Thursday 2-7-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:39 AM

LA Clippers vs. Indiana Pacers Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NBA Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly nudged the reset button by trading away leading scorer Tobias Harris, setting themselves up for a star-studded free agency period this summer while making their 2018-19 playoff goals a bit harder to attain. The Clippers will unveil a new lineup when they visit the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.

Los Angeles is rumored to be a preferred destination for stars like Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard, and the Clippers made sure they could stay in the race against the Lakers for those stars and others by shipping out Harris, center Bojan Marjanovic and forward Mike Scott. Los Angeles will reportedly receive rookie guard Landry Shamet and veteran forwards Mike Muscala and Wilson Chandler along with two first-round draft picks and a pair of second rounders. The Pacers aren't rumored to be big players in the trade market ahead of Thursday's deadline but showed off just how dangerous they can be against a team reeling from trade rumors when they blasted the Lakers 136-94 on Tuesday. "You just go out there and play hard and you live with the results," Indiana point guard Darren Collison told reporters after the victory. "I thought tonight we played hard and we didn't really care what was going on around us."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), FS Indiana

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (30-25): Los Angeles still had Harris in uniform on Tuesday night at Charlotte and watched him go off for 34 points on 13-of-21 shooting, including 6-of-7 from beyond the arc, in a 117-115 triumph over the Hornets. Lou Williams scored 31 points off the bench in the win and will be leaned on even more as the go-to scorer with Harris out of the lineup and small forward Danilo Gallinari (back) making his way back from injury. The Clippers occupy the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference and improved to 2-1 on a six-game road trip that will take them through Boston and Minnesota before a home game against Phoenix leads them into the All-Star break.

ABOUT THE PACERS (35-19): Indiana dropped four games in a row after All-Star guard Victor Oladipo went down with a season-ending knee injury but picked themselves up with wins in the last three contests, highlighted by Tuesday's demolition of the Lakers. The Pacers are asking more from the young backcourt tandem of Edmond Sumner and Aaron Holiday with Oladipo down and the two scored 17 points apiece off the bench on Tuesday while going a combined 14-of-19 from the floor and 6-of-8 from 3-point range. "Our young guys played really well tonight," Collison told reporters. "They handle adversity pretty good. I know they seem like they've been overthinking, but tonight they just kind of played their games out there. They had fun and they gave us a boost."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pacers C Myles Turner blocked four shots on Tuesday and leads the NBA at an average of 2.67.

2. Clippers PG Patrick Beverley is 10-of-15 from 3-point range over the last four games.

3. Indiana swept the two-game series in each of the last two seasons.

PREDICTION: Pacers 120, Clippers 114

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:39 AM

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Orlando Magic Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NBA Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

The Orlando Magic look to notch their 10th win in the last 11 home matchups with Minnesota when the Timberwolves pay a visit on Thursday. Both teams are buried in losing stretches with the Magic dropping eight of their past 11 games and the Timberwolves losing four of their last five.

Orlando dropped to 10 games below .500 and is in danger of sliding out of contention for an Eastern Conference playoff spot. The Magic allowed a season worst for points when they lost 132-122 to the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday and power forward Aaron Gordon committed eight of the team's 18 turnovers. Minnesota suffered a 108-106 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday as its rally from an early 23-4 deficit fell short. Center Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 26 points and 18 rebounds for his third straight double-double and 35th of the season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS Florida (Orlando) LINE: Magic -2

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (25-28): Derrick Rose (foot) will sit out for the fifth time in the past six games as Minnesota continues to be depleted at point guard. Jeff Teague (foot) is expected to miss his eighth consecutive game and Tyus Jones (ankle) will be sidelined for the 10th straight contest, meaning Jerryd Bayless (five points on 2-of-10 shooting against Memphis after six straight double-digit outings) will again be counted on heavily. Forward Dario Saric registered a season-high 22 points and also collected seven rebounds and five assists against the Grizzlies.

ABOUT THE MAGIC (22-32): Swingman Terrence Ross made five 3-pointers and scored 26 points off the bench against Oklahoma City as trade speculation swirls about his future. Ross is averaging a career-best 14.4 points and is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, which could put him on the move so Orlando doesn't see him leave without compensation in July. "Whether you get traded or not, you're on a team to do a specific job," Ross told reporters. "Regardless of whether you get traded to a team that needs what you do, or you stay with the team that needs you, you've got to play at the end of the day. We don't have any say-so, so it's just about staying focused and not worrying about none of that."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Towns recorded 29 points and 15 rebounds as the Timberwolves posted a 120-103 home win over the Magic on Jan. 4.

