Sports Picks & Predictions

Two of the best under teams meet here on Friday night. These teams have combined to go 72-34 to the under this season. Not many betting trends stronger than that. Winnipeg has now gone under in  9 of 10, with one push. The under is 19-5-2 for the last 26 road games for Colorado. The under has cashed in four of the last five meetings in Winnipeg. These are two Top 10 defenses with offenses that are in the bottom portion of the standings. The under is 19-6 for Winnipeg home games!

We think the wrong team is favored here. The Predators have been decidedly average as they have posted a 3-4 record in their last seven, despite a home-heavy schedule. For some reason the Sharks have been better on the road than at home, but those home and road splits will even out down the stretch of the season, and this is a very winnable game for San Jose. They have had some very impressive wins lately against Seattle, Washington, Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh. They have had a couple days off and are well rested coming into this one and they have momentum after a 4-0 win here over the Kraken.

Winnipeg is 39-14 to the under this season, so you always have to check for them to go under the posted total. They have gone under in eight of nine with one push. Their offense has been unspectacular, while their defense has been playing very well. In fact, these are both Top 10 defensive teams and both have offenses that are in the bottom portion of the league. Four of the last six meetings have gone under, and we see another offensive struggle here tonight.

Philly has been excellent on the puckline on the road, where they have compiled a 21-9 record ATS. Edmonton is for sure the better team but they are not in the best form at the moment and they have dropped four straight and five of six. Philly is coming in off a road win at Calgary and should be playing with a lot of confidence tonight.

The Sharks have been one of the strongest over teams all season but they have now hit five straight unders, and we think they will continue to trend in that direction as their offense has been poor lately and they have also stepped up the defense. The under is also 4-1 in the last five meetings. This looks like another low scoring contest today.

A couple things set up for the Blackhawks to perform here. Toronto is on a back-to-back after playing their most hated rival, Montreal, on Saturday. This is a revenge spot for the home team as the Hawks lost 5-2 in Toronto on Wednesday. Toronto has won only three of the last 11 meetings here in Chicago, so this is a place they rarely play well at. Chicago looked solid last time out in a road win at Ottawa and we think the positive momentum from that one will carry over here.

The San Jose offense has been in a bit of a funk, but this seems like a great situation to break out of it. Both of these clubs are among the worst defensive teams in the league. Buffalo has one of the best offenses, however, and San Jose has a bit of an underrated offense, in our opinion. There were nine goals scored when these teams met in December, and we could see the same type of outcome here tonight in the rematch.

The Rangers offense is just humming right now. They have scored exactly six goals in all three or their previous games. We think they can keep it up here against an Edmonton team that is in the bottom portion of the league for goals allowed. Edmonton brings the No. 1 offense in the league to the table tonight, and we see a competitive match here where both teams get their share of the total. Three of the last four meetings have gone over.

Both teams have trended to the under this season, especially Montreal, who is 28-22 to the under on the season. While that may not be the strongest of trends, if you look closer, you will see that the under is 17-7 in road games for the Canaidens this season. Montreal has been playing decent defense and are coming off a shutout vs. the Blackhawks and have allowed only five goals in their last three contests. Tonight, we just need them to keep the Hurricanes from lighting up the scoreboard, and we think that is an achievable task. But we just don’t see the Canadiens offense doing much here. They have had a home-heavy schedule lately that has somewhat masks their offensive struggles. This team has one of the worst road offenses in the league, and they face one of the best defensive teams in the NHL tonight on the road. They normally don’t play well here in Carolina. The under is 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings here. The under is 4-1 regardless of the venue in the last five meetings. Montreal has scored one or fewer goals in seven of the last 10 meetings. Both of the last two meetings were 4-0 Hurricanes wins. We see the same type of match today. We think this will be a dominant win by the home team but we will save a lot on juice by going with the under here vs. the big price on the moneyline and puckline for Carolina.

San Jose is considered one of the true bottom feeders in the NHL, but we don’t see them as being as bad as most do. We see some potential here, and that has been showing lately as the Sharks are playing some of their best hockey of the season right now. They have won three of four, and their previous two games before that were OT losses. One of those recent wins was in Pittsburgh, 6-4. This shows they match up well against the Penguins. And forget about the revenge angle. The Sharks don’t have the stature for Pittsburgh to dwell on that loss, and they have played several matches since. The Sharks should be getting their best goalie back from illness tonight. Pittsburgh doesn’t typically play well here in San Jose as they are 5-14 in the last 19 meetings.

The home team is always the bet when these teams meet up. The home team is 24-7 in the last 31 meetings. Wins and losses tend to come in bunches in the NHL, and Buffalo followed five straight wins with three straight losses, and we expect them to make that four straight tonight. They have a -9 goal differential in their last two games.

These teams have similar records, but Arizona is a much better team and they are improving. They beat the Bruins this season, for cripes sake. We think they are further ahead in the building process. Road wins have been hard to come by, but this seems like an opportune spot for an easy road win.

