Sports Picks & Predictions

4-unit Play Take #65 Vegas Golden Knights/San Jose Sharks OVER 5.5 (+110) (7:35pm EST) Tonight is Game 6 in San Jose between the Knights and Sharks. Every game in this series has gone easily over the total except for one and there's no reason to believe that Game 6 will be any different. These teams have averaged 6.6 goals per game in the series and there have been plenty of quality scoring chances on both sides. Also take into account that both goalies have made sensational, which means scoring could have been even higher. There's still plus odds on the OVER and that's too good to pass up.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #57 Vegas Golden Knights/San Jose Sharks OVER (10:05pm EST) NHL PLAYOFF GAME OF THE YEAR. Linesmakers are sometimes slow to adjust and this is clearly one of those cases. Each of the three games in this series has seen seven goals scored. The totals were 5, 5.5 and 5.5 for those games. Even more telling, the number of premium scoring chances has been off the charts. If Marc-Andre Fleury was actually human, the Sharks have at least three or four more goals in this series. This is a huge game for San Jose and they were great in the first period in Game 3. I expect them to come out aggressive again and set the pace for another up and down game. The total on this one should at least be six goals and a half goal difference is huge for a total. Play the OVER in our big NHL playoff total of the year tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #17 Vegas Golden Knights/San Jose Sharks OVER (10:05pm EST) We cashed in on the OVER in Games 1 and 2 of this series, and I don't see any reason to jump off the bandwagon for Game 3. This series has featured a ton of great scoring chances on both ends. We've also seen quite a few power plays due to the chippiness of both teams. Both goaltenders were excellent in the first round, but they are showing that they're both human as well in the second round. Play the OVER in Game 3 in San Jose.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #89 San Jose Sharks/Vegas Golden Knights OVER (8:05pm EST) It's difficult to understand this line. The linesmaker and betting markets clearly got the Game 1 total wrong when they opened in near five flat. They moved it to 5.5 for Game 2, but it's juiced heavily towards the under. The Sharks and Knights both like to use their speed and create a high volume of scoring chances. This is going to be a finesse series, unlike the matchup for both of these teams in round one. I think we could see seven goals again like we did in Game 1. Maybe this time the Sharks will actually chip in a little bit. Play the OVER.

6-unit Play Take #81 San Jose Sharks/Vegas Golden Knights OVER 5 (+105) (10:05pm EST) It's been eight days since the Sharks last took the ice and nine days for the Knights. That's about as long as a layoff as you'll see in the postseason, so I expect some things to change from what we saw in round one. For the Sharks, it was all about Martin Jones. He stopped 128 of the 132 shots on goal (a .970 save percentage) for a 1.00 goals against average. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was even better for Vegas. Fleury stopped 127 of the 130 shots (a .977 save percentage) he faced for a 0.75 goals against average. Those numbers are insanely good, but don't expect to see it in Game 1 tonight. With the long layoff, I expect a little bit of goaltender rust. In addition, the Sharks and Knights were both engaged in very physical first round series against the Ducks and Kings. That had more to do with the Ducks and Kings than the Sharks and Knights. I expect a much more wide-open finesse type of style being played in this series. That should lead to some better scoring chances overall. Play the OVER in Game 1.

8-unit Play Take #72 St. Louis Blues/Colorado Avalanche UNDER (9:05pm EST) The playoffs are on the line tonight in Colorado as the Avalanche hosts the Blues. These two teams have been neck and neck down the stretch to grab that last playoff spot in the Western Conference and now they square off in a virtual one-game playoff to decide who earns that final spot. The intensity will be high and I don't expect to see too many great scoring opportunities. In reviewing the shot totals for these two teams in recent weeks, both teams have seen a decrease in their scoring chances on both ends of the ice. I wouldn't be surprised if this game ends up being a 1-0 and 2-1 type of battle. We are on the UNDER in our NHL Total of the Year.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #58 Boston Bruins/Tampa Bay Lightning UNDER 6 (-120) (7:35pm EST) Another big game tonight between the Bruins and Lightning. These two teams met in Boston where the Bruins won 4-2 and took control of the Atlantic Division. The Lightning have the chance to even things up in the division with a win tonight, this time in Tampa. I expect another playoff-type atmosphere. The last matchup only featured 58 shots on goal between these two. If we see that again, there's a good chance we go UNDER the total. I like the UNDER tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #12 Colorado Avalanche/Los Angeles Kings UNDER 5.5 (10:35pm EST) The matchup between the Avs and Kings tonight will have a playoff-like atmosphere. Both teams are amongst a group of four fighting four for the last three playoff spots in the Western Conference. Someone is going to be left out, so these last few contests are enormous. The Kings have been playing lower scoring affairs of late, with six of their last nine going under the total. Colorado has seen four straight contests go under the total and only one of their last 10 games have gone over. I see a 3-1 or 3-2 type of contest tonight in Los Angeles. Play the UNDER.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #68 Calgary Flames/Los Angeles Kings UNDER 5.5 (-125) (10:35pm EST) The Calgary Flames have effectively ended their chances at the postseason with five straight losses. They've been horrible on both ends of the ice lately, but scoring has been particularly tough for the Flames over the last couple of weeks. Over their last nine games, Calgary is averaging 1.33 goals per game. It's hard to imagine things are going to improve tonight in Los Angeles against a stingy Kings defense. Los Angles hasn't allowed more than three goals over their last six contests. This is their first game back after a short four-game road trip. I don't expect many scoring chances, so we're on the UNDER here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #6 Boston Bruins/St. Louis Blues UNDER (8:05pm EST) Today's game between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues is marred by some big injuries. Boston is without three of its best players in Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara and David Backes. The Blues are missing dynamic winger Vladmir Tarasenko. That's going to cut down on the premium scoring chances for both teams, and I don't think it's fully reflected in the betting total. This line should be at five, or heavily juice to the UNDER at 5.5. As a result, we're gladly take the UNDER here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #70 Vancouver Canucks/Vegas Golden Knights UNDER (10:05pm EST) The Vegas Golden Knights have had a record-breaking season as an expansion team. They've led the Pacific Division for nearly the entire season and have a lot to be proud of as a franchise. Lately, however, they haven't been very good on the ice. Injuries and fatigue may be setting in for the Knights at this point. They play an extremely aggressive style and it may have finally caught up with them. They haven't been scoring the puck at the same rate as they did earlier in the season and it's led to some tough outcomes of late. Tonight they host the Vancouver Canucks and they come in with a six-game losing streak. Offense has the been the problem as the Canucks are averaging just 1.00 goal per game during this stretch. I expect the game tonight to go UNDER the total.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #64 Dallas Stars/Winnipeg Jets UNDER 6 (-130) (7:35pm EST) Big game for the Stars and Jets, who are both trying to lock up playoff spots down the stretch in the Western Conference. I expect a playoff-type atmosphere tonight in Winnipeg. Both of these teams have been sputtering a bit in recent weeks, but the defense has been tightening up. Winnipeg games have gone UNDER in six of the last seven games. For Dallas, six of the last eight games have gone UNDER the total. I expect this game to play out very similar, with few premium scoring chances for each team. Play UNDER the total in this matchup.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #2 Columbus Blue Jackets/Philadelphia Flyers UNDER 5.5 (-120) (7:05pm EST) We're going to have a playoff-type atmosphere tonight in Philadelphia Flyers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both teams are hanging on for dear life in the Eastern Conference playoff race, separated by just two points with the Devils just a point behind. Six of the last eight Flyers' games have gone UNDER the game total as they've turned up the heat on defense lately. This game is going to have some major intensity going for it, so I like this one to go UNDER the total as well.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #4 New York Islanders/Calgary Flames UNDER (7:05pm EST) The New York Islanders have lost eight straight contests, but it's not for lack of trying. Four of those losses were in overtime and the Isles have improved tremendously defensively over the last few weeks. Eight of their last 12 games have gone UNDER the total. Goaltenders Christopher Gibson and Jaroslav Halak have stepped up their games in the net as well for New York. Tonight they head to Calgary to take on the Flames. Calgary has been a higher-scoring team most of the year, but they've played in some tight, low-scoring games of late as well. I think this one plays out that way as well, so we're on the UNDER at the big number.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take #6 Anaheim Ducks/Dallas Stars UNDER 5.5 (-130) (8:35pm EST) Big game tonight in Dallas as the Stars host the Ducks. Both of these teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, but not by much. There are several teams nipping at their heels, and with only 14 games remaining in the regular season, every game is huge. Both clubs are coming off of losses to the Predators in their last game. I think Anaheim and Dallas may be a little gassed for this game. It's the fourth game in six nights for the Ducks (and second leg of a back-to-back), and the Stars have played three overtime games in their last four contests. It's going to feel like a playoff-like atmosphere in this game and I think goals are going to be tougher to come by. The UNDER is 10-3 in the last 13 games for the Ducks. The UNDER is 6-2 in the last eight games for the Stars. This should be a fun game, but I like the UNDER in our NHL Game of the Week.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #68 Carolina Hurricanes/Chicago Blackhawks OVER 5.5 (-115) (8:35pm EST) The Chicago Blackhawks are in unfamiliar territory. They're sitting in the cellar of the Central Division and have been getting worse as the season has progressed. Losing goalie Corey Crawford was a bigger blow than anyone could have imagined, and that's because backups Anton Forsberg, Jeff Glass and Jean-Francois Berube have struggled. Chicago also has several aging defensemen on the roster. As a result, we've been seeing the Hawks go OVER the total a lot recently. In their last three games, Hawks' games have yielded 6.67 goals per game. Carolina comes in losing eight of 10 and their season is over as well. We may see them opening it up a little more and getting some younger players in the fold. I like the OVER in this game.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #10 New York Islanders/Vancouver Canucks UNDER 6 (+110) (10:05pm EST) The New York Islanders have been an OVER machine this season on the ice. The OVER is 39-24 in Islander games this season overall. However, the trend has started to change of late. Seven of the last 10 games have went UNDER the total for the Islanders. They are getting much better goalie play and the defense has clamped down in a big way. Tonight the Islanders are in Vancouver to go up against the Canucks. Vancouver has had problems scoring this season, as they rank 23rd in goals per game with just 2.71. The Sedin twins are slowing down and they just don't have the firepower they once did. Six is a high total and I like our chances of staying UNDER the total tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #54 New York Islanders/Montreal Canadiens UNDER 6 (+110) (7:05pm EST) The New York Islanders have been an OVER machine this season, but things are starting to change. The Isles have started to pick things up on the defensive end and they've gotten some superb efforts from the goaltenders lately. Five of their last seven games have went UNDER the total and most of those were easy winners. Tonight the Islanders go to Montreal to take on the Canadiens. The Habs have played into overtime in three of their last four contests, so they could be a bit gassed tonight. While that could sometimes lead to poor defensive effort, I don't think that will be the case tonight. Take the UNDER in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #5 Detroit Red Wings/New York Islanders OVER 6 (-100) (7:05pm EST) The Detroit Red Wings have been struggling to score goals of late, but tonight they have the perfect cure - the New York Islanders defense. No team has allowed more goals than the Islanders have this season. Surprisingly, the Isles are also third in the NHL in goals scored. They love playing high-scoring affairs and the opponent doesn't seem to matter. OVERS are 34-17 in Islanders' games this season overall. I see more of the same in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #23 Colorado Avalanche/Vancouver Canucks OVER 5.5 (-110) (10:05pm EST)

