for additional playing time. "We wanted to finish strong in these last two road games and be happy about our game and taking a next step. I think these were good games and now we've just got to get better," said Saros, who owns a 7-3-1 record on the road this season.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (20-20-8): Frank Vatrano extended his goal-scoring streak to three games after recording a career-high four points (one goal, three assists) in a 6-2 win over San Jose on Jan. 21. The 24-year-old has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in his last 11 games after mustering just 15 in his previous 36. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad is heating up once again after registering just one point in his previous five contests, answering scoring and setting up a goal versus the Predators with another tally versus the Sharks.

OVERTIME

1. Florida C Jonathan Huberdeau has just two of his club-best 37 assists and three of his team-best 49 points in his last eight games.

2. Nashville C Kyle Turris (lower body) and RW Miikka Salomaki (upper body) could return to the lineup on Friday after being sidelined since Dec. 27 and Jan. 4, respectively.

3. The Panthers placed injured F Jamie McGinn on waivers Thursday.

PREDICTION: Predators 3, Panthers 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:14 PM

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NHL Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

The Vegas Golden Knights likely welcomed the All-Star break with open arms, having lost four of six prior to the respite while having played a league high-tying 52 games. The well-rested Golden Knights look to get back on track Friday when they open a four-game road trip against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Marc-Andre Fleury has yielded three goals or fewer in 11 straight outings (7-4-0) heading into a tilt with Carolina, against which he turned aside all 34 shots to record his 50th career shutout in a 3-0 win in Las Vegas on Nov. 3. The three-time Stanley Cup winner and Golden Knights' lone All-Star dropped a 2-1 decision to Nashville in his last outing despite the team peppering Juuse Saros with 48 shots, with only Max Pacioretty solving the goaltender. Carolina's Sebastian Aho bolted out of the blocks with a season-opening 12-game point streak that included at least an assist in each contest to set the tone for what could be a career year. The 21-year-old Finn has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in his last seven games to give him team-best totals in goals (22), assists (35) and points (57) in 50 games after posting personal highs in all three categories (29, 36, 65) in 78 contests last season.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountains (Vegas), FS Carolinas

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (29-19-4): Alex Tuch has scored four goals and set up 10 others in his last 13 games to increase his team-leading totals in assists (24) and points (40). Jonathan Marchessault lifted his club-best goal total to 17 after recording a hat trick in a 7-3 romp versus Pittsburgh before setting up a tally in a 4-2 setback to Minnesota two nights later to move to within one assist of 100 for his career. Ryan Reaves, who is not known for his offensive punch, entered the break with career-high totals in goals (eight) and points (15) -- with one of each coming in the first meeting with Carolina.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (24-20-6): Teuvo Teravainen has been either boom or bust since Dec. 20, recording multi-point performances on six occasions while being held off the scoresheet in 10 of the other 12 contests in that span. Signed to a five-year contract extension worth $27 million last month, the 24-year-old Finn scored one goal and set up four others during the team's three-game trek through Western Canada prior to the All-Star break. Fellow forward Nino Niederreiter has provided an offensive punch since being acquired from Minnesota, posting two-goal performances in two of his last three outings.

OVERTIME

1. Vegas C Paul Stastny has one goal and six assists during his five-game point streak.

2. Carolina D Dougie Hamilton has scored two goals and set up another in his last two contests.

3. Vegas' Gerard Gallant will coach his 462nd game on Friday, which would tie Tom McVie for 77th place on the NHL's career list.

PREDICTION: Hurricanes 4, Golden Knights 3

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:15 PM

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NHL Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been off for eight days since they last played but they still managed to pull off a big victory following the All-Star break. Toronto made a huge move to upgrade its blue-line corps by swinging a deal with the Los Angeles Kings to acquire defenseman Jake Muzzin, who will debut for his new team when the Maple Leafs visit the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night.

Muzzin, who won a Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2013-14, goes from a team that was buried in last place in the Western Conference to one that sits in second place in the Atlantic Division. "Defensively, we thought it was a great fit for us, and knowing his character and what he's about, we thought it would be a great fit for our locker room as well," Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas said. "We're excited." Like the Maple Leafs, the Red Wings went into the break off a victory, knocking off Edmonton 3-2 to salvage the finale of a three-game road trip through Western Canada, but they will have a nine-day break between games. "Guys seemed refreshed, which is what you want to gain from the break," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said at Thursday's practice. "That's what we all love to do and it was great to be back at it."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN4 (Toronto), FS Detroit

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (30-17-2): Muzzin, who will turn 30 in three weeks, notched a career-best 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) last season and had 21 in 50 games with Los Angeles before the trade. "Here we are and I'm coming back to play for the team I rooted for growing up," Muzzin said. "I'm excited to come and put on the Leafs jersey and play. That's why we play, is to get the playoff and have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. ... I'm excited to have another chance and get an opportunity to get there and have another crack at it." Muzzin is expected to be paired with Morgan Rielly, who will slide over from the left point to the right.

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (19-25-7): Forward Tyler Bertuzzi, third on the team in goals with 13, will not be available for Friday or Saturday's matchup after sustaining an upper-body injury at Edmonton and will be replaced on the top line by Justin Abdelkader. Bertuzzi's injury opened a spot in the lineup that will be claimed by forward Martin Frk, who will see his first action since New Year's Eve. "You just gotta come happy, do your work and play when you get the chance," said Frk, who has one goal and three assists in 23 games. "I get the chance tomorrow and I gotta do everything to show them I can play. We'll see how it goes."

