Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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04-15-24 | Canadiens v. Red Wings -1.5 | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 31 m | Show | |
I see the Red Wings winning this game by multiple goals. It's Detroit's final regular season home game and the Red Wings are fired-up after upsetting the Maple Leafs on the road this past Saturday. That dramatic overtime victory keep the Red Wings' playoff hopes alive. The Canadiens are 1-5 in their last six games and out of playoff contention. |
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04-11-24 | Flyers v. Rangers -1.5 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 38 m | Show |
The Rangers have dominated this series going 9-0-1 during the past 10 meetings, including beating the Flyers the past six times.
New York is trying to win its division and won't lack motivation especially after losing to the Devils two days ago. This is more of a fade against Philadelphia, though. The Flyers have lost eight straight games with six of the defeats occurring by multiple goals. The Flyers have been outscored by 24 goals during their eight-game losing streak. |
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02-20-24 | Blue Jackets +1.5 v. Kings | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -115 | 26 h 44 m | Show |
Having gone just 9-9-1-5 in LA, the Kings have burned the most money at home of any team in the NHL. |
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01-19-24 | Wild v. Panthers -1.5 | 6-4 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 4 m | Show | |
Florida is in second place in the Atlantic Division with 58 points. But the Panthers are in must-win mode having lost three in a row - two in overtime - and finishing a five-game homestand with this matchup. |
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12-04-23 | Blues v. Golden Knights -1.5 | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 35 m | Show | |
The buy sign is back on the Golden Knights. Las Vegas is back on track posting consecutive 4-1 victories against the Canucks this past Thursday and Capitals two days ago. |
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11-11-23 | Flyers v. Kings -1.5 | 4-2 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 22 m | Show | |
The Kings buried the Flyers, 5-0, on the road a week ago. This spot sets up for the Kings to win by multiple goals again. |
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11-10-23 | Sharks v. Golden Knights -1.5 | 0-5 | Win | 100 | 11 h 10 m | Show | |
This is a kill spot for the defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights if there ever was one. Las Vegas has lost two in a row for the first time this season. The Golden Knights have been home since the early part of this week. They won't be taking the Sharks lightly after San Jose has won its last two games. The Golden Knights have no love lost either for the Sharks. |
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10-14-23 | Canucks v. Oilers -1.5 | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 21 h 19 m | Show | |
It was the shocker of the first week. Vancouver buried Edmonton, 8-1, at home this past Wednesday. Superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl certainly weren't happy. Look for the Oilers to get their rapid revenge with the rematch set for Edmonton on Saturday. Not only will the Oilers be highly motivated, but they should have key defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who missed Wednesday's game. The Oilers finished last season winning 12 of their past 16 home games.
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10-12-23 | Red Wings v. Devils -1.5 | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 52 m | Show | |
The Red Wings haven't made the Stanley Cup playoffs in seven seasons. I don't see them making the playoffs again this season.
The Devils, on the other hand, are a rising power. They finished with 112 points last season. They scored 3.5 goals per game, fifth-highest in the league, and have a top-10 defense. New Jersey's attack could be even deadlier with the additions of Timo Meier and Tyler Toffoli. They join emerging superstar Jack Hughes. The Red Wings are weak in net with Villie Husso and James Reimer. Expectations are high for New Jersey. I don't see the Devils letting their fans down in the season-opener for both teams. |
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06-13-23 | Panthers v. Golden Knights -1.5 | Top | 3-9 | Win | 161 | 25 h 36 m | Show |
The Golden Knights have mostly dominated this series. So their being up 3-1 is not a surprise. Las Vegas has outscored Florida, 17-9, made far fewer mistakes, has a decided edge in expected goals, is the much deeper and healthier team with Matthew Tkachuk battling a shoulder injury that has greatly reduced his minutes. The Panthers haven't been able to penetrate the middle of Las Vegas' tall and physical defense. Adin Hill has stepped up in net outplaying Sergei Bobrovsky throughout much of the series. Florida ranked 10th in power play goal percentage during the regular season. But against Las Vegas, the Panthers have failed to score in 13 power play opportunities. The Golden Knights held on to nip the Panthers, 3-2, this past Saturday in Florida in Game 4. Now the Panthers have to regroup and do it with a hobbled Tkachuk, who has been their best player. I don't see it happening, especially not at Las Vegas where the Panthers have lost the past seven times. I don't even see it being a close game. So I'm laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line turning huge minus juice into huge plus juice. |
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04-28-23 | Bruins -1.5 v. Panthers | 5-7 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 6 m | Show | |
I see the Bruins ending their first-round series against the Panthers today - and doing it in convincing style. The Panthers staved off elimination by upsetting the Bruins, 4-3 in overtime, in Boston during Wednesday's Game 5. The Bruins outshot the Panthers, 47-25, but made some horrendous turnovers that cost them the game. I don't see that happening again. Perhaps the Bruins were pressing too much playing at home. They should be focused being in Florida where they are 2-0 in the series, outscoring the Panthers by six goals during those two games. Boston is the best team in the NHL. The Bruins will prove it here. I'm confident enough of that to take a nice plus price on them laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line. |
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04-26-23 | Panthers v. Bruins -1.5 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 19 h 5 m | Show |
Swept the past two games at home, the Panthers find themselves down, 3-1, to the Bruins and on the verge of elimination in this first-round series matchup. I don't see Florida upsetting the Bruins in Boston in this Game 5. I'm willing, too, to turn a huge lay price into a plus price by laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line with the Bruins. The bonus being this is a closeout spot so the Panthers won't hesitate to pull their goalie early if down by a goal or two near the end of the game. The Bruins have been dominant all season. They certainly are dominant at home having won 42 of their last 51 games there. Florida has lost 20 of the past 26 times in Boston. Boston, though, will be taking nothing for granted as the road Panthers upset the Bruins in Game 2. The stinging defeat was a wakeup call for Boston. The Bruins beat the Panthers, 4-2 and 6-2, in Games 3 and 4. Boston's last six victories now have all been by more than one goal. As a bonus, the Bruins could get back their captain, Patrice Bergeron. He's yet to play in the series after getting hurt in Boston's regular-season finale. Bergeron is Boston's second-leading goal-scorer. |
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04-25-23 | Kings +1.5 v. Oilers | 3-6 | Loss | -120 | 9 h 31 m | Show | |
This series has been dead even. It's tied 2-2 with three of the four games going into overtime. There have been 27 goals scored, 14 by Edmonton and 13 by LA. The Kings should have won the last game this past Sunday. They built a 3-0 lead only to lose in overtime. The Kings have proven themselves on the road going 21-14-6 during the regular season. They have split the two playoff games played in Edmonton during the series. So I'm expecting another close game and am protected if the game reaches overtime again by taking the puck line. |
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04-20-23 | Lightning v. Maple Leafs -1.5 | 2-7 | Win | 171 | 9 h 34 m | Show | |
Backing the Maple Leafs in the playoffs can be an exercise in futility. But I see the Maple Leafs coming up big against the Lightning at home in Game 2 of their series after being upset by four goals as a mid-sized favorite two days ago in Game 1. Toronto is 5-0 the past five times following a home loss of three or more goals. The Maple Leafs have the talent. Their lack of intensity and mistakes around the net prevalent in Game 1 should be cleaned up here following that opening game, 7-3, embarrassament. Tampa Bay has lost six of its last eight road games. This is not the great Lightning team of the past few years. The Lightning also have injury concerns, especially on the blue line. Defenseman Erik Cernak is out. Star defenseman Victor Hedman is questionable with an undisclosed injury. He didn't practice Wednesday. |
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04-14-23 | Avalanche v. Predators +1.5 | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 8 h 39 m | Show | |
Colorado needs to beat the Predators on the road here in order to edge out Dallas for the Central Division title. That is going to be easier said than done. The Avalanche are a banged-up team and the Predators haven't shown any quit despite being eliminated from the playoffs. Colorado's depth took a hit in its 4-2 home win against the Jets last night as forwards Andrew Cogliano and Denis Maign left with injuries. Nashville is 4-1 in its last five games. During their last nine games, the Predators beat three clubs that won divisions - Bruins, Golden Knights and Hurricanes. Nashville has surrendered only nine goals during its past five games. |
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03-16-23 | Seattle Kraken -1.5 v. Sharks | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 35 m | Show |
I see this as a kill spot for Seattle. The Kraken are off three straight home losses. Now they go on the road to play the Sharks, who have by far the worst home mark in the NHL at 6-19-9. The Kraken have played much better on the road going 21-9-3. They've won their last four road games. Their last road defeat occurred to the Sharks, 4-0, on Feb. 20. So no chance the revenge-minded Kraken take the Sharks lightly. Motivation, on the other hand, could be difficult for the Sharks. They just were eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth straight season following a 6-5 home overtime loss to the Blue Jackets. |
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02-15-23 | Lightning v. Coyotes +1.5 | Top | 0-1 | Win | 100 | 19 h 10 m | Show |
