1. Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
XFINITYs #5ToFollow - Wednesday, January 15
Vance McCullough, the voice of @XFINITYSports, delivers his analysis of the five key games to watch online, paired with five Twitter follows to give you insider information on the matchup. Have a matchup that you’d like Vance to feature? Tweet @XFINITYSports with the hashtag #5ToFollow.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Details: Wednesday, January 15 @ 8:00 PM ET - CONSOL Energy Center - Pittsburgh, PA
Watch Here: NBCSN on XFINITY
Why Watch: It doesn’t get much better than Crosby vs. Ovechkin! Between these two superstars they’ve scored 672 goals, won four Hart Memorial Trophies, and one Stanley Cup Title. This season, Ovi’s puck has burned by any and all defenders, as he’s leading the League with 33 goals. Crosby is right behind the Caps winger with 25, but is leading in the all important points category (67). They’ve faced off once this season, with Pittsburgh the earlier contest going to the Pens, but you never know what you will see on Rivalry Night on NBCSN.
#5ToFollow Insider: Chuck Gormley - @ChuckGormleyCSN
Gormley is the Caps’ insider for CSN Washington and will be making to trip to the steel city. Click follow for the top stats and information from this #RivalryNight tilt.
Follow: @ChuckGormleyCSN
2. Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors
Details: Wednesday, January 15 @ 10:30 PM ET - Oracle Arena - Oakland, CA
Watch Here: ESPN on XFINITY
Why Watch: January is the middle of the winter, but the Warriors are just heating up. Winners of nine of their last ten, Golden State looks like a team destined to go deep in this year’s playoffs. But one of the only team’s that can keep up with GSW’s pace is the Nuggets. They rebound well and they average over 102 points per game, on average with the Warriors. Look for Steph vs. Lawson to be good, Chandler vs. Iguodala to be better, and Faried vs. Lee to be best when these Western Conference clubs tip off!
#5ToFollow Insider: Julie Phayer - @juliephayer
Julie is the head of SM and digital marketing for GSW, and she will be bringing you the best from Oracle Arena anytime they tipoff. Make sure to follow for Vine vids and the trending hashtags!
Follow: @juliephayer
3. PGA Tour: Humana Challenge
Details: Thursday, January 16 @ 3:00 PM ET - Arnold Palmer PGA West - La Quinta, CA
Watch Here: Golf Channel on XFINITY
Why Watch: It’s Thursday afternoon and you’re at work, it’s time to stream the PGA Tour! There will be 156 pros that tee off in a strong field to kick off the Tour’s 2014 season. Can last year’s champion Brian Gay repeat? A name to keep an eye on, Pat Perez, who’s won here in the past and has created a lot of buzz from the writers. Let’s see if Perez comes out of the gates swinging in the Humana Classic’s opening round, when we stream it live on the XFINITY TV Go app.
#5ToFollow Insider: PGA Tour Shot Link - @ShotLink
The PGA is on the front of pro sports analytics and they’re breaking down all 18 holes of the Humana Challenge. Get a look at the challenges the pros face in Cali during Thursday’s opening round by following Shot Link.
Follow: @ShotLink
4. UCLA vs. Colorado
Details: Thursday, January 16 @ 8:00 PM ET - Coors Event Center - Boulder, CO
Watch Here: Pac-12 Network on XFINITY
Why Watch: When two of the top teams of the Pac 12 go to work, and both are ranked inside the Top 25, we will all be watching or streaming. UCLA has three losses on the year, and three is the magic number. In each game they were outshot from three-point range, the lone flaw this talented Bruins crew has. The Buffs are averaging just over 5 three’s per game, but will be missing their sharp shooting guard, Spencer Dinwiddie. Can Colorado’s Askia Booker and Xavier Johnson carry the load against the UCLA’s Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson? Stream the Pac 12 Network Thursday night to see!
#5ToFollow Insider: Jon Rothstein - @JonRothstein
A CBS college hoops insider, Rothstein will gives you stats from the game, a march madness forecast, and players draft status. Follow Rothstein for an amalgamation of collegiate basketball info Thursday night.
Follow: @JonRothstein
5. Arizona State vs. Arizona
Details: Thursday, January 16 @ 9:00 PM ET - McKale Center - Tucson, AZ
Watch Here: FoxSports1 on XFINITY
Why Watch: There’s not enough talk about Aaron Gordon and that’s about to change! The Arizona frosh that can put up points and do so with ease. He’s not too bad on the glass either, pulling down eight rebounds per. With Gordon in the paint and Nick Johnson’s draining jumpers from the perimeter, you can see why the Wiidcats are undefeated. The Sun Devils can shock the college basketball world with an upset, and they’ve got an ace up their sleeve - team defense. They’ve got the shot altering center, Jordan Bachynski, who averages 4.8 blocked shot per game. The Sun Devils defense has locked down on opponents from 3-point land, allowing them to shoot an awful 28.9 percentage from distance and 43 percent from 2-point range. Can this swarming D dismantle the No. 1 team in the nation? This one’s going to be a great rivalry game - make sure you’re streaming on the XFINITY TV Go app!
#5ToFollow Insider: Jason Bartel - @jasonbartel
Bartel is a scribe for SB Nation’s University of Arizona blog, AZ Desert Swarm, and will be tweets, stats, gifs, and video highlights of the intrastate rivalry.
Follow: @jasonbartel
For more behind the scenes insights from the biggest sporting events and inside information on sports & social media, make sure to follow Vance McCullough, the XFINITY Sports Guy, @XFINITYSports.
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