pr Page 290 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Illinois looking to add to its upsets of No. 1, faces Tennessee
Magic Johnson, Chris Paul and now Zakai Zeigler?,The first two, Hall of Fame point guards, led No. 1 teams into Illinois -- in 1979 and 2004, respectively -- only to walk out as losers. Zeigler, an All-America candidate in his own right, gets his turn Saturday as he leads top-ranked Tennessee into C...

Ducks, Blue Jackets meet in desperate search for positives
A pair of division cellar-dwelling teams will look to take the first step toward turning around their fortunes on Saturday when the Anaheim Ducks visit the Columbus Blue Jackets.,Anaheim has mustered just seven goals en route to losing a season-high five games in a row (0-4-1).,Columbus hasn't fared...

Jets trying to find their footing again, face lowly Canadiens
An all-Canadian showdown hits the ice in Winnipeg on Saturday night when the Jets welcome the Montreal Canadiens, with both teams trying to find some stability.,After an eye-popping 8-1 destruction of Boston on Tuesday, the Jets couldn't carry that momentum forward in a 3-2 loss to Vegas on Thursday...

Back home, frustrated Red Wings set to face Maple Leafs
Unable to build any positive momentum, while their captain sounds exasperated, the Detroit Red Wings head into their home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night with six losses in seven games.,The Red Wings snapped a five-game losing streak on Monday by rallying from a two-goal, thir...

New coaches enter rivalry between No. 5 Kentucky, Louisville
A new chapter in one of college basketball's fiercest rivalries begins on Saturday when No. 5 Kentucky hosts Louisville in Lexington, Ky.,Both Kentucky coach Mark Pope, who played in two of the games in the 1990s, and Louisville coach Pat Kelsey took over their programs this year. The Wildcats (9-1)...

Ascending Capitals match up against sliding Sabres
The past few weeks at home have not been kind to the Buffalo Sabres. On an eight-game losing streak, they will strive to turn things around when they kick off a three-game road trip with a visit to the Washington Capitals on Saturday.,The Sabres are 0-5-3 during their skid, with seven of those losse...

No. 25 Mississippi State, McNeese both seek to correct issues
Mississippi State returned to the rankings this week largely because of a 90-57 victory against then-No. 18 Pitt on Dec. 4. It was largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent in school history.,But the Bulldogs (8-1) didn't play nearly as well in a 91-84 win against 1-8 Prairie View A&M last...

West's best meet in NBA Cup semis as Thunder battle Rockets
LAS VEGAS -- Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder may not have been the marquee NBA Cup semifinal the league was hoping for, but it might just be the best window into the future of the Western Conference.,The Thunder are getting used to being the hunted this season after taking the league by st...

No. 19 Ole Miss, relying on 'diverse offense,' clashes with So. Miss
The SEC contains nine ranked teams, including six in the top 15 of this week's AP Top 25 poll.,Among those teams is No. 19 Ole Miss, which attempts to maintain its strong start Saturday afternoon when it travels to Biloxi, Miss., for an encounter with Southern Miss.,At 8-1, the Rebels are off to a s...

No. 9 Florida, Arizona State bring productive squads to Atlanta
Arizona State and No. 9 Florida will meet in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event Saturday in Atlanta after both teams have experienced more than a week off from games to concentrate on final exams.,The Sun Devils (8-1) have not played since defeating San Diego 90-53 at home Dec. 3.,The Gators (9-0) last p...

Skidding No. 10 Kansas hopes to get right vs. NC State
Coming off what was likely a week's worth of intense practices, No. 10 Kansas returns home for a matchup with North Carolina State on Saturday afternoon in Lawrence, Kan.,The Jayhawks (7-2) lost back-to-back games versus unranked opponents, the first time in school history that they have done that w...

Golden Knights, Oilers both heating up ahead of Pacific clash
The Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers both have won four in a row and eight of their last 10 games.,One Pacific Division power will continue its ascent at the other's expense on Saturday afternoon when they meet in Edmonton.,Ivan Barbashev scored his team-leading 14th goal of the season -- an...

Flyers riding high entering road battle with Wild
Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton is used to showing up, playing hard and letting the spotlight shine on other players.,This week has been different for Laughton, a 12-year veteran who has spent his full career with the Flyers. He is coming off a career-best, four-goal performance that led ...

Bucks get second crack at NBA Cup semis vs. Trae Young, Hawks
LAS VEGAS -- The Milwaukee Bucks are making a return trip to the NBA Cup semifinals after falling short in Sin City last season. This time around, they'll have the responsibility of stopping one of the game's great entertainers in Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.,Young rolled a pair of imaginary di...

No. 24 UCLA, Arizona have first reunion since Pac-12 days
No. 24 UCLA is seeking its eighth straight win on Saturday against an Arizona team that is trying to right the ship after dropping four of its last six games.,The game is being played in Phoenix, billed as part of the Hall of Fame Series. It's the first meeting between the storied ex-Pac-12 rivals s...

South Carolina looks to steady ship against South Carolina Upstate
South Carolina is off to an uneven start, but that hasn't obscured the steady rise of Collin Murray-Boyles.,The 6-foot-7 sophomore will be the player to watch when South Carolina (6-3) hosts South Carolina Upstate (4-8) Saturday afternoon in Columbia.,Murray-Boyles leads the Gamecocks in points (16....

Branden Grace among 20 in 36-hole LIV Golf promotions final
Branden Grace of South Africa and brothers Scott and Kieran Vincent of Zimbabwe are among the 20 players who qualified for the final day of the LIV Golf Promotions event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,The event began Thursday, but Grace and the Vincents were among 29 players exempt into the second round F...

Rutgers looks to pick up steam in clash vs. Seton Hall
Their expectation levels may have been different, but neither Rutgers nor Seton Hall has had the most promising start to the season.,New Jersey's two power-conference programs will try to author a signature win when the Pirates visit the Scarlet Knights for the Garden State Hardwood Classic on Satur...
Best Sports Betting Picks Today: NBA, NHL Predictions for December 13
These are our best sports betting picks and predictions for Friday December 13th's slate of games including our top bets for the NBA and NHL....

Rudy Gobert sets screens, and the stage, as Wolves host Lakers
The Minnesota Timberwolves knew that Rudy Gobert would be a difference maker on defense when he joined the team two-plus seasons ago.,Gobert's statistics on offense don't jump off the page, but one of his greatest attributes is how he sets screens for Anthony Edwards to ignite the Timberwolves' scor...