Tampa Bay has a Top 5 offense so it can be scary betting the under with them, especially as they are one of the top OVER teams in the league. But Colorado is the opposite, and the UNDER is 29-17 for them this season. Their offense stinks, but they are playing excellent defense, and we don’t see the Lightning piling up the goals here. Tampa Bay hasn’t exactly come out of the break in great form. They were destroyed 7-1 at Florida then scored only three in a back-to-back, home loss to San Jose. The Sharks have one of the worst defenses in the league. This is the first meeting since the playoffs, so we think both teams go all out with the defense here.

Tampa Bay allowed SEVEN goals last night at Florida, so they are coming out of the break not in the greatest form, and on a B2B here they could give up some goals to San Jose, which can be a dangerous offensive team if they are in the zone. San Jose has been one of the top OVER teams in the NHL this season. They normally give up a lot of goals but then can score enough for their share of the total without winning a lot of games. But this is a nice bounce back spot for Tampa Bay, who has been decent in B2Bs, but we see both teams scoring their share of the total in this one.

The Coyotes have been profitable on the puckline this season, mainly as a home underdog and they are 12-8 ATS at home. With extra rest, they should be able to defend the home fortress tonight and keep this one close. Minnesota has a pair of extra time wins and three losses in their last five, so they aren’t in top form. Last time we saw the Coyotes at home, they upset the Blues 5-0. We think they will be competitive here. The Coyotes have covered the puckline in the last three meetings and we think they make it 4-for-4 here tonight as this team isn’t a total pushover anymore and the oddsmakers have been slow to adjust.

The Bruins have lost three straight, but there are absolutely no problems with this team. It started out with a tough, well played one-goal loss in Tampa Bay. Then they lost at Florida in OT. They came out flat, as we predicted, the next night in a back-to-back at streaking Carolina. But this game kind of gets important. The league goes into the All Star Break this weekend, and we are confident the Bruins don’t want to go into the break on a four-game slide. They should bring their A Game tonight at a very good Toronto team. But Boston has been head and shoulders the best team in the NHL on both sides of the puck, and we think they get the job done tonight in an important match.

Both teams are trending to the under, as it is 12-7-21 in their last 10 games combined. These teams played Saturday in Ottawa, a 5-0 Senators victory. Montreal had been playing pretty solid defense leading up to the game, and they weren’t as bad in that one as the score might indicate since Ottawa had two late goals, an empty netter and another in the final minute after the Canadians had already conceded. With two days of rest, both defenses should have a lot of energy. Montreal will no doubt make some defensive adjustments. The under is 6-2-1 in the last 9 meetings in Montreal. It is 14-5-1 in the last 20 meetings. We think those trends hold true here on Tuesday.

We like to look to the underdog in certain spots when Canadian teams play each other since the underdog tends to up its game in these situations. Seven of the last nine meetings, including the last two, were one-goal games. Toronto is 9-17 against the puckline in home games this season.

We think this is great value on the Canadians. They have won three of five. Last time out they lost 4-2 to Boston but this game was tied late and there was an empty netter, so it was closer than it seems. Montreal has won 12 of 15 meetings at home, and we think they have a great chance for the win here tonight.

The Islanders have been piling up the losses lately. However, they have faced a very tough schedule littered with contender type teams. They face a step down in competition tonight, and they should be very focused on the win. They certainly have had the Senators number. They are 10-1 in the last 11 meetings, one of the most lopsided series in the NHL at the moment. Ottawa hasn’t been good either, as they have dropped six of their last eight games overall. The Islanders have been struggling but they are the much stronger team here, and they need a win badly and they should come in confident against a team that they have dominated for a long stretch now.

San Jose plays better on the road than at home for some reason and we think this is a very winnable game for them against the Struggling Red Wings. The Wings normally play down to their level of competition as they are 1-6 in their last seven against teams with a winning percentage under .400. We think this game is a coin flip as to the winner, so a coin flip at these odds is always a great bet.

The Islanders are in a freefall and have lost eight of their last nine. Five of those losses were by multiple goals. Things won’t get any easier tonight as they face a Toronto team that has won five of eight and is playing very well. They tangled with their biggest rival on Saturday and lost as a big favorite in Montreal despite playing a hard-fought game. They will no doubt be looking to get back on track here. Toronto has won five of seven in the series, and four of those wins have come by multiple goals.

Seattle has won the last two meetings between these teams and they catch the Avs on a back-to-back. Seattle had a couple bad games recently but they have been playing as well as any team in the NHL and we think they get the win here.

Montreal has won or covered the puckline in all of the last eight matchups. And those were all when the Canadians stunk. They raise their game to another level against their biggest rival, and we see a close game again here and the Canadians could compete for a win at home. Montreal has won two of their last three, so they are no pushover at the moment.

Vancouver has won three straight meetings, two by multiple goals. We think they are in a good bounce back spot after a rough loss to the Lightning last time out. Colorado has looked good lately but this team has been inconsistent. We think the home underdog has value tonight.

