Monday 1-1-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Texas vs. Iowa State Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/31/2017

Texas coach Shaka Smart got an unexpected surprise last June when Mohamed Bamba, one of the nation's top high school prospects, chose the Longhorns over expected destinations of Kentucky or Duke. The 6-11 Bamba, who has transformed Texas into an NCAA Tournament-caliber team, will try and deliver the Longhorns their first Big 12 Conference win on New Year's Day when they visit an Iowa State team that is also seeking its first league triumph.



In a 92-86 home loss to Kansas on Friday, Bamba (11.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.6 blocks) opened the eyes of NBA scouts, setting career highs with 22 points, 15 rebounds and eight blocks - a Texas freshman single-game record. "We ask him to do so much ... but he blocked shots all night long. He rebounded all night long. He got offensive rebounds (eight)," Smart told reporters after the game. "I think he's making progress. For us to get him 16 shots is big." Iowa State had a surprising non-conference campaign considering it was replacing four starters and shot 68 percent from the floor in the first half Friday against Kansas State but couldn't keep up the pace in the 91-75 loss as the Wildcats shot 55 percent from the floor for the game and drained half of their 26 3-pointers. "Defensively, the second half, as well in the first, just unacceptable. Very, very disappointing. (It) kind of takes you back to the beginning of non-conference season," Iowa State coach Steve Prohm told the media, referring to losses against Missouri and Milwaukee that opened the season before winning nine straight.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU





ABOUT TEXAS (9-4, 0-1 Big 12): Junior forward Dylan Osetkowski netted 17 points and brought down eight rebounds against Kansas, while freshman guard Matt Coleman added 17 points, five assists and matched a season high with six boards. Osetkowski leads the team in scoring (14.8 points) and is second in rebounding (7.8) but the Longhorns certainly missed shooting guard Andrew Jones (14.1 points, 43.6 percent from behind the arc), who played just nine minutes Friday after sitting out four games with a broken wrist. Coleman (8.2 points, 4.2 assists) is shooting just 34 percent from the floor but is committing fewer than two turnovers per game.

ABOUT IOWA STATE (9-3, 0-1): Freshman Lindell Wigginton (16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists) wasn't intimidated in his first Big 12 game, scoring 23 points on 6-of-10 shooting, but the 6-2 Canadian made just one of five shots after intermission and missed six of his 15 free-throw attempts on the night. The Cyclones will have a tough time matching up with Bamba, as 6-8 Solomon Young (6.8 points, 5.7 rebounds) - coming off a season-high 16 points - is the tallest starter and 6-9 Cameron Lard (10.3 points, 6.1 rebounds) is the tallest reserve. Joining Wigginton in the high-scoring backcourt is 6-2 senior Donovan Jackson (15.0 points) and 6-5 Nick Weiler-Babb (12.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.1 assists).







TIP-INS

1. The teams split two games last season with each winning on its home floor.

2. The previous freshman record for blocks at Texas was seven by Tristan Thompson in the 2010-11 season and Chris Mihm twice during the 1997-98 campaign.

3. Wigginton is second in the Big 12 in scoring among freshmen behind Oklahoma's Trae Young (29.6) and sixth among players in major conferences.

PREDICTION: Texas 74, Iowa State 72

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West Virginia vs. Kansas State Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/31/2017

Seventh-ranked West Virginia had to work hard to win its Big 12 season opener last time out and looks to make it two straight on the road Monday against Kansas State as the 2018 portion of the schedule begins. The Mountaineers trailed by seven at halftime and their leading scorer had a poor shooting night, but they rallied for an 85-79 victory over Oklahoma State on Friday.