4-unit Play Take #21 Vegas Golden Knights/Calgary Flames OVER 6 (+105) (9:05pm EST)

4-unit Play Take #15 Tampa Bay Lightning/Winnipeg Jets OVER 5.5 (-120) (8:05pm EST)

4-unit Play Take #13 Chicago Blackhawks/Nashville Predators OVER 6 (+105) (8:05pm EST)

4-unit Play Take #7 Minnesota Wild/Columbus Blue Jackets OVER 5.5 (+115) (7:05pm EST)

4-unit  Play Take #51 Pittsburgh Penguins/New York Islanders OVER 6 (-110) (7:05pm EST) The Pittsburgh Penguins offense has been sputtering of late. They were shutout for just the second time all season last night versus Carolina and have scored just 12 goals over their last six games. Tonight, however, they should find a remedy for their offensive woes - the New York Islanders. The season has gone off the rails for the Isles recently. They've dropped 12 of 17 and their defense has been fully to blame. In their last four games alone, New York has given up 21 goals. The goaltending has been very poor, defenders have been out of position and there have just been some boneheaded plays all around defensively. This one should get OVER the total.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #51 St. Louis Blues/Winnipeg Jets OVER (6:05pm EST) These two teams played last night in St. Louis where the Blues won 2-0. That final score was extremely misleading however. Blues backup goaltender Carter Hutton stopped all 48 shots he saw from the Jets in what was likely the best game of his career. Winnipeg backup goalie Steve Mason wasn't that bad either, stopping 28 of the 30 shots on goal. The starting goaltenders will be back in net tonight for this one. And if we get 78 shots on goal again today, we should have no problem going OVER the total.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #57 Toronto Maple Leafs/Detroit Red Wings UNDER 5.5 (-110) (7:35pm EST) We hit an easy winner on the UNDER in the Toronto game last night in our NHL Game of the Week. We like the UNDER again tonight for many of the same reasons. The Leafs have a renewed focus on defense under head coach Mike Babcock. They've been better at limiting high quality chances by opponents, while sacrificing a little bit on the offensive end. Toronto is also without top playmaker Auston Matthews, who is the engine for the offense and one of the elite players in the league. Detroit comes in off of two straight overtime games, so I'm not sure how much juice they'll have in the tank tonight. This one all adds up to a low scoring affair. Play the UNDER.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take Minnesota Wild/Anaheim Ducks UNDER (10:05pm EST) The Anaheim Ducks are still missing Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler, along with Patrick Eaves. Those are all big contributors on offense and it's made goals hard to come by for the Ducks. Jakob Silfverberg has also been banged up but he's scheduled to return to the lineup today. Anaheim hasn't score more than three goals in a game in about four weeks. Minnesota has also had its share of problems offensively this season. I don't see this game getting to six goals. So we're on the UNDER tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take Arizona Coyotes/Las Vegas Golden Knights UNDER 6 (-115) (8:05pm EST) The Vegas Knights have been one of the top scoring teams in the conference in the early going, but I'm not sure they can maintain it. The offense has started to drop of a little bit lately. The Knights don't have a ton of playmakers on offense. They try to make up for it by scrappiness and working hard. That goes a long way, but at the end of the day, playmakers make scoring so much easier. Teams are starting to scout Vegas better, and I think it's going to be tough for them to continue scoring at this rate. Tonight they host the Arizona Coyotes. The Coyotes come in at 30th in the league in goals per game (2.41), so they're not trying to win a high-scoring, high tempo type of game. They are trying to limit the opponents' quality chances and hope they get just enough contributions on offense to stay in the game. With a quality goaltender in net, that strategy can work. However, they've shuffled goalies a bit and now seem to be settled on Scott Wedgewood. He's put up good numbers so far and deserves a shot to stay in the net. I anticipate a low-scoring affair tonight between the Coyotes and Knights. Play UNDER the high total of six.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #5 Minnesota Wild/Montreal Canadiens OVER 5.5 (-115) (7:35pm EST) The Minnesota Wild took a tough loss last night in Toronto against the Leafs. They outshot Toronto by a 37-19 margin, but could only muster two goals in a 4-2 loss. It was a good effort and I think the offense is ready to break out of its recent funk. Tonight they head to Montreal to take on the Canadiens. Montreal is without star goalie Carey Price for this one, and it's a big drop off to backup Charlie Lindgren. Expect some goals for the Wild tonight. I think the Canadiens get their share of goals as well in this one. This will be the third game in four nights and fourth in the last six for Minnesota (with the last three on the road). As a result, they might not have their full legs and that usually translates into poor defense. There should be some good scoring chances in this one, so we're playing the OVER.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #1 Edmonton Oilers/New York Islanders OVER 5.5 (-115) (7:05pm EST) The Edmonton Oilers were shutout last night, and it was against the Detroit Red Wings - who may be the worst team in the Eastern Conference. If that doesn't fire up an offense to bounce back, I don't know what will. The Oilers did get 36 shots on goal in that game, but nothing hit the back of net. It's been a tough opening to the season for Edmonton at 4-8-1, but I worry less about their offense than I do about the defense and goaltending. The Islanders have been involved in a ton of high-scoring games lately. In fact, eight straight games have gone OVER the total in Islanders games. Their offense is clicking on all cylinders and there's no reason to expect that to change tonight. This game should feature a lot of action, and I don't see a problem getting OVER the total.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #55 Columbus Blue Jackets/New York Rangers OVER 6 (-115) (7:05pm EST) I expect to see plenty of goals in Madison Square Garden on Monday night when the Rangers host the Blue Jackets. In Columbus' last three contests, there have been 26 goals scored combined (nearly nine goals per game). For the Rangers, four of their last four games has gone OVER the total including a 5-4 win in Florida last time out in a game that featured 78 shots on goal. Scoring is way up this season and these two teams have the weapons to keep it going. Play the OVER in this matchup.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #1 Philadelphia Flyers/Chicago Blackhawks OVER (8:05pm EST) The Flyers and Blackhawks take the ice on Wednesday and we should see plenty of quality scoring chances. Philadelphia comes in averaging 3.42 goals per game - good enough for 8th in the NHL. Chicago checks in at 12th in the league with 3.17 goals per game. Both defenses have major holes as well. The Hawks are lacking defensive depth after losing stopper Niklas Hjalmarsson in the off-season, and stalwarts Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith are aging quickly and have lost some effectiveness. Philadelphia has had issues on defense for the past several years and they haven't done enough to plug all the holes. They did beef up the goaltender position, but they are still giving up too many good shots. Overs are 3-0-1 in the Flyers' last four games and I think we see another one tonight. Play OVER the total of 5.5.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #55 Winnipeg Jets/Minnesota Wild OVER  (8:05pm EST) This one is going to be a fast-paced affair between the Jets and Wild. Both teams really love to open it up and we've seen the NHL really clamp down on penalties this year, which has created even more power play chances. Both teams are scoring over 3.00 goals per this season, and both are allowing over 3.00 goals as well. The total is set high, but I still think it's too low for this matchup. Play the OVER in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #7 Edmonton Oilers/Pittsburgh Penguins OVER (7:05pm EST) The Edmonton Oilers have struggled to put the puck in the net this season, but it hasn't been for a lack of trying. The Oilers have averaged 38.9 shots on goal per game, but somehow are only averaging 2.00 goals per contest. That will definitely change in a hurry, and tonight could be a nice time to breakout against a struggling Pittsburgh defense. The Penguins gave up seven goals in their last game against the Lightning and have yield a whopping 4.33 goals against average this season. That's the worst defense in the league thus far. Goaltender Matt Murray has really been feeling the pressure now that he's the main man, and backup goalie Antii Niemi has been ever worse. This should be a fun one with lots of scoring chances on each side. As a result, we're playing OVER the total in tonight's Oilers/Penguins game.