It wasn’t long ago that the Canadians allowed 20+ goals in three games. But they made some defensive adjustments and they have been playing lights out defense lately. They held the Rangers and the Jets to one goal each in their last two, both wins, and they lost to NY Rangers on the road, 2-1, before that. The Panthers are trending under as well, as only two of their last seven games have gone over, with one push for a game lined at 7. They have a lot of shots each game but aren’t very efficient. We expect a low scoring game here and the under has some nice value tonight.

Vancouver is one of the best over teams in the NHL at 25-14 to the over on the season. We think they will be competitive at home to get their share of the total tonight. They have scored three or more goals in six straight games, so there’s a very good chance they get at least three tonight. Tampa Bay is averaging almost five goals per game in recent contests. They should have no problems scoring against the No. 31 scoring defense. Both of these offenses are Top 10, and we see a high scoring affair tonight. These teams met last week and put up nine total goals in Tampa. The over is 19-7-1 in the last 27 meetings.

Philly is playing very well despite a 6-0 loss to Boston last time out, but we can certainly give them a mulligan for that one. But they have won seven of nine, with six of those wins coming by multiple goals. Anaheim is one of the worst teams in the league and they are horrible against the puckline, where they are normally getting plus goals, and we see a probable blowout here.

San Jose’s offense has been very inconsistent and they have scored two or fewer goals in four of their last nine matchups. They scored only one last time out vs. Edmonton. What they did on defense in that game is why we like the under here. They gave up a whopping seven goals in that one in a real embarrassing home performance in front of the home fans. We feel they will do everything in their power to put forth a better defensive game here. Their offense isn’t likely to break out against the No. 3 defensive team. Four of the last five meetings have gone under, and the last meeting saw a 2-1 final, and we think we could see that type of game here on Monday.

These are two teams that trend heavily to the under this season, and we feel like those trends will continue here on Sunday. This one is simple. Montreal has the worst offense in the league and is coming in on a back-to-back after scoring only one against the Islanders on Saturday. They are facing one of the best defensive teams today, and we don’t see them scoring much, if at all. They have one or fewer goals in three of their last five games. These teams met 10 days ago and Montreal could only muster one goal in a 4-1 home loss.

These teams are a combined 52-28 to the over this season. That this total isn’t up to 7 is a head-scratcher, and there is great value here at 6.5, even with the heavy juice. We love the over even if it moves to 7. San Jose averaged more than three goals per game at home, and we think they can get that or more tonight. Edmonton comes in with the No. 5 scoring offense and No. 1 power play, and that is a big reason that they have gone over so many times. We don’t see the Sharks slowing them down, especially with Kahkonen likely in net tonight. The over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings in San Jose and 18-7-3 in the last 28 meetings overall.

Love the puckline here for the Kraken, one of the hottest teams in the NHL and one that is playing as well as any team in the league right now. They have won six straight entering this one. Those includes multiple-goal wins on the road at Toronto and Edmonton, so it’s not like this team is just beating up on a bunch of scrubs. They won’t be intimidated heading into Boston. Boston has won both lifetime meetings, but both were one-goal results and the last meeting went to OT. One of the key factors here why we like the road team is that Boston has been off since Sunday. While the rest was much needed, that is a long layoff in the middle of the season and it probably will throw their momentum off here. Boston doesn’t lose at home. But they do have close games here. The last three home games for the Bruins have all been one-goal games. We are expecting the same here on Thursday.

Four of the last five meetings in LA went under the posted total. These teams are big rivals and will probably pick up the defensive intensity to a playoff level. It hurts the Sharks chances here, however, being on a back to back. They probably won’t get many goals here. They have only four goals in the last three meetings and were shut out once.

Seattle has scored 26 goals in their last five games. They have the No. 3 offense in the NHL. Tonight they take on the No. 1 scoring offense in the NHL, and we expect both teams to get their goals in what should be a very competitive match. Both teams enter on a back to back so we don’t see the defenses playing up to normal standards.

Montreal’s defense has been a sieve as they have given up at least four goals in seven straight matches. They have given up 36 total goals during that stretch. That’s a real good sign for the Kraken. They have 18 goals in their last three games, including eight last time out at Ottawa. All signs point to them having another big offensive night tonight. Montreal scored five goals last time out vs. St. Louis, and they should be able to get their share here at home to get this one over the posted number.

Toronto has dominated this series. They have won eight straight meetings, and seven of those have come by multiple goals. They are rested and at home here and catching the Red Wings on the second end of a back-to-back. The Leafs are coming off a shellacking here at the hands of the Kraken last time out, so we expect them to be focused here. We see them really teeing off late in the game as the Wings should be pretty worn out to finish this one.

All three games on this road trip for Arizona have been multiple-goal losses. This team is not playing well at the moment. They are facing a worse team tonight than any of their recent opponents, but they are on a back to back here and playing their third game in four nights, so we don’t see things going well for them against a rested Blackhawks squad.

The Canadians have allowed 30 goals in their last five matches, and we expect the Rangers to be able to light up the scoreboard tonight. Montreal has scored seven goals in their last three. While that isn’t a lot, they should be able to contribute enough goals here at home to get this one over the posted total. The over is 5-2-1 in the last eight meetings in Montreal, and we think that trend will continue here on Thursday.