The Coyotes are not a good team. But they are respectable at home going 11-8-2 at their new temporary home, Mullett Arena. They have won four of their last six home games and are capable of beating any team at Mullett Arena having proven that with victories against the Bruins, Maple Leafs and Avalanche. Mullett Arena is a 5,000-seat arena on the Arizona State campus. It is not a normal NHL arena because of its small size. Fans are right on top of the players. Opponents of the Coyotes are not used to this, especially when playing there for the first time. Tampa Bay fits that category. The Lightning probably won't take to the ice until pre-game warmups because they aren't likely to have a morning skate after playing Tuesday night. And what a game the Lightning had last night in Colorado. Tampa Bay edged the Avalanche, 4-3, in a shootout. The game had the intensity of a playoff matchup. I doubt the Lightning will go with star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in the second of back-to-back games. Tampa Bay's next game is much bigger on the road against the Golden Knights. There's a monster drop off from Vasilevskiy to backup goalie Brian Elliott. So that would be another plus for the Coyotes. I would recommend taking the Coyotes to win the first period, too, at around a nice plus $1.50 price. The Coyotes have yet to be outscored during the first period in five previous situations where an opponent was playing at Mullett Arena for the first time after playing the day before. |
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02-07-23 | Sharks v. Lightning -1.5 | 4-3 | Loss | -108 | 17 h 5 m | Show | |
The Lightning entered All-Streak break on a 3-game win streak. They had that streak end very rudely falling, 7-1, to the Panthers on the road Monday night. Now Tampa Bay returns home where it has won 51 of the past 68 times to face San Jose, who is 16-39 in its last 55 road contests. I see this as a kill spot for the Lightning following their embarrassing loss. It helps that they got the rust off by playing on Monday. San Jose hasn't played since Jan. 28. The Sharks have dropped 15 of their last 20 games. They are giving up an average of 4.3 goals during their last nine games. Tampa Bay is 6-0 the past six times playing the Sharks. |
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01-04-23 | Stars -1.5 v. Ducks | 0-2 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 23 m | Show | |
The Stars won't be taking the Ducks lightly after their four-game win streak was snapped by the Kings last night. Dallas is the third-highest scoring team in the NHL, while the Ducks are historically bad defensively. The Stars own huge special teams edges with the second-best power play and fourth-best penalty kill units in the NHL. Anaheim, by contrast, ranks second-worst on the power play and third-worst in killing penalties. The Ducks have lost by more than one goal during eight of their past nine defeats. |
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12-29-22 | Canadiens v. Panthers -1.5 | 2-7 | Win | 100 | 8 h 54 m | Show | |
It's been a disappointing season for the Panthers, but this is one matchup they've had circled for a long time. The Canadiens had the worst record in the NHL last season and they are bad again this season. But Montreal buried the Panthers, 10-2, at home in the regular-season finale last season. The Panthers haven't forgotten that humiliation. They are well-rested having been idle the last five days for holiday break. The Panthers also expect to get fortified with the return of captain Aleksander Barkov and defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Radko Gudas. Montreal has lost nine of its last 12 games, including falling to the Lightning, 4-1, on the road last night. That dropped the Canadiens' road record to 19-44 in their past 63 away matchups. Florida has defeated Montreal the past five times at home. |
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12-27-22 | Avalanche v. Coyotes +1.5 | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 22 h 40 m | Show | |
The Coyotes are not a good team. But they are tough at home, playing at Mullett Arena inside the campus at Arizona State. It's a smaller than normal NHL rink, making it rough on opposing teams especially those playing there for the first time. Such is the case for the Avalanche. Colorado's offense is way down due in large part from injuries. Star scorer Nathan MacKinnon remains sidelined. The Avalanche rank 25th in scoring. The Avalanche would be 1-10 in its last 11 games if laying 1 1/2 goals. Each of their last three victories have come by one goal - two in overtime and the other in a shootout. Arizona is 4-2 in its last six home games with three of those wins occurring versus the Kings, Islanders and Bruins. The Coyotes would be 12-4 in their last 16 games if plus 1 1/2 goals. |
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12-09-22 | Bruins -1.5 v. Coyotes | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -120 | 20 h 14 m | Show |
Death, taxes and the Bruins beating the Coyotes. Those are about the only three certain things in life. Boston has defeated Arizona 19 straight times. I'd be shocked if the Bruins didn't make it 20 in a row against the Coyotes, who haven't defeated Boston in 12 years. The Bruins are tied for the most points in the NHL. They rank first defensively and second in goals scored per game. The key question is can Boston beat Arizona by more than one goal so as to reduce laying such high vigorish? Yes. This is the Coyotes' first home game after a record-tying 14 consecutive road games that began back on Nov. 5. Not surprisingly, Arizona ran out of gas losing its last six games with the most recent defeat occurring two days ago to Edmonton by six goals. This marks the Coyotes' fifth game in nine days. They also have the distraction of finally being home after being gone close to five weeks. The Bruins rolled past the Coyotes, 6-3, at home in the first meeting between the two teams this season. Boston has won by multiple goals in 11 of its last 12 victories. |
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12-04-22 | Blackhawks v. Islanders -1.5 | 0-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 17 m | Show | |
I see this as a kill spot for the frustrated Islanders. The spot sets up well for them to bury the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks just snapped an eight-game losing streak by beating the Rangers, 5-2, on Saturday. Chicago had surrendered 37 goals in their previous seven games. The Islanders have lost their last two games, to the Flyers on the road and two days ago at home to the Predators in a game that was closer than the 4-1 final indicates. The Islanders are a far better team than the Blackhawks, who rank 28th defensively. |
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06-24-22 | Lightning v. Avalanche -1.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 20 m | Show |
It has been a great run for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning, but their chance for a three-peat ends Friday night in Colorado. A combination of an outstanding and hungry Avalanche team and fatigue is too much for Tampa Bay to overcome. Just like the Celtics, the Lightning have nothing left in the tank this late into the playoffs after enduring a much tougher path than Colorado to reach the finals, including coming back from series deficits to defeat the Maple Leafs and Rangers. The Avalanche are 7-2 at home in the playoffs. They buried the Lightning, 7-0, in their last home game. Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper complaining about the Avalanche having six skaters on the ice when they scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 4 this past Wednesday is sort of hoisting up the white flag. That was a bitter home loss for the Lightning - and the turning point of the series. The Avalanche have proven to be the superior team. They are fresher and highly motivated. I don't see the Lightning having enough left to hang close. |
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05-31-22 | Oilers v. Avalanche -1.5 | 6-8 | Win | 139 | 18 h 18 m | Show | |
The Oilers were able to get past the Kings and Flames so far in these Stanley Cup playoffs despite subpar goaltending by washed-up Mike Smith. But I don't see Smith, who has allowed three or more goals in seven of 11 playoff games, holding down the fort against the Avalanche. Edmonton has been able to get away with shoddy defense and goaltending because of its high-powered offense. Colorado, however, has an offense as good as the Oilers plus a much stronger defense. Edmonton scored a league-best 4.33 goals per game. Colorado was right behind the Oilers at 4.30 goals a game. The Oilers have two superstar point producers, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, to Edmonton's lone offensive superstar, Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado, however, has better scoring depth and its defenders have been the best in the playoffs at limiting shots on goals, limiting scoring chances and high danger opportunities. The Oilers don't have an answer for Colorado's star blue liner Cale Makar, who can control the action. Devon Toews gives Colorado the second best defenseman on the ice, too. This Game 1 is a home statement game for the Avalanche. I see them doing that with a multiple goal victory. |
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05-14-22 | Kings +1.5 v. Oilers | Top | 0-2 | Loss | -130 | 22 h 19 m | Show |
I'm taking 1 1/2 goals on the puck line in the belief the Oilers will wilt at home under the pressure of a Game 7. Even if they win, it will be by the narrowest of margins. Edmonton hasn't won a playoff series in five years. The Kings were an outstanding 23-11-7 on the road during the season. They are 2-1 on the road against the Oilers during this first-round series. LA still has some veterans remaining from its Stanley Cup winning teams of 2012 and 2014. So the Kings know how to win important games. |
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05-07-22 | Avalanche v. Predators +1.5 | 7-3 | Loss | -125 | 11 h 20 m | Show | |
If the Predators are going to win a playoff game against the Avalanche this is their chance returning home down 2-0 in the series. This isn't a play against Colorado. It's taking a value price on the Predators, who will be primed and pumped to play their finest game. Colorado has lost its last four road contests. The Avalanche also have lost in 18 of their last 26 road games to the Predators. Nashville nearly upset Colorado in Game 2 losing, 2-1, in overtime. Goalie Connor Ingram has looked good in the series in relief of injured starter Juuse Saros. So that's a big question that has been answered for the Predators.
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04-22-22 | Capitals -1.5 v. Coyotes | 2-0 | Win | 100 | 11 h 25 m | Show | |
Unless they're playing the Blackhawks, the Coyotes aren't even competitive. They are 2-14 in their last 16 games. One of those victories was against the Blackhawks. The other win came against the Sharks. Arizona just lost by one goal to Chicago in its last game this past Wednesday. The Coyotes lost all the other games during this span by multiple goals. Arizona has lost eight in a row with six of those defeats occurring by four or more goals. The Coyotes have been outscored by 34 goals during their last eight games. The Capitals should be in a kill mood after a tough 4-3 overtime loss to the Golden Knights two days ago. The Capitals are one of the best road teams in the league. They are 7-2 in their last nine away contests. Washington is fighting for playoff seeding so this game has meaning.
