The Carolina Hurricanes are finding their groove again, and it’s showing with their recent three-game win streak. With a 5-1-1 record in their last seven games, they’ll try to keep the momentum alive as they welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets to Raleigh, N.C., on Thursday night. Carolina is coming off two gritty road wins — a 4-3 overtime thriller against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday and a 2-1 nail-biter over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. The team is finally starting to look like the dominant force fans remember from earlier in the season. Columbus has been red-hot too, with a 7-1-1 record over their last nine games. They’re riding high after a 5-1 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on

Portland, riding a two-game winning streak, seeks to capitalize on Orlando’s recent struggles. The Portland Trail Blazers will look to extend the host Orlando Magic’s current slump when the two teams meet on Thursday. Portland enters the game on the heels of a 116-107 victory over the Miami Heat, the second win in a row for the team.1 Ayton has been a key contributor to the team’s recent success, recording double-doubles in both of their last two wins. Orlando, meanwhile, is in the midst of a four-game losing streak and has lost six of their last seven games. The absence of key players like Franz Wagner due to injury has significantly impacted the team’s offensive output. Orlando is currently the

The stakes are high as No. 11 Purdue welcomes No. 21 Michigan to West Lafayette, Indiana, on Friday night in a pivotal Big Ten matchup. Both teams are positioned as strong NCAA Tournament contenders, but recent performances suggest that both the Boilermakers and Wolverines are eager to regain peak form. Michigan (14-4, 6-1 Big Ten) and Purdue (15-5, 7-2) currently hold the second and third spots in the conference, trailing only Michigan State. With both teams ranked in the top 15 of the NCAA NET rankings (Michigan No. 12, Purdue No. 13), this game could have significant implications for Big Ten standings and tournament seeding. While both teams have had impressive seasons, recent games reveal cracks in their armor. Michigan

After an impressive road victory, the 10th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles are set to reassert their home court advantage in a pivotal Big East matchup against the Villanova Wildcats on Friday night in Milwaukee. Marquette (16-3, 7-1 Big East) rebounded from a narrow 72-70 loss to Xavier with a commanding 76-59 win at Seton Hall. The Golden Eagles are determined to defend their 10-1 home record and maintain their position as a conference powerhouse. Reflecting on the team’s defensive improvement, coach Shaka Smart emphasized the importance of energy and discipline.”Our guys set a really good tone defensively in the first half,” Smart said after the Seton Hall game. “We allowed offense to impact our defensive energy last game, and that’s just