Thursday 4-18-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-17-2019, 11:21 PM

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets Preview and Predictions 04-18-2019 in NBA

After a sluggish series opener, the Philadelphia 76ers looked unbeatable during many stretches in Game 2 against the Brooklyn Nets. The Sixers will try to build some momentum off that impressive win while stealing back homecourt advantage when they visit the Nets for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference best-of-seven series Thursday night.

Ben Simmons posted a triple-double and Joel Embiid added 23 points and 10 rebounds as Philadelphia soared to a 145-123 victory Monday night to even the series 1-1, utilizing a 51-point third quarter to take charge. "We did what we tried to do in the first half, just kind of harder, better, longer type stuff," Sixers coach Brett Brown told the media of the second-half performance. "We didn't really change stuff schematically, we just did what we wanted to do, better." The Nets, who were in control for much of Game 1, were within a point at halftime in Monday's loss and feel the second-half meltdown won't knock them off their mission. "I know the Barclays Center is going to be jumping in there [for Game 3]," guard D'Angelo Russell told reporters. "The buzz around the city is what we needed."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, NBCS Philadelphia, My9 (Brooklyn)

ABOUT THE 76ERS: Embiid is averaging 22.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in just 22.5 minutes in the series as he continues to play through a sore knee, and Philadelphia is getting a nice boost from backup center Boban Marjanovic, who produced 16 points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes Monday. "We already played one game, and I figured out, this is my thing," Marjanovic told the media. "They cannot take away my jumpshot. I didn't take [jumpshots] through my career a lot, but I can shoot, to be honest." Marjanovic was part of a bench that shot 60 percent from the floor, with forward Mike Scott burying 3-of-5 3-pointers en route to 15 points.

ABOUT THE NETS: Russell had scored at least 20 points in seven consecutive games before being held to 16 in Game 2, while sharpshooter Joe Harris was limited to four points, his lowest total since Jan. 6. "It's tough, they were blocking a lot of the screening situations," Harris told reporters. "They were forcing me to the rim, taking away any sort of 3-point threats. But a lot of it is on me, just being able to move a little more aggressively, hunt different shots maybe in transition." Center Jarrett Allen also struggled to nine points in 23 minutes while having his issues defending Embiid, an issue made more glaring when fellow big man Ed Davis hampered by a sprained ankle and foul trouble.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Philadelphia has outrebounded Brooklyn 99-77 in the series.

2. Nets SG Caris LeVert is 5-for-7 from 3-point range through the first two games.

3. Sixers SF Tobias Harris scored 19 points in Game 2 after being held to four in 41 minutes of Game 1.

PREDICTION: 76ers 114, Nets 112

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-17-2019, 11:22 PM

Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs Preview and Predictions 04-18-2019 in NBA

The San Antonio Spurs have won 13 straight home games against Denver so they are in a good position heading into Thursday's Game 3 of the Western Conference first-round series against the visiting Nuggets. The Spurs split two games in Denver and now will look to continue their longstanding home dominance against the Nuggets.

Second-seeded Denver was in extreme danger of being in a 0-2 hole when it trailed by 19 points late in the third quarter of Game 2 before outplaying seventh-seeded San Antonio the rest of the way to record a 114-105 victory. "We don't quit," reserve guard Malik Beasley told reporters. "Playoff experience matters, but as long as you play hard and play together, that's what matters on the court." The collapse rates as a big missed opportunity for the Spurs, considering how they haven't lost to the Nuggets in San Antonio since March 4, 2012. "We got Game 1. We fought, tried to get Game 2, but we got homecourt shifting our way," Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan told reporters. "Now, it's on us to go home and do what we need to do, understand if we take care of home, like we've been doing all year, we can come back here with an opportunity. We feel great where we're at. We understood it wasn't going to be a cake walk."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBATV, Altitude (Denver), FS Southwest (San Antonio)

ABOUT THE NUGGETS: Point guard Jamal Murray made critical mistakes down the stretch in Game 1 and he was dreadful for the first three quarters of Game 2 before erupting to score 21 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter of the comeback victory. Murray missed all eight of his field-goal attempts over the first three quarters but coach Michael Malone stuck with him and he was a blistering 8-of-9 shooting as Denver outscored the Spurs 39-23 over the final 12 minutes. "Jamal was trying to play the right way," Malone told reporters afterward. "I didn't foresee the fourth quarter he was going to have, but I knew in my heart he needed to get these minutes. I needed to show him I believed in him. That's powerful. Really proud of him. He was so frustrated at halftime. It was great to see him have some success."