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04-19-22 | Wild v. Canadiens +1.5 | 2-0 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 20 m | Show | |
The Wild are in danger of suffering a letdown after clinching a playoff spot this past Sunday during their last game. All of Minnesota's last three games have been decided by one goal. The Wild would be 0-4 in their last four road games if laying 1 1/2 goals. Montreal shouldn't lack motivation and effort after an embarrassing, 8-4, home loss to the Capitals in their last game this past Saturday. The Canadiens have not been playing well, but they are capable of getting up for big games. They upset the Lightning as larger underdogs than this earlier this month. |
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04-18-22 | Hurricanes -1.5 v. Coyotes | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 25 h 59 m | Show |
Arizona has become an auto-fade on the puck line. The combination of injuries, inexperience and just wanting to get their season finished have rendered the Coyotes noncompetitive. The Coyotes are 2-13 in their last 15 games with their only victories during this time frame coming against non-playoff teams the Blackhawks and Sharks. Arizona has lost six in a row. All of these defeats have been by at least four goals! In fact, 12 of the Coyotes' last 13 losses have occurred by multiple goals. The Hurricanes can't afford to sleep against the Coyotes being in a tight race with the Rangers for the Metropolitan Division title. Carolina has beaten the Coyotes during seven of their last nine visits. |
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04-13-22 | Kings v. Avalanche -1.5 | Top | 3-9 | Win | 105 | 20 h 27 m | Show |
This is a kill spot for the Avalanche. Colorado is tied with Florida for the most points in the NHL at 110. The Avalanche have won six in a row. They've been idle since Saturday. The Kings halted a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory against the hapless Blackhawks Tuesday night. The Kings' reward? They go into high altitude to face the rested and ready Avalanche. Not only are the Kings playing without rest, but it's their third game in four days and they have a cluster injury problem on defense. One of the defensemen out for LA is Drew Doughty. The Avalanche has dominated the Kings winning the past eight times against them. |
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04-04-22 | Coyotes v. Blues -1.5 | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 22 m | Show | |
Arizona is out of playoff contention. Yet the Coyotes still could be fat and happy having upset the Blackhawks, 3-2, in overtime on the road Sunday. The Coyotes are without their top goal scorer and points leader, injured Clayton Keller. Arizona is 2-7 in its last nine games. The Blues are an overtime loss to the Oilers away from being 4-0 in their last four games. |
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07-07-21 | Canadiens v. Lightning -1.5 | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -100 | 18 h 58 m | Show |
The plucky Canadiens got their win, nipping the Lightning, 3-2, in overtime two days ago. Montreal regained its self-respect by not getting swept by Tampa Bay. But now the inevitable has arrived for the Canadiens - Game 5 in Tampa Bay. The defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning are healthy and at the highest tier. Montreal is nowhere near that status. At best the Canadiens are at least one level, if not two levels, behind the Lightning. The situation is ripe for the Lightning to finish off this series. I'm going to turn a huge lay price into a plus price by laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line in the belief this is not going to be a close game. Even if it is, the empty net factor looms large with Montreal on the brink of elimination and having nothing to lose. Tampa Bay hasn't lost two playoff games in a row since the opening round of 2019. The Lightning have won 72 percent of their last 69 home games. They also are 8-0 the past eight times hosting Montreal.
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06-20-21 | Golden Knights -1.5 v. Canadiens | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 26 m | Show | |
Montreal has a surprising 2-1 lead on Las Vegas heading into Game 4 of its Stanley Cup series. But the Canadiens have not shown they are the better team. Not to denigrate the Canadiens' achievement, but they are extremely fortunate to be up. The Golden Knights have been in this come-from-behind position before down 1-0 to the Wild and 2-0 to the Avalanche. They responded each time, winning those series. Las Vegas dominated much of Game 3 only to lose 3-2 in overtime on a rare mistake by rock solid goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. The Golden Knights have fired 106 shots on goalie Carey Price during the first three games. Price can still be very good, as he's shown during the playoffs, but he isn't in his prime. Las Vegas has generated pressure despite Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, its two best offensive players, generating just one assist between them. Both are way overdue to produce. I see the Golden Knights breaking out in big fashion here so I'm going to lay 1 1/2 goals on the puck line and go for a huge plus price return. |
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06-14-21 | Canadiens +1.5 v. Golden Knights | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -124 | 30 h 22 m | Show |
Few, if any, thought Montreal would be one of the four finalists for the Stanley Cup. But here the Canadiens are. They are loose, playing on house money and in a great position to ambush the host Golden Knights in Monday's opening game of their semifinal series. The Canadiens are rested and prepared having not played in a week after sweeping Winnipeg. The Golden Knights still could be partying after taking care of Colorado in a hard-fought, exciting six-game series that concluded Thursday night. Las Vegas is the superior team. No argument there. But it's a mistake to underestimate Montreal like the oddsmaker has done. So taking 1 1/2 goals on the puck line with Montreal makes tremendous sense. Can the Canadiens actually pull this first game upset? They just have to hang close - and there are signs they can do just that. Montreal has won seven in a row. The Canadiens have a winning road mark. They also have defeated the Golden Knights during their past four meetings with the last coming last year since the teams did not meet this season. Las Vegas played only West Division teams. This is the Golden Knights' first game versus a team outside the West Division. Carey Price could be the hottest goalie of the postseason. He's 8-3 with a 1.97 goals against average and a .935 save percentage. Las Vegas goalies, by comparison, have given up 2.4 goals during the playoffs with a .908 save percentage. The Golden Knights lost Game 1 of their opening playoff series against the Wild. They also lost in Game 1 against Colorado. The Canadiens eliminating the Maple Leafs was as impressive as the Golden Knights taking out the Avalanche. Montreal would be 11-2 in its last 13 games if given 1 1/2 goals. Las Vega would be 3-6 in its last nine games if minus 1 1/2 goals. |
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05-04-21 | Islanders -1.5 v. Sabres | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 35 m | Show | |
A flat performance and outstanding goaltending from Buffalo fourth-stringer Michael Houser did in the Islanders in a 4-2 loss on Monday. I'm not expecting a repeat. Buffalo is 17-40 following a victory. The Islanders had beaten the Sabres in the previous six meetings this season with five of those victories occurring by multiple goals. The last time the Sabres defeated the Islanders two straight times during the regular season was nine years ago. Even not performing well, the Islanders still outplayed the hapless Sabres in two of three periods. Houser came up with 34 saves. I doubt he plays that well again against a determined Islanders squad that will be taking Buffalo far more seriously this time around. |
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05-02-21 | Lightning -1.5 v. Red Wings | 2-1 | Loss | -120 | 14 h 47 m | Show | |
The Lightning thoroughly outplayed the Red Wings as expected on Saturday. What wasn't expected was the Red Wings pulling out a 1-0 shootout win. Tampa Bay outshot Detroit, 33-15, but blew a number of good scoring chances. The Lightning won't be taking the Red Wings lightly in this shortest of revenge setting. They also likely won't be playing their backup goalie again. I see this as a kill spot for the Lightning. Detroit has no firepower. The Red Wings have only scored more than two goals once in their eight games. Tampa Bay is the No. 3 scoring team in the NHL at 3.4 goals per game.
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04-30-21 | Golden Knights v. Coyotes +1.5 | Top | 0-3 | Win | 100 | 19 h 14 m | Show |
The Coyotes are in desperation, must-win mode win trailing the Blues for the final playoff spot in the West Division. The Coyotes have a winning record in their past nine home games and are primed to give a strong effort here. The Golden Knights, on the other hand, enter this matchup fat and happy. Their playoff ticket is punched and they are off a highly-satisfying, 5-2, home victory against the Avalanche this past Wednesday. The Golden Knights regard the Avalanche as their main competitor in the Western Conference. This is a prime letdown spot for Las Vegas. So this sets up as a great ambush spot for Arizona. But to play it safe, I'm going to lay the juice and take 1 1/2 goals on the puck line. |
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04-24-21 | Stars -1.5 v. Red Wings | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 31 m | Show | |
Despite multiple injuries, the Red Wings came out of nowhere to surprise the hot Stars, 7-3, at home this past Thursday. Dallas is much the better team and won't get ambushed again. Detroit is 6-16 following a victory. All but one of the Stars' last six victories have been by more than one goal. Until Thursday's shocking four-goal loss to the Red Wings, the Stars had given up just 12 goals during their previous eight games. |
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04-22-21 | Devils v. Penguins -1.5 | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 8 h 29 m | Show | |
Don't look for Penguins to come close to blowing a six-goal lead like they did this past Tuesday. Pittsburgh is some three tiers better than the Devils, who have lost seven in a row and are now firmly in the argument for worst team in the NHL. Yet the Devils nearly came back from a 6-0 deficit against the Penguins two days ago, losing 7-6 after trailing, 6-0. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan spent yesterday lecturing his team about not letting up. The Penguins have won 40 of their last 56 home contests and I expect a blowout here. New Jersey, losers of 23 of its last 30 games, could be short-handed on the blueline if P.K. Subban remains on the COVID-19 protocol list. |
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04-21-21 | Sharks v. Golden Knights -1.5 | 2-5 | Win | 102 | 11 h 54 m | Show | |
It was an emotional game for the Sharks when they met the Golden Knights two days ago as it marked Patrick Marleau setting the record for most games played in NHL history. The Sharks gave it a great effort, but fell, 3-2, in a shootout. The Golden Knights came back from a 2-0 deficit. I don't see the Sharks being so up for this game. San Jose has lost six in a row. Before Monday's game, the Sharks had lost by multiple goals in eight of their past nine losses. Las Vegas had won four in a row by more than one goal before Monday's game. The Golden Knights were very classy following Monday's game in congratulating the Sharks and Marleau. Make no mistake, though, the Golden Knights hate the Sharks. This is a bitter rivalry. I don't see the Golden Knights coming out flat again. Las Vegas has won all six of the meetings between the two teams this season.
