Sports Picks & Predictions

Just have to roll with the Canucks freight train right now as this team looks like a real championship contender so far. They are playing complete team hockey en route to a 10-2-1 record. No doubt they will be hyped for this matchup at Toronto. Vancouver has won three of the last four meetings. Toronto is just not in top form right now and they are a mediocre 4-4 at home. They have dropped five of seven, and we see a tough night for them again tonight.

We usually look at the underdog when two Canadian teams play, especially when that underdog is at home. Just can’t get in front of the Canucks freight train, however, as they are starting off the season playing championship-caliber hockey and that have also won two straight in this series and three of four.

We expect a competitive game here and think the Capitals have a chance to win. We think both teams will get their goals tonight. Four of the last five meetings have gone over the posted number, and seven of nine meetings in Washington.

Five of the last seven meetings have been one-goal games. We think the Pens are overrated on this line tonight and this should be a close game and the Ducks have every chance for the outright win. Anaheim has been good on home ice, and the Penguins have looked like a very average team on the road this season (the game at San Jose doesn’t count).

Edmonton continues to get too much respect from the oddsmakers and that is evident with this line. The Canucks have won three straight and six of seven. They are coming off an impressive win over Dallas and handed the Sharks their worst home loss in history. They have also won two straight in this series and three of the last four. We think the Oilers will straighten their issues out eventually. But right now they are a clear fade.

New Jersey is the better team, no doubt. But we have many reasons to believe the Blues are a great value play tonight. First, the Devils are on a back-to-back in consecutive road games after a hard-fought win over the Wild in Minnesota last night. This will be their third back-to-back of the season. In their first, they lost in Arizona, and in their second, they lost vs Washington. They had a more favorable situation (at least one home game) in both of those situations, and both of those teams are mediocre like the Blues. St. Louis has played a road heavy schedule, so we don’t know how good this team can be yet at home. This is their first home game in almost two weeks, so we think they will bring their A Game. They have one of the best defenses in the league and should be effective in that area against a tired Devils squad that was probably more focused on their game last night against a better opponent. The Blues won both meetings last season at an underdog price. In fact, it has been total domination by the Blues when these teams meet, as St. Louis has won 17 of the last 21 meetings. New Jersey has won only a single match in their last 10 visits to St. Louis. The Devils will also have their backup goalie in Net tonight.

Just think this is a decent spot for the home dog. Tampa Bay seems to be getting worse every year since their championship seasons. They have had a decent start, but they haven’t been good on the road. The Jackets have lost four straight after a two-game winning streak. They will want to get back on the winning track, and Tampa might not take this game as seriously as they would other matchups.

Philly started off the season hot but has lost four of their last five. That includes a 7-4 beatdown here at home two games ago. Buffalo got off to a slow start but has been playing much better and has won two of three. They have found their offense and have scored at least four goals in their last three matchups. The Sabres have won six of the last eight meetings.

We see a very competitive game here and we were tempted to go with the Kings at a nice price, but we think the total is the best way to attack this matchup. These teams are playing well to start the season and they are both Top 10 offensively. Actually, the Kings are No. 1 at 4.4 goals per contest. The over is 7-1 for Los Angeles to start the season and we see both teams getting their share of the total tonight.

These teams are going in opposite directions as the Islanders have won two straight, while the Red Wings have dropped three straight. This price is more than fair for the home team tonight, and we think their defense will step up again. Detroit hasn’t won here in the last four visits, and the under is 4-1 in the last five meetings regardless of venue. We think these trends hold to form tonight.

Detroit has had some success against the Bruins, and they have won two of the last four meetings outright. One of the losses was by a single goal. Both teams have gotten off to a hot start. Boston lost their first game last time out to the Ducks. We were on the Ducks puckline in that one. We said in that writeup that we don’t think the Bruins are anywhere as good as they were last year. And with the hot start there is value going against then. They are going to get their opponent’s best shot on a nightly basis. Pretty sure teams will get up more for playing the Bruins than the defending champs. We expect a close game here and think Detroit has a great chance for the outright win.

Going to jump on board the freight train that is the Avs as they have looked like the clear best team in the NHL with a 6-0 start to the season. They have won by multiple goals in all but one game. They face a tough task in Pittsburgh, but we have to go with the hot team. The Pens have lost three straight entering this game, so they aren’t in the best form. If the Avs win a couple more, these odds are going to skyrocket.