"This is us, this is what we do," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins told reporters after his team forced 21 turnovers and coughed it up 18 times. "We don't shoot it as well as other people. We don't pass it well a lot of times, but we grind and we rebound and we come up with loose balls." Senior guard Jevon Carter had 12 points - more than five below his team-best average - on 2-of-10 from the field while turning the ball over eight times for the Mountaineers and will need a rebound performance against Kansas State, which opened the conference season with a 91-75 win at Iowa State on Friday. Junior forward Dean Wade broke out with a career-high 34 points in the win for the Wildcats, who lost by just two to No. 4 Arizona State in November. "If you're going to win road games in the Big 12, you have to have somebody step up and be special," Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said of Wade. "He was huge. He shot it with confidence, played with confidence and wanted the ball."

TV: 5 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (12-1, 1-0 Big 12): Carter, who averages 17.7 points, contributed with seven assists and five steals in the win at Oklahoma State - well over his team-best marks in both categories. "This is a hard, hard league," Huggins told reporters. "(Carter) didn't play well, but the first thing he says when he goes in the locker room is, "I didn't play well, I'm sorry, but we won and I'm happy.' That's rhetoric for some people. He means it." Senior guard Daxter Miles Jr. (14.6 points) is 12-for-17 from the field the last two games and sophomore forward Lamont West (12.1) scored 14.8 per contest in the last five games.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (11-2, 1-0): Wade averages 14.8 points along with a team-high 6.5 rebounds and scored just nine in the previous game before draining 6-of-8 from 3-point range Friday. "I honestly didn't feel like I was doing anything crazy, like 34," Wade told reporters. "I was just focused on the next play, rebounding basically, because that was a big emphasis at halftime." Junior guard Barry Brown Jr. leads the balanced offense (14.9) after averaging 22 in the last two games and junior guard Kamau Stokes, who scored 23 in the win over Iowa State, chips in with 14.8 points and a team-best 4.8 assists per game.

TIP-INS

1. Wade, Stokes and Brown became the first trio of 20-point scorers in a game for Kansas State since the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

2. Carter, the program's all-time leader in steals (267), needs four assists to become the 10th West Virginia player with 400 in his career.

3. The Wildcats lost to the Mountaineers 51-50 in the Big 12 semifinals last March and each team won once on their home court in the regular season.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 78, Kansas State 72

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Bucks vs. Raptors Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/31/2017

The Toronto Raptors ran into a little speed bump on the road, but they've been unbeatable at home of late. The Raptors will go for their 12th consecutive home win when they ring in the New Year by hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

Toronto won 12 of 13 before stumbling on the road last week with losses at Dallas and Oklahoma City, but the team had no such trouble in its return home as it blew past the Atlanta Hawks 111-98 on Friday. "It's always great to bounce back ... especially after two on the road, to come back home and get back to moving things and getting that feeling of winning back," Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan told reporters. "It sucks to lose. It sucks. It's good to come here at home to get a win." The Bucks are having an impact on the NBA rule book after winning a game at Oklahoma City on Friday in which star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo stepped out of bounds before his winning dunk but drew no whistle, making the play not reviewable. "Coach trusted me having the ball late and making that play," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "I just tried to go and do what I do best, drive the ball to rim and try to make something happen."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), Sportsnet One (Toronto)

ABOUT THE BUCKS (19-15): Milwaukee recovered from a 20-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Thursday before winning at Oklahoma City in the second night of the back-to-back on Friday, and the two wins have the team feeling good about itself. "What we've got going on right here is special," Antetokounmpo, who recorded a double-double in each of the wins and is averaging 29.1 points and 10.4 rebounds, told reporters. "No matter what we go through, up and down, wins and losses, whatever we're going through, we're still one as a team. That's the special thing about this group right here." The win over Minnesota marked the beginning of a stretch seven straight against teams with winning records, including a pair of dates against Toronto.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (24-10): Toronto leads the Eastern Conference in scoring average (110.6 points) and is fourth in the NBA in 3-point attempts per game (31.9) up from 22nd (24.3) last season. The Raptors are making a concerted effort to get the whole team involved in 3-point shooting, and nine different players made at least one from beyond the arc in Friday's win, including center Jonas Valanciunas knocking down the sixth of his career. "It opens up driving lanes, it opens up back cuts, it opens up a lot of things," Toronto coach Dwane Casey told reporters of shooting 3-pointers. "When you make shots and make 3s, you really space out the defense. Everything's open if you do that."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Raptors PF Serge Ibaka is expected to return after serving a one-game suspension for an altercation with a team employee.