Both teams are trending heavily to the under with a combined 14-5-1 to the under in their last 20 combined games. We think that trend will continue tonight. Tampa Bay’s defense has been elite lately and they have allowed only six goals in their last four games, so the Wild will have to work hard for goals tonight. We don’t see either team lighting up the scoreboard tonight and think this will be mostly a defensive battle.   

Montreal is in the worst form of any NHL team right now. They have lost eight of nine games. They have a goal differential of -17 in their last four games. Nashville is a solid team that has been playing .500 hockey in their last six games, but their three losses have come to Colorado (OT), Dallas by one goal, and Vegas (OT). So even in their losses they have been very competitive. But we don’t think they will pass up this chance for a big win here over a struggling team. In Montreal’s eight recent losses, only two have come by one goal. Nashville has won six of seven in this series, and three of the last four wins have come via multiple goals. This one looks like a major mismatch to us.

These teams are a combined 41-29 to the under on the season. These are two solid defensive clubs, and we expect this to be a defensive match. It usually is when these teams meet up, as seven of nine meetings have gone under the posted total, including four straight. The last three for Colorado have gone over, due mainly to opponents scoring, but that followed a long string of unders, and the under is 21-13 for Colorado as a whole this season. Vegas has been trending to the under, with two of the last three going under the posted number.

Six of the last seven have gone under for the Devils. They are having offensive issues right now and their defense has been just good enough to keep the opponent from lighting up the scoreboard. Only one of the past six meetings have gone over this posted total. Both teams trend to the under on the season, and we think this will be another low scoring contest.

Both teams are trending to the under recently. The Canadiens are in a big time offensive drought and they have only four goals in their last three games. We are shocked this line isn’t at 5.5, and there is very nice value here.

These are two of the top OVER teams in the NHL this season and they are a combined 40-25 to the over this season. These teams are rested after the break and we think there will be more fireworks tonight in Vancouver. These teams played early this month, and the scoring came early and often, with at least three goals in each of the three periods. That game made the over 5-0-1 in the last six meetings. We expect another close matchup and we think both teams will get their share of the total here.

This is a great spot for the home team to get a dominating win. Vancouver is no good anyways, and they played an OT game last night while the Oilers are fresh entering this contest. Vancouver has allowed five goals in three straight games, and we think they will probably allow even more than that tonight. Vancouver hasn’t won in five straight meetings, and they are at a real disadvantage tonight.

This is a great spot for a dominating Leafs win. They are coming off a big three-goal home win over Tampa Bay. Philly has dropped five of seven and they haven’t looked like the same squad they did at the start of the year. Toronto normally brings their A Game when these teams face off. They have covered the puckline in all of the last four meetings, all Toronto wins. They have a goal differential of +12 in those games and won all by three goals. This one could get even uglier for the road team today.

Colorado has been winning, but their offense hasn’t been lighting up the scoreboard. This total is 5.5, and we agree this should be a low scoring contest. That makes the plus goals puckline great on the value scale. When these teams meet it always tends to be close, and we think that’s the case again tonight.

These teams played here Sunday and the game was pretty close throughout until the Flames got three quick goals at the start of the third period. We think the Sharks will make some adjustments here and it’s very difficult to beat the same team twice in consecutive games, with both in San Jose. The Sharks will have their best goalie in net as Reimer is likely in here, while backup Kahkonen was in goal Sunday. San Jose has won five of the last eight meetings, and we expect a much better performance tonight.

Great value on the Canadiens here. We had them as a slight favorite here and think they have a great chance to break their losing streak. Arizona has been playing better, but they have a ton of one-goal losses lately and they just don’t have that winning instinct yet. Montreal have lost three straight but they are the better team in this matchup and we think they bring their A Game to get back on the winning track in a very winnable matchup.

Seattle have lost five of six and they just aren’t playing well at the moment. They were scorching hot before this losing streak, but wins and losses come in bunches in the NHL. Winnipeg have won six of eight, and they are in much better form right now. They are coming in on a back-to-back, but they have been very good in these situations this season at 3-1. They barely seemed to break a sweat in the blowout last night at Vancouver. The Jets have won all four lifetime meetings against the Kraken, and we think we are getting a great price here on a much better team. Winnipeg has also won five straight road games.

The Coyotes haven’t been winning a lot, but they have been playing well. They have played in seven one-goal games in their last nine matches. So they are likely to keep this one close at home, if not win outright. The Coyotes are actually one of the top betting teams in the NHL and they have a 17-10 record against the puckline, normally as an underdog.

Both teams are struggling offensively. And the better team, Montreal, is on a back to back, which hampers their chance for a breakout game offensively. Anaheim has just one goal in their last three games, and they have been shut out in the last two. Montreal has five goals in their last three games. So add up the total of regulation goals scored by these teams in six games combined, and it wouldn’t get over this posted number. The under is 3-1 for the Canadiens on back to backs this season.