The Devils are a perfect 5-0 to the over this season and we think they will continue that trend tonight. Their offense is one of the best in the league, and their defense gives the opposition just enough to cover their share of the total, which these teams have done in four of the last six meetings. Both played last night, so defensive legs should be tired on a back-to-back.

The Coyotes certainly look improved this season and they stand at 3-2 entering this matchup. This is a regional rivalry, so Arizona will probably bring their A Game. The Kings haven’t had a home ice advantage as they have lost all three at home this season so far. What stands out here, however, is that the Coyotes are 4-1 on the puckline. They failed to cover last time out in a 2-1 win over Anaheim, but they have been incredibly competitive against low expectations, and they enter this one with a third-ranked defense that is allowing less than two goals per game. The last two meetings have both been decided by shootout, and that result would be great for us again tonight. Five of the last eight matchups have been decided by one goal. We think this is very nice value for the puckline with the way the Coyotes have been playing defense.

Buffalo had one of the best offenses in the NHL last season, but they have been a little slow to start off this season, as they rank No. 25 for goals scored. We don’t see them languishing in the bottom half of the league for long. They have scored three each in their last two games, and they seem to be getting better on offense. The last game was pretty impressive since they went against the Islanders, one of the best defensive teams in the league. Tonight they face a team that is not on that level. The Canadiens allow 3.5 goals per game and stand as No. 22 defensively. We think Buffalo can have their break out game offensively here and put up a real big number. They have scored 10 goals in the last two meetings.

We have been high on Buffalo to start the season but they have had a slow start. But this looks like a great spot for them to get a win in front of the home fans. This is a quick revenge spot as these teams played a week ago in New York, a 3-2 Islanders win. New York got an early goal, but Buffalo played well most of the game. Well enough to win, but it didn’t work out. Now they are at home for the rematch, off a day of rest while NY had a more important game vs. NJ Devils on Friday, and they should be primed for a strong performance. Buffalo has won six of the last nine meetings and four straight at home.

The Devils have gone over for all three games to start the season, while the Islanders have gone under in both of their two games. Something has got to give tonight. But we expect a competitive game here and think both teams will get their goals. New York has a great defense and goalkeeping. That’s not a question. But they have also played a struggling Buffalo team to start the season then a work-in-progress Coyotes squad that was on the second night of a back to back. But the Devils are going to bring some strong offense here. They have scored at least three goals in all three games so far and have allowed at least that many through three games. They are on a 7-1 over streak stretching back to last season. We see the Islanders having their break out game offensively so far on the season – that will be a goal to get some goals here.

Boston is down this season from what we saw last year, and they are still being lined so far like last year’s team. They have looked OK in two home wins, but this will be their first road game. San Jose is one of the worst teams in the league this year. But they opened up the season with four straight at home, and they head on the road after this, so they will go all out to play their best in hopes that the season didn’t start with a goose egg in this nice season opening homestand.

Both teams come in on a two-game win streak and both have been scoring well, with Pittsburgh scoring nine in those games and Detroit 10. This should be a competitive matchup and we think both teams will contribute to the scoreboard tonight. The last meeting barely went under, but that was the first time in five meetings that this matchup was lower scoring. The over is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in Detroit.

Vancouver has been extremely impressive to open the season with a pair of wins over the Oilers, and now they take a big step down in talent with a chance to go 3-0 to start. They are the deserving favorite here on the road, and home ice is the lowest home advantage in sports. The favorite is 14-6 in the last 20 meetings.

Both of the Devils games have gone over so far and we think this will be a competitive game where both teams see the back of the net multiple times. We know Florida is down from last season, but this team is no pushover and they will be firing shots all night.

Columbus is a tad underrated and we had them as a slight favorite here. They should have lots of confidence on home ice here after beating the Rangers last time out. Detroit hasn’t played well here lately as they are 6-14 in the last 20 visits. Nice value here on this line.

Big mismatch here and we are more than happy to lay the goals with some juice. Toronto has 12 goals in regulation through two games this season and they are looking unstoppable on offense. Chicago is still working a lot out on both sides of the ice and Toronto already looks like they are in playoff form. Unless they take the night off, which is unlikely at the start of the season, this one should be a blowout.

Pittsburgh was upset in their first game as a massive favorite over Chicago. They are the much better team in this matchup and we don’t see them starting the season 0-2 against sub par competition. We expect them to do what needs to be done to get the win here.