4-unit Play Take #51 San Jose Sharks/New York Rangers OVER 5.5 (-110) (7:05pm EST) We've been on OVERS for several Rangers' games this season and it's paid off. New York has some big issues on the defensive zone and goalie Henrik Lundqvist is no longer capable of doing it by himself. At age 35, Lundqvist has fallen from the ranks of the elite to barely league average. In eight games this season, Lundqvist has allowed 3.00 goals against to go along with a subpar .907 save percentage. The Rangers can score the puck, and that's how they are going to contend for a playoff spot. The top two lines have several top notch playmakers and the guys on the blue line know how to move the puck. As a result, the Rangers are going to be involved in some high-scoring affairs during the 2017-18 season. The Sharks won't mind a fast-paced game with plenty of shots as they have the skaters to keep up. As a result, we're going OVER the total in this matchup.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #65 Florida Panthers/Washington Capitals OVER 6 (-105) (7:35pm EST) Alex Ovechkin is clicking and when he's on, this Washington offense is very hard to stop. Ovechkin already has 10 goals in eight games - his best start to a season ever. I don't see Florida slowing the Caps down any. The Panthers are allowing 35.5 shots on goal per game this season. The good news is that Florida is averaging 40.0 on goal themselves. That's impressive and we should see a 5-4 type of shootout today in D.C. Take the OVER in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #61 Toronto Maple Leafs/Ottawa Senators OVER 6 (-105) (7:05pm EST) The Toronto Maple Leafs are averaging an amazing 4.86 goals per game this season - a full goal better than the next closest team. I don't think anyone can stop them from getting scoring chances. You just have to hope you can slow down their talented forwards, and that they miss often. Ottawa has done well preventing goals this season (just 2.29 against), but I still wouldn't categorize their blue line as strong. It's a small sample size, and I think they are in the middle of the pack at season's end. The Senators, led by Eric Karlsson, are an offense-first team and they should get their share against a shaky Toronto defense. All signs point to yet another OVER here.

5-unit Play Take #9 Minnesota Wild/Winnipeg Jets OVER 5.5 (-125) (8:05pm EST) The Winnipeg Jets' had major defensive issues last season and it has somehow gotten even worse this time around. The Jets are allowing 3.83 goals per game and opponents are getting 35.8 shots on goal against them. Things aren't much better defensively for Minnesota. The Wild are allowing 3.75 goals per contest on 36.6 shots on goal. Luckily both of these teams have above average offenses that have kept them in most games. But needless to say, we're going to see plenty of shots on goal today and that should lead to plenty of goals with two inferior goalies in net. Take the OVER in our NHL Game of the Week.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #55 New York Islanders/New York Rangers OVER (7:05pm EST) The Islanders and Rangers have played some crazy games in recent years. We've seen a lot of high-scoring affairs and there's no reason to expect anything less in today's matchup. In the last six meetings between these two, the OVER is 4-1-1. Both teams have plenty of offensive weapons, with questions on defense. The Isles just don't have a shutdown defensive pairing, and the Rangers can't claim that they do either. Henrik Lundqvist is no longer an elite goaltender in my eyes and the Islanders don't have a dominant goalie either. We should see plenty of good scoring chances tonight and that should put us OVER the total.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #27 New York Islanders/San Jose Sharks OVER (7:05pm EST) These two teams don't see each other often, and that generally bodes better for the offenses than it does the defenses. The Islanders and Sharks don't have strong defensive pairings, and age may start to become a factor for San Jose. Neither goaltender for these teams is a standout either. With the OVERS producing early on in the season, I think this one falls into that category as well.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #5 Washington Capitals/Philadelphia Flyers OVER (7:05pm EST) The Washington Capitals have one of the most dangerous power play units in the league. Alex Ovechkin in the reason why. Penalties have seen an uptick early on in the season, and that's benefitted the Caps tremendously. Ovechkin has already scored eight goals in the first four games of the season - one of the best stretches of his entire career. The Flyers have had four road games to the start the season, and now return to Philly for their home opener. Last time out the Flyers lost 6-5 to the Predators. Each of their first four contests have featured at least 60 shots on goal, so I think we'll see plenty of scoring chances for each side tonight. And with Ovechkin and the Caps offense rolling, we should be able to get OVER the total.

4-unit Play Take #9 Toronto Maple Leafs/Montreal Canadiens OVER (7:05pm EST) The Toronto Maple Leafs have been blessed with forwards. Nobody can match their weapons and depth up front, and so far the Leafs are averaging 5.5 goals per game. That will obviously come down at some point, but right now they are clearly locked in. The Canadiens will try to slow down the Leafs tonight, but goaltender Carey Price hasn't been sharp in the early going (and we might see the backup in this one). This total should be juiced at least 15-20 cents higher, so we're on the OVER in this matchup.

