Bruce's Picks (3 Live)
Bruce's Past Picks
Various Big West onlookers believe it will be UCSB emerging from what looks like a real scrum in the conference. Joe Pasternack's side survived a couple of close calls last week in the Resorts World Tourney at Las Vegas and has held its own vs. a moderately-challenging pre-league slate., Portal add G Miro Little (via Utah) is turning into a useful component at 13 ppg, and former St Mary's & UConn G Aidan Mahaney had a string of three straight 17-point games in early November. The Beach's 76-72 win over UCSD on the weekend is likely more an indictment of the Toreros, as regional sources suggest Chris Acker's team is no better than last year's 7-25 entry. Play UCSB
The Flames' offense is back on the blink, just one goal across the past two games (losses to Carolina & Nashville). Hardly the best prep for a visit from Minnesota, whose defensive numbers are among the league's best in recent weeks and who enter the Saddledome having won eight of nine. Of their last nine wins since November 9, five of those have been shutouts, and GK Filip Gustavsson is off of a hot November in which Minnesota was 5-1-0 in his starts while he posted a solid 2.06 GAA and .923 saves. Kirill Kaprizov (17 goals) and Matt Boldy (15 goals) have been providing the firepower lately as the Wild hit Calgary very hot...something the struggling Flames definitely aren't. Play Wild on the ML.
These two are playing so much on Thursdays that they might as well join the MAC! In the meantime, plenty of buzz about the recent form of the Cowboys, who have won three on the spin since getting humbled by the Cards on a Monday night, and while beating the Eagles and Chiefs in succession impresses, both of those wins came at home. We can't seem to get out of our mind how the Lions throttled Dallas 47-9 last season, and now some urgency on Detroit's side after recent losses has it outside the NFC playoff field. Dan Campbell's play-calling and gung-ho decision-making (especially 4th downs!) can rankle, but the Lions are equipped to outscore the Cowboys, no matter Dak Prescott's recent exploits. Play Lions
The expected absence tonight of Michael Porter (back problems) isn't great news for the Nets after Porter's recent 30+-point outings vs. the Bulls and Hornets. Brooklyn, however, is on its first win streak of the season, and even though Barclays Center hasn't proved much of a fortress this term, the recent form encourages (especially an overdue home win, vs. Charlotte), with 6-10 ex-Bama F Noah Clowney (scored 20 vs. the Bulls last night) making more consistent contributions, and the Nets not taking off possessions on the stop end for Jordi Fernandez. Utah has more flash, but we have long believed if there is a time to go with the Jazz, it's at home, not the road, where Utah has lost seven of eight. Play Nets
If there's one team that doesn't mind playing on the road, it's the Rangers. In a way, an inside-out season for Mike Sullivan's troops, who are a sparkling 11-4-1 on their travels, so maybe it's good news that they're away at the Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa's outskirts tonight. Overall, New York has now won four of five, so perhaps things are stirring, with Artemi Panarin getting scoring help lately from the likes of Will Cuylle, Vincent Trocheck, Vladislav Gavrikov among those also pitching in during the recent uptick. Meanwhile, the Sens return home after almost three weeks away in a historically-tricky scheduling situation. Play Rangers on Money Line
West Ham has had Man U's number, winning three of the last four matches, though the odds are stacked against the Hammers tonight Old Trafford. Should they be? Nuno's side was on a heater, unbeaten in three with two wins included, before running into desperate Liverpool last weekend and hanging in the match until Cody Gakpo finally secured the win for the Reds in stoppage time. As issue for Nuno might be the suspension of orchestrator Lucas Paqueta, sent off last weekend with two yellows, and thru whom most West Ham attacks flow, but the Hammers have found other ways in the past month and still have Jarrod Bowen to score goals. Can erratic Man U extend a margin? Play West Ham.
UCLA can be glad last week's loss at Cal wasn't a conference game. (Ditto for an earlier loss to former Pac-12 foe Arizona...again, outside of league play these days). For the second time already, Mick Cronin has reportedly read the riot act to his Bruins, though better news is that high-priced transfer PG Donovan Dent is expected to be ready to go after a recurrence of his leg injury in the game vs. the Golden Bears. No doubt, Cronin needs better from Dent, scoring only 11 ppg while shooting just 36% from the floor (and a woeful 9% beyond the arc). U-Dub isn't in the greatest shape, either, with various frontline maladies, exposed in last week's loss to Colorado in Palm Springs. Play UCLA
Let's see if UVU can begin to function away from Orem, where the Wolverines have played most of their games this season. Not tonight, however, back to a Mountain West destination which has proven a problem for UVU, having lost at Fresno and (big) at Boise State. The Aztecs might welcome a chance to face a foe that might be at a disadvantage after slugging it out with heavyweights at the Players Era event last week, and in retrospect walking away 1-2 in Las Vegas wasn't all that bad, especially how SDSU looked when on more-even terms against Oregon. Brian Dutcher's team is hitting almost 41% beyond the arc and is getting solid contributions from several, including 6-5 wing Reese Dixon-Waters (14 ppg). Play SDSU.
Tricky bit of scheduling here for the Caps, in LA last night where they downed the Kings 3-1 behind another stellar night in goal from Logan Thompson. As it's now a back-to-back situation tonight, It's Charlie Lindgren (3.12 GAA, .886 saves) time in goal. Edge in the nets, then, to the surging Sharks and Yaroslav Askarov, expected in goal once again after recording yet another win on Monday vs. Utah after a stellar November in which he posted a 1.88 GAA and .947 saves on top of winning in eight of ten starts. Play Sharks on Money Line.
WAC favorite Cal Baptist has shown enough the past month to trust the Lancers getting this sort of price in Provo. Monday's loss at Colorado was CBU's first of the season, but the Lancers made it close and stayed well within the double-digit spread at Boulder. Allowing only 64 ppg as it controls the pace, CBU makes it difficult for opponents to stretch the lead. Rick Croy also has some established offensive weapons such as G Dominique Daniels (18 ppg) when CBU needs a bucket. After a rousing November and success at Disney World last week, this looks a potential flat spot for the Cougars, who don't play next until December 9 vs. Clemson. Play Cal Baptist (at Salt Lake City)
Northwestern never seems to go away in its games...only twice since last season have the Cats lost by more than the 10.5 spread in this game tonight at Madison. That's mostly because NU has enough offense to rarely lose contact, thanks in good part to high-scoring 6-7 F Nick Martinelli, maintaining a similar scoring pace (20.6 ppg) as a year ago (20.5 ppg). Chris Collins has the added bonus this season of a legit post scoring threat in Cincy transfer Arrinten Page (15 ppg). Wiscy couldn't shake the Cats in either of their matchups last season and returns to Kohl Center having lost 2 of 3 on its travels, including an 11-point loss vs. TCU in San Diego last Friday. Play Northwestern
It was just last Wednesday in Charlotte that the Knicks ran up a 129-101 margin, the game effectively over by halftime as NY had cruised to a 72-46 lead. Jalen Brunson scored 33 despite taking off most of the 4th Q as Mike Brown's troops shot 57% from the floor. The Knicks continue to effectively compensate for the absence of OJ Anunoby, out since mid-November. Note, too, how NY (lost at Boston last night) has also won immediately after its previous four losses. Meanwhile, the Hornets' road trip got off to a bad start on Monday when whipped by the Nets in Newark. Prior to the preceding 2-game mini-uptick, Charlotte had dropped seven in a row, and LaMelo Ball's numbers remain decidedly down. Play Knicks