What better way to kickstart the weekend’s action than with a couple of heated rivalries on deck tonight? The Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks renew their rivalry to heat up the day’s NBA action in what should be an exciting, high-scoring game. And on the ice, two of the NHL’s best offenses meet as the New York Islanders take on their bitter rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in a crucial divisional matchup. Keep your eyes here as we preview the day’s best action.
The NFL isn’t short of rivalries either. Check out our preview for the Sunday Night Football game of NFC East rivals the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants.
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Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks (8:30 PM ET)
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban turned some heads when he said, “Personally, I just hope [the Lakers] suck forever.” While the Lakers are only 3-9 early into the season, they’ve played good basketball lately. The Lakers have won back-to-back games and have been money for spread bettors with a 5-2 ATS record in their last seven games.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Nick Young has given Los Angeles a nice spark off the bench. He scored 17 points against the Hawks on Tuesday, and poured in 16 against the Rockets. The Lakers’ big men have also found their groove as Jordan Hill recorded his fourth consecutive double-double, while Carlos Boozer had his second straight on Wednesday. Kobe Bryant has also been a monster with a league-best average of 27.5 points.
Still, the Mavericks are a tough matchup for the Lakers. The Mavs swept last season’s series 3-0 SU/ATS with an average margin of victory of 14.7 points, with Dirk Nowitzki scoring 27 points in each of his last two games against the Lakers.
Writer’s Prediction
The Lakers struggle with Dallas’ big men, but manage to cover the spread.
New York Islanders vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (7:00 PM ET)
Line: New York Islanders at Pittsburgh Penguins – view these lines
It’s going to be an exciting battle between two of the Metropolitan Division’s finest, featuring some of the league’s best forwards. Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby (26 points) will clash with the Isles’ devastating trio of Brock Nelson, John Tavares and Kyle Okposo, who share a team lead of 18 points.
However, these forwards will have to contend with solid goaltending on both sides. Pens netminders Marc-Andre Fleury and Thomas Greiss have excellent goals-against averages of 1.98 and 1.95 respectively, though Fleury seems to be the more solid option with four shutouts this season. Meanwhile, New York answer with Jaroslav Halak, who’s won five straight starts with a 1.37 GAA and two shutouts.
Writer’s Prediction
In a heated battle between the top dogs of the division, take the Penguins to win at home.
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