4-unit Play Take #51 New York Rangers/Columbus Blue Jackets OVER (7:05pm EST) The New York Rangers have some big issues defensively. They lack that defensive stopper and adding Kevin Shattenkirk to the D-line was just as much about offense as it was about defense. He knows how to move the puck and is a weapon on the power play. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is no longer in the elite category at age 35. He had a mediocre campaign last year and I don't expect much improvement this season. The Rangers offense was adept at creating high danger scoring chances last season, and there's no reason to believe that won't be the case again. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets have some great offensive weapons of their own. They're more balanced than the Rangers, but they tend to adapt to the style of the team they are playing. In the last six meetings between these two clubs, the OVER has hit five times. That's the direction we are looking tonight, so play the OVER.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #7 Minnesota Wild/Chicago Blackhawks OVER (8:35pm EST) The Chicago Blackhawks aren't as formidable as they were in their championship runs, but this team still has plenty of offensive firepower. Brandon Saad has been a scoring machine since returning to the Hawks, and we know that Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane can score the puck. The deficiencies on this team are on the defensive end. Defenseman Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are past their primes and the team took a big hit when defensive stopper Niklas Hjalmarsson moved on to the Coyotes. Chicago is going to be involved in a lot of high scoring battles this season, and the Minnesota Wild don't mind playing that type of game. Three of the first four games for the Blackhawks have went OVER the total, while both of the games for Minnesota went OVER. This has the feeling of a 4-3 type of game, which would give us an easy winner on the total.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #53 Pittsburgh Penguins/Washington Capitals OVER (7:35pm EST) The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals meet for the first time since their epic seven-game playoff series last year. This should be a great game that features two of the best offenses in the league. We've seen a lot of high scoring action early on this season, and part of that is a few rule changes and the emphasis on calling more penalties by officials. That's resulting in more power play chances and more shots on goal. With two high-powered offenses squaring off today, we should see some of those power play opportunities being converted. Take the OVER in this contest.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #1 St. Louis Blues/New York Rangers OVER (7:05pm EST) We've played the OVER in the last couple of Rangers games with success and we're going back to the well again tonight. As we discussed previously, the Rangers have some major concerns on defense and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is no longer elite at his age. Meanwhile, the offense is full of firepower and they like to move the puck. St. Louis is going with their backup goaltender Carter Hutton tonight, and that could lead to some goals. I also think the Blues offense is capable of inflicting some damage of its own. Their game yesterday against the Islanders featured a whopping 77 shots on goal and still managed to stay under the total. I don't think this contest will. Play the OVER in our NHL Game of the Month.

4-unit Play Take #61 Winnipeg Jets/Edmonton Oilers OVER (9:05pm EST) This may be the strongest OVER play on the card, as the Winnipeg Jets think that defense is optional and the Edmonton Oilers are an offense-first type of team. The Jets have surrendered a total of 13 goals in their first two games of the season. It wasn't pretty. The Oilers have only scored a total of five goals in their first two games, but that was on 81 shots on goal. They clearly deserved a better fate. I think we'll see goals early and often in this one and I'm projecting close to double-digits when it's all said and done. Play the OVER in this matchup.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #59 Washington Capitals/Tampa Bay Lightning OVER (7:35pm EST) You may start to be noticing a theme here with the OVERS. Scoring is up significantly as the referees are calling more penalties and teams are making a conscious effort to aggressively get more and more shots on net. The Capitals' Alex Ovechkin has earned a hat trick in each of his first two games of the season as the Caps scored 11 goals over their first two games. The Lightning have a ton of offensive firepower and they notched nine goals in their first two contests of the season. We'll keep this one simple as well. OVER is the only way to go.

4-unit Play Take #57 Chicago Blackhawks/Toronto Maple Leafs OVER (7:05pm EST) The Chicago Blackhawks scored a whopping 10 goals in their season opener against the defending champion Penguins. They followed that up with five goals against a very good Columbus team. The Leafs were equally as proficient on offense. They scored a total of 15 goals in their first two contests as well. These two teams love to play offense and I don't think the lines makers can make the total high enough. We'll play the OVER and could get there by the second period tonight.

3-unit Play Take #55 New Jersey Devils/Buffalo Sabres OVER (3:05pm EST) The New Jersey Devils have been known as a defensive team for years. That's not going to drastically change all of sudden. However, there are signs of more of a focus on offense this season after bringing up the rear in many offensive categories for the last few years. The Devils brought in top six winger Marcus Johansson from the Capitals in the off-season and selected flashy centerman Nico Hischier as the #1 overall pick in the NHL Draft. Those moves should ignite more offense and hopefully take some pressure off of goaltender Corey Schneider. In New Jersey's first game of the season against the Avalanche, the Devils had a whopping 39 shots on goal. The Avs topped that with 41 shots on goal. That's about a 60% increase over the shots numbers featured in Devils' games last season. The Buffalo Sabres still have some massive holes defensively and they'd rather let their offense win games for them at this point. Jake Eichel is a budding superstar and has given the Buffalo franchise a huge lift that should take another step forward this season. I expect plenty of action in this matchup, so play the OVER.

4-unit Play Take #59 New York Rangers/Toronto Maple Leafs OVER (7:05pm EST) The Toronto Maple Leafs are loaded with talented forwards. It's an embarrassment of riches and I'll be surprised if the Leafs don't lead the league in goals scored this season. What's not clear is how improved their defense is. They had some huge holes in their own zone last season and I'm not convinced that they have addressed them for this season. As a result, we're going to see a lot of high scoring affairs involving Toronto once again. The same can be said of the Rangers, who have defensive issues of their own. They're missing a big shut down defender and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is coming off of a mediocre season. At age 35, Lundqvist may be merely a league-average goalie at this point in his career. New York has plenty of weapons on offense and that's what will make this team go in 2017-18. This game could see a flurry of goals and I wouldn't be surprised if it approaches double digits. Take the OVER today.

4-unit Play Take #1 Toronto Maple Leafs/Winnipeg Jets OVER (7:05pm EST) The puck drops on the 2017-18 NHL season tonight in Winnipeg where the Jets host the Maple Leafs. Toronto is coming off an unbelievable season in which many of their young players broke out earlier than expected. Head coach Mike Babcock has the team focused on doing the little things to win hockey games, and I think they'll take another step forward this season. They have unbelievable offensive firepower - maybe more so than any other team in the NHL (including the Penguins). The defense still has some major question marks, and so do tonight's opponent the Jets. Winnipeg showed that they could score the puck as they ranked 2nd in the Western Conference in goals. They were also the 4th worst team in allowing goals. Both teams have virtually the same roster for this season, so I expect this to be a high scoring affair. Take the OVER in today's matchup.

4-Unit Play. Take 'Over' Nashville at Pittsburgh (Monday, May 29th at 8:00 p.m.)

I like the Over in game 1 of this series due in large part to the layoff and freshness of both teams. Both offenses are very capable of scoring goals in bunches and both defenses have been vulnerable at times in this postseason. Having said that, I look for an exciting style of hockey -- especially in game 1 with both teams having fresh legs. Here are two trends to consider:

Take Over

4-unit Play Take Ottawa Senators/Pittsburgh Penguins UNDER (3:00pm EST) The Ottawa Senators have done a really good job of slowing down a dynamic Pittsburgh offense in this series. There have been a total of just 15 goals over the first four games, and the Pens have only six of those. Ottawa knows they'll have a tough time playing Pittsburgh's up tempo style, so they're just going to bang and try to grind out another win. I'm not sure they'll be successful, but this feels like it's going to be another 2-1 or 3-1 type of game. I like the fact that Matt Murray is back in the goal for Pittsburgh (he's the better of their duo), and Craig Anderson has been amazing in this series. Expect the goalies to play a huge part in keeping this game UNDER the total.