2. Minnesota F Luol Deng scored a season-best 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting against Memphis.

3. Orlando SF Jonathon Simmons (abdominal) will miss his fourth straight game.

PREDICTION: Magic 118, Timberwolves 113

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:39 AM

Toronto Raptors vs. Atlanta Hawks Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NBA Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

The Toronto Raptors are among a handful of teams with legitimate aspirations of winning the Eastern Conference this season and are trying to decide what they want to accomplish in front of Thursday's NBA trade deadline. The Raptors, who currently occupy the No. 2 spot in the East, will go for a third straight win when they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.

Toronto reportedly put point guard Kyle Lowry on the market in a potential deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, and the All-Star is taking it all in stride. "No, I haven't heard anything," Lowry told ESPN. "Reassurance would be great, but at the end of the day, they don't have to call me. My job is, as a player, to go out here and do my job. If they want to call me, that'd be great. I would appreciate it. But if they don't, I understand. It's a business. I know that's such a cliche, but if they wanted to call me, I'm sure they would. I've been here six years, and I've given a lot to this organization. I'm sure if they were going to trade me, they'd say, 'Hey, Kyle, this is what's on the table.'" The Hawks and the NBA gave the NFL some room by embarking on a seven-game road trip while the Super Bowl took over Atlanta and are returning home Thursday for the first time since Jan. 21. The Hawks went 4-3 on the trip, finishing it out with consecutive victories at Phoenix and Washington.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN 1/4 (Toronto), FS Southeast (Atlanta)

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (39-16): Lowry collected 20 points and six assists in a 119-107 triumph at fellow East contender Philadelphia on Tuesday, hours before the 76ers improved themselves by trading for small forward Tobias Harris. Toronto is trying to prove it can contend while trying to entice small forward Kawhi Leonard to sign with the team long term, and Leonard managed 24 points on Tuesday despite going 3-of-11 from the floor. Leonard, who will join Lowry in the NBA All-Star Game, scored 20 or more points in 23 of the last 25 contests.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (18-35): Atlanta is at the start of a rebuild and is getting encouraging signs from multiple young players, but one of the few veterans on the team still finds time to make an impact occasionally. Vince Carter, 42, could find himself on a contender after the trade deadline but for now is thrilling his young teammates with performances like Monday, when he bounced back from three straight scoreless games by pouring in 16 points in as many minutes on 6-of-8 shooting at Washington. Carter knocked down four of the team's 20 3-pointers while rookies Kevin Huerter (5-of-6) and Omari Spellman (4-of-6) also had big games from beyond the arc.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hawks rookie PG Trae Young went 2-of-13 from the floor on Monday, snapping a streak of five straight games with at least 23 points.

2. Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas (thumb) has been out since Dec. 12 but could return Thursday.

3. Toronto is enjoying a six-game winning streak in the series, including a 124-108 victory at Atlanta on Nov. 21.

PREDICTION: Raptors 115, Hawks 103

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:41 AM

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NBA Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

Russell Westbrook is looking to post his eighth consecutive triple-double when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. Westbrook's stellar play has fueled a run that has seen the Thunder win eight of their last nine games.

Westbrook had 16 points, 16 assists and 15 rebounds in Tuesday's 132-122 home win over the Orlando Magic to record seven straight triple-doubles for the third time in his career, and he stands two behind record-holder Wilt Chamberlain (1967-68). "He's a floor general. He sees everything. He gets everyone involved," shooting guard Terrance Ferguson told reporters. "You need to stop him to stop us, and he's hard to guard, especially when he's in the attack mode like that." Memphis has won two straight games after losing 17 of its 19 and is dealing with distractions as the club's longtime stalwarts in point guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol could be traded prior to Thursday's trading deadline. "A lot of the guys that are on this team now have no idea what we went through for 12 seasons," Conley told reporters, referencing himself and Gasol (11 seasons). "We started at the bottom and got almost all the way to the top."

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

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (22-23): Conley was superb with 25 points, nine assists and three steals in Tuesday's 108-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in what might have been his final home game with Memphis. Gasol was held out for rest with trade talks buzzing but Conley was enjoying the visuals and surveying the scene and said the situation was surreal. "It would cross my mind almost every timeout," Conley told reporters afterward. "Look into the crowd. Be looking back at the bench. Looking at coaches and players and seeing my wife and kids in the stands in the same spot they've been in for 12 seasons. It was all just trying to take it all in and enjoy it."