Calgary has won the last two meetings by multiple goals. In fact, five of the last six meetings have been decided by multiple goals, so we don’t think this will be a close game either. Vancouver is 5-17 in their last 22 meetings in Calgary, so they normally don’t play well here. Calgary hasn’t been playing their best consistently but they are the much stronger team and we think they flex their muscles tonight with a big win here.

Eight of the last 10 meetings have been decided by multiple goals, and we think the Sharks are the better team here despite having the same amount of wins as Arizona. The Sharks had a slow start to the season but have been playing much better. The home team is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings, and these matchups are rarely close.

Montreal is much improved this season but they are lined like they were last year quite a bit. They normally bring their best against Canadian counterparts and we think they will challenge for the win here. Calgary has lost two straight, so they aren’t in the best form now even though they are the better team on paper. Montreal has won the last four meetings.

Maybe the Kraken aren’t as legit as we thought previously. After winning seven straight they are now trending the other way and have lost three straight. Things won’t get any easier tonight in Florida. The Panthers lost yesterday against their nemesis, Tampa Bay, but they had been playing very well before that, and we think this is a great bounce back spot against a struggling team. One of those losses on the current skid for Seattle was 5-1 to Florida at home, and we see a similar result here.

Love the Sabres in this spot. This is a continuation of their game last night in Buffalo, where the Sabres lost 4-3 in overtime. They played well and deserved to win but it didn’t work out. But we think with the back-to-back games that it minimizes home ice a bit for the Penguins, and it’s very tough to beat a team twice in two nights. Not to mention the Sabres have been playing excellent hockey as before the Pittsburgh loss they had won three of four and scored 23 goals in the process. This game last night was a defensive battle throughout, and we don’t think the Pittsburgh defense will play as well with fatigue. Buffalo has the better offense and we think they have a great chance to win at a very nice price here.

Wins and losses normally come in bunches in the NHL and we are going to fade Seattle here. After seven straight wins, the Kraken have lost two straight and looked awful doing it. At home, they have been outscored 9-3 by Montreal and Florida. Things won’t get easier here on the road against the Capitals.

Ottawa has won two of three and four of six, so they are playing well at the moment and they are a live underdog here. Dallas enters having lost two straight and four of six, and they have been perfectly mediocre lately. We are taking a chance on the nice price here as we think Ottawa has a great chance. They have won four straight in this series.

Seattle had won seven straight before being embarrassed here on their home ice last time out Saturday vs. Florida. They had an off game, but they will be anxious to get back on track here, and this team is playing as good of hockey as any team in the NHL right now. They have a great chance to get back on the winning track here. The Canadiens are coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third in four nights, while Seattle had two days to shake off that loss. And they didn’t have to leave Seattle. Montreal started off strong last night in Vancouver, but they looked fatigue and had all sorts of defensive lapses as they gave up seven goals from the second period to overtime. It’s hard to think that we won’t see that carry over here. The Canadiens have been playing well and they are fat and happy having won three of six, and this is one they might just take a mulligan on as they have three days off after this game.

Ottawa has been an under team lately but this is the lowest total they have faced in awhile. The Senators have a poor defense already but will be coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. The Sharks have been somewhat inconsistent on the offensive end recently, but there is no denying that they are playing better on that end while the season goes on, and they will have some opportunities here. The over is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings.

We think this line provides tons of value and we think the Senators have a great chance to pull off the upset. These teams played Wednesday in Ottawa and the Rangers pulled out the 3-1 win. Ottawa played well in that game but the Rangers had the more efficient shooting. Now the rematch switches to NYC. The Rangers have a losing record at home at 4-5-2-1. It’s very difficult to beat a team twice in three days, and Ottawa should make some adjustments to give them an edge. Before that win, the Rangers had dropped three straight and they are not in great form at the moment. Ottawa had won two straight before the loss to the Rangers, so they have been playing well. We think all this adds up to the Senators being on upset alert tonight.

Just don’t think the Flames are playing well enough to warrant being this big of a favorite. They enter having lost three of four. Montreal has won two of three and three of five, so they are in stronger current form. We always like to look at the underdog when Canadian teams play. They normally always bring their A Game. It’s not a big sample size, but Montreal has been an underdog in all three Canadian matchups this season and won two outright and lost one in OT. They have also won the last three meetings, all as underdogs. The underdog is 12-5 in this series for the last 17 games. We see this being a close matchup and we think the Canadiens have a chance to win but we like the good value on the puckline.

Toronto has been playing great defense and are trending to the under as a result. The Sharks are coming in on a back-to-back as a huge underdog and we don’t see them scoring much tonight. This is also their third game in four nights. We agree with the oddsmakers on the moneyline that Toronto should be the big favorite here and we don’t see the Sharks being too competitive, so even if Toronto scores a lot, we don’t think the Sharks will contribute their share of the total.