After many matchups of dominance in this series, Buffalo won the last two meetings, one in shootout and one in OT. Even when the Rangers were winning, these games were close, with their last four wins coming by only a goal, two in OT. But Buffalo is a team we are very high on this year. We think this is a playoff team and they are going to be very hard to beat at home. They had one of the best offenses in the NHL last season and could be even better in 2023, and there’s a good chance they will improve their defense and goaltending. The Rangers have dominated this series for so long, but the tide is turning here and there is no way that Buffalo won’t bring their A Game in their home opener when the fans finally have a reason to be really excited. We had the Sabres as a slight favorite here, and we think there is great value in the moneyline tonight.

This is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports and this is always the biggest game of the season for the Canadiens when they face off with Toronto. And, despite the talent disparity, Montreal normally put up a good fight or outright won the last few years. But these teams are going in different directions, and Toronto may have one of their best squads of all time this season, while Montreal is still a long way from being competitive and should be among the worst teams in the NHL this season. And the last two meetings, both in Toronto, were very one-sided as both were blowouts and the Maple Leafs had a goal differential of +10 in those two matchups. Toronto will not only want to get the season started off on the right foot but also take their main rival down a peg in the process, and with a bitter rivalry like this, there is also an incentive for the better team to run up the score, as we witnessed in the last two meetings. We expect more domination from Toronto here and a big season-opening win

Two straight in this series have gone over the posted total as well as five of the last seven. We think these offenses will be ahead of the defenses to start the season and expect both teams to find the back of the net for multiple goals, and the Pens should put up a big number here in the home opener. Chicago always plays well enough on offense when these two meet to where we don’t have to worry about a shutout or one-goal effort.

Hate to lay this kind of juice with a top play, but we had this game handicapped well over 200, so we think there is still nice value here despite the big number. We couldn’t argue if someone wanted to take the puckline here, but we want to protect against a late power play goal or something fluky and we think laying the juice on the moneyline is the safest option here. Vegas has dominated this series. They have a +8 goal differential in the two home games. Florida is lucky to still be here as they needed a late power play goal to get even and force OT in Game 3. They had tons of momentum all through the postseason but lost it with their long layoff after the conference finals. We expect a dominating performance here in Game 5 and a deserved trophy for the Knights. 

In our mind Florida was lucky to win Game 3 as they had a late goal in a game where Vegas had the upper hand most of the game and then won quickly into OT. Vegas had lots of good opportunities and Game 3 could have easily been a Vegas blowout if not for some great goaltending and a little bit of luck from the home team. We think Vegas will be focused and ready to put the Panthers on the brink of elimination here tonight.

The Vegas offense has played well in these playoffs, and that is why six of their last nine games have gone over the posted total. They continued that trend in Game 1 with a 5-goal outburst. We see their offense having success tonight as well, but we do think this will likely be a more competitive game and that Florida will get their share of goals to eclipse this total. Remember, they led the league in shots per game this season and we think the pace here will be swift and both squads will have plenty of chances to score.

Dallas has all the momentum here. Besides one game they have been in every game in this series and they have a great chance to even the series up tonight at home. This has been one of the most profitable teams in the NHL to bet on this season, and we expect them to cash another ticket tonight. This line is more than fair, in our opinion.

This series has been close on a game-to-game basis but Vegas has clearly been the better team and we think they close things out here in Game 5. Dallas had one last gasp in Game 4, but they needed an OT win at home to extend the series. Vegas took their foot off the gas there but we expect to see a result closer to Game 3 where the Knights had their most dominant win of the series.

We just think this series has been too close for a sweep. Dallas played poorly in Game 3, but they have been right in the first two games as both were OT losses. This team has shown a lot of mettle this season and they won’t roll over tonight.

Even though the Panthers have won all three games, this series has not been one sided and the Hurricanes were in a position to win all three games. We expect another low scoring game here but the road team will do everything they can to get the win and extend their season.

Dallas has played about as well as they could to be down 2-0 and we think they are very much in this series and will get back in it in a big way tonight at home after a couple overtime losses in the desert. The home team has won five of the last seven meetings between these two, and the Knights have only one win in their last five visits to Dallas.

We just still think the hangover from Game 1 is still hanging heavy on these teams and we don’t anticipate a fast-paced game. We expect Carolina to dominate on defense here and we think they pull ahead in the third in a low scoring game.

The Stars definitely played well enough to win in Game 1 but lost pretty early in the OT period. There are no morale victories in the NHL, but Dallas has to feel confident about their chances in Game 2. Home ice hasn’t meant much in this postseason, and the underdog is 6-2 in the last eight meetings between these teams. Dallas has no reason to panic yet, and if they can notch the win here, which we think they will, they will be in control of this series.

After this brutal four-OT game in Game 1 we just don’t see any pace here in this game and we think this will be a slow-paced defensive slugfest of a game. Carolina has one of the best defenses in the league, and they will step it up tonight in a must win affair. The under is 31-15-7 in the last 53 meetings in Carolina.

As we saw on Thursday, the conference finals are a different beast. These two have a long history for the under, and that is the direction we see this one going in as well. These are two very good defensive teams and neither will want to give the other the early edge. The under is 12-3-2 in the last 17 meetings and 4-1-1 in the last six meetings in Vegas.

Two great defensive teams and an overwhelming trend for the under in meetings in Carolina (18-6-4). We think these two very solid defensive teams will take each other to the test on Thursday and we think the total juice will be adjusted for Game 2.

This series has been lower scoring than expected and three of the last four games going under, with Game 6 going over by the slimmest of margins. This is a close out game, so we expect both teams to give their all on defense here. As this series continues, these teams have become very familiar with each other and one defense has excelled in most of these games. But we see both defenses shining today, and we are getting excellent value here at plus money.  

All the pressure is on Toronto here and we think that will be their undoing. This team has failed over and over again in the postseason, and they dug themselves too big of a hole in this series. All the games have been close, and we think we are getting a great number here for a Florida team that has outplayed the Leafs for most of the series. Home ice hasn’t meant much in this postseason, so we will grab the value for the underdog.

The Devils just have no answer for the Hurricanes offense. Carolina has scored at least four goals in every game so far in this series. New Jersey was a great story this year and had an amazing series against their rival Rangers. But it seems like they left their spirit in the first round and it has been mostly all Carolina in this series and in Game 4, basically a must win, they didn’t play with any heart. We see the Hurricanes putting up another big number here.

We expect a competitive game here as Toronto has their season on the line and we think both teams will get their share of the total here. All three games in the series have gone under as Toronto has managed only two goals per contest, but the oddsmakers are heavily juicing the over here, and that tells us a lot. We think Toronto opens up the offense here in a last gasp effort, and we see the highest scoring game of the series so far tonight.

Until Game 3, Carolina had been completely dominant in this series. The Devils scored eight goals in that game after only two in the previous two games, so they took their foot off the gas a bit with a 2-0 lead. We think they will make the necessary defensive adjustments here and take back control of this series. Carolina is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings, and they match up well here.

Vegas couldn’t get anything going on offense in Game 2, but that will change here as we don’t see them having consecutive bad games. And we think it’s fair to say that the Knights can’t slow down the Oilers. But we see a more competitive game here and we think both teams will get their share of the total here.

Games 1 and 2 have gone under only because of the lackluster Toronto offense. But they are in a must win here and we see their offense playing a lot better today. We see both teams getting their share of the total but expect the Leafs to come out on top here. The road team is 5-0 in the last five meetings.

Games 1 and 2 have gone under only because of the lackluster Toronto offense. But they are in a must win here and we see their offense playing a lot better today. We see both teams getting their share of the total but expect the Leafs to come out on top here. The road team is 5-0 in the last five meetings.

Both teams have been playing well, and Vegas scored a win in Game 1, but we see Game 2 going differently as we are squarely on the Oilers to win this series, so we expect them to claim home ice advantage here in this matchup. That Game 1 loss was the first in five meetings in Vegas for the Oilers, and we think they make the necessary adjustments to get the job done tonight.

The Devils went through an emotional series against rival Rangers and they looked like they left their spirit back in Game 7 as this Game 1 of the new series was complete domination by the home team. We see that continuing here on Friday. Carolina has one of the best defenses in the league and we don’t see the Devils continuing their offensive success they saw against the Rangers here in Carolina. They were a great road team in the regular season, but there are no slouches in the playoffs, and the Hurricanes have one of the best home ice advantages in hockey. We don’t see the Devils having much offensive success here.

Game 1 opened with a burst of scoring, but now that these teams have settled in we see defense, defense, defense. After the high scoring game it is very telling that the line came out juiced like this, and the bookies are begging bettors to take the over here but we will side with the bookies here in what should be a very low scoring matchup.