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04-20-21 | Maple Leafs -1.5 v. Canucks | 3-6 | Loss | -114 | 17 h 32 m | Show | |
It was probably the biggest upset of the season. The Canucks stunned the Maple Leafs, 3-2 in overtime, two days ago. Vancouver hadn't played since March 24. Braden Holtby turned in his finest Vancouver performance stopping 37 shots. Holtby was filling in for regular goalie Thatcher Demko, one of 22 Vancouver players to test positive for COVID-19. Holtby has a save percentage of less than 90 percent and his GAA is 3.44. He's past his prime. The Maple Leafs are several tiers above the Canucks. I expect them to get their revenge in a big way here. Tuesday Free Play Penguins at Devils Over 6 minus $1.05 These two teams just met on April 9 and April 11 in Pittsburgh. The Penguins won those games, 6-4 and 5-2. So what's changed? Nothing. The youthful, mistake-prone Devils still are in full rebuild mode and the Penguins still have a well above average offense ranking sixth in goals. Pittsburgh has scored 3 or more goals in 10 of its last 13 games. The Penguins shouldn't encounter problems denting the net again versus the Devils, who rank 28th defensively and have the worst penalty kill in the league. New Jersey has surrendered a minimum of 3 goals in each of its last nine games. The Devils aren't quitting, though. They came from three goals down to tie the Rangers during their last game this past Sunday before losing, 5-3. The Penguins haven't been sharp defensively. They've given up seven power-play goals during their last eight games and are off a 4-2 loss to the lowly Sabres this past Sunday.
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04-18-21 | Maple Leafs -1.5 v. Canucks | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -114 | 10 h 10 m | Show |
Toronto is one of the best teams in hockey. The Maple Leafs are in rare stop-the-pain mode losers of three in a row, including an embarrassing 5-2 home loss to the Jets in their last game this past Thursday. The Maple Leafs are in a great scheduling spot here. They draw Vancouver, which hasn't played since March 24 because of an outbreak of COVID-19 that affected 22 of its players. Not only have the Canucks not played since then, but they've only been able to practice once during this long idle period. They still could be down as many as seven players. The Canucks certainly could use more time to get ready, but the league is anxious for them to resume their season. The Canucks are not up to par physically or mentally. I can't see them hanging close to the Maple Leafs regardless if Austin Matthews, the NHL's top goal scorer, plays or not after sitting out Thursday with a hand injury. Toronto has won five of the last six times it has been a road favorite. They are in a great spot to add to that record.
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04-17-21 | Senators +1.5 v. Canadiens | 4-0 | Win | 100 | 1 h 57 m | Show | |
I'm not sold on the Canadiens to win this game especially by multiple goals. Montreal has won only once by more than one goal during its last eight games. The Canadiens are missing one of their key offensive players with Brandan Gallagher out. The Senators usually keep games close. They would be 11-3 in their last 14 games if given 1 1/2 goals.
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04-14-21 | Coyotes +1.5 v. Wild | 2-5 | Loss | -147 | 8 h 11 m | Show | |
The Wild's schedule and mental frame have been thrown out of whack due to protests in the Minneapolis region following the police shooting of unarmed Daunte Wright. The Wild's Monday night home game against the Blues was postponed until May 12 and their game today against Arizona was moved up to the afternoon instead of being played in the evening like originally scheduled. All of this has to be distracting and disconcerting to the Minnesota players and families. It leaves open how much concentration and intensity the Wild will have in this matchup. The Minnesota Timberwolves played on Tuesday afternoon at home against the Nets after their original Monday night game against the Nets was postponed. The Timberwolves were blown out by 30 points. Unlike the Timberwolves, the Wild are heavy favorites in this game. Because of circumstances brought about by the tragic shooting, the Wild are more susceptible to being flat. I can't trust the Coyotes, losers of four in a row, to pull off the outright upset but I will lay high juice to back them at plus 1 1 2 goals on the puck line. The Coyotes are in stop-the-pain mode. Their last three losses have come to elite foes, two games against the Golden Knights and one to the Avalanche.
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04-11-21 | Sabres +1.5 v. Flyers | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 15 m | Show | |
Less than 24 hours after a achieving a highly-satisfying 3-2 win against the Bruins on Saturday, the Flyers have to play again. The opponent is the rebuilding Sabres. So I need to go to the puck to get an extra cushion at plus 1 1/2 goals, but this definitely is a bad spot for Philadelphia. The Flyers exerted a lot of energy holding off the Bruins, including going 4-for-4 in penalty kills. The Flyers carry a huge fatigue factor as this is their fifth game in seven days. The two teams met twice in Buffalo on March 29 and 31. The Sabres blew a 3-0 lead in a 4-3 overtime loss. Buffalo came back to whip the Flyers, 6-1, to end its 18-game losing streak. The Sabres have played better during their last eight games as some of their younger players develop more. If given 1 1/2 goals during this span, the Sabres would be 7-1.
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04-01-21 | Rangers -1.5 v. Sabres | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 53 m | Show | |
There must have been plenty of Labatt Blue consumed in Buffalo last night after the Sabres ended their 18-game winless streak by crushing the Flyers, 6-1, at home. The Sabres still could be celebrating by the time this game starts. It's unfortunate for the Sabres they have to play right away following that long-awaited victory. It's also their third game in four days and sixth game in nine days. Buffalo is 3-14 in its last 17 home contests. The Rangers don't mind being party poopers. They can't afford a slip-up here. New York is 6-4 in its last 10 games with all of its victories during this span occurring by at least two goals. The Rangers have proven trustworthy lately in this role winning six of the last seven times as chalk. Probable Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin is 2-0 with a 1.96 GAA and .918 save percentage in two games against Buffalo this season. Sabres expected goalie Dustin Tokarski, on the other hand, has a 5.12 GAA and .854 save percentage in three career games versus the Rangers.
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03-31-21 | Flyers v. Sabres +1.5 | Top | 1-6 | Win | 100 | 15 h 22 m | Show |
The Sabres won't have a better chance of ending their hideous 18-game losing streak than right here. But can they be trusted? Heck no. That's why I'm backing them on the puck line taking 1 1/2 goals and laying juice believing this is going to be an extremely close game between two teams who are playing terribly. It sure went that way this past Monday night. Buffalo jumped to a 3-0 lead before proceeding to lose, 4-3 in overtime. It may have been the Sabres' most frustrating loss of the season, which is saying a lot since you need a calculator to add up all of their defeats. Now the Sabres get their revenge opportunity. Motivation can mean everything, but it won't work if the talent level isn't there. Fortunately for the Sabres, the Flyers are extremely mediocre with the worst defense and penalty kill in the league. Philadelphia is 5-9 in its last 14 games. If laying 1 1/2 goals, the Flyers would be riding a 16-game losing streak themselves. They haven't won a game by more than one goal this entire month.
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03-22-21 | Ducks v. Wild -1.5 | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 40 m | Show | |
The Wild return to Minnesota in embarrassing fashion having lost two straight games to the Avalanche. There's no shame in losing to the Avs in Denver, but there is when you're outscored, 11-1, like Minnesota was. Luckily for the Wild, they have a patsy awaiting them - the rebuilding Ducks, losers of 14 of their last 17 games. Minnesota hasn't lost three in a row all season. I certainly don't believe that streak will be broken here. I'm so sure that I'm willing to take plus price juice by laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line since I'm not in the habit of laying such a hefty money line price. Minnesota is on an eight-game home win streak with five of the last seven victories during that streak coming by multiple goals. Anaheim's last five losses have been by a combined 20 goals, an average loss of four goals per game. The Ducks average a puny 2.2 goals per game, which ranks 29th. The Wild are the seventh-best defensive team in the NHL. The key will be if Minnesota can score enough to cover the puck line. The Wild have been way underwhelming on the power play. However, Anaheim has serious goalie problems. Starting goalie John Gibson is out with injury. This leaves 40-year-old Ryan Miller and third-stringer Anthony Stolarz for the Ducks' netminder choices. Miller is well past his prime. The Ducks gave Stolarz his first start of the season this past Saturday. It didn't go well. He was pulled after allowing two goals on 14 shots in a 5-1 loss to Arizona. The offensively-starved Coyotes had entered that matchup having scored only four goals in their last five games. |
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03-21-21 | Devils +1.5 v. Penguins | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 8 h 21 m | Show | |
These teams are well acquainted with each other having played twice during the past three days. New Jersey won, 3-2, this past Thursday and Pittsburgh prevailed, 3-1, on Saturday. I'm expecting another close game. The Devils would be 6-2 in their last eight games if given 1 1/2 goals. They haven't lost by more than two goals in any of their past eight games. The scene shifts to Pittsburgh after Thursday and Saturday's games were played in New Jersey. The Devils have won four of the past five times in Pittsburgh. The Penguins also are 1-5 the last six times when playing without rest. This has been a tight series the past three days. The Devils beat the Penguins Thursday and played them even during 5-on-5 action Saturday, but lost because of special teams. New Jersey went 0-for-4 on its power play chances, while the Penguins scored on one of their two power play opportunities. Multiple injuries to the Penguins have helped make this such a close series. The Penguins are down their No. 2 and No. 3 centers with Evgeni Malkin and Teddy Blueger out. Forward Brandon Tanev is questionable. Tanev has the second-highest plus mark on the Penguins. |
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03-17-21 | Sharks v. Golden Knights -1.5 | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 19 h 44 m | Show |
Returning home from a six-game road trip, the Golden Knights were far from sharp when they hosted San Jose this past Monday. Sure enough Las Vega was flat. But the Golden Knights still managed to beat San Jose, 2-1. Now the Golden Knights are more rested and primed to destroy the opponent they hate the most. Las Vegas is the vastly superior team and won't lack motivation. The Golden Knights are third defensively giving up 2.2 goals per game. Marc-Andre Fleury is in the argument for best goalie this season. Las Vegas is a top-10 scoring team. The Sharks give up the most goals per game in the league at 3.5. They also allow the second-most shots on goal. Las Vegas has defeated San Jose five times in a row. The Sharks are 6-13 the past 19 times when playing on one day's rest. The Golden Knights have won 69 percent of their last 52 home contests. Kill spot here so I'm laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line. |
