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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. —

The Island Storm opens the 2019-20 season at the Eastlink Centre on Boxing Day and hoop fans are anxiously waiting to get a look at our new club, which is one of four clubs in the talented Atlantic Division of the National Basketball League of Canada.

The Storm meets the defending champion Moncton Magic on opening day and again on Thursday before facing 2017 champion Halifax Hurricanes at home on New Year’s Eve. The other team in the division is the highly regarded St. John’s Edge, which was one of the better clubs last season.

Three of the Storm’s standouts from last season – all-Canadian Alex Campbell, sharp-shooting forward Robbie Robinson and guard Johnathan Loyd – are ready to roll while newcomers, including former Harlem Globetrotter Nate Wright and Antwon Lillard, who starred at Bowling Green, are headed this way for an abbreviated training camp.

On opening night, fans are urged not to put away their ugly Christmas sweaters just yet. Wear that sweater to the Storm game on opening night and receive a ballot to win a basket of Island Storm goodies. Remember game time is 2 p.m. The Thursday and New Year’s Eve games both start at 7 p.m.

Harness racing

Live harness racing continues today at 12:30 p.m. at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park with a 14-dash card. The $2,975 feature goes in the finale with horses like Creepin, Burn Out Hanover, Eagle Jolt, Screen Test and five others. There’s also a $2,450 open mares with Collective Wisdom, Drivinthedragon, Rocknrol Image, Traces of Purple and four others.

At Mohawk Raceway tonight, a number of local horses are in to go. Euchred and The Rev are in Race 11 while Lisburn and Bugsy Maguire are entered in the $20,000 overnight pace in Race 10.

TheStable.Ca open house attracted more than 300 harness racing fans from six or seven United States, including people who made the eight-hour drive from Columbus, Ohio. Mark Ford was there from New Jersey along with fractional owners from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Indiana.

Wayne McGean headed a contingent from Cape Breton, who spent time talking with Maritimers like Harry Poulton, Kevin MacMaster and Danny O’Brien, who are with The Stable. Billy O’Donnell, Roger Houston and myself were in stitches as Billy is certainly the king of the one-liners. Paul MacKenzie and Drew Neill also drove during the program.

Curtis MacDonald flew in from The Royal Turf Club at Saint Lucia where he has been for the past month spearheading the thoroughbred operations there. He and his brother Lloyd looked after The Stable show. It was quite a temperature shock for Curtis and his wife Jaimi from 90 F to -15 C.

Horsemen here are reminded that foals of 2019 must be registered with Standardbred Canada by Dec. 31.

In other stakes matters, Maritime Breeders sustaining and starting fees have been reduced by $100 and late entry in the events an additional $50 due March 15.

The very underrated sire Shanghai Phil will stand in P.E.I. for the upcoming breeding season. He has sired some solid racehorses like Duc D’Orleans, Cadillac Phil and Champlain Phil. Woodmere Oleksiak won again at the Meadowlands on Thursday, posting a 1:54:4 victory in a $9,750 overnight race.

Pigskin picks

The NFL heads into Week 16 with three games today, the most crucial being Buffalo travelling to Foxboro to tangle with New England.

Today

Houston Texans (9-5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) – The Bucs have won four in a row behind QB Jameis Winston. The Bucs are three-point dogs and can win outright.

Buffalo Bills (10-4) at New England Patriots (11-3) – The Bills played the Pats tough, losing a tight one earlier in the year at home, and are 6.5-point dogs. This is too much of a spread for a Bills club that is 6-1 on the road and a is getting better every start behind QB Josh Allen. Take the points and play the Bills.

L.A. Rams (8-6) at San Francisco 49ers (11-3) – The 49ers clobbered the Rams two weeks ago and are 6.5-point favourites. Easiest bet of the weekend.

Sunday

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6) at New York Jets (5-9) – The Steelers cling to the sixth seed and they’ll sneak past the Jets in Gotham.

Baltimore Ravens (12-2) at Cleveland Browns (6-8) – The Browns pounded the Ravens early in the season, but now Cleveland cannot stop the run and are without their best pass rusher in Myles Garrett. Baltimore by at least seven points.

New Orleans Saints (11-3) at Tennessee Titans (8-6) – The Titans have a weak pass defence and against Drew Brees and the Saints’ potent pass attack that’s bad news. Saints should cover the three-point spread.

Dallas Cowboys (7-7) at Philadelphia Eagles (7-7) – The Cowboys may be without QB Dak Prescott and their best defender Leighton Vander Esch and the Eagles have a banged-up receiving corps. Too many factors for a smart or wide bet. If Prescott does not play, I have trouble betting the Cowboys, who are three-point favourites.

Watch it

Sorry everybody, no video this week. Columnist Fred (Fiddler) MacDonald and Jason Malloy, sports editor at The Guardian, return next week.

Fred MacDonald's column appears every Saturday in The Guardian. He can be reached at fiddlersfacts@hotmail.com.