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4-unit Play Take Pittsburgh Penguins/Columbus Blue Jackets OVER (7:35pm EST) The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking for a four-game sweep tonight in Columbus. Game 3 went to overtime where the Pens won 5-4 and I think we'll see a similar type game tonight. There are a total of 84 shots on goal in the last contest and the Jackets were clearly looking to get the offense going last time out after scoring just two goals in two games back in Pittsburgh. One other factor to consider is that the Blue Jackets may get desperate if they're behind late in the third period and pull the goalie with several minutes remaining. That tends to happen in elimination games so expect it tonight if the score dictates it. Take the OVER in this one.

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10-unit Play Take Pittsburgh Penguins/San Jose Sharks UNDER (8:05pm EST) It's clear that the San Jose Sharks weren't quite ready for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first two games of this series. Pittsburgh dominated the action for the better part of both games and came out victorious in each. However, the Sharks definitely came away with some lessons and I expect a slightly different gameplan back in San Jose. There's no way San Jose can keep up with Pittsburgh's speed and aggressiveness offensively. They are going to need to play a physical, grind-it-out type of style that slows the game down overall. You saw them do it a little bit in Game 2, as they realized the Pens are on another level with the puck. Pittsburgh's shots on goal were cut down from 41 in the first game to just 30 in the second game which included overtime. The Sharks have to continue to limit the quality chances the Penguins got in Pittsburgh, and I'm confident they'll do a better job of that at home in Game 3. The referees may let a few more calls go on the Sharks at home, allowing them to play a rougher style that puts Pittsburgh in a vulnerable spot. As a result, I think this game has a great chance of staying UNDER the total. Take UNDER 5.5 as our Playoff Total of the Year.

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4-unit Play Take Tampa Bay Lightning/Pittsburgh Penguins OVER (8:05pm EST) Three of the first four games went OVER the total in this series, and there's no reason to believe that Game 5 will be any different. The Lightning and Penguins both like playing at a fast pace and are aggressive on offense. We've seen a ton of premium scoring chances in the first four games. I don't have much confidence in either of the goaltenders right now. Pittsburgh has been working with backup goaltender Matt Murray for the entire playoffs. He's been really good at times, but he's also shown why he's a backup at times. Tampa looks like they'll be without starting netminder Ben Bishop once again. That means Andrei Vasilevskiy will be tending the goal and that's a definite downgrade. The offenses should feast again, so we're taking the OVER in Game 5.

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3-unit Play Take San Jose Sharks/St. Louis Blues OVER (7:15pm EST) The St. Louis Blues haven't scored a goal in the last two games in the Western Conference Finals. They looked absolutely terrible in both contests and I think we'll see some changes going into Game 4. The Blues will be more aggressive and take more chances to generate offense. I think we'll see the defensemen getting more involved in attacking and that could lead to some odd man rushes the other way. Either way, the Blues know they need to get better shots even if they have to sacrifice a bit on defense. Martin Jones has looked good so far in this series, but we know that he's no world class goaltender. The San Jose offense has been firing on all cylinders the entire playoffs and they should get plenty of good chances themselves. Jake Allen will be taking over in the St. Louis goal and he hasn't played the entire postseason. I expect to see some rust, especially early on. Take OVER 5 in today's game at a nice plus price.

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10-unit Play Take Pittsburgh Penguins/Tampa Bay Lightning OVER 5 (8:05pm EST) We played the OVER 5 in Game 2 of this series and were off to a great start with four goals in the first period. Unfortunately, nobody could score in the next two periods and we had to settle for a push in overtime. That game featured 62 shots and many of the premium variety. That shouldn't change much in Game 3 and I suspect more than five will get past the goaltenders this time around. Tampa Bay may still be working with their backup goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy in this one. Pittsburgh, of course, has been using backup Matt Murray for the entire playoffs. Both teams have no problems getting up and down the ice and I think we see Game 3 easily get OVER the total.

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3-unit Play Take Tampa Bay Lightning/Pittsburgh Penguins OVER (8:05pm EST) Game 1 in this series went to the Tampa Bay Lightning by a final score of 3-1. The Lightning played a great game despite a long layoff, but the series is only going to get tougher for them as it goes on. The Penguins don't get held to just one goal very often. In fact, it's happened only one other time in the entire postseason. The Pens did manage to get off 35 shots on goal in Game 1, so they certainly had the chances. The pressure is going to be on for backup goaltender Andrew Vasilevskiy of the Lightning. He came in relief for an injured Ben Bishop last game. But now the expectations are going to be higher, and I think we see why he's a backup today. These teams were up and down the ice at a nice pace in Game 1, and I don't think anything changes today. Take the OVER in this one.

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2-unit Play Take Washington Capitals/Anaheim Ducks UNDER (+115) (10:05pm EST) Another huge game for the Anaheim Ducks tonight as they host the best team in the NHL - the Washington Capitals. Anaheim is on quite a roll, putting together 11 straight victories heading into tonight's game. Their defense has been very impressive during the run, as they've only allowed 1.91 goals per game. They'll be tested against the Caps, who are the highest scoring team in the NHL this season at 3.22 goals per contest. But Washington hasn't been as crisp offensively of late. They've haven't scored four goals in any of their last six contests, and they haven't touched five goals in a game since February 9th. Their defense has been getting the job done, however, so Washington has continued its winning ways. This game features two of the best in the NHL, and I think we'll see another playoff-type atmosphere. That is a good reason to look UNDER, and with how well these teams have played defensively of late, that's where we are going with today's selection. Take the UNDER 5 in today's Ducks-Caps game at a nice plus price.

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3-unit Play Take Anaheim Ducks/Los Angeles Kings UNDER 5 (-110) (4:05pm EST) These two just played last week in Anaheim and now they meet again with first place on the line in the Pacific Division. The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks both come in with 80 points with less than 20 games remaining in the regular season. The Ducks have won an amazing 10 straight, including a 4-2 win on Sunday night against these Kings. That game was extremely intense and there's no question that this one will be as well. It's going to have a playoff-type atmosphere, and we like to look towards the UNDER in those instances. Both squads have been playing great defensively of late, with the UNDER going 9-1-1 in the last 11 games for the Kings. When these two meet up, we've also seen quite a few games go UNDER the total. In fact, the UNDER is 12-4-2 over the last 18 meetings in Los Angeles between these clubs. It's safe to say that this is the biggest game of the season for these two, and I fully expect an all-out war on the ice. This feels like a 2-1 type of game so we're on the UNDER.

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2-unit Play Take Toronto Maple Leafs/New York Rangers  OVER 5 (-135) (7:05pm EST) The Toronto Maple Leafs aren't going to be a playoff team in 2015-16, but they're heading in the right direction under the tutelage of head coach Mike Babcock. After beginning the season 2-8-4, the Leafs have won three straight games against quality Western Conference teams. One of the reasons is they're opening up the offense and getting more shots on goal. They put 40 on the net in their win last night against the Canucks and seemed to thrive in a faster-paced style. The Rangers have won 10 of 11 and have been finding the back of the net often during their run. With both teams playing the second leg of a back-to-back, I think we'll see some lackadaisical effort on the defensive end. Take the OVER here.

