Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings Betting Odds, Analysis, NHL Preview
January 18th, 2017 by OddsShark.com No comments »
The Boston Bruins (23-19-5) will be going for their ninth win in 10 meetings against the Detroit Red Wings (19-19-6) on Wednesday as -136 road betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.
The Bruins begin a difficult seven-game stretch in Detroit that leads into February and includes two matchups with the Red Wings, two against the Pittsburgh Penguins and four road games overall over a 15-day stretch.
Boston is coming off a surprising 4-0 home loss to the New York Islanders on Monday as a -225 favorite. The Islanders fired head coach Jack Capuano despite the shutout victory, and the Bruins move on to the Motor City, where they have won in four of their previous five visits, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
In fact, each of the past seven meetings at Joe Louis Arena has been decided by one goal, with Detroit ending up on the winning end just once in ...
San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings Betting Odds, Analysis, NHL Preview
January 18th, 2017 by OddsShark.com No comments »
The San Jose Sharks (26-16-2) have dropped consecutive games to the Los Angeles Kings (22-18-4) for the first time since 2015 and will attempt to end that skid on Wednesday as small -114 road underdogs (bet $114 to win $100) at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.
The Kings have won the past two meetings in the Pacific Division rivalry after losing seven of the previous eight, including dropping four of five in last year’s playoff matchup.
The Sharks have won 11 of 19 meetings since blowing a 3-0 lead to Los Angeles in the first round of the 2014 postseason. The Kings ended up winning their second Stanley Cup that year and missed the playoffs altogether the following season.
Last year, San Jose got its revenge against Los Angeles en route to making its first-ever Stanley Cup Final appearance, only to fall short in a six-game series versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Kings won the last ...
Ranking the NBA’s Best Current Feuds
January 18th, 2017 by Dan Favale No comments »
As Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook prepare to square off for only the second time in their careers, we're reminded that the NBA needs more totally awesome player and team feuds.
Don't get this twisted; there are plenty of good beefs to go around.
Durant forged another one with the Oklahoma City Thunder by leaving for the Golden State Warriors, and that's just the beginning. But today's discords aren't as deep-seated as they used to be. Most of the Association's best tumults are new and fluid, without the potential to endure the battleground of time.
Our ranking of the latest spats will give special consideration to situations that have the best chance of bucking this trend. We want teams, players, executives and circumstances that are gearing up for rivalries over the longest possible haul.
Further dap will be given to altercations with the most meaning; the higher the stakes, the better the feud. Additional ...
Warriors Trying to Avoid Repeating Same Mistakes That Doomed Durant in OKC
January 18th, 2017 by Kevin Ding No comments »
OAKLAND, Calif. — From turmoil to titans in the span of 10 days.
It's January and not June, so it's still premature to say the Golden State Warriors are going to stick the landing of the massive leap they're seeking to make from talented group to title team.
But in the span of a little more than a week, they seem to have moved impressively.
The Warriors' 126-91 rout on Monday of the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers came just 10 days after Golden State imploded on this same home court in an overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. That loss featured Draymond Green's barking at Kevin Durant to make sure Durant knew in that moment just how much he was looking like a misfit with Warriors culture.
Credit Golden State for the progress it's made since that game—and the progress made since its Christmas meltdown in Cleveland, another loss marred by late-game offensive uncertainty.
As ...
NBA All-Star Game 2017: Latest Voting Results for Starters, Updated Predictions
January 18th, 2017 by Jared Johnson No comments »
The voting for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game starters wrapped up at 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday. Did you submit your picks?
Whether you voted or not, we'll find out the results of those selections Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on TNT. The new selection format for starters means we'll also learn how NBA players and media members voted and what sort of impact those groups had on the results.
With all that in mind, let's predict the full rosters for both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. These predictions aren't necessarily my choices but rather how I believe the teams will shake out.
But first, we'll quickly review the new All-Star starter selection system and look over the most recent fan voting returns.
Latest Voting Results and Process Explanation
Below are the most recent voting returns, which the 2017 NBA ...
2016-17 NBA Power Rankings as Season’s 2nd Half Begins
January 18th, 2017 by Josh Martin No comments »
If there are such things as NBA dog days, you'll likely find them in January. Between the bitter cold gripping most of the map, the halfway point of an 82-game slate and the fast approach of the All-Star Game, there's a palpable sense of slowdown around the Association.