ABOUT THE SPURS: San Antonio had its eyes opened by the comeback of the youthful Nuggets and will be looking to halt Denver's well-earned momentum in Game 3. "They obviously have something to prove," backup point guard Patty Mills told reporters of the Nuggets. "We know how good they are. It's a confident team that is going to come out very aggressive. We need to be ready and we need to improve." DeRozan poured in 31 points, power forward LaMarcus Aldridge added 24 and point guard Derrick White had 17 points in Game 2 but nobody else on the squad reached double digits.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Nuggets SG Gary Harris scored 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting in Game 2 and is averaging 21.5 points in the series.

2. White is averaging 16.5 points on 14-of-21 shooting in the series.

3. Denver G-F Will Barton is averaging 9.0 points on just 7-of-25 shooting - including 1-of-11 from 3-point range.

PREDICTION: Spurs 108, Nuggets 104

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-17-2019, 11:22 PM

Golden State Warriors vs. LA Clippers Preview and Predictions 04-18-2019 in NBA

The Golden State Warriors looked like they were cruising to a 2-0 lead over the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers until everything fell apart on Monday. The Warriors will try to bounce back after squandering a 31-point lead in a Game 2 loss and re-establish homecourt advantage when they visit the Clippers for Game 3 on Thursday.

Golden State went up 31 points with over seven minutes left in the third quarter, but superstar Stephen Curry was whistled for his fourth foul seconds later and had to leave the game, and Los Angeles brought Lou Williams back into the game at that point and began to make its run. "I hated my fourth foul, almost eight minutes left in the third quarter," Curry told reporters. "Our whole rotation changes. A lot of little things that end up giving them confidence. That snowball effect." Williams finished with 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting and 11 assists in 33 minutes and was nonchalant about the performance. "For me, I just got lost in the moment, to be honest with you," Williams told reporters. "I was trying to cut the lead down. I know we were down 30 at one point. I just got lost in the moment."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, NBCS Bay Area (Golden State), FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Before Curry left the game after drawing his fourth foul and before the lead evaporated on Monday, Golden State was already feeling down after watching center DeMarcus Cousins go down with a quad injury in the first half. Veteran center Andrew Bogut logged a season-high 17 minutes off the bench, finishing with three points and nine rebounds, and summed up the team's feelings after the contest. "The mood's (expletive)" Bogut told reporters of the postgame locker room. "And that's actually a positive sign in my opinion. It wasn't something where we were like, 'Oh, we'll get them next time.' We're genuinely (ticked) off about it."

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS: Los Angeles rookie point guard Landry Shamet hit the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute and power forward Montrezl Harrell iced the game with two free throws to cap a 25-point effort on 9-of-9 shooting that included 10 rebounds off the bench. "We came out (in the) second half, did some defensive things, coverages were different," Harrell told reporters. "Overall, coming out of the locker room in the second half, we played a lot harder, was a lot more aggressive. We went downhill and played basically Clippers basketball." Los Angeles scored 85 points in the second half and shot 56.5 percent from the field in the contest after managing 48 second-half points and shooting 40 percent in a 121-104 Game 1 setback.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Warriors SF Kevin Durant committed nine of the team's 22 turnovers on Monday.

2. Harrell is averaging 25.5 points on 20-of-24 shooting in the series.

3. Cousins could miss the remainder of the playoffs with a left quad injury.

PREDICTION: Warriors 125, Clippers 121

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-17-2019, 11:22 PM

Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes Preview and Predictions 04-18-2019 in NHL

The Carolina Hurricanes picked themselves off the mat after losing their first two playoff games in a decade and seeing their prized rookie knocked out to register a decisive victory against the Washington Capitals. With two full days off to recover from the fireworks, the Hurricanes aim to even their Eastern Conference first-round series in Game 4 on Thursday when the Metropolitan Division rivals reconvene in Raleigh, N.C.