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4-unit Play Take San Jose Sharks/Buffalo Sabres OVER 5 (-125) (7:05pm EST) This is a vastly different Buffalo Sabres team than the one we saw just last year. The Sabres literally tried to slow the game down to a standstill last season because they were not capable of putting the puck in the back of the net. It worked at times, as they grabbed a handful of 1-0 and 2-1 kind of victories, but it wasn't a good long-term strategy. But in the offseason, Buffalo added a ton of firepower including in the 2015 NHL draft. Now they're in the top 10 in shots on goal per game (they were dead last a season ago). The betting markets haven't adjusted for Buffalo's new style of play, as the totals on their games have been at 5 in nearly every game. Today they get the San Jose Sharks, a team that has struggled a bit offensively this season. However, Buffalo has been vulnerable defensively and they don't have anything remotely close to an elite goaltender in net. I see this as an up tempo type of game that could get over the total early on. Play the OVER in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take Chicago Blackhawks/Tampa Bay Lightning OVER (8:05pm EST) We saw a fairly slow pace in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final and I expect that to change in Game 2. The Lightning prefers to get up and down the ice with some nice pace as they were the top scoring team in the NHL this season at 3.16 goals per game. The Hawks don't mind playing that way either with plenty of talented skaters on their roster. The first game was a bit slow as these teams were just feeling things out in the first game of the Stanley Cup Final. They only see each other twice a season and there are always some extra nerves on a stage as big of this. Game 2 won't see as much as that, so we should see plenty of more scoring chances. Neither goalie has been having a superb playoff run, and both have shown some major vulnerability at times. Don't be surprised if one of these guys gives up a couple of quick goals on Saturday night. Take the OVER in this one.

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4-unit Play Take New York Rangers/Tampa Bay Lightning OVER (8:05pm EST) It's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final and the first contest that is an elimination game. The Lightning leads the series 3-2 after getting by the Rangers in the Game 5 by a 2-0 final score. While we anticipated a low-scoring affair in that one, we think tonight could see a return to the high-scoring ways from earlier this series. Games 2-4 yielded a total of 25 goals scored as both teams opened things up quite a bit. We probably won't see it quite that open again, but both of these teams are willing to take chances when they are down early. Given that this is an elimination game, we could also see a lot of action late in the third period. That would include a goalie coming out of the net with several minutes to go and an open net goal or two. Those are both big pluses for the OVER and we think the game can get over that five goal threshold.

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5-unit Play Take Tampa Bay Lightning/New York Rangers UNDER 5 (-105) (8:05pm EST) We've seen plenty of good scoring chances and lots of goals scored in this series so far. Each of the last three games has gone soaring over the total, but that should change tonight. The series has gotten more physical as it has went along and the defenses will be better prepared to game plan after witnessing some gaping holes in their own end. I don't expect to see 60+ shots like we have in each of the last three contests. This game should play out more like Game 1 where there were a total of 54 shots on goal in a 2-1 Rangers win. As a result, we'll take a shot with the UNDER here.

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4-unit Play Take New York Rangers/Tampa Bay Lightning OVER (8:05pm EST) We cashed the OVER in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final and there's no reason we shouldn't get there again on Wednesday night. Everyone knows that the Lightning like to play an up tempo style and get a lot of shots on net. They were tops in the NHL in scoring this season with 3.16 goals per game. But most people don't realize that the Rangers were right behind in third place with 3.02 goals per contest. They don't mind playing in a high-scoring affair with Tampa Bay. Game 2 was a 6-2 blowout by Tampa and the Rangers will definitely put more effort on the defensive end this time around. But they also know that they need to score more to win this series as they only have four goals in the two games. Getting plus money at a total of five definitely has some value. Play OVER the total in this one.

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4-unit Play Take Tampa Bay Lightning/New York Rangers OVER (8:05pm EST) The Tampa Bay Lightning led the NHL in goals per game this season with 3.2 per contest. The New York Rangers checked in at 3.0 goals per game - good enough for third in the entire league. So it's a big surprising to see a total of 4.5 goals posted in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final. Yes the teams played to a 2-1 final in Game 1, but the first game of a new series is usually played at a slower pace as the teams feel one another out. The Lightning know they are going to have to push the pace and get a lot more scoring chances to win a game in New York. The Rangers don't mind getting up and down the ice either. I expect Game 2 to be a much more open game and we should see a lot more premium scoring chances as a result. Let's go OVER the total in this one.

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4-unit Play Take Washington Capitals/New York Rangers UNDER (7:35pm EST) It's Game 7 at Madison Square Garden of a hard-fought series between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. Outside of an outlier in Game 6, goals have been extremely hard to come by in this series. That's because both Braden Holtby and Henrik Lundqvist have turned in extraordinary efforts throughout. We always see the defensive intensity rise in Game 7's, and there also aren't as many penalties called by officials historically. That accomplishes two things. First, it limits the amount of power plays throughout the game. Second, it lets the defenders get away with more to limit scoring chances. We've had three games end in a 2-1 final this series, and I think there's a great chance we see that kind of score again. Take the UNDER.

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4-unit Play Take New York Rangers/Washington Capitals UNDER (7:05pm EST) Both goaltenders have been on their game during the series between the Rangers and Capitals. Henrik Lundqvist has been unbelievable during the entire playoffs. In 10 games he has a 1.55 goals against average to go along with a ridiculous .942 save percentage. Braden Holtby has been equally as impressive with a 1.51 goals against average and a .951 save percentage. The scores of the first five games of the series have been 2-1, 3-2, 1-0, 2-1 and 2-1. There's no reason to expect tonight's Game 6 is going to be any different than the rest of the contests. If anything, things will tighten up even more and there will be less quality scoring chances than in previous games. That's what usually happens in a long series between teams that know each other well. The total is lower than usual, but we still like UNDER in this one.

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4-unit Play Take Montreal Canadiens/Tampa Bay Lightning UNDER (7:05pm EST) The Montreal Canadiens are in desperate need of a win after dropping the first two games of the series on their home ice. They were bombed 6-2 in Game 2 and know that they will to slow down the Tampa offense if they are going to have any chance in this series. The Lightning actually hasn't put a ton of shots on goal versus the Canadiens, but a lot of them have been quality chances. Goaltender Carey Price is one of the very best in the league and even he admits he'll need to play better for his team to have a chance. I expect Wednesday's game to be a tight, low scoring affair. It's the only way the Canadiens have a chance. I'm not sure if Montreal can win this game, but I think it's a 2-1 type of game. Take the UNDER in this one.

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3-unit Play Take New York Rangers/Washington Capitals UNDER (7:35pm EST) Don't expect many goals in Game 3 tonight between the Rangers and Capitals. These teams battled to a 2-1 decision in Game 1 after the Caps scored with one second remaining on the clock. In Game 2, the Rangers got two early goals and were able to hold on 3-2 despite a ferocious attack by Washington. This series is going to get more physical as it evolves and I think both teams are comfortable just waiting for their spots on offense. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a 1-0 or 2-1 game tonight, so we're definitely playing the UNDER here.

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4-unit Play Take Minnesota Wild/Chicago Blackhawks OVER (8:35pm EST) The Minnesota Wild prefer to play fast and the Blackhawks don't mind that kind of style. The two teams combined for 68 shots on goal in Game 1 and were able to get seven of those past the respective goaltenders. Neither goaltender is that elite category and I don't see either of them being able to shut down the fast-paced offensive attacks. The first game went OVER the total very early in the second period and I wouldn't be surprised if this one cashes early on as well. The betting markets haven't made much of an adjustment, so we're on the OVER once again.

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5-unit Play Take Tampa Bay Lightning/Detroit Red Wings UNDER 5 (+110) (7:05pm EST) There's only one way to play Game 7 of the Lightning and Red Wings tonight, and that's to go UNDER the total. Over the last five postseasons, there have been 24 series that went to a Game 7. In only seven of those 24 did the game go over the total. Nobody wants to make a big mistake and give up an easy goal in such an important game, so both teams generally slow it down and play conservatively. Most of the intensity on the ice is also directed towards the defensive end. This series has seen just two of the first six games go over the total. Game 6 was a 5-2 Lightning win, but the teams combined for just 51 shots on goal for the game. If we see a similar effort tonight, I expect the goalies to perform better. This one feels like a 3-1 final, so we're going with the UNDER at a plus price.

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4-unit Play Take Pittsburgh Penguins/New York Rangers UNDER 5 (-125) (7:05pm EST) It's Game 5 of the series and three of the first four games have ended in a 2-1 score. The Rangers have been great at slowing down a potent Pittsburgh offense and keeping the shots to a minimum. In fact, the Pens haven't exceeded 25 shots on goal in any of the first four contests. With the goalies playing well on both sides, this one is destined for another 2-1 type of final. Play the under with confidence.