ABOUT THE THUNDER (34-19): Westbrook is averaging 20 points, 14.4 assists and 13.2 rebounds during his triple-double streak and has recorded at least 14 assists in six of the contests. Star forward Paul George is also on a stellar surge with five straight games of at least 36 points and an average of 38.4 points while helping fuel the hot stretch. "It is a long season. We are going to have ups and downs," George told reporters. "End of the day, we are learning as we go. Taking it one game at a time. Games are going to get away from us. Majority of the time, this group knows what is working. We get to it. We figure out ways to win games regardless."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Thunder won the past seven meetings.

2. Oklahoma City F Jerami Grant had 19 points and 11 rebounds against Orlando for his third double-double of the season.

3. Memphis rookie F Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 23 points versus Minnesota for his 10th 20-point outing of the campaign.

PREDICTION: Thunder 115, Grizzlies 100

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:41 AM

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NBA Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

The Los Angeles Lakers are at the center of a media circus in front of Thursday's NBA trade deadline, and the rumors seem to be getting to some of the young players on the team. The Lakers might look like a completely different team when they visit the rival Boston Celtics on Thursday.

Los Angeles is reportedly in hot pursuit of disgruntled New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis to pair with superstar LeBron James and offered up just about every young player on the roster in negotiations, including Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. The rumors left the Lakers looking lifeless at Indiana on Tuesday, when they suffered the worst loss of James' career 136-94 while Ingram and company were serenaded with "LeBron's gonna trade you" chants at the free-throw line. The Celtics, who would very much like to get into the Davis trade discussions but have to wait until July 1 to pair him with All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, are winners of 10 of their last 11 games and eased past the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-96 on the road Tuesday despite missing Irving, center Aron Baynes and forward Marcus Morris. "That's what makes us so dangerous, that we have depth in that aspect, where we can bring guys off the bench and we can sit guys, or we can go without guys, and guys are going to step up and have a good game," Boston guard Marcus Smart told reporters.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE LAKERS (27-27): James sat on the end of the bench with several empty seats between him and the rest of his teammates toward the end of Tuesday's setback and acknowledged that what the young players are going through isn't easy. "I know it has to be tough on a lot of our guys, especially our young guys," James told reporters. "Right now, they've just never been a part of it and they're hearing it every single day -- and I know that the worst thing that you can do right now is be on social media. And I know all young guys love social media. So, that definitely can't help." The Lakers dropped 13 of 20 games since James went down with a groin injury on Dec. 25 and sit in 10th place in the Western Conference.

ABOUT THE CELTICS (35-19): Boston is not expected to make any big moves in front of Thursday's deadline and already enjoys enviable depth on a team that took James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the seventh game of the Eastern Conference finals last season. "I think it should stay the same," Morris told the Boston Herald of the team's roster. "Guys are playing into what's going on, (the All-Star Game) is about to pass and that's when it ramps up. Guys want to play the way they're supposed to during winning time, like we did last year when the intensity picked up. We should stay the same." One difference from last season is the health of swingman Gordon Hayward, who is battling some inconsistency but put up 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting, six rebounds and five assists off the bench on Tuesday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Irving (hip) and Morris (knee soreness) are both day-to-day.

2. James (32,008) became the fifth player in NBA history to reach 32,000 points on Tuesday.

3. The teams split the two meetings last season, with each protecting homecourt.

PREDICTION: Celtics 121, Lakers 109

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:41 AM

San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NBA Predictions 7th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/07/2019

The San Antonio Spurs look for a better result on their annual Rodeo Road Trip when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. San Antonio was drubbed 141-102 by the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday to drop to 0-2 at the start of the eight-game excursion.