2. Bucks PF John Henson matched a season high with four blocked shots on Friday and is 27-of-37 from the floor over his last five contests.

3. The teams are meeting for the first time since Toronto knocked Milwaukee out in six games in the first round of the playoffs last spring.

PREDICTION: Raptors 121, Bucks 113

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Magic vs. Nets Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 01/01/2018

The Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets put together a pair of fast-paced, high-scoring affairs during the first week of the season as they both burst out of the gate with winning records. The teams begin 2018 with a meeting in Brooklyn on Monday under very different circumstances, fighting to keep themselves out of the basement in the Eastern Conference.

The Nets claimed the first meeting on Oct. 20 at home with a 126-121 triumph, only to fall at Orlando four days later 125-121, part of the Magic's 8-4 start. However, they've dropped 21 of 25 games since that hot start - including Saturday's 117-111 home loss to Miami in which they squandered an 18-point lead. "This hurts," Orlando coach Frank Vogel told reporters after the setback. "Our guys played their hearts out, played with great effort. I felt like they deserved to win, but you've got to get stops down the stretch, and we weren't able to do that." The Nets have lost eight of 10 after suffering a 108-105 setback at Boston on Sunday.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), YES (Brooklyn)

ABOUT THE MAGIC (12-25): Although wins remain hard to come by, Orlando finally may be getting Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier going at the same time after injuries hindered the high-scoring forwards. Gordon scored 39 points on 14-of-22 shooting against the Heat while Fournier contributed 23 on 9-of-17, their best totals since coming back from calf and ankle injuries, respectively. Center Bismack Biyombo has recorded two straight double-doubles and is averaging 11.7 rebounds over the course of three straight starts since Nikola Vucevic was lost to a broken hand.

ABOUT THE NETS (13-23): Rondae Hollis-Jefferson continues to carry Brooklyn through its rocky stretch, scoring 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in Saturday's loss while helping make a tight game of what looked like a blowout early on. "We stayed poised to make a comeback," Hollis-Jefferson told reporters. "That's basketball. Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't. But for us, now we're definitely competing. It starts with the starting unit, we've got to come out that way. And I feel like the effort's there." The Arizona product is averaging 17.2 points and 8.2 rebounds over his last five games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Orlando has lost six straight on the road.

2. Nets SF DeMarre Carroll is 1-for-12 from 3-point range over his last four games.

3. Gordon has made 7-of-13 3-pointers since returning from his calf injury.

PREDICTION: Nets 106, Magic 103

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Trail Blazers vs. Bulls Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats08:00 PM
by Gracenote on 01/01/2018

The Portland Trail Blazers hope to turn the tables in January after a disappointing month when they visit the surging Chicago Bulls for a New Year's Day matchup on Monday night. The Trail Blazers finished 5-8 in December after dropping a 104-89 decision against the NBA-worst Atlanta Hawks on Saturday to open a three-game road trip that ends in Cleveland on Tuesday.

Portland is 2-2 since leading scorer Damian Lillard (25.2) went down with a hamstring injury and the All-Star guard is questionable for the matchup against the Bulls while fellow backcourt standout CJ McCollum hopes to end his shooting woes after connecting on just 34.6 percent from the field the last five games. The Trail Blazers are still in playoff position despite a rough month and hope to begin their revival against Chicago, which lost for just the third time in 13 games Sunday with a 114-110 setback at Washington. The Bulls led by six entering the fourth quarter before managing just 21 points the rest of the way and seeing their three-game win streak come to an end while allowing the Wizards to make 16 shots from 3-point land. Chicago began to turn things around when Nikola Mirotic returned from injury and the 6-10 forward scored at least 20 for the seventh time in 13 games with 21 on Sunday.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN Northwest (Portland), WGN (Chicago)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (18-17): McCollum averages 21 points overall and did put up 34 in the win over Philadelphia on Thursday, but will need to be more efficient if Lillard is not able to return. Center Jusuf Nurkic is the only other player averaging in double figures scoring (14.5) and pulls down 7.6 rebounds per game, but is coming off a 3-for-11 shooting performance against Atlanta. Point guard Shabazz Napier has picked up some of the slack with Lillard out, scoring in double-figures six straight games and averaging 21.7 the last three.