"We needed the two days, though," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour told the Raleigh News & Observer. "Part of you says it would be great to go right back at it and play. But there was a huge emotional investment in that game for our guys." Rookie Warren Foegele collected two goals and an assist, defenseman Dougie Hamilton tallied twice and Petr Mrazek made 18 saves as the Hurricanes posted a 5-0 win on Monday in their first home playoff game since 2009. The setback snapped Washington's six-game playoff winning streak dating back to last year's Stanley Cup Final versus Vegas as well as its 6-0-0 mark against Carolina in the regular season and playoffs. "We just stopped playing. We can't play like that if we want to win. We're better than that," said superstar captain Alex Ovechkin, whose first postseason fight ended with Hurricanes rookie Andrei Svechnikov knocked out on the ice.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, Sportsnet, TVAS, NBCS Washington, FS Carolinas

ABOUT THE CAPITALS: Washington coach Todd Reirden tinkered with his lines in Wednesday's practice, elevating T.J. Oshie to the top unit with Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom while rugged forward Tom Wilson joined Jakub Vrana and Evgeny Kutznetsov on the second. "We're a team that's together and I expect that will be part of our response," Reirden said on the heels of the lopsided loss. Former Vezina Trophy recipient Braden Holtby looks to respond from a tough stretch in which he has surrendered eight goals in his last five periods, a staggering occurence considering he had won his previous seven encounters with Carolina before Monday's setback.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES: Svechnikov was enjoying the sterling start to the series with two goals and an assist before finding himself on the wrong end of a few right hands from Ovechkin. "We're going to be real careful. We're certainly not going to rush him back," Brind'Amour said of the 19-year-old Russian, who is expected to sit out Game 4 after being placed in concussion protocol following his release from the hospital. Brind'Amour told reporters on Wednesday that Micheal Ferland is "still a ways away" from returning to action after aggravating an upper-body injury in the first period of Game 3.

OVERTIME

1. Washington is 0-for-10 in the power play since Ovechkin scored with 1:55 remaining in the first period of Game 1.

2. Carolina has scored on three of its last 10 opportunities with the man advantage in the last two contests.

3. The Hurricanes recalled Patrick Brown from Charlotte of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis while fellow F Saku Maenanlanen is expected to return to the lineup.

PREDICTION: Capitals 3, Hurricanes 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-17-2019, 11:22 PM

St. Louis Blues vs. Winnipeg Jets Preview and Predictions 04-18-2019 in NHL

The Winnipeg Jets desperately needed somebody to step up after losing the first two contests of their Western Conference first-round series against the St. Louis Blues and, thanks to forward Kyle Connor, the Jets return home for Thursday's Game 5 even in the best-of-seven series. Two nights after scoring twice in a Game 3 victory, Connor netted the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Jets to a 2-1 victory Tuesday, a night where Winnipeg's top line combined for six points.

"It's a sense of relief and a lot of excitement," Connor told reporters after he, center Mark Scheifele and forward Blake Wheeler finished with two goals and four assists, giving the trio 10 points in the two games in St. Louis. "They had some pushes. We had some good zone time. We stuck with it and fought the whole game." The Blues were 12-0-4 in one-goal games dating back to Feb. 5 before Tuesday, but this loss hurt after goaltender Jordan Binnington rebounded from an off night in Game 3 to stop 37 shots. Forward Vladimir Tarasenko scored for the second consecutive game on a power-play goal early in the third period, but the Blues were unable to take advantage of a torrid start during which they held the Jets without a shot for the game's first eight minutes. "We knew it was going to be a hard series," Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo told the media afterward. "We took two in their building, so regroup and hopefully steal another one in there."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, USA, CBC, Sportsnet360, TVA, FS Midwest (St. Louis)

ABOUT THE BLUES: St. Louis took the game's first seven shots but were less aggressive as the game progressed, getting outshot 20-8 from the start of the third period and 39-32 overall. Pietrangelo picked up his fifth assist of the series, and center Ryan O'Reilly earned his second point. After going pointless with three shots in Game 1, Tarasenko has 15 shots and two goals in the past three games.

ABOUT THE JETS: Winnipeg outshot the Blues for the first time in the series and applied steady pressure in the third period and overtime despite having just one power-play opportunity in the game. Connor Hellebuyck has rebounded from a shaky Game 2 in goal, stopping 31-of-32 shots Tuesday and allowing only four goals total in the two games in St. Louis. Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien shares the team lead in points (five) with Connor, Scheifele and Wheeler.