This is the 17th edition of the Rodeo Road Trip, so dubbed because of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo taking over the Spurs' arena for most of February. The Spurs were no match for Golden State while resting their top two players in All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and shooting guard DeMar DeRozan but they will be back on the floor against Portland. The Trail Blazers fell for only the second time in their past eight games when they dropped a 118-108 decision to the visiting Miami Heat on Tuesday. Shooting guard CJ McCollum matched his career best of seven 3-pointers for the second time in five games and scored 33 points to top 30 for the 10th time this season.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE SPURS (32-24): San Antonio lost by 30 or more points for the fourth time this season and coach Gregg Popovich was highly perturbed over his team's shaky defensive performance against Golden State. "Our transition defense has not been good and it has really has been a problem for us," Popovich told reporters after the loss. "It is frustrating because it is basically an effort thing. I'm really disappointed in our overall transition 'D' for probably the last seven or eight games." The Spurs allowed a whopping 49 points in the third quarter en route to giving up 140 or more points for the fourth time this season.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (32-21): Shooting guard Rodney Hood is slated to make his team debut after being acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week. Hood, who is averaging 12.2 points this season, was hoping to be moved by Cleveland and said he is looking forward to getting a fresh start."I just want to be a part of winning, just throw myself into it," Hood told reporters. "I'm not worried about coming in and trying to score 'X' amount of points or getting some notoriety. It's just about being competitive and being whatever the coaches need for me to do. And try to do it to the best of my abilities."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The teams split two meetings earlier this season with the home team winning by 13 on each occasion.

2. San Antonio PG Patty Mills matched his season best of four 3-pointers against the Warriors and has made two or more in each of the past eight games.

3. Portland backup SF Jake Layman scored a career-high 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting versus Miami.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 123, Spurs 116

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:41 AM

Los Angeles Kings vs. Philadelphia Flyers Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NHL Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
Kings vs. Flyers Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

A season-high eight-game winning streak has positioned the Philadelphia Flyers as the talk of the NHL, even though some of the team's players are hesitant to speak on it. The Flyers vie to continue their ascent in the standings on Thursday when they face the Los Angeles Kings in the third contest of their five-game homestand.

"We've got L.A. Thursday. Let's focus on that," said Jakub Voracek, who scored the eventual game-winning goal in Philadelphia's 2-1 victory versus Vancouver on Monday to boost his point total to 13 (two goals, 11 assists) in his last 11 contests. Sean Couturier tallied for the second straight outing to lift his goal total to a team-best 21 for the Flyers, who have won four straight one-goal games to move within seven points of Columbus for the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Tyler Toffoli has helped ignite a rare win streak for Los Angeles, scoring in overtime in Monday's 4-3 triumph versus the New York Rangers before tallying twice in a 35-second stretch in the third period of Tuesday's 5-1 romp in New Jersey. The 26-year-old Toffoli notched an assist in the first meeting with Philadelphia, although the Flyers skated to a 5-2 victory to record its first win streak of the season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), NBCS Philadelphia

ABOUT THE KINGS (22-27-4): Ilya Kovalchuk summarily was booed in Tuesday's tilt with the Devils, but that didn't stop the 35-year-old Russian from scoring late in the third period to boost his point streak to three games (two goals, two assists). "That's not something you're expecting, but that's OK," Kovalchuk said of the game-long reception. "You know that's their emotions, and that's how they react, so that's what I think. I was happy when I scored. That's always the best answer." Kovalchuk, who was playing in his first game in New Jersey since leaving the club in 2013 to continue his career in Russia, scored and set up a goal in the first meeting with the Flyers.

ABOUT THE FLYERS (24-23-6): Although celebrated rookie Carter Hart has rejuvenated Philadelphia by winning each of his last seven contests, Anthony Stolarz will get the start for the first time since his 38-save gem in a 1-0 victory over the Rangers on Jan. 29. Oskar Lindblom scored in the first period of that contest and has three goals and three assists in his last seven games after mustering just 12 points in his previous 45. The 22-year-old Swede score and set up a goal in the first encounter with Los Angeles while potential trade target Wayne Simmonds also tallied versus his former team.

OVERTIME

1. Los Angeles G Jonathan Quick owns an 8-3-1 mark with two shutouts, a 1.59 goals-against average and .947 save percentage in 13 career meetings with Philadelphia.

2. The Flyers are 7-for-10 on the power play in the last three contests while their penalty kill is 8-for-9 in the last four.

3. Kings captain Anze Kopitar set up three goals on Tuesday and is riding a five-game point streak (three goals, six assists).

PREDICTION: Kings 3, Flyers 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:42 AM

New York Islanders vs. New Jersey Devils Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NHL Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

The Metropolitan Division-leading New York Islanders look to rebound from their first regulation loss in almost a month when they go for a four-game season sweep of the host New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. The Islanders lost for the third time in four games (1-1-2) on Tuesday, seeing a go-ahead goal overturned by an offside call early in the third period before giving up the final two tallies of a 3-1 setback at Boston.

"That's life, we've got to battle through it and get back on track there," New York defenseman Devon Toews told reporters of the video review. ". ... We battled, but we had a few mistakes cost us (Tuesday). And we had chances, but they didn't go in." The Islanders, who had gone eight games without a regulation loss (6-0-2) since Jan. 12, have outscored the division-rival Devils 11-4 in three wins this season - including a 4-3 overtime victory at New Jersey on Nov. 23. The last-place Devils lost for the fifth time in seven contests Tuesday, allowing the final four goals in a 5-1 setback against Los Angeles - three of them in an 80-second stretch early in the third period. "It seems like we put together a good game here and there," New Jersey captain Andy Greene told reporters. "It's not like we're not working hard because they're mental mistakes. It just seems when that happens we're getting busted for it. We compound one mistake into two or three."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG Plus, MSG

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (30-16-6): Right wing Jordan Eberle scored the only goal for New York on Tuesday and captain Anders Lee (team-high 18 goals) saw his point drought increase to six contests. All-Star center Mathew Barzal scored twice in his last four games and leads the team with 47 points while forward Josh Bailey is second with 38 - just one of them coming in the past four contests. Goalie Robin Lehner (16-8-4, league-best 2.02 goals-against average, .932 save percentage), who has not given up more than two goals in seven straight games, is likely to get the start Thursday.

ABOUT THE DEVILS (20-25-7): New Jersey began what could be a busy month of selling when it dealt veteran center Brian Boyle (13 goals, 47 games) to Nashville for a 2019 second-round draft choice Wednesday. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall (37 points, 33 games) remains out with a lower-body injury, but is still second on the team in scoring behind All-Star right wing Kyle Palmieri (23 goals, 40 points), and Nico Hischier (16, 36) is third after scoring three times in the last three games. Center Pavel Zacha has scored twice in the past four contests after a 10-game drought.

OVERTIME

1. The Devils are 5-of-17 on the power play in the last four games and sit fourth in the league in penalty killing (83.8 percent).

2. New York LW Andrew Ladd (lower body) and D Thomas Hickey (upper body) have both been practicing and could return to the lineup soon.

3. New Jersey G Cory Schneider (0-5-1) is expected to get his first NHL start in almost two months in one of the next few games.

PREDICTION: Islanders 4, Devils 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:42 AM

Colorado Avalanche vs. Washington Capitals Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NHL Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

The Washington Capitals are starting to resemble the team that won the Stanley Cup last season and not the one that recently lost seven straight and 10 of 13 as they host the struggling Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. Washington has won two of its last three games since snapping its longest slide since 2013-14 with T.J. Oshie recording two goals and seven assists in his last six contests.

"I said someone's going to set the tone for us and seems like every time I've brought that up, he seems to step right to the forefront," Capitals coach Todd Reirden said after Oshie scored his 16th goal of the season in Tuesday's 3-2 victory over Vancouver. Washington remains entrenched in playoff position - two points behind the first-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division - despite its rough patch but the same cannot be said for Colorado, which fell out of the top eight in the Western Conference and has lost four straight, eight of its last 10 and is 5-15-3 in its last 23. "We believe in this group," Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic told reporters after Tuesday's 6-3 loss to Columbus. "I know the group believes in themselves." The Capitals have won eight of the last nine meetings, including a 3-2 victory Nov. 16 in Denver on Nicklas Backstrom's power-play goal 22 seconds into overtime.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (22-22-8): In an effort to shake things up, coach Jared Bednar disassembled the NHL's most prolific line of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog coming out of the NHL-mandated/All-Star break but put them back together Tuesday. It made no difference as MacKinnon provided the only point with an assist versus Columbus, giving the unit 200 points this season. All three goals Tuesday came from defensemen Erik Johnson, Sam Girard and Nikita Zadorov, giving them a combined 12 this season.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (29-18-6): Oshie and Jakub Vrana are tied for second on the team in goals (16) behind only captain Alex Ovechkin (league-high 37) with Vrana scoring Tuesday for the first time in 10 games. Backstrom has 53 points, trailing Ovechkin by five for the club lead after compiling a goal and six assists in his last six contests. Braden Holtby (19-13-3, 3.01 goals-against average, .908 save percentage), who has allowed six goals in his last three games (two wins), is expected to play his 400th career game Thursday.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado's losing streak began with a stretch in which it plays nine straight games against teams in playoff position.

2. Ovechkin's first-period assist Tuesday gave him 1,180 points, surpassing Sergei Fedorov for most among Russian-born players.