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3-unit Play Take Toronto Maple Leafs/Buffalo Sabres OVER 5.5 (+110) (7:35pm EST) Two of the worst clubs in the NHL go at it tonight in Buffalo as the Sabres host the Maple Leafs. Teams out of playoff contention generally don't have the same intensity on defense, and neither one of these teams has a good defense to begin with. The Sabres have been really aggressive on offense lately as they've scored at least three goals in four straight contests. Toronto's defense has been especially poor over the last few weeks, so I expect a lot of chances on that end. These teams have went Over in four of their last five meetings, so this game should be no different. Take the Over 5.5 in this one.

3-unit Play Take New Jersey Devils/Buffalo Sabres UNDER 5 (-120) (7:05pm EST) This isn't a game that's going to be pretty to watch, but the Devils and Sabres present a pretty good betting opportunity tonight. Neither one of these teams has been able to muster much offense this season, and it's only gotten worse as the season has worn on. New Jersey is 28th in the NHL at just 2.23 goals per game, while Buffalo is dead last at 1.80 per contest. With two teams out of contention, I'd usually look towards and Over. But with these two squads, I don't think they have enough firepower to take advantage of defenses that might not be giving a full effort. The time these two met, the Devils won 2-1 in a shootout. And in the last 54 meetings between these clubs, the Under is 31-14-9. Expect more of the same tonight. Play Under the total.

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4-unit Play Take Vancouver Canucks/New York Islanders OVER 5.5 (-105) (6:05pm EST) Two tired teams go at it on Sunday evening as the New York Islanders host the Vancouver Canucks. The Islanders will be playing a rare fifth game in seven nights on the ice tonight. Most teams will only endure a stretch like that once in season because it's so grueling. To make matters worse, they played and overtime and shootout round in their last game at Washington - a 3-2 loss. The Canucks will be playing their third game in four nights - all on the road. So why do we point out the fact that these teams will be a bit tired for this one? Its' because tired teams tend to relax a bit on the defensive end. That leads to premium scoring chances for opponents and makes for a high-scoring game quite often. In addition, the Canucks haven't seen a game go under the total in their last 12 contests. All 12 have either gone over or been a push. That trend should continue tonight in a game that has 4-3 written all over it.

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3-unit Play Take Winnipeg Jets/Detroit Red Wings OVER 5.5 (+120) (7:05pm EST) We'll go to the well with another Winnipeg Over tonight versus the Red Wings.

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4-unit Play Take Chicago Blackhawks/Winnipeg Jets OVER 5.5 (+100) (8:05pm EST) Once again we go to the well and play an Over in a Winnipeg Jets game. That trend is now 19-5-3 over the Jets' last 27 games. Tonight they are home against the Chicago Blackhawks. These teams hooked up about three weeks ago and the Jets won it 4-2 in Chicago. Before that they met in December and the Jets came away victorious once again 5-1. I have a feeling the Hawks will come a little more prepared for this contest, but we shouldn't have a problem getting to six goals or more. The Over has hit in four of the last five games for Chicago. In games against Western Conference foes, the Over is 11-5 in the Hawks last 16 games. No reason to back down from these strong trends. Take the Over here again.

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4-unit Play Take Winnipeg Jets/Vancouver Canucks OVER 5 -130 (10:05pm EST) We sound like a broken record, but once again we'll go with the Over in a Winnipeg Jets game since it's been so good to us over the last six weeks or so. Jets' games are now an unbelievable 19-5-2 to the Over in their last 26 games. And the best news of it all is that the betting markets haven't adjusted for it yet. Winnipeg has been forced to play a new style with multiple injuries to their defense, and it requires them to play more aggressively on offense. Now they're healthy, but I think the team prefers this new brand of hockey and the results are certainly confirming it. They'll play Vancouver on the road tonight, which is the second leg of a back-to-back for them. They might not have their legs in this one, which usually means more mistakes on defense and some premium scoring chances for the Canucks. Go with the over once again.

4-unit Play Take Winnipeg Jets/Calgary Flames OVER 5 -135 (9:05pm EST) Once again we'll back the strongest trend going in the NHL right now - Overs in Winnipeg Jets' games. The Over is now 18-6-2 in the last 26 Jets' games, and we've been on plenty of them. Winnipeg has been banged for quite some time with multiple defensemen out of action. They're starting to get healthier, but I think this team has really liked playing the up-and-down high scoring style for the last couple of months. Calgary doesn't mind playing this style either, so I expect to get another total over tonight.

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10-unit Play Take Nashville Predators/Montreal Canadiens OVER (7:35pm EST) The Nashville Predators aren't the same team without their stud goaltender Pekka Rinne. He went on the injured list a few days ago and has been sorely missed by the Preds in their first two games without him. They allowed a total of eight goals against the Capitals and Red Wings. Rinne is one of the best goalies in the game and is allowing just 1.96 goals against this season. His back up, Carter Hutton, is one of the worst in the game with a 3.04 goals against average this season. So the gameplan has changed for Nashville now. Instead of relying heavily on their goaltender to win them games, they are looking to outscore their opponents. Their last two games went soaring over the total, and we see tonight's game going the same way. They get the Montreal Canadiens in this one - a team they aren't very familiar with playing in separate conferences. That usually leads to more scoring chances as the teams aren't as adept at taking away the strengths of their opponents. Montreal is also coming off a 6-4 win against the Islanders, so their offense has to be feeling pretty good. If they get some good looks tonight, there's a good chance they can get a few past Hutton. This game could go over early on, so that's where we'll look.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes OVER 5 (9:05pm EST) Playing the over in Winnipeg games has been a huge moneymaker of late, and there's absolutely no reason to lay off now. The Jets are still missing four of their top defenseman and they've been trying to hold things together in their own zone. Their offense has helped pick up the slack and that's helped the over go 5-0-2 in the Jets' last seven contests. The Coyotes haven't had trouble going over the total lately either, as four straight have went that way for them and seven of the last eight. It's also going to help that Ondrej Pavelec is in the net for Winnipeg tonight. He's the weaker of the Jets' two goaltenders. The total is set low at just 5 for this one, so we'll play the over once again. The trends should continue so we can cash another ticket.

4-unit Play Take San Jose Sharks/Winnipeg Jets OVER 5 (8:05pm EST) We picked up on a nice trend a couple of weeks back and it has paid big dividends for us. The Winnipeg Jets have been playing some high scoring games since four of their top defensemen went down with injuries. In fact, in their last six games the over is 5-0-1. All four are still on the injured list, so we'll look to cash in once again tonight as they take on the Sharks. San Jose has enough firepower to take advantage of the Jets' injuries and the Jets have actually been able to pick up the scoring pace of late to keep them in games. Not much else to this handicap, just simply following a trend that has been a gold mine lately and hasn't let us down yet. It also doesn't appear as if the betting markets have been adjusting for the injuries, so we still have good value. Take the Over in this one.

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4-unit Play Take Chicago Blackhawks/Washington Capitals UNDER 5.5 (1:05pm EST) The annual Winter Classic is in Washington D.C. this season as the Washington Capitals face the Chicago Blackhawks. This is the seventh edition of the Winter Classic and we've seen five of the first six with five goals or less. One of the reasons is obviously the weather conditions outside, which can make it tough for players to pick up the puck. There are some concerns about a possible sun glare on the ice for this one, and that could really slow down the action all around. It will also make it tougher on the goalies, but I just don't think we'll see as many shots in this game. With history on our side, we'll play this one to the under.

3-unit Play Take Minnesota Wild/Winnipeg Jets OVER 5 (8:05pm EST) We will continue to ride the over streak in Winnipeg Jets games as it continues to cash tickets for us. The Jets are without four key defensemen and they've been giving up lots of premium scoring chances as a result. But it's actually their offense that has more than picked up the slack of late. They've scored 19 goals in their last five games and saw four of those games get over the total. But as much as we've seen the overs connect with the Jets recently, Minnesota has an even longer streak. The over is 5-0-1 in the last six Wild games, including a 4-3 game between these same two teams last time out. No reason to believe anything is going to change here tonight, so we'll play the over once again.