The Devils really stepped up the defense vs. the Rangers and that is the reason they are here. We don’t think they will change the strategy here. These are two of the best defenses in the league, and they have stepped it up further in the playoffs. They also played in physical series and we think these teams might be a bit sluggish or apprehensive here in Game 1.

Paying some juice here but we think there is still value. Both of these teams first round series were under machines, and we think this series will be low scoring as well. Best to get in before the lines move to a flat five. Especially in Game 1 we see both teams settling into the series and we don’t see them getting aggressive or the pace being particularly fast.

We liked the Rangers in this series since the start, and we expect them to win Game 7 here tonight on the road. They played their worst game of the series here in Game 5, but they made the necessary adjustments after that poor performance and came back and dominated at home. The Rangers have a worse season record but they were off to a slow start and we think they became the better team as the season progressed. They have been here before and will handle the pressure. They normally play well here in Jersey and we will give them a mulligan for Game 5. They have won 8 of the last 11 visits here to New Jersey and should have plenty of supporters in the crowd tonight.

Four of the six games in this series have gone over, with three straight being high scoring affairs. We think this series has turned into an offensive battle and we expect scoring from both teams today. Florida was really a bad matchup for Boston in the first round. This team has nothing to lose, and their offense has been clicking. They lead the league in shots taken almost all the way through, and we think they will be aggressive here. The Panthers defense hasn’t shown they have an answer for the Boston offense. Should be a great match and we hope to see the kind of scoring we saw in Game 6!

Love the Rangers in this spot. They got embarrassed last time out and now their season is on the line. We think they will respond with a big bounce back performance. The tide has turned in this series, but we don’t think New York is panicking here and they have the personnel to make the necessary adjustments to tie the series up. And that is just what we expect to happen on Saturday.

Four of the games in this series have gone over the posted total. We love the over here, and at a fair price. Florida was almost cooked, but now they have life and a legitimate chance to tie this series up at home. They should bring their A Game to the ice tonight, and to us that means offense. And they have shown they can’t stop Boston on defense from putting up at least three goals, which they have done every game in this series. So they will have to get the job done on offense.

This series has turned into a defensive battle, and we think that will continue in this pivotal Game 5 as one team will be one game away from advancing. The last two games in the series combined scores in regulation would barely surpass this total, and that is in six periods of hockey, so we think in three tonight that we will definitely stay under the number. The Rangers have been a hot under team stretching back to the regular season, and we think both defenses will go all out tonight in order to give them the best chance to extend their seasons.

Boston has scored 10 goals in the last two games in this series, and we don’t see Florida doing anything to slow them down. They scored six last time out and could easily hit this total by themselves. Only the first game in this series went under six goals, and we think the Panthers might be competitive here in a last gasp to save their season. This team is No. 1 in shots per game, so they should have plenty of chances here.

All the games in this series have been close, with three of the four tied at the end of regulation. The one game where Edmonton won by two included an empty netter at the end of the game. So great value on the puckline for the Kings at this number as we could even seeing them pull the outright win as it’s obvious these teams are matched up well.

Home advantage is less important in NHL as in almost any other sport. We think Dallas is the superior team here and we think the Game 1 loss was a wake up call. We expect them to do well here following a 7-3 Game 2 win. They have been in much better form down the stretch than the Wild have, and we expect another dominant performance here on Friday.

This series is a really good matchup for the Rangers, who have won 11 of the last 15 meetings. We think they will take Game 2 after an easy Game 1 win. They were absolutely dominant in that game, and we don’t see how the Devils will adjust. We do think both defenses will step up here and there was a flurry of scoring late in Game 1.

The Rangers got off to a slow start to the season but we think they are the better team despite the records and this is a very nice price for Game 1 as they can erase home ice advantage in one game. The Devils stole the last two in very close games, but NY has a great long term history here as they are 10-4 in the last 14 meetings. The Rangers have played well off extended rest lately (4-0) and we think they come out fired up in this one. The playoffs are all about defense, and we think the Rangers come out fired up in this one and bring their A Game on the defensive end. The Rangers are one of the best road teams in the NHL and they won’t be even a bit intimidated tonight.

These are two of the top under teams in the league this season and we think the defenses will step it up here in a low scoring game. These teams met here a couple weeks ago, and we saw a 2-1 Hurricanes win. That was the second time in three meetings these teams combined for three goals. We think we could see a repeat here, and we don’t see either team breaking out for a big offensive night. With two Top 5 defenses, it’s no wonder why we are seeing this juice tonight.