3. The Avalanche are 6-for-10 on the penalty kill in their last three games and 1-for-13 on the power play in the past four.

PREDICTION: Capitals 3, Avalanche 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:42 AM

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Buffalo Sabres Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NHL Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

Two teams trying the end long playoff droughts look to move within one point of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference when the surging Carolina Hurricanes visit the stumbling Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. The Hurricanes, who have not made the postseason the past nine seasons, are 4-1-1 in their last six games after a 4-0 victory at Pittsburgh on Tuesday and go for a 10th straight win over Buffalo.

"We know how we have to play as a group. That's what's nice," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour told reporters after the win. "We don't always do it, but the guys know how we have to play to be effective. Part of it is certainly not letting off the gas, and just go play. Not worry about the score. I think we did that for the most part (Tuesday) and got rewarded." The Sabres, who are without a playoff game in seven straight seasons, have one game in hand on the Hurricanes as they sit three points behind Columbus for the second wild-card position after Buffalo beat Minnesota 5-4 in a shootout Tuesday at home. "We can't be taking any relief out of anything right now," Sabres forward Sam Reinhart told reporters. ". ... The games are kind of winding down in a hurry, and we know how important every game is. We've got to play with a playoff atmosphere and take advantage of that every night." Buffalo's Jeff Skinner recorded one of his team-leading 31 goals, but Sebastian Aho scored twice as Carolina won the first of three meetings 4-3 on Jan. 11.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Carolina), MSG Buffalo

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (26-21-6): Curtis McElhinney returned to the lineup after missing three weeks with a lower-body injury and notched his first shutout of the season while stopping all 23 shots Tuesday. "You look at (McElhinney), he's just so calm," Carolina forward Jordan Martinook told reporters. "It almost looks easy. Everything looks easy. So for him to come in there and do that job is phenomenal, and it gives us more confidence than we already had in him." Aho owns nine of his team-best 60 points in his last six games and Teuvo Teravainen recorded seven of 45 in the same span.

ABOUT THE SABRES (26-20-6): Coach Phil Housley split up captain Jack Eichel (team-leading 56 points) and Skinner on Tuesday, but they were reportedly skating together at practice with veteran Jason Pominville on Wednesday. Eichel boasts seven points in his last six games, but Skinner has cooled off with three points in seven contests and one goal in his past eight outings. Reinhart had a goal and an assist Tuesday to tie Skinner for second on the team with 47 points while defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (33 points, team-worst minus-18) recorded an assist for the sixth time in seven games.

OVERTIME

1. Buffalo D Zach Bogosian (12 points, 47 contests) is slated to play his 600th NHL game Thursday.

2. Carolina D Dougie Hamilton leads the team with 166 shots and owns five points (three goals) in the past five games.

3. The Sabres are 3-of-5 on the power play the last two contests after going 0-of-16 the previous six.

PREDICTION: Hurricanes 4, Sabres 3

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:42 AM

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Florida Panthers Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NHL Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers found themselves as accommodating trade partners during last week's four-player swap that also included three draft picks, but the former has dominated the latter of late when the teams meet on the ice. The Penguins boast a 10-1-2 mark in their last 13 contests against the Panthers heading into Thursday's tilt at BB&T Center.

While captain Sidney Crosby will tie co-owner Mario Lemieux (915) for the most games played in a Pittsburgh uniform on Thursday, newcomers Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann will return to Florida to face their former team. Bjugstad ranks inside the Panthers' top-15 lists for games played (15th, 394), goals (13th, 87) and points (15th, 191) since being selected with the 19th overall pick of the 2010 NHL Draft while McCann resides one tally shy of his career high. While the Penguins have countered a 10-1-0 stretch with losses in six of their last nine following Tuesday's 4-0 setback to Carolina, Florida fell for the second time in three outings after seeing a two-goal lead in the third period result in a 3-2 setback to St. Louis. "That's the thing. We leave teams hanging around, the same thing happened with the Nashville game (a 4-1 loss on Friday)," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. "... We couldn't find that next goal until the very end. It's just a matter of bearing down and executing a little more on our chances."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, FS Florida

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (28-19-6): Although Matt Murray sat out Wednesday's practice with an upper-body injury, the two-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender was slated to travel with the team when it opens a three-game road trip against Florida. Coach Mike Sullivan was quick to tell reporters that the injury is not a concussion for Murray, who turned aside 36 shots in Pittsburgh's 5-1 romp over Panthers on Jan. 8. Casey DeSmith may draw the start versus Florida for the Penguins, who recalled fellow goaltender Tristan Jerry on an emergency basis from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (21-22-8): Derick Brassard has one assist since being traded from Pittsburgh while fellow center Riley Sheahan has yet to dent the scoresheet since joining Florida. Sheahan, however, scored for the Penguins in last month's meeting between the teams. Aleksander Barkov tallied in his second straight game to move into a tie with Jonathan Huberdeau for the team lead in points (50) while moving one shy of 300 for his career.