Just ask the Cleveland Cavaliers, who sleepwalked their way through a six-game road trip. Or the Houston Rockets, whose white-hot jets have cooled over the past week or so.
Or, on the other end of the spectrum, check in with the Los Angeles Lakers, who've looked about as tired and downtrodden as Cinderella would if she had to drag a giant pumpkin back to her stepmother's house with one slipper on.
It seems like everyone—save for the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Joel Embiid—could use a breather right about now. Trouble is, the midseason showcase in New Orleans is still a month away.
But ...
Nuggets vs. Lakers: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
January 18th, 2017 by Scott Polacek No comments »
The Los Angeles Lakers wore throwback jerseys during Tuesday's game against the Denver Nuggets but looked nothing like the old championship teams that once graced the Staples Center, at least on the defensive side.
The Nuggets staved off Los Angeles' late charge and extended their winning streak to three games with a 127-121 victory. The Lakers outscored Denver in the fourth quarter, 37-26, but the visitors' strong start and dominant offense propelled them to the win.
Denver is now 17-23 on the season, while Los Angeles lost its fifth straight and dropped to 15-31.
All five Nuggets starters scored in double figures, and the team shot 56.8 percent from the field and drilled 11 three-pointers. Nikola Jokic was unstoppable with 29 points and 15 rebounds, while Will Barton (26 points and eight assists) and Kenneth Faried (20 points and seven rebounds) also reached the 20-point plateau. Barton connected on all five of his three-pointers.
The ...
Kevin Durant Comments on Emotions Facing Oklahoma City Thunder
January 17th, 2017 by Alec Nathan No comments »
Emotions ran high during Kevin Durant's first game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 3, and the Golden State Warriors forward acknowledged Tuesday that showdowns against his former team will always hold extra meaning.
"It's never going to be a regular game for me," Durant told ESPN.com's Chris Haynes. "I'm just going to play. There's nothing serious. We got the first one out the way, and we're just going to play the next game."
The Warriors throttled the Thunder 122-96 in their first meeting at Oracle Arena, and Durant didn't appear to let the gravity of the moment weigh on him. He shredded his former teammates from all over the floor, dropping a game-high 39 points.
Durant will be looking to replicate that performance Wednesday when the Warriors host the Thunder for the second and final time this season.
"I'm sure it will [be emotional]," Durant said, per Haynes. "It's people I've been ...
7 Questions the Golden State Warriors Must Answer Before 2017 NBA Trade Deadline
January 17th, 2017 by Grant Hughes No comments »
The Golden State Warriors don't need much, and tinkering with a team that owns the NBA's top record and net rating feels a little risky. (i.e., Adding a racing stripe to the Batmobile might sound cool in theory, but sometimes addition is really subtraction.)
Nonetheless, the Dubs have to take the upcoming few weeks seriously. The trade deadline is Feb. 23, and though the season's most important transactional cutoff date is most important for the way it heightens desperation and spurs movement, it's also a key checkpoint for every team—not just the ones looking to make deals.
So while the Warriors may not (and probably should not) look to make tweaks, they can still view the deadline as a time for critical self-evaluation.
Where is Golden State weak? How can it adjust personnel or strategy to better compete with the heavy hitters throwing haymakers? Most importantly, what changes can it make to ensure the ...
What’s Next for LA Clippers Following Chris Paul’s Latest Injury?
January 17th, 2017 by Josh Martin No comments »
J.J. Redick had seen Chris Paul in pain before—and, more often than not, he'd seen him fight through that pain and keep playing.
It wasn't until the second half of the Los Angeles Clippers' Martin Luther King Jr. Day game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when Paul didn't emerge from the tunnel at Staples Center, that Redick began to worry.
Perhaps a second-quarter tangle with Russell Westbrook had done more than tweak something in the point guard's left hand. Perhaps Paul's fit of anger on the way to the locker room pointed to a repeat of what happened during Game 4 of the Clippers' first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2016 NBA playoffs.
"I'm not assuming the worst by any means," Redick said following L.A.'s 120-98 win, "but I recognize there's probably a good chance he's maybe out a game or two, best case. Worst case, we'll deal with ...