Two teams with nothing to play for will want to give the fans a show tonight. These are two of the better over teams in the NHL, and we don’t see much effort coming on defense tonight. These are two of the worst defensive teams in the league. Six straight meetings have gone over, and the over is 12-2 in the last 14 meetings in Columbus.

Two bad teams that are closing out the season with bad play, but the Flyers have lost seven straight, and they look like a team that is looking forward to the offseason. Columbus has actually won two of the last three and four of the last six meetings, so they have some positive history here. Columbus stinks, but this like holds value in what should be a close game. 

Both teams have been playing well recently, but we think home ice advantage hold tonight. Florida is an extremely strong home team and they are hot, having won three straight. Toronto is 2-8 in the last 10 visits to Florida and we don’t expect this trip to go too well for them. Home ice has been big in this series as 17 of the last 22 meetings have been won by the home team.

Bad teams that are spunky and with fight are normally pretty good against the puckline. But not the Ducks. They are 37-42 ATS overall and 16-22 at home. Anaheim surprised the Avs last time out, but Colorado has won the previous seven meetings, all by multiple goals. Both teams played Saturday and enter on a back-to-back, but the Ducks played extra hockey as they lost in OT to the Coyotes. They are probably happy with that moral victory and they face a big step up in class here.

Both teams have been playing lousy down the stretch, but Arizona is the much better team and they are building something special here in the desert. This team might actually be a playoff type team next season. They seem to be playing with more pride and enthusiasm down the stretch, and we think that will be evident on the ice today. The favorite is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings.

The Coyotes had their nice hot streak where they were very competitive at home for a stretch but the wheels have fallen off despite the venue. They have lost eight straight, and they have a goal differential of -15 in their last three games.  In their last match, they lost to this Kraken club here in Seattle 8-1. Seattle is still fighting for playoff position, so they have motivation here, while the Coyotes look like they are ready to pack it in for the season and they have been playing their worst hockey of a lousy season recently.

Calgary enters on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights, while the Jets are well rested with two nights off. This is a very good home team and they will have extra motivation against a Canadian foe. The home team has won four straight in this series, and we expect that trend to continue here tonight. The Flames didn’t look good last night in a loss to the Blackhawks and we don’t see them bouncing back with better play here on a B2B.

Nashville went over in their last game, barely, but that broke a streak of three straight unders and now they have hit the under in 4 of 6. This team has been playing fantastic defense lately and they have been inconsistent offensively. We think both teams step up on defense here, and Dallas has been one of the better under teams in the NHL all season. Four of the last five meetings have gone under, with one push.

We were on the Rangers last night in New Jersey and they didn’t play their best game, but they take a big step down in class here and they should be primed for a bounce back. Buffalo has won just two of seven, and they seem to be focused on the offseason as they just don’t have the spark they did earlier in the season when they were in contention. The Rangers have won four of the last five visits here, and they are the much better team in way better form here.

This is one of the biggest games of the season for both teams, with only two points separating them in the standings. It’s all but a forgone conclusion these teams will face each other in the first round of the playoffs, so home ice in that series is on the line here. The stakes don’t get much higher for a single hockey game. There will be plenty of Rangers fans here, eliminating some of the home-ice advantage for the Devils. But if this were, say, Game 7 in a playoff series, New York would much rather be playing at MSG., so we think they bring their A Game tonight. And, in our opinion, with both teams playing their best, the Rangers are the better squad. And we are getting an even better price here than we anticipated. New York is playing as well as any team in the league right now. They are 8-1-1 in their last 10 and have won seven of eight. Two of their last three were very impressive, with road wins at Florida and Carolina. This is one of the best road teams in the NHL, and they actually have a slightly better record in road games. The Devils aren’t in near the form the Rangers are. They have taken full points in only two of their last eight games. They are coming off an embarrassing 5-1 loss at the Islanders, and they lost to Buffalo in their last three. The Rangers got off to a slow start this season, but have been among the league’s elite teams since early December. They made effective moves at the deadline that have them set up for success in the postseason, and they will be focused for this important game on Thursday. The Devils stole an OT win in the last meeting, but needed a two-goal rally in the third period to force OT after New York dominated most of the game. But New York has won 10 of the last 13 meetings, and six of the last eight in New Jersey.

St. Louis is trending to the over, and the Canucks have been one of the best over teams all season. The Blues have scored 16 goals in their last three games, and they now play one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. And the Blues defense is even worse. We see this as a competitive game where both teams get their share of the total.