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03-16-21 | Coyotes +1.5 v. Wild | 0-3 | Loss | -136 | 16 h 59 m | Show | |
I don't want to fully step in against a hot Minnesota Wild team, but I do believe Arizona is going to throw its best punch here. The Coyotes are desperate to avoid being swept three games by Minnesota. So I'm going to lay the juice and take a 1 1/2 goal cushion with the puck line. The Wild shut out the Coyotes, 4-0, this past Friday and followed that up with a 4-1 victory this past Sunday. Those scores are misleading, though. Both games were tied entering the final period. Can the Coyotes bounce back? They aren't some bottom-feeder. The Coyotes are a .500 team that won't lack motivation. They've shown a propensity to come through in these types of situations going 7-2 the past nine times when playing for the third time in four days. Arizona would be 10-5 in its last 15 games if given plus 1 1/2 goals. |
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03-14-21 | Hurricanes v. Red Wings +1.5 | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 12 h 41 m | Show | |
Yes, the Red Wings are a bad team. One reason for this is lack of depth. Detroit has been battered by injuries. Now, though, the Red Wings have gotten healthier. Their best center, Dylan Larkin, and defenseman Troy Stecher are back in the lineup. The Red Wings showed life with those two back in the lineup taking on powerful Tampa Bay during their last two games. The Red Wings lost 4-3 in overtime and then knocked off the reigning Stanley Cup champions, 6-4, this past Thursday. That was a season high in goals for Detroit. Here's an interesting quote from Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill: "... When we lost a number of guys, it hurt us, and when we've been healthy, we've played pretty good hockey overall." Backed by a 1 1/2-goal cushion on the puck line, I believe Detroit can hang in if not ambush the red-hot Hurricanes. Carolina could be in a letdown spot having won seven in a row. The Hurricanes have been relying on a highly effective power play unit to supplement their goal production. They may not get so many calls, however, being on the road. This is Carolina's first road game in 12 days. The Hurricanes have won seven in a row, but three of those victories came against the struggling Predators and three of their victories during their win streak occurred in overtime. Carolina also is going to be minus injured Vincent Trocheck. He's having a tremendous season leading the Hurricanes in goals with 13 and in points with 24. |
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03-10-21 | Coyotes v. Avalanche -1.5 | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 45 m | Show | |
Colorado has lost consecutive games to the Coyotes and Ducks both as a big home favorite. The Avalanche didn't have star center Nathan MacKinnon in either of those games. MacKinnon is set to return tonight and I look for the Avalanche to get short revenge on Arizona after losing, 3-2, to the Coyotes two days ago. This is Arizona's fourth game in six days and the Coyotes are playing in Denver's high altitude. So this game could get out of hand in Colorado's favor during the third period if not earlier. Until that Monday loss, the Avalanche had beaten Arizona six times in a row at home. The Coyotes' upset win against Colorado on Monday came with a price: Starting goalie Darcy Kuemper left early in the third period with an injury. He won't play today. |
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03-08-21 | Senators v. Oilers -1.5 | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 43 m | Show | |
Edmonton is 4-0 versus Ottawa this season. The Oilers are in a good spot to make it 5-0. Obviously the oddsmaker agrees making the Oilers a massive favorite. I can't lay that price, but I can turn this into a plus price by getting involved with Edmonton on the puck line. The Oilers beat the Senators by multiple goals in three of their four games. The Oilers draw the Senators after Ottawa just upset the Flames on the road, 4-3, in a shootout Sunday night. The Senators got away with being whistled for 10 penalties. It was just Ottawa's 15th away victory in its last 67 road contests. NHL points leader Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who ranks third in the league in points, are in line for huge performances. The Senators have the worst defense in the league surrendering 3.9 goals per game. The Senators are likely to start third-string goalie Joey Daccord, too. Matt Murray played last night and backup Marcus Hogberg is on injured reserve.
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03-05-21 | Lightning -1.5 v. Blackhawks | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 43 m | Show | |
The Blackhawks are at least two levels, if not three levels, behind the defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning. The Blackhawks, though, played a spirited game on Thursday giving the Lightning all they could handle before falling, 3-2, when Tampa Bay scored with one second left in overtime. The Blackhawks blew a 2-0 second period lead. Tampa Bay should be more prepared this time around while the Blackhawks could be mentally down playing right away again without rest. The Lightning have defeated Chicago now five straight times on the road. The Lightning are 43-16 (73 percent) the past 59 times following a victory. Andrei Vasilevskiy has been the best goalie in hockey this season. He could get the call again. If not I'm fine with Tampa Bay backup goalie Curtis McElhinney. Likewise, Chicago could turn to backup goalie Malcolm Subban since this is a back-to-back spot. Subban surrendered five goals to the offensively-challenged Red Wings in his last start six days ago.
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03-04-21 | Senators v. Flames -1.5 | 3-7 | Win | 130 | 15 h 31 m | Show | |
Calgary has been idle since returning home from three games at Ottawa. The Flames went 1-2 in those games with the last occurring in a 5-1 loss this past Monday. I want the rested Flames going for me in this revenge spot especially now they're getting back forward Derek Ryan and starting goalie Jacob Markstrom. The latest loss to Ottawa put Flames coach Geoff Ward's job in jeopardy. So I believe the Flames are primed for a big effort. This will be the Senators' third game in four days. They are 0-6 the past six times in this type of situation. They also have lost 10 of the past 13 times in Calgary. Ottawa has been a terrible road team losing 51 of their last 65 away contests.
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03-04-21 | Red Wings +1.5 v. Hurricanes | 2-5 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 30 m | Show | |
OK, at even money plus 1 1/2 goals I can get involved with the Red Wings given this anti-Carolina situational spot. The Hurricanes just concluded a five-game road trip this past Tuesday night. They are riding a three-game win streak. This is their first home game since Feb. 22. It's easy for the Hurricanes to suffer a concentration lapse and letdown with the Red Wings as their opponent. Carolina also is carrying a high fatigue rating. The Hurricanes will be playing their sixth game in nine days. The teams split two games in Detroit to open the season in January. Most of this handicap is a fade on Carolina, but the Red Wings would be 8-5 in their last 13 games if getting 1 1/2 goals, while the Hurricanes would be 1-4 in their last five games if laying 1 1/2 goals.
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02-09-21 | Red Wings +1.5 v. Panthers | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 16 m | Show | |
The record hadn't reflected it until this past Sunday, but the Red Wings have been making progress. They finally halted an eight-game winless streak by defeating Florida, 4-1, on the road this past Sunday. Detroit's reward? The Red Wings are monster underdogs to the Panthers. Florida should not be this high of a favorite against any team. I'm going to take advantage of what I consider a mispriced line to lay small extra juice on the puck line in order to get the Red Wings at plus 1 1/2 goals. There has been just a one-goal difference in seven of Florida's last eight games. The only game that was decided by a single goal during this span was the Red Wings' three-goal Sunday victory. Note that if given 1 1/2 goals, the Red Wings would hold a winning record during their last 12 games.
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02-04-21 | Senators v. Canadiens -1.5 | 3-2 | Loss | -114 | 8 h 39 m | Show | |
Montreal is tied for the most points in the NHL. Ottawa is the worst team in the NHL right now. But can the Canadiens beat the Senators by more than one goal? I'd be surprised if they didn't. The Canadiens are 7-2 in their last nine games. All of their victories during this nine-game span have been by multiple goals. They lead the NHL in scoring at 4.4 goals per game. The Senators have lost by multiple goals in each of their last seven games. This is their finale of a hellish seven-game road trip. it's their fifth game in nine days. So the Senators may not have anything left in the tank physically and mentally. Montreal has dominated Ottawa, too, going 12-1-2 versus the Senators dating back to the 2016-17 season.
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01-26-21 | Sharks v. Avalanche -1.5 | 3-7 | Win | 113 | 17 h 37 m | Show | |
The last time the Avalanche were home they buried the Blues, 8-0. Now I don't expect Colorado to beat San Jose by eight goals, but I do believe the Avalanche will win this game by multiple goals. Colorado fell 3-1 on the road to the Ducks this past Sunday. That was a frustrating defeat for the Avalanche, who outshot Anaheim, 33-15, while running into hot goalie John Gibson. Now the Avalanche drop way down defensively in class hosting San Jose. The Sharks rank 27th defensively. This is their fourth game in six days so they have a heavy fatigue factor, which further erodes an already weak defense. San Jose has dropped eight of its 11 road contests even after upsetting Minnesota this past Sunday. |
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01-23-21 | Kings v. Blues -1.5 | 2-4 | Win | 145 | 8 h 57 m | Show | |
The Kings have opened with four tough games, two of which went into overtime. After hosting the Wild twice and Avalanche twice, the Kings take to the road for the first time this season. The road has not been kind to the Kings. They have lost 41 of their past 58 away contests. This is LA's third game, too, in five days. The Blues have been idle since Wednesday when they lost 2-1 at home to the Sharks in a shootout. The Blues are rested and anxious to put that defeat behind them. It's a bad spot for the Kings, fresh off their first win, 4-2, against Colorado two days ago. I can see the Blues winning by multiple goals.
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01-15-21 | Blues v. Avalanche -1.5 | 0-8 | Win | 172 | 17 h 8 m | Show | |
I hold a lot of respect for the Blues. But I want the Avalanche going for me in this short home revenge spot after St. Louis defeated Colorado, 4-1, two days ago. The Avalanche didn't play well. They seemed to be caught off-guard by the Blues' heavy checking and physical ways failing to counter that. I believe the Avalanche will be better prepared and proper adjustments made. They should have some urgency at the thought of going down 0-2 in this shortened season with a pair of home losses especially with their next four games on the road. Colorado has a history of responding well to this type of loss going 7-0 the past seven times following a loss of three or more goals. It's going to be difficult for the Blues to keep the Avalanche's restored No. 1 line of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen off the scoreboard. It wouldn't surprise me if the Blues faded in the third period with this being their second game in three days playing in high altitude.