This is a regional rivalry and both teams will try to do what they do best here to get the win, and we think that means defense tonight. Both teams are Top 10 for goals allowed defensively, and the Devils possess the league’s top defense. New Jersey is heavily trending to the under, with only one of their last 10 games going over the posted total. These teams are a combined 26-16 to the under this season. Historically, these teams have played a lot of overs. But we think that trend is moving in the other direction, with two of the last three meetings going under. We expect another low scoring game tonight.

We see this as a very competitive match and think both teams will get their fair share of goals. Four of the last five meetings in San Jose have gone over the posted total. The Shar’s best goalie is out injured here so Kahkonen will get the start. He’s given up an average of four goals per game and gave up seven last time out vs. Seattle. Vancouver has scored at least four goals in five straight games. San Jose has improved on offense as the season has progressed. They had a dud last time out on offense but should bounce back well here tonight in a very winnable game.

Both teams have been mediocre lately and we think the Rangers are vulnerable here. Edmonton has been a good road team and they won’t roll over today in this matchup. This is the first game back home after a road trip for the home team, and that can be a tricky one to navigate. Edmonton has won four of the last five meetings, so they have a strong history here.

This is one of the better rivalries in hockey and one that the Sharks have dominated recently, winning 8 of the last 10 meetings. We think that San Jose is underrated by the oddsmakers now and their numbers haven’t reflected the play on the court, and we will follow the value again tonight.

Montreal looked awful last night in a blowout loss vs. Buffalo where they allowed three goals in the first three minutes. That shows us this team was unprepared, and now they come in on a back to back, on the road, against a Columbus team that has won three of four. Columbus already beat Montreal here and we don’t really see revenge being a motivator since both teams have played games since.

This is a battle of 6-win teams, but the Sharks have been playing a lot better recently, although that play hasn’t exactly translated into wins, but this looks like a great spot to get a home win tonight. The Sharks got off to a slow start after a strange two-game opener in Europe, mixing in new players and travelling overseas, and that affected them at the start of the season. But lately their offense has been efficient and they have been getting solid goaltending. They have a lot of one-goal losses to good teams lately and recently had three shootout losses in a row. But they have won three of five and played the Rangers tough on Saturday and were in it until the end. They have been playing much better than the Sens lately and we think the current form will finally pay off in the form of a big win tonight.

These teams are a combined 15-5 to the over in their last 20. Florida is the top shot taking team in the NHL and playing against the worst defense in the league, so the Panthers should rack up a bunch of goals here. And by virtue of being the home team, Columbus should keep things competitive here. The OVER is 5-0 in the last five meetings.

The Canucks have had the upper hand in this series, but the Kings are in stronger form right now. LA has won four of five. Vancouver has lost three of four. We think there is a good chance that the Kings roil in this one, and this moneyline is juicy for the puckline. The Kings are 11-8 on the puckline this season.

These teams have been going in opposite directions. San Jose has won three straight after a slow start to the season. Detroit has lost four straight after a strong start to the season. But San Jose has been playing well for awhile. They had one bad game against the Blues that was closer than the final score indicated, and before that they lost three straight by shootout. They have scored at least four goals in four of seven games. Their offense has been a lot better, and this team is flying under the radar right now, hence the low number at home here. The Red Wings have won only once here in the last five visits, and we think there is lots of value here tonight.

Both teams have been really struggling, but this looks like a great spot to get back on track. Buffalo played a really tough game last night vs. Vancouver, so they come in on a back-to-back. Buffalo just finished a four-game homestand where they gave up 19 goals, so we don’t think Ottawa will have a problem covering the puckline. During their current six-game slide, last night was the only game that Buffalo didn’t lose by multiple goals.

The Florida offense is No. 1 for shots taken but ranks in the middle of the pack in scoring. Pretty soon more of those shots will translate to goals, and this Capitals defense is vulnerable. We think the home team can possibly put up a big number here. The over is 11-3 in the last 14 meetings.

This series has a strong history for the over, with 15 of 21 meetings in Dallas going over the posted number. San Jose started off very slowly on the offensive end. A season-opening series in Europe didn’t help matters and threw them off their routine. But the offense has really come together recently. The over is 7-0-1 in their last eight games. Dallas has been trending to the over as well and has a Top 5 offense so far. With the Sharks on a B2B, we expect a lot of goals from the home team here.

St. Louis has lost eight straight, and all by multiple goals. San Jose is playing much better but their record doesn’t really show this as they have lost three straight in a shootout. Their offense is playing a lot better recently, and they have scored at least three goals in their last five games. We think this is a great spot for them to get back in the win column, and at a very nice price.

Both teams come in on a back-to-back, but the home team always has a big advantage. Montreal has had a tough schedule lately which has been road heavy. But this team has been solid at home and we think this is a great spot for them to get back on track. Vancouver is 2-3-2 on the road this season. After getting a road win last night, and how poorly they have played on the road in general, we think the plus-money odds for Montreal are a steal here. Montreal has won 12 of 16 meetings here at home.