We have been all over the Coyotes puckline in home games this season. But this team has been overworked lately, and no one could blame them to not give 100% here in a game that would get ugly quickly. Not only is this a back-to-back for Arizona and their third game in four nights, but they played extended hockey last night with OT and a shootout. They lost that shootout to the Avs, and they looked out of gas there at the end of the game. Edmonton was off Sunday and they have won seven of eight in this series, five of which came by multiple goals.

The Kings have been playing some of their best hockey this season at the moment and they have won nine of 10. Seven of their most recent wins have been by multiple goals, so they have been dominant. One of those multi-goal wins was earlier this month against these Blues. Both teams are on a back-to-back, but the Kings will have played both games at home, so that is another big advantage.

The Kings have been playing as well as any team in the NHL recently as they have only two SO losses in their last 10 games with eight wins. This team has been one of the better bets in the league this season and they have won two of the last three meetings. The Kings are well rested here and should have no problem getting the full points.

The Sabres have given up a lot of goals lately, but we think this game will go under, and we have a nice price here for that opinion. The Devils aren’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard at the moment. They have scored more than three goals only once in their last nine games. Six of their last eight games have gone under the posted number. Buffalo hasn’t been good offensively lately. They have scored two or fewer in five of their last nine, and they will be up against a Top 4 scoring defense here. We think the Sabres struggle to score again here and that the Devils don’t go crazy on the scoreboard.

The Lightning have been mediocre on the road this season at 17-17-0-1. The Senators are a pretty good team at home. Tampa Bay has dropped two straight, including to the Canadiens on the road last time out. They have scored two goals in each of the losses. Ottawa needs to win this one badly since they are now on the outside looking in for the playoff picture. Their three most recent losses were all by one goal, to Boston, Toronto (SO) and Colorado. So they aren’t in bad form despite a poor recent record. We think the price is right here tonight on the home dog.

We have backed the Coyotes many times at home and on the puckline lately, but this is not a good spot for them on a back-to-back and on the road no less against one of the strongest offensive teams in the NBA. This Arizona team has raised their level of play at home but they just don’t bring the same energy on the road, and they are satisfied with their play lately so we think this one could get out of hand quickly.

The Blues have won two straight and four of six and they are playing much better hockey lately after a long string of bad play. The Red Wings have looked horrible during their current three-game slide, the last two of which were multiple-goal losses at home. The Blues have won six of the last eight meetings, and they match up well here also. This price is more than fair when assessing the talent on the iced as well as the current form from both teams.

Columbus got smacked around by Anaheim last time out and they are up against a much better team here on Sunday. They have won seven of their last nine and have looked good doing it, with three of their last four wins coming by double digits. Vegas lost last time out, and this looks like a great spot for them to bounce back with a multi-goal win.

These teams have similar records, but the Coyotes are starting to play well, especially at home. They are 19-11-3 here at home, and that is similar home record to some teams that are contending for the playoffs. Arizona has won five straight at home. The Blackhawks are Fat and Happy after two straight wins, including one over Boston at home, and we don’t see them giving top effort here. Chicago is 2-5 in their last seven visits here.

Two crappy teams but we think the Columbus offense is a tad bit better. Home ice won’t matter much here with the horrible Ducks. The road team is 5-1 in the last six meetings, and we see the Blue Jackets taking care of business here as despite the records we think this is the slightly better team.

With this juice it looks like the secret is out that Arizona is a great puckline bet at home. Calgary has been an average team lately and they have won only three of their last nine. The Coyotes have won three of four and have nice momentum right now and even when they lose they have been keeping things close at home. We like what they are building here in the desert.

We see a close, low scoring game here. Montreal has been a good puckline team and are 35-25 when getting the goals. Colorado is 18-26 when laying the goals on the puckline. This is the Canadians fourth straight home match and they lost two in a shootout and suffered a late empty netter last time vs. New Jersey, so they have been very competitive and we see the same being the case tonight.

Arizona is a sneaky good team at home and this is definitely a team on the rise. They are playing hard down the stretch of the season, and that is all you can ask from a consistent underdog. Minnesota has been horrible on the puckline as a favorite, with a 17-33 record, while Arizona is 34-25 on the other end of the puckline. Nice value here despite the juice.