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01-15-21 | Maple Leafs -1.5 v. Senators | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 10 m | Show | |
I think the highly-talented Maple Leafs have a shot to win the Stanley Cup this season. Toronto wasn't that sharp in its opener against Montreal, but came back from a two-goal deficit to nip the Canadiens in overtime. I expect the Maple Leafs to play better against the Senators. Toronto has the edge of already having played a game - not to mention a huge advantage in talent - while Ottawa is making its season debut. The Senators were the second-worst team in the league last season. The Senators are breaking in many new faces and without preseason they likely will start slow.
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01-15-21 | Blackhawks v. Lightning -1.5 | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 15 h 6 m | Show | |
The defending Stanley Cup Lightning are an elite tier team, while the Blackhawks rank among the worst teams. This was evident in Wednesday's opener won by the Lightning, 5-1. The score could have been even more lopsided but Blackhawks goalie Malcolm Subban made a couple of great saves. Tampa Bay dominated that game. I don't see anything changing. The Blackhawks are inexperienced, weak in net and really missing the presence of sidelined team captain Jonathan Toews. The Lightning have beaten the Blackhawks in nine of their past 10 regular-season meetings. The chances of the Lightning letting down are lessened by the heavy reduction of games this season, making each matchup important. Tampa Bay doesn't have to play an "A" game to defeat the Blackhawks by multiple goals.
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01-13-21 | Blackhawks v. Lightning -1.5 | 1-5 | Win | 110 | 14 h 59 m | Show | |
Forget that the Blackhawks upset the Oilers in the playoffs last season. Chicago is in full rebuild mode. The Blackhawks are going to be especially vulnerable early in the year as they try to develop an identity and learn to play without injured center Jonathan Toews, their captain for the last 13 seasons. The defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning want to make an early statement. There's an urgency for them with the long-delayed season reduced to 56 regular season games. They can't screw around with a loss to such a lightly-regarded foe. Tampa Bay has beaten Chicago in eight of the last nine meetings. The Lightning won't be taking the Blackhawks lightly either after Chicago stunned Edmoton in the postseason. The Blackhawks lack the goaltending, power play and center depth minus Toews and Kirby Dach to hang close to Tampa Bay. |
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09-28-20 | Lightning -1.5 v. Stars | 2-0 | Win | 165 | 12 h 31 m | Show | |
I give a lot of credit to Dallas. Few, if anybody, expected the Stars to reach Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. I had the Stars at a nice plus price in their Game 5 double-overtime victory this past Saturday. The teams played that game without rest. Now they've had one day in between games. That's enough for the Lightning to end this series. Tampa Bay has defeated Dallas in eight of the last 11 meetings. Since Game 2, the Lightning have outplayed the Stars throughout much of the series. Tampa Bay has won 41 of the last 53 times when playing for the fourth time in six days. The Lightning also are a perfect 6-0 following a loss in the playoffs. The Stars have shown a lot of toughness and resilience especially having to go with backup goalie Anton Khudobin, who has been far better than expected in this series. But time has run out on Dallas and Khudobin. I see the Lightning ending the series with a multiple goal victory. |
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09-12-20 | Golden Knights -1.5 v. Stars | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 42 m | Show | |
Dallas leads this Western Conference Finals series 2-1. But the Stars aren't the better team. Las Vegas would have the series lead if Dallas backup goalie Anton Khudobin didn't come up with the game of his life stopping 38 of 40 shots in the Stars' 3-2 overtime victory on Thursday. The Golden Knights have dangerous scoring capability with all four of their lines. They know the importance of jumping in front of the Stars. Dallas is 8-1 in one-goal games during the playoffs and 3-7 in games decided by multiple goals. If the Golden Knights are able get an early lead, I could see that snowballing into a blowout victory. The Stars have reverted back to their conservative, defensive ways of the regular season. Ben Bishop is not in net for them, though. Khudobin is and I don't see him producing a second straight monster game. He's not a spectacular goalies. He's just a solid backup who needs plenty of defense in front of him for protection. This limits the Stars from an offensive perspective. Despite the Game 3 loss, the Golden Knights still have beaten the Stars seven of the past 10 times. The Stars also are 2-8 the past 10 times after giving up 2 or fewer goals during their last game.
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08-23-20 | Canucks v. Golden Knights -1.5 | 0-5 | Win | 145 | 20 h 1 m | Show | |
The Golden Knights have never lost in regulation to the Canucks in 10 meetings. I don't expect that pattern to change in this Game 1. Given that the Golden Knights are the superior team and are in a very good situational spot, I'm expecting a Las Vegas multi-goal win so I'd rather grab a nice plus price on the puck line than lay heavy juice. The Canucks just played this past Friday night when they eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champion Blues. That's a quick turnaround and a letdown spot. By contrast, the Golden Knights have been idle since Wednesday. Having four days to rest and prepare is huge at this stage. The Golden Knights opened their Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-1 Game 1 victory against the Blackhawks, who had just got through upsetting the Oilers. I could envision the same type of victory here for the Golden Knights, who have a huge edge in depth and defense.
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08-18-20 | Blackhawks v. Golden Knights -1.5 | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 20 h 33 m | Show | |
The Blackhawks have nothing to be ashamed of. They made the playoffs taking out the Oilers in round-robin play. The Blackhawks also didn't get swept by the Golden Knights during this Stanley Cup playoff series because they won Game 4 two days ago. But now the clock has struck midnight for Chicago. The Golden Knights could be the best team in hockey. They out-chanced the Blackhawks, 41-4, in losing this past Sunday despite playing perhaps their best game of the series. There is a huge class and depth difference in this series. The Blackhawks have some great veterans, but they also have a lot of youth and their third line can't compete with the Golden Knights' third line. Las Vegas is up 3-1 in the series despite not scoring a single power-play goal. That's due to change. The Golden Knights had the ninth-best power play during the regular season. Now the Golden Knights have added motivation after losing in their last game. The edges are all there, so I feel confident in backing the Golden Knights at a plus price laying 1 1/2 goals rather than laying heavy juice.
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08-15-20 | Golden Knights -1.5 v. Blackhawks | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 17 h 51 m | Show | |
The Golden Knights took the Blackhawks' best punch in Game 2 on Thursday and still won, 4-3 in overtime. The Golden Knights blew a multiple goal lead in that game. I don't see that happening here. The Golden Knights' depth, playoff experience and defense is too much for the Blackhawks' mix of a few stars, playoff newcomers and lack of defense. So I'm going to take a plus price on the Golden Knights winning by more than one goal rather than lay heavy juice. When the Golden Knights win, it's often by more than one goal. That has been the case in eight of their last 11 victories.
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08-13-20 | Blackhawks v. Golden Knights -1.5 | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 41 m | Show | |
The Blackhawks upset the Oilers in their qualifying series. But they are very much outclassed in this series. That showed in the Golden Knights' 4-1 victory in Game 1. Look for the Golden Knights to roll to another multiple goal victory aided by their top goal and point scorer, Max Pacioretty. He missed Las Vegas' three round-robin games, but played in Game 1. Pacioretty should play better in this game. The Blackhawks don't play clean enough on the backend to keep the Golden Knights from scoring. Las Vegas is averaging 4.5 goals in its last six games. The Golden Knights also have a huge defense advantage with Shea Theodore, Brayden McNabb, Alec Martinez and Nate Schmidt.
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08-12-20 | Canadiens v. Flyers -1.5 | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 0 m | Show | |
Kudos to the Canadiens for taking out the Penguins during the qualifying rounds. But now reality strikes for the Canadiens. They draw the Flyers. The Flyers are deserving of being the top seed in the Eastern Conference. But are they deserving of laying 1 1/2 goals against Montreal in this first game matchup? Put it this way: Each of the Flyers' last 10 victories have been by more than one goal. If you discount a 2-0 loss to the Bruins, the Flyers are averaging 4.2 goals during their last 17 games. They are giving up 1.2 goals in their past seven games. The Canadiens have surrendered three or more goals in eight of their last 11 games. They are averaging just 1.8 goals during their past seven games. Clear class difference. So I'm going to turn a high lay price into a huge plus price by banking on the Flyers to win by more than one goal.
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08-11-20 | Blackhawks v. Golden Knights -1.5 | 1-4 | Win | 140 | 15 h 7 m | Show | |
The Golden Knights are not the Oilers, the team the Blackhawks took out to reach this point. Unlike the Oilers, the Golden Knights are not brain dead. Las Vegas' case to bury the defensively-challenged Blackhawks is the return of Max Pacioretty, the team's leading scorer. He makes the Golden Knights' power play more deadly and helps Las Vegas field three strong attacking lines. I see a big disparity between these two teams, so I'm laying 1 1/2 goals and taking the Golden Knights on the run line.
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02-26-20 | Oilers v. Golden Knights -1.5 | 0-3 | Win | 120 | 13 h 15 m | Show | |
Las Vegas is playing its best hockey on a six-game win streak. The Golden Knights should be well-rested, too, having been idle since Sunday. Edmonton, though, is coming off a road overtime loss to the Ducks last night. Because it's their second game in two nights, the Oilers are expected to start backup goalie Mikko Koskinen. He has less than sterling credentials with an .899 save percentage and 3.28 GAA in his last four games. |
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02-23-20 | Blackhawks v. Stars -1.5 | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 2 h 26 m | Show | |
The Blackhawks are 2-7 in their last nine games and don't have a realistic shot at the playoffs. They take to the road fat and happy, though, after beating the Predators, 2-1, at home on Friday. Chicago is 6-21 the past 27 times when playing on one day's rest. Chicago draws an angry Dallas team coming off a 5-1 loss to the Blues.