OVERTIME

1. Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin, who has missed three games with an upper-body injury, skated on his own Wednesday and will join the team on its road trip.

2. Panthers D Aaron Ekblad, who has five points (two goals, three assists) in his last five contests, set up C Aleksander Barkov's goal in the first encounter with the Penguins.

3. Pittsburgh has scored one power-play goal in eight of its past nine road games and has killed off 17 of 20 short-handed situations in that same stretch.

PREDICTION: Panthers 3, Penguins 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:43 AM

St. Louis Blues vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NHL Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

The St. Louis Blues have battled their way back from the bottom of the Western Conference to within one point of a playoff position and go after a fourth straight win on the road Thursday night against the NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning. The Blues were tied for the least points in the league Dec. 31, but after rallying for a 3-2 win at Florida on Tuesday they are one point behind Vancouver for the second wild card with three games in hand.

"I think our team's really turned it around," St. Louis defenseman Vince Dunn told reporters after scoring the winner Tuesday. "We're finding ways now. Even when we don't get the starts we want to, we're finding ways to get back into games and most of the time we're coming back and winning them." Jordan Binnington (7-1-1, 1.88 goals-against average, .921 save percentage) has started eight of the last 10 games in net for the Blues, who are 7-2-1 in that span, but the competition gets stiffer Thursday against a Lightning team that is 20-5-1 on home ice. Tampa Bay has cooled off with a 4-3-1 overall record over the past eight contests after coughing up a two-goal lead and suffering a 3-2 shootout loss against Vegas on Tuesday. "It was a good battle against a good team." Lightning captain Steven Stamkos told reporters. "Could have went either way. We had a couple power plays down the stretch that we didn't capitalize on."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Midwest (St. Louis), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

ABOUT THE BLUES (24-22-5): All-Star center Ryan O'Reilly boasts 11 of his team-leading 53 points during an eight-game point streak and also tops St. Louis with 20 goals - four of them in his past six contests. Right wing Vladimir Tarasenko has also raised his level of production during the team's revival with three goals and four assists in the last five games while forward Brayden Schenn owns five assists and a plus-5 rating over his past three contests. Dunn has 22 points, two shy of his total as a rookie last season, after registering his career-best sixth goal Tuesday and second game-winner of 2018-19.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (39-11-3): Right wing Nikita Kucherov leads the league with 81 points, but has not scored a goal in the past eight games despite collecting six assists during that stretch. Brayden Point returned from a one-game absence with a lower-body injury Tuesday to post his team-leading 31st goal while Stamkos recorded two assists and owns at least a point in nine of his past 10 contests. Veteran right wing Ryan Callahan was a healthy scratch Tuesday for the third time in four games since the break and said to reporters that he has been told he is the team's 13th forward.

OVERTIME

1. Tampa Bay D Victor Hedman, who recorded 16 shots and two assists in the last four games, is one point away from 400 for his career.

2. Tuesday's win was the second for the Blues this season when they trailed coming into the third period (2-18-3).

3. The Lightning have won the last three meetings and allowed one goal combined in sweeping two from St. Louis in 2017-18.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Blues 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:43 AM

Anaheim Ducks vs. Ottawa Senators Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NHL Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

The Anaheim Ducks have been offensively challenged all season, and the lack of scoring has been a major factor in their current slump. The Ducks attempt to halt a pair of losing streaks when they continue their five-game road trip Thursday against the Ottawa Senators.