OVERTIME

1. Binnington has lost back-to-back games for the first time in his stellar rookie season.

2. Jets F Patrik Laine did not score for the first time in the series in Game 4.

3. Winnipeg has lost six of its past seven home playoff games dating back to last season and the Blues finished 21-13-7 on the road this season.

PREDICTION: Jets 3, Blues 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-17-2019, 11:22 PM

Vegas Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks Preview and Predictions 04-18-2019 in NHL

The San Jose Sharks rode the second-best home record in the Western Conference to a second-place finish in the Pacific Division, eight points better than the Vegas Golden Knights. The Sharks need another strong performance at SAP Center in Game 5 on Thursday if they wish to avoid being eliminated by the Golden Knights for the second consecutive year.

San Jose opened the series with promise, receiving offensive production from several defensemen in a 5-2 win in Game 1 before being outscored 16-6 in three consecutive losses. Beleaguered Martin Jones allowed two goals on seven shots in Tuesday's 5-0 setback before being pulled for the second time in three contests in favor of Aaron Dell, although coach Peter DeBoer said Jones will start in Game 5. Conversely, Marc-Andre Fleury has turned aside 87 of 93 shots in his last three games and all 28 he faced on Tuesday to tie Chris Osgood and Clint Benedict with his 15th postseason shutout. "I think we've just got to go in, focus on our game, focus on the first period, nothing too far ahead, just focus on playing the right way," said the 34-year-old Fleury, who improved his career goals-against average in the postseason to 2.58.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, Sportsnet, TVAS, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountains (Vegas), NBCS California (San Jose)

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS: Max Pacioretty recorded a postseason career-high four points after collecting two goals and two assists on Tuesday, boosting the overall point total of Vegas' vaunted second line (Mark Stone, Paul Stastny) to 28 in the series. "You always want to win that next game," the 30-year-old Pacioretty said. "You have to be prepared for whatever's brought at you. They're going to get a ton of energy from their crowd. They're going to play their best game of the series, and we have to be ready for that." Pacioretty's 10 points have him tied for the most in the playoffs with Stone, who was named a Selke Trophy finalist on Wednesday.

ABOUT THE SHARKS: San Jose captain Joe Pavelski told reporters that his team is focused on just the first step of the journey on Thursday as opposed to the daunting uphill task that is required to win the series. "For us, it's take care of home ice right now in that first game," the 34-year-old Pavelski said. "Win a game. We know we can win one game (in Las Vegas). We believe that as a group." The Sharks will welcome the return of veteran Joe Thornton, who served his one-game suspension for his hit to the head of Tomas Nosek in Game 4.

OVERTIME

1. Vegas D Shea Theodore has registered consecutive multi-point performances.

2. Per DeBoer, Sharks D Marc-Edouard Vlasic is "a possibility" to play on Thursday following a two-game absence after he was on the receiving end of a shot from Theodore.

3. Golden Knights D Nate Schmidt has four assists in his last three contests.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 4, Sharks 1

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-18-2019, 08:53 AM

Mike Wynn

Free Play: MLB Milwaukee w/Davies +105 Over LA Dodgers

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-18-2019, 08:53 AM

Razor Sharp

YOUR RAZOR SHARP FREE PICK FOR THURSDAY: COLORADO/PHILADELPHIA UNDER the total of 10½ runs

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-18-2019, 08:53 AM

Totals4U

Thursday's Free Selection: Philadelphia/Colorado over 10 1/2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-18-2019, 08:54 AM

Atlantic Sports

Thursday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: Winnipeg Jets - 125

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-18-2019, 08:54 AM

#1 Sports

Thursday's Free Selection: NY Yankees - 190

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-18-2019, 08:55 AM

Platinum Plays

Free Pick: the Milwaukee Brewers w/Davies +105 over LA Dodgers

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-18-2019, 08:55 AM

Nevada Sharpshooter

Your free winner for Thursday : Take PHILADELPHIA/BROOKLYN UNDER the total of 227½

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-18-2019, 08:55 AM

Golden Dragon

FREE WINNER for Thursday

Cincinnati Roark +147

Thursday 4-18-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

Thursday 4-18-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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