Minnesota is still trying to remember the time, not that long ago, when they were the darlings of the Western Conference. With point guard Ricky Rubio deftly dishing the ball they were firmly in the playoff picture.
The New Jersey Nets will be arriving in Sacramento for the second game of a back to back.
San Antonio just continues to hum along despite being one of the oldest teams in the NBA.
The Sacramento Kings had been on their best run of the year, winning three in a row before falling to Utah Thursday night. The last time these two teams hooked up Sacramento got rolled losing by 26 points and Golden State holds the advantage on the season 2-1.
Memphis had a great run in the postseason last year. The team started slowly this year, but they have rebounded nicely to get to 25-18 on the season.
Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder have pulled out two straight come from behind wins on the West Coast.
NHL news; Smyth, Filatov, Regehr, Brouwer, Campbell, Setoguchi, Burns, Liles traded during draft weekend
The NHL Entry draft had a few early-pick surprises for the first-time in years. Not everyone had Nugent-Hopkins going to the Edmonton Oilers at No. 1, nor did they have Adam Larsson slipping to fourth. But the flurry of trades stole the show over the weekend.
NHL news: Jaromir Jagr could return to Penguins
A couple of exciting reunions could be on the horizon for the 2011-12 NHL season.
Welcome to the CappersPicks.com NBA hoops weekly selection pages! We KNOW you will find our FREE weekly NBA basketball predictions, gambling tips, handicapping advice, and systems to help you become the best NBA bettor on your block!! Stay tuned for more NBA previews coming daily, here is your daily NBA Gambling preview.
NFL betting fans will spend as much time at their sportsbook as they will at the dinner table on Thanksgiving Thursday but they’re not alone. Hockey fans have a couple of games to bet on that night, the most intriguing of which is the Kings-Canucks matchup. Let’s break it down.
Los Angeles Kings @ Vancouver Canucks
Thursday, November 26, 10:00 p.m. ET
How about those Los Angeles Kings? They were a popular preseason pick to become the breakout team of 2009-10 and they haven’t disappointed sportsbook bettors. If you did your homework, you knew a similar breakout to the Penguins and Blackhawks’ recent resurgences was in the cards for L.A. The reason: the Kings stockpiled picks and prospects and cultivated so much young talent that it was only a matter of time before the losses turned to wins.
The Kings are back. Anze Kopitar has blossomed in the NHL’s scoring leader; Drew Doughty is becoming a workhorse on the blueline with superstar status on the horizon. The Kings have physicality and offensive talent up front from Justin Williams and Dustin Brown. Hard to believe future stars like center Brayden Schenn, goalie Jonathan Bernier and defender Thomas Hickey aren’t even with the big club yet.
For the Kings’ Thursday night matchup at Vancouver, however, the good news ends there. The Kings recently lost Ryan Smyth to injury and may be without Jarret Stoll tomorrow night too. Each of those guys brings veteran leadership and depth – especially Smyth. This month, L.A. has come back to Earth slightly. It still pummels weak teams but Chicago, Calgary and Philadelphia all had their way with the Kings this month. L.A. also plays Wednesday night in Edmonton too and thus won’t have a ton of gas in the tank for Vancouver.
The Canucks, on the other hand, haven’t played yet this week. That rest is great news for Daniel Sedin, who is just one game into his return from a broken foot. The extra days off should have him ready to click with brother Henrik again (and probably with Alex Burrows). Reuniting Daniel and Henrik means the Canucks can now ice a second effective scoring line – let’s say a Samuelsson/Kesler/Raymond unit for illustration’s sake. That top six may skate circles around a tired Kings defense corps.
The Canucks haven’t set the world on fire this season but they’re healthy again and they’re 8-3 at GM Place this season. Their hockey odds are solid for Thursday.
Sports betting pick: Canucks
New Orleans Hornets (32-22 SU, 23-29-2 ATS) at Sacramento Kings (12-45 SU, 26-31 ATS)
BetUS NBA Betting Odds: NEW ORLEANS -7.5, Total 203
Here are some of the NBA sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* NO has covered two of its last six games
* NO has lost four of its last six games SU
BetUS NBA Basketball Betting Odds: PHOENIX -13.5, Total 224.5
Here are some of the NBA pro basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* SAC has covered three of its last nine games
* SAC has lost eight of its last nine games SU
The Sacramento Kings (0-1 SU, 1-0 ATS, 0-1 O/U) put up a valiant effort but fell just short in dropping their season opener 98-96 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. The Miami Heat (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS, 1-0 O/U) also put their best foot forward before losing to the New York Knicks 120-115 on Wednesday as well.