OVERTIME

1. Toronto owns a five-game point streak (4-0-1) in the series, but the teams have split 5-4 overtime decisions in the past two meetings.

2. Red Wings G Jimmy Howard is 6-5-2 with a 2.55 goals-against average versus Toronto.

3. Maple Leafs F Kasperi Kapanen has three goals and an assist in three meetings against Detroit this season.

PREDICTION: Maple Leafs 4, Red Wings 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:15 PM

Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NHL Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

The Dallas Stars may have a decided advantage when they host the Minnesota Wild on Friday simply because they have played recently. Dallas emerged from a combined NHLPA-mandated/All-Star break that lasted 10 days and got their legs back with a 1-0 victory over Buffalo on Wednesday while Minnesota, which leads the Stars by one point for third place in the Central Division, hasn't played since Jan. 23.

Dallas continues to struggle offensively with 14 goals in its last nine games but has allowed only 18 while going 4-5-0 during that span. "If we keep playing good defense, we're going to get offense," Stars coach Jim Montgomery told reporters. "And that's got to be our identity moving forward." The Wild entered their break riding a three-game winning streak after a 5-2 victory at Colorado, which sits three points behind Minnesota. The clubs split the first two of five meetings this season with the road team winning each time as Wild goaltender Devin Dubnyk went 1-0-1 and stopped 58 of 61 shots, improving to 8-8-3 with a .912 save percentage versus Dallas.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS North, FS Wisconsin (Minnesota), FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE WILD (26-21-3): Zach Parise entered the break on a three-game point streak and leads the team with 44 points while on pace to record his most since registering 82 in 2009-10. Mikael Granlund (41 points) recorded two assists versus Colorado after being held off the scoresheet in his previous eight games. The break perhaps came at the wrong time for Eric Staal (36 points), who recorded four goals and five assists in his last six contests.

ABOUT THE STARS (25-21-4): Captain Jamie Benn (35 points) scored his team-leading 19th goal Wednesday and recorded three goals and one assist in nine January games. Tyler Seguin has a club-most 45 points while his goal and an assist against Winnipeg on Jan. 19 were his only contributions to the scoresheet in the past five contests since recording six goals and three assists in the first five January games. Ben Bishop (17-12-2, 2.29 goals-against average, .924 save percentage) didn't let the break affect him by posting his third shutout of the season Wednesday and is 3-4-0, 1.82, .936 versus Minnesota.

OVERTIME

1. The Wild yielded a power-play goal in each of their last three contests after a five-game stretch in which they killed 17-of-18 penalties.

2. Dallas D Jamie Oleksiak began his second stint with the club on Wednesday after being acquired from Pittsburgh and was a plus-1 with two shots, two hits and two blocked shots in 13 minutes, 3 seconds of ice time.

3. Dallas has won 26 of the last 34 meetings at home.

PREDICTION: Stars 3, Wild 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-01-2019, 12:15 PM

Michigan Wolverines vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Preview and Predictions 2019-02-01

NCAAB Predictions 31st January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/31/2019

Fifth-ranked Michigan looks to take sole possession of first place in the Big Ten when it visits No. 25 Iowa on Friday. The Wolverines cruised past Ohio State 65-49 on Tuesday to extend their home winning streak to 20 games, which is the third-longest in program history, while pulling even with No. 8 Michigan State at the top of the conference standings, and hope to stay hot by beating the Hawkeyes for the fourth consecutive time.

Michigan continues to flex its muscles on the defensive end as it held the Buckeyes to their lowest point total in the rivalry since 1949 while limiting their third straight opponent to fewer than 58 points. Iowa has fallen to .500 in conference play after dropping back-to-back games. The Hawkeyes had won their previous five contests to vault back into the Top 25 before suffering setbacks to Michigan State (82-67) on Jan. 24 and Minnesota (92-87) on Sunday, and hope to lock in defensively after giving up 82 or more points in three of their last four games, as they hope to knock off the Wolverines for the first time since Jan.1, 2017. "This is the best league in the country with a lot of great teams so there's going to be some ups and downs," Iowa forward Tyler Cook told reporters. "We've just got to come back and be ready."

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

ABOUT MICHIGAN (20-1, 9-1 Big Ten): Jordan Poole scored a team-high 15 points and Ignas Brazdeikis tallied 14 against Ohio State to hand John Beilein his 120th Big Ten win, which matched the program record set by Johnny Orr. Isaiah Livers broke out of a shooting slump by knocking down three 3-pointers en route to 12 points while Zavier Simpson added 11 points, a career-high 12 assists and 10 rebounds to become the sixth player in program history to record a triple-double. "You can't say enough about what Zavier Simpson accomplished," Beilein told reporters. "The triple-double is incredible but just as big of a feat was to have the ball that much and have 12 assists and no turnovers."

ABOUT IOWA (16-5, 5-5): Luka Garza equaled his career high with 25 points against Minnesota to become the first Hawkeye player to finish with at least 20 points in four straight games since Aaron White in 2015. Isaiah Moss drained six 3-pointers en route to 23 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists in the loss to the Golden Gophers while Cook added 18 points to move into 30th place on Iowa's all-time scoring list with 1,156 points. Nicholas Baer produced nine points and five rebounds while freshman Joe Wieskamp, who is averaging 11.2 points and 4.9 boards this season, was limited to three points.

TIP-INS

1. Michigan is ranked second nationally in scoring defense (56.1).

2. Moss is 15-of-22 from 3-point range over his last four games.

3. Four of the last eight meetings in Iowa City have gone to overtime.

PREDICTION: Michigan 73, Iowa 69

Friday 2-1-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

Friday 2-1-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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