St. Louis stinks right now and they are playing some of the worst hockey in the league right now. They have only two wins in their last 10, and both were over the Sharks. Columbus isn’t playing great, but they have double that amount of wins in their last 10, and they also have three overtime losses, so they have been pretty competitive lately. They don’t deserve to be this big of an underdog here. St. Louis has lost five of their last seven visits here, so they don’t normally play well here. The home team is 36-17 in the last 53 meetings, which is a very strong trend that we see continuing here tonight.

The Ducks have gone over in just one of their last seven games (one push). Three of four have gone under for Calgary, so both teams are trending to the under. The Flames offense is struggling right now. They had one goal TOTAL in regulation all three of those recent unders. They probably won’t be held that low tonight, but it’s safe to assume they won’t light up the scoreboard, either. Anaheim has scored two goals each in three of their last four, and we don’t see them doing much on the offensive end here. The under is 11-5-1 in the last 17 meetings, and the last meeting, in December, was a low scoring affair. We see a repeat here on Friday.

Dallas has gone over in four of five (one push), and now they take on one of the strongest offensive teams in the league. They have scored at least four goals in their last five, so we should expect them to get at least three, and Buffalo is good for around four goals per game for their season average.

We are not scared off by the low total here. These are two of the top UNDER teams in the league, with a combines 81-40 record to the under. These are two Top 10 defensive teams and both have an offense that leaves a lot to be desired. Winnipeg had a little streak of overs, but they also played Edmonton twice. These teams met here before the calendar turned, a 4-1 Minnesota victory, and we think this could be lower scoring here. Seven of the last nine meetings in Winnipeg have gone under the posted number.

Rare to get the Leafs at plus money but we will take it here. The Devils have been better on the road than at home this season, and they are vulnerable here. Toronto has owned this series as they are 5-0 in the last five meetings in New Jersey and 9-1 in the last 10 meetings overall. So they won’t be intimidated here tonight, and we think they come in knowing they will win this one. The Leafs are coming off bad losses to Vancouver and Edmonton, and we think they come in mad and take it out on their American adversary.

Winnipeg has been one of the top under teams this season but now they are trending to the over with three straight overs. They have scored 15 goals in their last three games and their offense is playing well. It’s likely that can continue here tonight against the Sharks, who give up nearly four goals per game and are 37-23 to the over this season. San Jose has gone over in four of five and they have allowed 14 goals in their last two games. We see a competitive game here and expect both teams to get their share of goals to contribute to going over the posted number.

This is the second night of a home-and-home, back-to-back. Edmonton piled on the goals last night but we think the Jets will make some adjustments here and we are also getting a better line for the total. Bettors will look at the result from yesterday and automatically think that we will see s similar result, but often the second game of these types of series often go a different way.

Arizona is no longer a pushover at home and they are building something nice here in the desert. They have a winning ATS record overall this season, and this is even better at home. They have some big wins, including against the Bruins this season, at home, so they won’t be intimidated by Carolina and they will be playing for the win tonight.

Three of the last four wins for Boston have been one-goal wins. We think their winning streak might come to an end soon, and it could be tonight. This team, has just not been as dominant in recent games, and they are getting their best shot from opponents every night. Buffalo has won three of four and this is one of the best offensive teams in the NHL. They are playing well at the moment and we think they bring their A Game to Boston tonight.

Both teams have been playing great defense lately, and we think this will be another low scoring contest. The Devils are coming off a shutout vs. Philly, and the defense was incredible in that game. They did score 7 in the win, but they won’t see anywhere near that kind of success against this Avs defense. Colorado has allowed only two goals in their last three games. So, their defense is in top form right now. When these teams meet, there is a strong history with the under. The under is 13-3-2 in the last 18 meetings in Colorado. It is 21-7-3 in the last 31 meetings overall. These teams have combined for a total of 2.5 goals in the last two meetings.

We think this is a good spot for the home team to get a dominant win. The Blackhawks had been playing well until a blowout loss last night in Anaheim now they come in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights, while the home team is rested. The Coyotes had been playing well at home but lost their last two here against much better teams than they face tonight, and we see an easy win for the home team.

This series has a strong history for the UNDER, and we think that trend will continue here on Monday. This is a marquee matchup where both teams will want to give their best, and extra effort usually comes on the defensive end. The under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Edmonton. Overall, the under is 6-1 in the last seven meetings. Boston is trending to the under, with five of the last seven going under. Edmonton is normally a good bet for the over but the prices have been going up, and we think there is some great value here on the contrarian position.