ABOUT THE BULLS (13-23): Point guard Kris Dunn returned to the lineup Sunday after missing one game with left patella tendinitis and posted his fourth double-double of the season - all in December - with 19 points and 11 assists. Power forward Lauri Markkanen, the seventh-round pick in the 2017 draft, followed up his career-high 32-point night Friday against Indiana with 11 at Washington on 4-of-12 shooting with nine rebounds. Center Robin Lopez had 16 points in Sunday's loss and has drained 13-of-17 shots from the field in his last two contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Bulls have won seven straight games at home after losing eight of the first 10 this season in their own arena.

2. Portland F Maurice Harkless has drained 14-of-24 shots from the field and averaged 12 points over the last three contests.

3. The road team has won the last four meetings, including last season's 112-110 victory for the Trail Blazers in Chicago.

PREDICTION: Bulls 105, Trail Blazers 99

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Lakers vs. Timberwolves Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats08:00 PM
by Gracenote on 01/01/2018

The Los Angeles Lakers will be hard-pressed to summon the energy to compete with the host Minnesota Timberwolves when the teams tangle on Monday. Playing without three starters on Sunday, the Lakers took a high-powered Houston squad to double overtime before falling 148-142 in a wild affair.

Four players scored at least 20 points for Los Angeles and three played a minimum of 43 minutes as the team dropped its sixth straight contest since posting a home win over the Rockets on Dec. 20. The Timberwolves, who defeated the Lakers on the road on Dec. 25, also played a road game on Sunday but built a 29-point lead after three quarters and needed just one player - center Karl-Anthony Towns - to spend more than 31 minutes on the court. Jimmy Butler scored 26 points and Towns recorded his NBA-leading 29th double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds while tying a career high with six blocked shots. "Our starters got us off to a great start," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "We're still striving to be a 48-minute team. I thought what Jimmy did to get us going at the beginning (was big). I really liked the way he played."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN North (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE LAKERS (11-24): Lonzo Ball (shoulder) and Brook Lopez (ankle) remained sidelined in Sunday's loss while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was absent and will not be present in Minnesota due to a travel restriction. "It's obviously frustrating, but ... we're short-handed right now and it would've been a lot easier to kind of just pack it in and individually go out and try to put up big numbers until we get healthy or until we get to an easier part of the schedule," coach Luke Walton told reporters after the double-OT loss. "Our guys really came together tonight and really played well for most of the game." Julius Randle made his second straight start after appearing in 33 games off the bench and recorded season highs of 29 points, 15 rebounds and six assists before fouling out in the first overtime.

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (23-14): Tyus Jones received another start at point guard in place of the injured Jeff Teague (knee) and committed just one turnover in 27 minutes. Minnesota's starting five had only four giveaways, with Butler and Towns each coughing up the ball once. Forward Taj Gibson played 31 turnover-free minutes and continued a hot stretch that has seen him make 33-of-42 shots over a four-game span, including 11-of-13 in the 121-104 win over the Lakers last Monday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Minnesota is 10-1 at home against Western Conference opponents.

2. Randle is shooting 61 percent from the field and 52 percent from the foul line over his last five games.

3. Gibson and Butler scored 23 points apiece and the Timberwolves shot 58.3 percent in the win over the Lakers on Christmas Day.

PREDICTION: Timberwolves 112, Lakers 101