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02-03-20 | Panthers v. Maple Leafs -1.5 | 5-3 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 25 m | Show | |
Toronto is going for its eighth straight home win against Florida. I think the Maple Leafs will get it. So does the oddsmaker making the Maple Leafs such a heavy favorite. But I also believe this is a kill spot for the Maple Leafs so I'm turning the juice around from heavy minus to a solid plus price by laying a goal and a half on the puck line. The Maple Leafs are 3-0 coming out of All-Star break. They are playing extremely well and in a big revenge spot. The Panthers embarrassed the Maple Leafs, 8-4, in Florida three weeks ago. This time around the Maple Leafs draw the Panthers playing for just the second time since Jan. 21. Florida has played only once since break losing, 4-0, on the road to the Canadiens this past Saturday. Florida could also be without its second-leading scorer, center Aleksander Barkov. He suffered a lower-body injury against Montreal.
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01-29-20 | Lightning -1.5 v. Kings | Top | 4-2 | Win | 132 | 20 h 29 m | Show |
Look for Tampa Bay to beat the Kings for an eighth straight time - and in a big way, too. The Lightning came out of All-Star break not looking good in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Stars on Monday. They will look to take their frustrations out on a rusty Kings squad that hasn't played in 11 days and is 1-6-1 in their last eight games. The Kings don't have much of a home ice edge and the mood figures to be somber in LA so soon after the death of Kobe Bryant. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is having a strong January with a .955 save percentage.
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01-14-20 | Devils v. Maple Leafs -1.5 | 4-7 | Win | 100 | 6 h 1 m | Show | |
The Devils are off two monster upsets beating the Capitals on the road and Lightning at home. This is their third game in four days and fourth in six days. Toronto in stop-the-pain mode with a three-game losing skid. Previous to that, though, they had won nine of 10. The Maple Leafs have won by multiple goals in 10 of their last 11 victories. I see this as a kill spot for the frustrated Maple Leafs.
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12-28-19 | Kings v. Canucks -1.5 | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 19 h 28 m | Show |
The Kings upset the Sharks, 3-2, in overtime at San Jose on Friday. The Kings' reward? They have to fly to Vancouver for a game today against the well rested Canucks. The Kings have lost 40 of the past 56 times following a victory. Vancouver last was in action this past Monday. The Canucks entered the holiday break hot winning three in a row with all of the victories coming at home. Vancouver scored 13 goals during those three games. The Canucks have won the last four times they've met the Kings.
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12-13-19 | Devils v. Avalanche -1.5 | 1-3 | Win | 107 | 19 h 17 m | Show | |
Colorado is getting healthier and more dangerous. The Avalanche are 7-0-1 in their last eight games. They have two of the most dangerous lines in hockey - and both lines are back to full strength now. New Jersey comes into Denver winless in its last six games. The Devils have yielded the third most goals in the NHL, while Colorado leads the Western Conference in goals and is averaging 4.1 goals in its last eight games.The Devils, on the other hand, have scored just nine goals in their last six games. The Devils traditionally struggle in Denver's high altitude losing in seven of their last eight visits to the Avalanche. This is a mismatch right now of epic proportions. So laying high juice should be avoided by backing the Avalanche to win by more than one goal. |
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12-10-19 | Blackhawks v. Golden Knights -1.5 | 1-5 | Win | 125 | 10 h 57 m | Show | |
The Blackhawks come into Las Vegas carrying a heavy fatigue rating. This marks their fourth game in six days. They've been involved in an overtime game and two shootouts during this span. Chicago draws an angry Golden Knights squad that was shut out, 5-0, at home by the Rangers this past Sunday. Las Vegas should have Marc-Andre Fleury back in net. He missed the last seven games because his father passed away. Las Vegas also has revenge motivation for a 5-3 home loss to the Blackhawks on Nov. 13. |
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11-10-19 | Flyers v. Bruins -1.5 | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 19 m | Show | |
This sets up as a kill spot for the Bruins. The oddsmaker knows this, too, hence the high lay price. I'm not going to lay that big of a price. So I'll get involved with the Bruins on the puck line taking a plus price in the belief they will win by more than one goal. The Bruins are in rare stop-the-pain mode after losing a tough 5-4 road game to the Canadiens this past Tuesday and then suffering a shocking, 4-2, loss to the Red Wings on Friday. Now the Bruins are home where they are unbeaten with all of their home victories coming by multiple goals. The Flyers are playing well, but are in a letdown spot after nipping the Maple Leafs, 3-2, in a shootout Saturday. Bruins are the better team and are in the better spot. Lay it!
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10-31-19 | Canadiens v. Golden Knights -1.5 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 6 m | Show |
Kill spot here for the Golden Knights. The oddsmaker knows this, too, that's why the money line is so high. I don't lay prices that high, but will gladly take a plus price on the puck line laying 1 1/2 goals. The Golden Knights buried the Ducks, 5-2, in their last game. That was back on Sunday so Las Vegas will be well rested. Not so for Montreal. The Canadiens just beat Arizona, 4-1, last night with Carey Price in net. So the Canadiens either will start backup goalie Keith Kincaid, or a tired Price. The Golden Knights are the much superior team and this is a favorable spot for them.
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10-27-19 | Ducks v. Golden Knights -1.5 | 2-5 | Win | 125 | 9 h 36 m | Show | |
I want the Golden Knights going for me here so I'll laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line to reduce the heavy juice as the oddsmaker obviously believes the Golden Knights are the right side, too. Las Vegas was embarrassed at home on Friday by Colorado, 6-1. Afterward, Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant ripped his team. Now Las Vegas is back at T-Mobile Arena and should be primed for a huge effort. The timing is good, too. Las Vegas draws Anaheim. The Ducks are coming a big road win against the Avalanche, 5-2, last night. This marks the Ducks' third road game in four days. Their 28th-ranked offense can't stay with the Golden Knights.
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10-25-19 | Sharks v. Maple Leafs -1.5 | 1-4 | Win | 130 | 6 h 1 m | Show | |
The Maple Leafs are in stop-the-pain mode with two straight losses and draw the Sharks at home in a good spot. Toronto lost 4-3 at home on a penalty shot in overtime to Columbus and then fell to the Bruins, 4-2, on the road this past Tuesday. So Toronto will be rested and ready for this matchup. San Jose defeated Montreal, 4-2, last night. This marks the Sharks' third road game in four days. The Maple Leafs went 2-0 versus San Jose last season winning each of those games by two goals.
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10-03-19 | Panthers v. Lightning -1.5 | 2-5 | Win | 151 | 8 h 31 m | Show | |
The Panthers have missed the playoffs for the past three seasons. That string may end this season as the Panthers should be much improved. They've added players and opened up their checkbook. But it's going to take a while to get things going. This is a bad spot for the Panthers drawing Tampa Bay on the road. The Lightning dominated the regular-season tying the NHL record for most wins with 62. However, the Lightning were shockingly swept in the first round of the playoffs by Columbus. The Lightning have been in angry mood during preseason. Now they finally can put last season's early Stanley Cup disappointment behind them. They draw in-state rival Florida and the Panthers' new goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky. The irony isn't lost here. It was Bobrovsky who helped the Hurricanes sweep the Lightning in the playoffs with his stellar goal play. Tampa Bay has dominated this series winning the past six meetings while averaging 5.1 goals in these games. The Lightning will be sky high for this long-awaited season-opener especially looking to get revenge on Bobrovsky.
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10-02-19 | Sharks v. Golden Knights -1.5 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 165 | 24 h 49 m | Show |
The Golden Knights have been pointing to this matchup after losing to the Sharks in the playoff last season in a bitter and controversial series. Las Vegas gave an indication of this burying the San Jose, 5-1, this past Sunday in front of a sold out home crowd in the final preseason game. The Sharks haven't been sharp during preseason going 1-5. San Jose will be without suspended forward Evander Kane, too.
I believe this is a kill spot for Las Vegas. So taking a big plus price on the puck line makes more sense to me than laying heavy juice on the side. |
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05-21-19 | Sharks v. Blues -1.5 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 181 | 20 h 52 m | Show |
Injuries and the luck factor turning against them leave the Sharks dead in the water for this Game 6 road matchup against the Blues. I don't see San Jose staying alive by beating St. Louis here. Even if the Sharks are hanging in trailing by just one goal there is the strong possibility of an empty net goal taking place since San Jose is in must-win mode down 3-2 in the series. The Blues' superior defense and goaltending with star rookie Jordan Binnington has come alive. The Blues have taken control of the series winning the past two games holding the Sharks to just one goal during this span. The Sharks are 3-7 in their past 10 road contests. San Jose has been the luckiest team in the playoffs. But that luck has run out. The Blues buried the Sharks, 5-0, at San Jose in Game 5. The Sharks have gotten hit hard by injuries with key players captain Joe Pavelski, two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl, their second-leading goal scorer next to Pavelski, all missing significant time in Sunday's Game 5 defeat. Jaden Schwartz has been a monster for the Blues scoring 12 goals during the postseason. Vladimir Tarasenko is stepping up now, too, producing at least one point in five consecutive games.
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04-12-19 | Blue Jackets v. Lightning -1.5 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -100 | 20 h 48 m | Show |
Tampa Bay was the best team in hockey this season - and it wasn't even close. Perhaps things came too easy for the Lightning in their playoff opener against the Blue Jackets. Columbus has been hot, but there was no excuse except overconfidence for the Lightning blowing a 3-0 lead at home to the Blue Jackets in a 4-3 loss on Wednesday. It was a hard loss for the Lightning. It's a defeat the Lightning should learn from. I expect them to bring a great deal of intensity to this Game 2 matchup. I can't lay this big of juice especially in a Stanley Cup game. But I strongly believe Tampa Bay will win this game by multiple goals so I'm going with the Lightning on the puck line laying 1 1/2 goals and getting a plus price back. Tampa Bay has won by multiple goals in nine of its last 13 victories. The Lightning defense is stronger, too, with the return of Victor Hedman, who missed the last four games of the regular season.