Buffalo has the No. 1 offense in the NHL thus far with 4.1 goals per game. Arizona has one of the worst defenses in the NHL, allowing 4.1 goals per game. We see Buffalo scoring a lot tonight and don’t think they will have any problem covering the puckline. Buffalo has had a strong start to the season. They have, however, lost two straight entering this one, but those were to two top teams and on the road. Last time we saw the Sabres at home, they had won three straight, two by multiple goals against teams much better than the Coyotes, while scoring 18 goals in the process. The Coyotes are coming off a big win at Washington, so they are Fat and Happy right now. We expect the Sabres at home to dominate here.

Boston has simply been the best team in the NHL up to this point, with a 10-2 record. They show no signs of slowing down. They suffered one of those losses last time out, so this team will put their best foot forward to get back on the winning track. That loss came against the Maple Leafs, a team well higher in the rankings than St. Louis. The blues are 3-6 and one of the biggest disappointments in the NHL this season. They have lost every game of their current six-game slide by multiple goals. This game looks bad for them also. Boston is 9-3 on the puckline this season. The Blues are 2-7. We think this one is blowout city tonight.

Florida scored us an easy big play winner Saturday with the over and we are going right back to the well. This team is No. 1 in the NHL for shots taken. They haven’t been able to convert that into the No. 1 offense, but they have been scoring better. Both teams are on a B2B after grueling games on Saturday late, and we don’t see either using the energy required for top-flight defense.

Florida is No. 1 in shots taken this season with an eye popping 40 shots per game. They haven’t translated those opportunities into goals as much as they would like as they are No. 20 in goals scored with 3 per game. They are going to have opportunities to get through this game since the Kings are allowing nearly four goals per game. That’s a big reason the Kings are trending to the over as they are 7-2-2 to the over in their last 11. The over is 4-2 in the last six meetings, and we think this will be a very competitive game and we think both teams will get their goals here. Last time out Florida almost had a massive offensive game if it wasn’t for some great goaltending from San Jose. We don’t think Quick from LA will have the same success. And the Kings aren’t going to get blown out at home. We see a high scoring affair here.

Florida will likely be much more of a player in the Stanley Cup chase than will San Jose, but the Panthers are not playing Cup-worthy hockey to start the season. They have been very mediocre thus far. They have been killing puckline bettors at 2-8 ATS, and they have a 5-4-1 record on the season. That is better than the Sharks, but San Jose is better than their record indicates, in our opinion. They had the strange start to the season with two games in Europe, and they haven’t found their footing since returning. But there are signs for optimism. Scoring has been their problem for most of the season, as the defense has been fine. But they have averaged four goals apiece in their last three, so things are looking up in that area. Florida has lost three of four and lost at Arizona 3-1 last time out. Both meetings last year were decided in overtime, and we think this will be a close one as well.

We know the underdogs don’t respect the Sabres yet since they are the underdog here despite a better record and being on home ice. But we think there is value here in a game they should win. They have won two of the last three in this series. The home team is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

Both teams trend heavily to the over this season. With both teams on a back-to-back we don’t see a lot of defense being played here and we think the offenses will rule the evening. Both teams are Top 10 on offense and Bottom 10 on defense this season, and we think this will be a more competitive game since the Blackhawks are at home and are a bit underrated.  

Buffalo has cooled off after their hot start. They suffered two pretty bad losses in their last two, losing to Montreal at home and a blowout loss at Seattle. Not exactly a Murderer’s Row. The Blackhawks have won four of five and are coming off a one-goal loss vs. Edmonton. They are one of the best betting teams in the league as they have been surpassing expectations. Chicago has a strong history here as they have won 16 of the last 21 meetings. They are 6-2 in the last eight trips to Buffalo. History and recent form is on our side here, and we think the road club has a very good chance to win.

After six games played already, Arizona is finally having their home opener. We think they bring their A Game here, and this is a very winnable game against a mediocre Winnipeg club. Arizona is coming off a big underdog win vs. Columbus, so they have some momentum. We think there is good value on the moneyline here with Winnipeg on a B2B.

We think Philly has a great chance to win this one outright but we will go with the puckline value here. We had this puckline handicapped at -180, so there is great value here. The Flyers are playing great hockey out of the gate at 4-2. They have been one of the better betting teams in the NHL because they have been playing well above expectations. They have covered the puckline in five of six games. Florida hasn’t been great on the road. They have been a money pit for puckline bettors at 1-6. The Panthers have lost six of the last eight meetings here in Philly. We expect a close game here.

The Islanders catch the Rangers in a great spot tonight. NY is coming off their big revenge game against Colorado from the Stanley Cup Finals last season. We were eyeing the Islanders big time before, but then that game last night went to OT, so the Rangers will be in even worse shape for this one. This will be the Rangers third game in four nights, while the islanders have had two nights off. The Islanders got off to a strong start, where they won two of three, but then they faced a tough stretch and have lost three straight. The last two were against tough opponents on the road. They will be wanting to get back on track here. The Islanders are the Little Brother in NY, like the Mets here and the Clippers in Los Angeles. The little brother always wants to put their best foot forward against their big rival. The Rangers aren’t playing great and have dropped four of five. The Islanders have won six of the last eight meetings.