Anaheim has scored a total of six goals during their five-game overall slide and five while losing four straight on the road. Those five tallies have come during the team's trek, on which it fell to 0-3-0 with Tuesday's 4-1 setback at Montreal. Ottawa, which is last in the NHL with 43 points, also has lost five games in a row after dropping a 5-4 decision in Toronto on Wednesday. Magnus Paajarvi scored twice while Matt Duchene netted his 22nd tally to pull even with Mark Stone for first place on the Senators, who are kicking off a three-game homestand.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, KCOP-13 (Anaheim), TSN5, RDS2 (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE DUCKS (21-24-9): Ryan Getzlaf ended his eight-game drought Tuesday by scoring his second goal in 19 games for Anaheim, which is near the bottom of the Western Conference standings but only three points behind Vancouver for the second wild-card spot. The 33-year-old captain leads the team with 34 points and is one of only three active Ducks with a double-digit goal total (11). Jakob Silfverberg tops the club with 12 tallies but has gone five games without scoring.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (19-29-5): With Mikkel Boedker (mid-body) and defenseman Christian Jaros (lower body) sidelined, right wing Jack Rodewald and blue-liner Cody Goloubef were recalled from Belleville of the American Hockey League, and the former was in the lineup against the Maple Leafs. The 24-year-old Rodewald has failed to record a point in five games with the club this season, including Wednesday's loss, and nine overall in the league while the 29-year-old Goloubef hasn't appeared in the NHL since 2016-17 with Colorado. Ryan Dzingel is one point away from matching the career high of 41 he registered in 79 games last season after notching his personal-best 20th assist on Wednesday.

OVERTIME

1. Ducks D Korbinian Holzer's status is unknown after he missed Tuesday's game due to personal reasons.

2. Ottawa acquired C Jean-Christophe Beaudin from Colorado for LW Max McCormick and assigned the 21-year-old to Belleville of the American Hockey League.

3. With his next appearance, Anaheim's Cam Fowler will pass Francois Beauchemin (592) for second place on the franchise list for games played by a defenseman.

PREDICTION: Ducks 3, Senators 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 02-07-2019, 11:43 AM

Winnipeg Jets vs. Montreal Canadiens Preview and Predictions 2019-02-07

NHL Predictions 6th February 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 02/06/2019

The Montreal Canadiens have found their stride at just the right time, winning seven times in their past nine games entering Thursday's home contest against the Winnipeg Jets. Montreal finds itself eight points clear in the race to clinch a playoff spot and, after Tuesday's 4-1 home triumph over Anaheim, the Canadiens admit they know their rise in the standings needs to happen now.

"It's something you look forward to when you show up to training camp, where you want to be in the contention or with the top teams in the league," Montreal forward Jonathan Drouin told reporters after the Canadiens recorded their 30th victory of the season Tuesday. "We've got to keep building on this and make sure we get to 40, maybe 50, and keep going." The Jets also have piled up wins in bunches of late, but fell victim to a turnover in overtime Tuesday that led to San Jose scoring a short-handed game-winning goal as Winnipeg fell 3-2 on home ice. The one point earned pulled the Central Division leaders within two points of Western Conference front-runner Calgary as goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made several outstanding saves en route to stopping 35 shots. "Made some unbelievable saves," Jets forward Blake Wheeler said postgame in describing Hellebuyck's outing. "It's too bad we couldn't get the job done because he had an incredible effort tonight."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), TSN2, RDS (Montreal)

ABOUT THE JETS (34-16-3): Wheeler, whose 54 assists rank second in the NHL, scored for the second game in a row Tuesday and extended his point streak to four contests. There continues to be concern around forward Patrik Laine, who has just one goal in his past 15 games and only four in 29 games since the end of November - a month in which the 20-year-old scored 18 times in 12 games. Hellebuyck allowed three goals for the fourth consecutive outing but is 7-2-1 in his past 10 appearances.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (30-18-6): Forward Brendan Gallagher powered the Montreal offense Tuesday, scoring twice to give him a team-high 21 on the season, and the Canadiens scored at least four goals for the fourth time during their current 7-1-1 stretch. Drouin has seven points (two goals) in his past five games, picking up three assists against Anaheim. Carey Price stopped 24-of-25 shots Tuesday, improving to 6-0-0 with a .957 save percentage and a 1.33 goals against average in his past six starts.

OVERTIME

1. Winnipeg expects D Dustin Byfuglien to return to the lineup Thursday after he missed 15 games with a left ankle injury.

2. Montreal C Jesperi Kotkaniemi has scored goals in each of the last three games, giving the 18-year-old rookie five goals in his past nine contests.

3. Jets D Josh Morrissey played just 3:45 due to a lower-body injury sustained in the first period Tuesday, but Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday he hopes Morrissey can play Thursday.

PREDICTION: Jets 2, Canadiens 1

Thursday 2-7-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

Thursday 2-7-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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