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04-06-19 | Blackhawks v. Predators -1.5 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 120 | 17 h 11 m | Show |
The Blackhawks didn't make the playoffs again, but they did finish the home portion of their disappointing season in style with a 6-1 victory against the Stars Friday night. Now, though, the Blackhawks travel to Nashville to face the Predators in the regular season finale with the Predators needing a victory to lock up the Central Division. I forsee a letdown and fatigue issues for the Blackhawks against the highly motivated Predators. This will be Chicago's fourth game in six days and second in two nights. The Blackhawks are 8-21 the past 29 times playing on zero rest and 3-8 when playing for the fourth time in six days. The Blackhawks also are fat and happy from their impressive victory against Dallas Friday. Nashville is 4-1 in its last five games. The Predators aren't going to screw around after pulling out a 3-2 win against the lowly Canucks at home on Thursday after falling behing 2-0. The Predators have defeated the Blackhawks four of the past five times at home and are 8-3 overall versus them during the last 11 meetings. |
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03-25-19 | Red Wings v. Sharks -1.5 | 3-2 | Loss | -123 | 13 h 15 m | Show | |
San Jose has dropped five in a row. Yet the Sharks are a monster favorite against the Red Wings. The oddsmaker is anticipating a kill spot here for the Sharks and I agree. San Jose has shown signs lately of coming out of its funk. The Sharks are the No. 3 scoring team in the NHL. They should be able to produce a lot of goals versus the Red Wings, losers of 13 of their last 16 games and ranking 29th defensively. I'm also expecting a strong defensive effort from the Sharks. Detroit ranks 26th in scoring. The Red Wings, who are in rebuild mode, are coming off a shocking road upset of the Golden Knights from Saturday night. They probably can't be faulted for partying in Las Vegas following that improbable win. The Red Wings have fared poorly playing in San Jose losing 13 of the last 18 times.
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03-16-19 | Maple Leafs v. Senators +1.5 | 2-6 | Win | 100 | 6 h 56 m | Show | |
The Senators showed a pluse shutting out the Blues, 2-0, at home on Thursday. Ottawa is in a great ambush spot here. The Senators draw the Maple Leafs playing without rest after Toronto rallied from a three-goal deficit to nip the Flyers, 7-6, at home on Friday. The Maple Leafs have had problems in Ottawa and historically haven't been good in this role. They are 2-8 the past 10 times on the road versus opponents with a losing home mark. Toronto has lost six of its last eight visits to Ottawa, too. Ottawa catches another break as Toronto will be starting backup goalie Garret Sparks.
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12-29-18 | Blackhawks v. Avalanche -1.5 | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 19 h 25 m | Show | |
Not only are the Avalanche in circle-the-wagons mode, but they are in a big revenge spot, too, after the Blackhawks surprised them, 2-1, at Colorado eight days ago. Blackhawks third-string rookie goalie Collin Delia made 35 saves in his season debut to thwart the Avalanche. The Avalanche were minus $2.45 favorites against the Blackhawks. Stunned by that loss, Colorado went on the road and lost to the Coyotes and Golden Knights. Now they are back home for the rematch against Chicago and heavy favorites once again. So I'm laying the 1 1/2 goals to knock off the heavy juice and get a plus price in what I envision as a kill spot for the superior Avalanche. Colorado is sixth in the NHL in goals per game. The Blackhawks have the worst defense in the league. The Avalanche have film and first-hand scouting reports now on Delia. The Blackhawks are traveling after beating the Wild at home on Thursday, 5-2. The Wild have lost five in a row so the Blackhawks hosted them at a good time. Chicago is 8-23 following a victory and 2-7 the past nine times when playing on one day rest.
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12-21-18 | Blackhawks v. Avalanche -1.5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 0 m | Show |
This is a tremendous kill spot for the Avalanche and I have no hesitation backing this view with a puck line play in order to greatly reduce the juice. Colorado is by far the superior team. The Avalanche are rested and draw the Blackhawks in a super letdown spot and with no rest carrying a huge fatigue rating. Chicago defeated the Predators, 2-1, at home Tuesday and then upset the Stars, 5-2, on Thursday in Dallas. This marks their third game in four days - all at different venues - and fourth game in six days. Making this worse for the Blackhawks is playing in Denver, which is high altitude. The Avalanche are 10-6 in their last 16 games. They are the No. 5 scoring team in the NHL with the league's third-best power play. The Blackhawks are in the bottom two both in allowing goals and in killing off power plays. The Blackhawks are without their top goalie, Corey Crawford. They either will have journeyman Cam Ward in net, or rookie Collin Delia.
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10-24-18 | Canucks v. Golden Knights -1.5 | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 47 m | Show | |
Now that the Golden Knights have settled in back home they are playing much better. Las Vegas had to go on a brutal five-game road trip early in the season. But the Knights have been back in Las Vegas for its past two games. They are riding a three-game winning streak where they have outscored their foes, 8-2. The Knights' power play has picked up, their fourth line remains solid and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has stopped 69 of 71 shots during the win streak. Vancouver has been missing its two best scorers with Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson both out. The rookie Pettersson was really providing a spark, but is doubtful to play here as he continues to rest from a concussion. The Canucks have managed only four goals in regulation during their last three games. Vegas swept all four meetings against Vancouver last season winning each of its two home games by three goals.
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05-06-18 | Bruins v. Lightning -1.5 | 1-3 | Win | 178 | 9 h 16 m | Show | |
I don't see the Bruins rallying from a 3-1 series deficit. I don't see them beating the Lightning in Tampa. So I'd rather go for the big payoff by laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line instead of laying heavy juice on the money line. Boston surprised Tampa Bay by upsetting the Lightning on the road in Game 1. That served as a wake-up call for the Lightning. They've won the past three games since then outscoring the Burins by a combined 12-6 goals. The Bruins have lost in seven of their last nine away matchups. Tampa Bay has won 73 percent of its last 51 home contests. The Lightning's last six home victories all have been by more than one goal. Boston's task is made more difficult having lost defeseman Torey Krug for the series. He suffered an ankle injury in the last game. Not only is Krug huge defensively, but he was part of the Bruins' power-play unit. The Bruins' strength had been their power-play. They haven't scored an even-strength goal during the past two games. The Bruins have given up the first goal in each of the last three games. That's likely to prove fatal again. If the Bruins happen to be trailing by just one goal with several minutes left, it's likely they would pull their goalie giving the Lightning extra opportunities to score an open net goal and thus win by multiple goals.
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04-20-18 | Avalanche v. Predators -1.5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -115 | 18 h 29 m | Show |
Nice season for the Avalanche. They did well. But things end here for them. Colorado has played heavily favored Nashville tough in this opening-round Stanley Cup series, but a 3-2 home loss two days ago puts the Avalanche in a 3-1 hole that they aren't going to emerge from. I don't see Colorado having much left to fend off the Predators especially now going on the road. The Predators have been near unbeatable at home during the Stanley Cup going 15-2 in their last 17 playoff games at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators have outscored the Avalance, 10-6, in their two home playoff games during this series. And now the Avalanche are down to third-string goalie Andrew Hammond with both Semyon Varlamov and Jonathan Bernier out with injuries. Nashville has scored three or more goals in nine of its last 10 games, including all four games in this series. The Predators are playing well on special teams, too, and Pekka Rinne is at his best at home with a 2.10 GAA home playoff average for his career. The Predators have dominated the Avalanche winning 13 of the past 14 meetings.
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04-02-18 | Avalanche v. Kings -1.5 | 1-3 | Win | 167 | 12 h 21 m | Show | |
The Kings are trying to hold off the Avalanche for the first wild-card spot in the West. They are in a great spot to succeed. LA has been idle since losing a 2-1 road game to the Ducks this past Friday. The Avalanche carries a much higher fatigue rating in action for the third time in four days and second time in two days after suffering a tough 4-3 overtime road loss to the Ducks last night. Colorado relies on its power play unit a lot. However, the Kings have the highest percentage rating of killing penalties. They haven't allowed a power play goal during their last eight games spanning 20 power play attempts. The Avalanche has lost in five of their last six visits to LA.
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03-21-18 | Canadiens v. Penguins -1.5 | 3-5 | Win | 130 | 9 h 1 m | Show | |
Montreal is playing the string out in the midst of another non playoff season. The Canadiens have been shut out in their last two games. But the big news here for the Canadiens is the expected return of Carey Price in net. That may sound good on the surface, but Price wasn't having a strong season when he suffered a concussion. This will be his first game since Feb. 20. Price figures to be very rusty. He also will be seeing a lot of young players in front of him and no stalwart defenseman Shea Weber, who is out for the year. Montreal has lost 22 of its last 28 games versus Eastern Conference foes. So I'm not expecting much from the dead Canadiens here. Neither is the oddsmaker with this large of a price. My strategy is to turn this into a plus profit by laying 1 1/2 goals on the puck line. The Penguins didn't play that well two games ago when they met the Canadiens in Montreal this past Thursday. Yet they still won by two goals. After that game the Penguins played the Islanders on the road. That was last night and the Islanders, a huge underdog, stunned the Penguins winning 4-1. I'm expecting a strong bouce back effort from Pittsburgh. There should not be a fatigue factor either as the Penguins' previous game before last night was back on Thursday against the Canadiens. The Penguins are 26-8-1 at home this season and Matt Murray is back in net for them after missing three weeks with a concussion. The Penguins usually crush weak foes going 8-1 the past nine times versus below .400 opponents.
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