Columbus has won three of four, including wins over Nashville and NY Rangers. We don’t really see them having a letdown here because they know every game is important in a possible playoff push. Columbus has 17 goals in their last four games. Arizona has allowed 12 goals in their last two games, and we think Columbus will likely put up a big number on offense here and they should have no problem covering the puckline.

These teams are a combined 8-2-2 against the total this season, and Toronto hasn’t cashed an over yet. We think there is a good chance this one goes under too. The under has hit in three of the last four meetings, and the only time the over hit in that span was a shootout in the last meeting. Both offenses have started off slow and both defenses are in the Top 10 early, and we expect a hard-fought defensive match here.

Columbus has played over in five straight games. They have been bad defensively but also able to score enough to get their share of the total. We think the same scenario plays out here. The over has hit in 10 of the last 14 meetings here in New York. Columbus allows four goals per game, and we think the Rangers get at least that, and the Blue Jackets will make up the rest.

The Sharks offense has been pitiful, and we don’t see things improving against one of the best defensive teams in the NHL. The Sharks are looking for their first win of the season, and if they are going to get it against New York they will have to perform well on the defensive end. The Sharks have one of the worst offenses in the NHL through five games, not to mention that the last four meetings here have all gone under. San Jose has a total of three goals in the last four meetings.

Philly has had a strong start to the season, but they are in a real tough spot here on a B2B after playing in Tampa last night in a big road win. Florida has also played well to start the season but are coming off their first loss of the season in Boston in a game where they played decently. They will be primed to get back on track here at home against a fatigued Philly team that doesn’t have their legs under them yet at this early point of the season. Florida has a strong history in this series. They have won six of seven, and three of the last four wins have been by multiple goals. The Flyers have won only once here in the last seven meetings. We don’t see things going well for them tonight and we expect a big bounce-back performance from the home team. Philly enters this matchup fat and happy and we think this is the perfect letdown spot for a team that has been playing a bit over their heads.

Vancouver comes in on a back-to-back after playing well in Washington on Monday. Columbus is an improved squad, in our opinion, but it has been tough sledding for them thus far with a 0-3 record. But they played a very difficult schedule thus far, with all three games against top-flight teams and two of them on the road. But they catch Vancouver here in a letdown spot on a back-to-back after a hard-fought game on Monday, and we think this is a great spot for them to score their first win of the season. We have no doubt they will put their best foot forward here, and Vancouver looks very vulnerable in this spot.

Montreal got their big win in the season opener over their rival Toronto and then went on the road in a letdown spot and were stomped by Detroit then they lost in Washington on a B2B. But they are back at home here and rested, and we think this will be a competitive match that the home side has a great chance to win. The underdog is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings between these squads. Montreal has won two of the last three meetings at home.

Both teams come in on a back-to-back. While it’s early in the season and players are still fresh, they aren’t conditioned as they would be midseason and we think this will affect the defense tonight. Toronto played in Montreal against their biggest rival. They scored three goals despite a very strong defensive effort from Montreal, so we think they could light up the scoreboard tonight. They also gave up four goals to what is a middling Montreal club. Washington gave up five goals to Boston. They scored only two, but we think we will see a much better offensive effort from them tonight, and we see a competitive game where both teams hit the back of the net multiple times. The over is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings and 4-1 in the last five meetings in Toronto.

Montreal probably won’t be a very good team this year. But the matchups with Toronto will be the highlights of their season. They always come to play against their main rival. And this is one of the best rivalries in all of sports. Toronto hasn’t won by more than one goal in the last seven meetings. Montreal has won five of those meetings outright. Last season, Montreal won both matchups at home, and both by multiple goals. We have to remember that Toronto is a contender and Montreal is unlikely to make the postseason, so that shows just how much they raise their level of play when they face their main rival. We expect another close one here and think the home team even has a slight chance to win outright.

This is a rematch of the playoff series from last season where the Lightning bounced the Rangers in six games. That sets up a revenge scenario and also both teams will want this game and these fresh squads will step up the defense on Opening Night on Tuesday. In that playoff series, Game 1 went over then the rest of the five games all went under. Two of the three regular season meetings went under. On Opening Night these teams are going to be hyped up and they should both have a lot of defensive energy. This is the only 5.5 total so far for the first two days of a full schedule on Tuesday and Wednesday, and there is a good reason for that. We expect this one to go comfortably under the posted number.

Have to hold our nose on this selection because San Jose didn’t look good in the first game here in Prague in a 4-1 loss. This isn’t a good team. It was 3-1 for most of the third period. The stats were pretty even for the whole game, so it wasn’t as one-sided as the final score might indicate. It’s very tough to beat a team twice in consecutive days. And the Sharks have to be desperate to avoid travelling halfway across the world and coming home with nothing to show for it other than an 0-2 start to the season. They will give absolutely everything they have to get the win here. And it’s telling that we have lower odds for the Sharks here for Game 2 after the 4-1 loss. The oddsmakers want their clients to bet on the favorite here.