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4-unit Play Take Winnipeg Jets/Minnesota Wild OVER 5 (7:05pm EST) The Winnipeg Jets are short-handed once again tonight with four key defensemen on the injured list. Most teams find it tough to cover their own end when they're down a man or two on defense. With four out, you really have are leaning on some guys you'd rather not have on the ice. Somehow the Jets have managed to keep their opponents at bay over the last week or so while they wait for their guys to get healthy. But sooner or later someone is going to explode against them. The Minnesota Wild certainly has the firepower to do just that, and they've been involved in some shootouts lately. The over is 4-0-1 in their last five games overall and their games have averaged 7.6 goals during that span. Winnipeg games have gone over the total in seven of nine overall. This one should see a nice pace throughout and plenty of good scoring chances. Neither goalie is anything special either, so I fully expect plenty of goals to make their way to the back of the net. Take the over.

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7-unit Play Take Winnipeg Jets/Chicago Blackhawks OVER 5 (7:05pm EST) The Winnipeg Jets head into Chicago to take on the Blackhawks in a game that has plenty of goals written all over it. The Jets are wounded warriors with four of their top defensemen out of the lineup for today's contest. With all of the firepower that the Hawks bring to the table, the Jets are going to have a very difficult time shutting them down with second and third tier defensemen. Winnipeg allowed four goals to the Flyers last time out and five against the Sabres in a game last week. Chicago should have no problem exploiting this situation, and the Jets' offense is capable of keeping them in the game as well. We only need five goals just to get us to a push today, and I think we see that number early on. Play the over as our 7-unit Total.

3-unit Play Take Philadelphia Flyers/Winnipeg Jets OVER 5 (9:05pm EST) We don't focus too much on totals, but tonight's game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Winnipeg Jets is a great situation to look at the over. Philadelphia is coming off of a game last night where they won 7-4 and the game went over in the first period against the Maple Leafs. Tonight they get the Jets, who are missing five defensemen including both of their starting pairs. This one could be broke open early, and the Jets can play a faster style if they need to. The Flyers definitely don't mind, and actually prefer it. There will be lots of premium scoring chances here today, so we're on the over.

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3-unit Play Take Ottawa Senators/Nashville Predators OVER (8:05pm EST) Look for a brand new style of hockey in Nashville as head coach Barry Trotz was pushed out and in comes the recycled Peter Laviolette. Trotz was a true grinder that stressed defense and played it conservatively on offense. That style was successful and Trotz enjoyed a long run with Nashville because of it. Laviolette is the exact opposite as he wants to play at a faster pace to try and create some additional scoring chances. He's not afraid to take a chance and leave his defense exposed, so the Predators go from one extreme to the other this season. It's not easy to shift gears this quickly and I have little doubt that the Preds will struggle a little bit early on until they learn the system. But one thing that appears certain is that Nashville games will feature more shots and more goals. The Senators don't mind playing an up and down pace either, as they have the personnel to keep up. Against the Western Conference, Ottawa games have gone over the total 15 of the last 22 contests. We'll look that way again with the over today.

3-unit Play Take Montreal Canadiens/Toronto Maple Leafs OVER (7:05pm EST) The 2014-15 NHL season gets underway with a fantastic rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. These teams have had some great battles over the last few seasons and they've usually included quite a few goals. Eight of the last nine meetings have gone over the total, including each of the last five. Both teams experienced quite a bit of turnover in the offseason, so it stands to reason that we'll see some sloppy play from both squads for the first couple of weeks. That generally leads to more defensive gaffes and more scoring chances, so I expect both goalies to get plenty of work. Goaltenders usually aren't as sharp early on, so I think this game has an excellent shot at going over the posted total.

10-unit Play Take Los Angeles Kings /New York Rangers OVER (8:05pm EST) If we've learned one thing from these Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2014, it's been to look towards betting the Over. We've seen an unusually high number of goals scored this postseason and the Los Angeles Kings have been partially responsible. Games involving Los Angeles have gone over to the tune of 14-5-4 during their 23 games in the playoffs. The New York Rangers are dead even on their over/unders, but they're going to have to play fast to take advantage of their speed in this series. As a result, we should see plenty of shots on goal from both teams, which will put extra stress on the goaltenders. Neither Jonathan Quick nor Henrik Lundqvist has been very sharp lately, so they're going to let up some goals. The total is set at five once again and that allows us to easily pull the trigger on Over here.

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2-unit Play Take Montreal Canadiens/New York Rangers UNDER (8:05pm EST) It's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final after a sloppy 7-4 win by Montreal in Game 5. That was one of the uglier games of the entire playoffs as both teams played poor defense and the goalies gave up some rather poor goals. Both teams will undoubtedly tighten things up for this game and I can't see Henrik Lundqvist getting pulled again. It was one of the most embarrassing efforts of his entire career, and he's one of the best in the world. Game 5 was only the second game to go over the total in this series, so staying under tonight isn't a stretch. There actually haven't been very many shots on goal in this series either. Only two games have seen more than 57 shots on goal and two of those went to overtime. I expect a defensive battle and a 2-1 or 3-1 type of final. Play the under tonight.

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2-unit Play Take Montreal Canadiens/New York Rangers UNDER 5 (8:05pm EST) We have a series again the Eastern Conference Final. The Montreal Canadiens were left for dead down 2-0 in the series and losing goaltender Carey Price to injury. But they battled the Rangers in Game 3 in New York and emerged victorious in overtime. When the momentum in a series shifts like that, the intensity increases and both teams generally get a little more physical on both ends. That generally leads to better defense and less scoring chances, so I don't expect to see many goals. The Rangers are also missing two key forwards today in Daniel Carcillo and Derek Stepan. Losing a couple of playmakers this time of year is huge and will impact their offensive production. I expect both defenses to play great and keep this one under the posted total.

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4-unit Play Take Los Angeles Kings/Anaheim Ducks UNDER (9:05pm EST) We'll stick with the theme of Game 7 unders as they have been good to us this week. Betting under in these do or die situations has been a pathway to profits for years in the playoffs. Referees swallow their whistles and the defenses are able to get away with just about anything. Teams also don't take as many chances and we don't see the same quantity of scoring chances as usual. The Kings and the Ducks both have capable defenses and both goalies have been on top of their game. Only one game has gone over the total in this series so far and we don't see Game 7 bucking the trend. Take the Under 5 here tonight.

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4-unit Play Take Montreal Canadiens/Boston Bruins UNDER (7:05pm EST) It's another Game 7 and another great opportunity to take a hard look at the Under. There are several reasons that Game 7's are historically good for Under bettors, and one of them is the fact that referees have historically swallowed their whistles in Game 7 situations. Refs don't want to be the ones deciding the game, so they let the defenses get away with more and we generally see fewer power play opportunities as a result. That will result in less scoring chances in a series where the defenses have put the clamps on more and more as it has went on. The first three games of the series went over the total, but the next three games saw a total of only 11 goals. We have two of the top goaltenders in the world on the ice for this one, and I expect both to be on top of their games for the deciding game here. We'll play the Under.

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5-unit Play Take New York Rangers/Pittsburgh Penguins UNDER 5 (7:05pm EST) It's Game 7 tonight in Consol Energy Center as the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Rangers. This has been a great back-and-forth series in which the defenses have really dominated play overall. Only two of the six games have gone over the total those were both by just one goal. I like the way both goalies have looked in the net, particularly Marc-Andre Fleury who has a reputation for getting small in big spots. The Pittsburgh defense has also played much better than they have in recent years in the playoffs, so no reason to expect any different tonight. Game 7 unders have historically been good bets if the series has played under and we have that situation here. We'll stick with the trend and go under as our 5-unit Game.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports