Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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10-27-17 | Avalanche +105 v. Golden Knights | Top | 0-7 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 42 m | Show |
Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach Friday NHL 10* Colorado Avalanche Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 6:05 ET - The Golden Knights have certainly been the biggest surprise of the NHL on this young season and, while credit is definitely due, they've also had their fair share of "puck luck" too. Also, when a team is hot they get settled into a routine and they like keeping things at the "status quo" and riding out the hot streak in that way. In this case, this game starts at 3 PM local time on a Friday. It is a unique early game for the Golden Knights on a weekday and I don't expect that to do any favors for Vegas here. As for Colorado, they are hungry for a road win in what is their only road game in a span of two weeks. Though the Avalanche have lost their last two road games, they did start the season with 2 wins in a 3-game road trip. Now they take advantage of facing a goalie, Oscar Dansk, making just the 2nd start of his NHL career. The Golden Knights have been outshot by 28 shots on goal in their last 3 games and have been fortunate that they won all 3 of those games. The Avalanche have won 11 of 16 (+$10,500) Friday games and the price is right to grab them again here. 10* COLORADO |
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10-26-17 | Capitals v. Canucks +125 | Top | 2-6 | Win | 125 | 12 h 57 m | Show |
Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach Thursday NHL 10* Vancouver Canucks Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 10:05 ET - The Canucks have won 3 straight games and now are back home after winning 4 of 5 on their road trip. This was a huge confidence boost for Vancouver and they're now looking to make up for a poor homestand that opened their season. The Canucks won their season opener versus Edmonton but then lost 3 straight games on home ice and, carrying the momentum of a hugely successful road trip, Vancouver is ready to carry the success to their home barn! Those 4 road wins for the Canucks came by a combined score of 12 to 3 so there is nothing flukey about the recent winning of Vancouver. Their getting solid goaltending and now hosting a Capitals team that has lost 5 of their last 7 games. Also, every time this season that Washington has followed a win with a loss they've then lost their next game too. Look for this pattern to continue here as the Capitals suffer their 3rd two game losing streak already in this young season. The Caps have been held to 2 goals or less in 4 of their last 6 games. Washington has been off since Sunday but sometimes rest can lead to rust and, sure enough, the Capitals have lost 10 of 17 (-$9,500) when they enter a game off of 3 or more days of rest. After this game, Vancouver has 3 days of rest before their next home game and so they're going to "leave it all on the ice" in this one. Conversely, Alex Ovechkin and company have a big game against Connor McDavid and company in Edmonton coming up on Saturday and the Caps have swept the Canucks each of the last two seasons. Will Washington be fully focused here? That is certainly questionable for the Capitals but there is no doubt the home team is going to be ready here and I love the home dog price as they go for 4 in a row! I'll take it! 10* VANCOUVER |
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10-23-17 | Sharks +100 v. Rangers | Top | 4-1 | Win | 100 | 11 h 49 m | Show |
Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Monday NHL 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Sharks are off of an ugly loss to the Islanders Saturday after a shutout win over the Devils Friday. San Jose then had all day Sunday to think about how they got drilled by the Isles and they're rested and ready to respond on Monday against a Rangers team off of a rare win. Indeed, the Blueshirts victory over the Predators Saturday came on the heels of 7 losses in the Rangers first 8 games to begin this season. I believe we are getting excellent line value here with the Sharks having their #1 goalie, Martin Jones, back between the pipes for this one. San Jose is very hungry for a win as they had won 3 of 4, building some solid momentum, before #2 goalie Aaron Dell had a rough start and the Sharks lost to the Islanders despite outshooting them 31-23. Keep in mind, San Jose has won each of the last 3 starts Martin Jones has made. The Sharks have won 30 of 44 (+$13,600) when off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more! The Rangers have lost 30 of 57 (-$13,400) when off of a win by a margin of 2 goals or more! As you can see, this situation totals $27,000 in net profit in favor of the road dog! 10* SAN JOSE |
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10-20-17 | Sharks -110 v. Devils | Top | 3-0 | Win | 100 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
Rickenbach Friday NHL 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - Not only are the Devils off of a huge come from behind win at Ottawa last night, they are also expected to be without their #1 goalie Cory Schneider for this one. In addition to this being a back to back, Schneider has a lower-body injury. Back-up netminder Keith Kincaid is off of a strong start in his first appearance this season. However, he is the #2 guy for a reason and he gave up 4 goals when he faced the Sharks last season. In fact, San Jose won both match-ups with New Jersey last season and dominated to the tune of an 8-2 combined scored. Although New Jersey has won 6 of 7 this season and the Sharks have won just 2 of 5, the Devils have 22 less shots on goal than their opponents while San Jose has outshot the opposition by 15 shots on goal so far this season. Martin Jones saved 47 of 48 shots in the two games versus New Jersey last season and the Sharks, off of a 5-2 home win versus Montreal, have been targeting this 5-game East Coast road swing as an opportunity to jump start their season! Look for them to do just that here as they are catching the Devils at the perfect time to dominate them. New Jersey has lost 21 of 34 when they scored 4 or more goals in their prior game. The Devils also have lost 20 of their last 24 Friday games! The Sharks have won 45 of their last 74 versus the Eastern Conference and dominate again here. 10* SAN JOSE SHARKS |
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10-18-17 | Blackhawks +105 v. Blues | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Smash - Rickenbach Wednesday NHL 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Blackhawks (Nick Schmaltz) and the Blues (Alexander Steen) are hoping to get key players back tonight. A decision on Steen is unlikely until after the morning skate while Schmaltz is already listed as probable for tonight's game. Even if Steen does came back he'll be on the top line for the Blues and that's not really where their biggest trouble has been for St Louis. The big issue for the Blues early this season is that they've had ZERO goals in their first 6 games from anyone on the 3rd or 4th line. St Louis, in my opinion, is going to be unable to keep up with the Blackhawks tonight. Chicago has cashed in on 13% of their shot attempts this season and are averaging 4.2 goals per game. St Louis has scored on 9.9% of their shot attempts and they're averaging 3.0 goals per game. Chicago lost the outdoor game at St Louis last season but in "normal indoor match-ups" at Scottrade Center in St Louis, the Blackhawks won both games last season. In fact in their last 3 meetings indoors the Blackhawks have won all 3 games by a combined score of 12 to 7. The Blues are only 14-11 (DOWN $3,000) in home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals while Chicago has won 22 of 37 (60%) of their road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. St Louis goalie Jake Allen has been solid (.917 save %) this season but Blackhawks netminder Corey Crawford has been phenomenal (.960 save %) this season. The Hawks have allowed 1 goal or less in 4 of their 6 games! 10* CHICAGO |
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10-12-17 | Wild +112 v. Blackhawks | Top | 5-2 | Win | 112 | 9 h 13 m | Show |
Rickenbach Thursday NHL 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:35 ET - The Wild are 0-2 this season while the Blackhawks are 3-0-1 as they've yet to lose in regulation this season. That said, Chicago opened up in the -150 price range for this one and yet that line has fallen dramatically even though the Hawks will be on home ice tonight. Though that may seem like a head-scratcher, don't be fooled. The sharp money is on the Wild here. Chicago is a veteran team used to playoff success. As a result, there will be some "off nights" during the "ho hum" regular season and this is likely to be one of them. Why? Because the playoffs are so much more important than early regular season games and, that said, Chicago can't help but be peeking ahead at their huge game Saturday. They have a chance at "playoff revenge" against a Nashville team that swept them out of the playoffs in the first round this past spring. The Predators are up next for the Blackhawks and I know that Chicago already has their eyes on that match-up. Conversely, Minnesota is "all in" on tonight's game as the Wild are a damn good team under head coach Bruce Boudreau and yet they are still seeking their first win of the young season. The Wild will prove to be the hungrier team tonight as they are highly motivated and I am aware of the fact that they're rolling 11 forwards and 7 defensemen tonight instead of the traditional 12 and 6 but they'll get the job done. Boudreau is a helluva good coach and the Wild have won 22 of 32 (+$13,000) when facing a team with a winning record in the first half of a season. The Wild have won 3 of their last 4 games at the United Center. 10* MINNESOTA money line |
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10-11-17 | Penguins v. Capitals -130 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -130 | 10 h 11 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Smash - Rickenbach Wednesday NHL 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:35 ET - A lot of key edges for the Capitals in this one. Certainly Washington has revenge on their minds as the Penguins have been a playoff nemesis for the Caps. The Pens again knocked the Capitals out of the post-season last spring. Additionally, the Stanley Cup champion Penguins have the distraction of yesterday's White House visit to deal with. Conversely, the Capitals have been fully focused on hockey and, while the Pens are off of their first win of the season, the Caps are off of their first loss this season. That certainly is adding to the motivation for Washington here as they let a 3-1 lead slip away against Tampa Bay Monday night and then lost 4-3 in overtime! Matt Murray will be between the pipes for Pittsburgh and certainly the Capitals have the goal-tending edge in this match-up. Murray has an ugly 4.43 GAA versus Washington. The Caps will have Braden Holtby between the pipes and he has a solid 2.77 GAA versus the Penguins. The Pens are 19-21 (-$6,800) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of a season. The Capitals are 29-10 (+$12,500) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of a season. 10* WASHINGTON on the money line early Wednesday evening. |
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06-11-17 | Penguins +122 v. Predators | Top | 2-0 | Win | 122 | 27 h 24 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8 ET - Though it may seem "crazy" to back the Penguins here because the home team has won every game in this series AND the Predators are 9-1 at home in the post-season, there are a couple of key factors I like about the Pens here. For you history buffs out there note that when the Penguins win the Stanley Cup they've done it on the road. That has been the pattern and I don't see it changing here. The fact is that the Penguins really took the wind out of the Predators sails in Game 5. The Pens didn't just win that game, they absolutely crushed Nashville in the process. Sure the Preds are back home and sure they have have success here but that was an absolutely deflating defeat for the Predators as they immediately gave up back all the momentum they had earned by winning games 3 and 4 by a combined 9-2 score. The point is that, had the Preds lost a tight one in game 5 the reaction might be different. But to get totally clobbered like the Predators just did, is extremely deflating. It's just not the same thing as coming home down 2-0 in the series but knowing you still have 3 potential home games and a long series in front of you. In this case, the Preds now come home down 3-2 and knowing that everything they worked so hard for is gone, completely gone. The Predators got absolutely dominated in Game 5 and the Penguins proved they are certainly hungrier than a lot of people, including myself, gave them credit for. That said, I am forecasting the Pens to become the first team in nearly 20 years to win back to back Stanley Cup titles and, as they've always done before, I am forecasting them to win it on the road. Pittsburgh has been there, done that. The Predators certainly haven't and they showed me all I needed to see in Game 5. The Preds are done. Look for the Predators to drop to 4-7 the last 11 times they're off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Look for the Penguins to improve to 30-18 this season when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. 10* PITTSBURGH PENGUINS money line Sunday |
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06-08-17 | Predators +145 v. Penguins | Top | 0-6 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 21 m | Show |
NBC Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 8 ET - The Predators have outshot the Penguins in every single game in this series. The Pens are 0 for 13 on the power play in the last 3 games. The Preds are 4 for 12 on the power play in this series. Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne has proven he's "back" in this series and he's highly motivated to record his first ever win at Pittsburgh. The Predators have looked to have a little more energy than the Penguins and a little extra "step" on them in the last two games and they certainly have all the momentum back in this series. No Stanley Cup champion has repeated in the past twenty years. The point is that it is not easy and the way the Preds have taken back momentum in this series, and knowing that the Penguins can't help but now have some self doubt, I expect the Predators to "steal" Game 5 on the road. All the pressure is truly on the Penguins here and it is tough to play with pressure. Not only the pressure of being the defending Stanley Cup champs but also the pressure of now trying to defense home ice even though they lost the last two games by a combined score of 9 to 2 in Nashville. In my opinion, all things considered, the Penguins are very over-priced here and there is tremendous underdog line value with the Predators. Look for the Preds to improve to a perfect 4-0 in this post-season when tied in a playoff series. 10* NASHVILLE PREDATORS on the money line |
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05-31-17 | Predators +135 v. Penguins | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 27 h 29 m | Show |
Game 2 Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 8 ET - Even after having a first period goal disallowed that wiped a 1-0 lead off of the board, the Predators showed a lot in their Game 1 loss at Pittsburgh. For one thing Nashville showed resilience in batting back from a 3-goal deficit to tie it at 3. For another thing the Preds did outshoot the Pens by a 26-12 count for the game. The Predators will respond after allowing 5 goals in Game 1 (including the late empty-netter). Nashville has won 14 of 22 when they are off of a loss by a multiple-goal margin and goalie Pekka Rinne will bounce back. He had been 12-4 in the playoffs and seemingly stopping everything in sight before some tough bounces went against him in Game 1. Rinne certainly wasn't on top of his game Monday but he's a strong goalie and will bounce back here. As for Penguins goalie Matt Murray, he wasn't exactly flawless in Game 1 either plus the Penguins have now allowed power play goals on 3 of their opponents last 8 chances. I love the underdog value here as the Preds found some things in Game 1 to build on and certainly the Predators ability to limit Penguins scoring chances was huge. Look for the Preds to even this one up in what should be a fantastic series. Keep in mind the Penguins were only 6-6 in their last 12 games prior to the win Monday. Also, the Predators haven't lost two straight games since early April! 10* NASHVILLE |
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05-23-17 | Penguins v. Senators +137 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 137 | 13 h 59 m | Show |
Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 8 ET - After getting embarrassed 7-0 on Sunday, look for Ottawa to bounce back strong here. They are happy to return to home ice but did lose here in Game 4 as well so this Senators team has blown a 2-1 series lead and is now facing playoff elimination. Look for this to bring out the best in a Sens team that has been resilient throughout this post-season. The Senators, in the past 7 weeks, have never lost 3 straight games and I don't expect that to change here. Though their power play has struggled since a good stretch early in the post-season, the Senators have been excellent in 5 on 5 hockey, Sunday's result notwithstanding. The Sens, the past 3 seasons combined, are 38-24 (+19,000) when off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more. Look for the Senators to get back to playing the style that delivered so much success for them earlier in this series. They need to clog up the neutral zone and prevent the Penguins from getting so much open ice as they enter the zone. The Senators did hold the Pens to just a single goal in each of the first 3 games in this series. In fact, dating back to the regular season, it was 5 straight games for Ottawa holding Pittsburgh to just a single goal before the Pens hung on for a 3-2 win in Game 4 and then got the blowout win in Game 5. After that ugly loss for the Sens in Game 5, it is payback time tonight for the Senators. 10* OTTAWA on the money line Tuesday evening |
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05-20-17 | Predators +114 v. Ducks | Top | 3-1 | Win | 114 | 12 h 38 m | Show |
Bulldogs Best - Rickenbach Saturday NHL 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) @ Anaheim Ducks @ 7:15 ET - The Predators are off of a loss Thursday and truly did not play all that well. However, they still showed enough resilience to send the game to overtime and lets not forget that the Preds had outshot the Ducks by a combined margin of 119 to 76 in the first three games of this series. Nashville is the better team in this series but now we get line value because they're on the road. I love having the Predators off of a loss at plus money as this is a team that hasn't lost back to back games since early April! Keep in mind, Nashville was 10-3 in the post-season before that Game 4 home loss Thursday and the Predators are fired up to respond here. This is an odd start time Saturday (5:15 local time in Anaheim) and the Ducks have lost 9 of 13 Saturday games this season. The Preds had to rally from a 3-2 series deficit in last year's playoff match-up with the Ducks and they don't want that to be the case in this year's match-up. The Predators will bring a hugely intense Game 5 effort and, keep in mind, last year's 7 games series saw the road team win all but one game! Considering the split so far in this series (each team winning once so far on enemy ice) that means that the road team has won 8 of the last 11 playoff games between these teams. I look for that trend to continue here and will grab the line value with the hungry road dog ready for revenge for what happened on their home ice Thursday. 10* NASHVILLE |
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05-19-17 | Penguins -107 v. Senators | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 12 h 57 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (-) @ Ottawa Senators @ 8 ET - The Penguins got thoroughly embarrassed in Wednesday's loss and can be expected to respond here and even the series up after that 5-1 defeat. The Pens are 14-6 this season when off of a loss by a multiple goal margin and 22-10 this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The Senators are only 4-4 this season when leading in a playoff series and only 12-12 when off of a win by a margin of 2 goals or more. Marc-Andre Fleury was awful in goal in Game 3 and whether he is back in net or Matt Murray gets the call, you can look for a response from Pittsburgh between the pipes tonight. The D-men in front of the entire team really pick up the intensity and effort after a game like that. In many respects it's easier to bounce back mentally from a game like that compared to a tight OT loss or one-goal defeat. The Penguins have the better power play and will "carry play" so much in Game 4 that they'll earn a few penalties from the Senators. The Sens are on an 0 for 21 run on the power play. A lot of factors in favor of the Pens here and they are also a little healthier than they were entering Wednesday's game. 10* PITTSBURGH |
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05-18-17 | Ducks v. Predators -132 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -132 | 7 h 25 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (-) vs Anaheim Ducks @ 8 ET - This series is only 2-1 in favor of the Predators and the two Preds wins have been one goal wins. However, Nashville has proven to be the much better team and the closer results have merely helped to give us some phenomenal line value here. The Predators have actually outshot the Ducks by a combined total of 119 to 76. That's an average of edge of 14.3 shots PER GAME so far in this series. When you are getting extra chances at scoring you're going to eventually break through and this actually has a great shot at being the big "break through" game for the Preds. They outshot the Ducks 40 to 20 on Tuesday and won for the 6th time in 6 home games in this post-season! With this line dropping down into the 130 range this morning we were afforded some phenomenal line value here with the better team playing the better hockey and on home ice! Look for Anaheim to drop to 4-7 in their last 11 Western Conference Finals games. Look for the red hot Preds to improve to 24-11 in their last 35 games against teams with a winning record. 10* NASHVILLE |
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05-17-17 | Penguins v. Senators +117 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 117 | 11 h 28 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 8 ET - The Penguins are very banged up right now. I know they have some depth on their blue line and are planning to use some veteran defensemen but it is still going to be tough now that the the Pens are without their top three D-men. As for the Senators, I look for them to get a spark by returning home where they have won 3 straight post-season games. Keep in mind, Ottawa had won 6 of their last 8 overall before the 1-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday. The Pens had lost 4 of 6 before coming up with the tight win in Game 2 of this series. The Penguins have been struggling to score goals and I look for them to drop to 1-3 this season when they enter a game on an "under streak" of 3 games or more. The Pens have had 3 straight unders and the normally high-flying Penguins have been held to 2 goals or less in 5 straight games. The Senators had averaged 3 goals per game in their last 8 games before being shutout in Game 2. Even though the Pens are a few games over .500 against teams with a winning record in the season they have netted $0 profit because they are such a public team (and again are over-priced here in my opinion). As for the Senators, they are a fantastic 29-18 and +$19,600 in games against teams with a winning record this season. At home for just the 2nd time since late April, the Senators are really going to be amped here and the fans will be going nuts as the Sens host the defending champs with a chance to get a 2-1 lead knowing they'll still have 2 more home games in this series (if needed). With the Pens very banged up, the Sens take advantage of the situation and I'll gladly grab the hungry home dog here. 10* OTTAWA SENATORS money line |
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05-14-17 | Predators +100 v. Ducks | Top | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 46 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) @ Anaheim Ducks @ 7:30 ET - Many will look to back the Ducks here as they just can't see them going into an 0-2 hole on their home ice in this series. However, how many people though these Predators would sweep the Blackhawks? The fact is that the Preds are now 9-2 in the post-season and simply rolling! They also outshot Anaheim by a 46-29 count in Game One! The Ducks are only 4-4 in their last 8 games and just aren't playing at the same level that this Nashville team is right now. I love to use the "zig zag theory" to my advantage and this is one of those cases. With the Ducks off of a home loss in Game 1, the betting markets will favor them here and the result is line value for us by being a contrarian. I love being a contrarian when I know I have the better team at a good price. Look for Nashville to add to their impressive 5-2 mark when leading in a playoff series. As for Anaheim, I look for them to drop to 3-6 their last 9 games in conference finals action. Special teams is a key edge for the Predators as their penalty kill has been phenomenal while the Ducks penalty kill has been only mediocre in this post-season and their power plays has fizzled out. Anaheim is 0 for 20 with the man advantage in their last 6 games! 10* NASHVILLE |
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05-06-17 | Penguins +155 v. Capitals | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -100 | 22 h 33 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:15 ET - The Capitals will be the popular choice here. After all, the Caps are down 3-1 in the series, the Penguins are without Sidney Crosby, and Washington outshot Pittsburgh by a significant margin the Game 4 loss. However, the key is that the quality shots are going to the Pens and that has been a key difference maker in this series. That is why an elite goalie like the Capitals Braden Holtby has struggled while a goalie known for past post-season disappointments, Marc-Andre Fleury, has flourished. Until the Caps start elevating the puck more with their shots and getting real solid quality chances the struggles will continue. That said, time is running out and I look for the Pens to make the most of this opportunity to close this one out on the road. Keep in mind the Capitals have lost 4 of their last 5 home games dating back to the regular season while the Penguins are on an overall 7-2 run and have averaged scoring nearly 4 goals per game during this hot streak! Both teams have strong records this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. However, the Capitals are really frustrated and will be clutching the sticks a little too tight tonight while the Penguins can play loose and relaxed and look to close this one out on the road knowing they still would have two more chances after this too! The Pens are on a 7-3 run in 2nd round playoff games. The Caps are on an 6-11 run in 2nd round playoff games. The Pens are a dangerous big dog here and it's no secret that sharp money is what hit the Penguins here as this line originally was at the -200 level for Washington. 10* Top Play PITTSBURGH PENGUINS money line Saturday evening |
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05-05-17 | Predators v. Blues -108 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 12 h 36 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (-) vs Nashville Predators @ 8 ET - Pekka Rinne, Preds goalie, has certainly been a difference maker in this series but the fact is that he has only won 13 of 31 road starts this season! The Blues got a key Game 2 win on home ice after dropping Game 1 and now they need another key home win to stay alive in this series and I expect them to get it. With that win in Game 2, St Louis has now won 8 of its last 12 road games. Also, the Blues have won 8 of the last 11 games hosting the Predators. Despite coming up short on the scoreboard in Game 4, St Louis did outshoot the Preds by a 33-25 margin. With this being a "win or pack your golf bags" game for the Blues, there is every reason to believe we'll another strong effort from St Louis here! The Predators have a losing record on the season in road games with a posted total of 5 goals or less. The Blues have won 17 of 26 home games with a posted total of 5 goals or less this season. Also, the past 3 seasons combined, St Louis has won 36 of 54 games when they are playing with 2 days of rest between games! The rest, with the Blues coming back home and needing that time physically and mentally to hit the "recharge button" for this game, definitely helps the trailing team in this playoff series. When down in a series, St Louis has won 5 of 8 the last 3 seasons and they get another big win here on home ice with their backs against the wall. 10* ST LOUIS BLUES |
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05-01-17 | Capitals +109 v. Penguins | Top | 3-2 | Win | 109 | 13 h 55 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Monday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:30 ET - Even though the Capitals lost each of the first two games of this series on home ice I look for them to bounce back on enemy ice. The Caps did outshoot the Penguins by a combined 71 to 45 in the first two games but they lost a tight one in Game One and then goalie Braden Holtby had an awful performance in Game Two and got yanked. I expect Holtby to bounce back strong here as is he one of the game's best and he'll get back on track. The fact the Capitals have a big edge in shots on goal also shows the scoring chances are coming and Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has certainly been known for some playoff meltdowns of his own. Don't be surprised if he is the one struggling in Game 3 just like Holtby did in Game 2. Despite the loss in Game 2, Washington has won 22 of 34 this season when playing with revenge. Also, the past 3 seasons combined, the Capitals have won 30 of 47 when playing with home loss revenge. When off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more, the Caps have won 27 of 41 the past 3 seasons combined. We rode the Ducks to victory last night and they were in the same situation the Capitals are here (lost both games on home ice) and Anaheim won big 6 to 3. I look for the Caps to respond in a similar fashion here. 10* WASHINGTON |
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04-30-17 | Ducks +115 v. Oilers | Top | 6-3 | Win | 115 | 10 h 25 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ Edmonton Oilers @ 7 ET - The Ducks are a little banged up but one can't ignore the domination of the Oilers in the first two games of the series. The situation here on underdog Anaheim is strengthened by the fact that the Ducks are down 0-2 in this series despite outshooting Edmonton 76 to 55, winning the faceoff battles, and also leading in puck possession. The key categories the Ducks are leading in would have you believing they're up 2-0 in the series or at least no worse than tied up at a game apiece. Yet Anaheim is an 0-2 hole and on the road and that leaves no doubt about the fact that they're going to bring an intense effort here. Even with the Oilers "fortunate" start to this series, they are still 44-75 their last 119 games against teams with a winning record. Even with Friday's loss, the Ducks are still 10-5 this season when playing with home loss revenge. Also, Anaheim is 13-6 this season (and 37-22 the last 3 seasons) when they are off of a game where they scored 1 goal or less. The Ducks also are 32-15 in Sunday games in recent seasons while Edmonton is 13-19. The road team that has dominated but is down 0-2 in this series, gets back into it with a big win here. 10* ANAHEIM |
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04-29-17 | Rangers -112 v. Senators | Top | 5-6 | Loss | -112 | 16 h 16 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (-) @ Ottawa Senators @ 3 ET - The Rangers lost a tight one in Game One and I look for the "road warriors" to bounce back in Game Two. No team had more road wins than the Rangers in the regular season and they'll make a few line changes and tweak a few things to get back on track Saturday afternoon. It was a 2-1 loss for the Rangers Thursday night as a fortuitous bounce for the Senators with 4 minutes to go in the game was the difference. Certainly Ottawa deserves credit for their great effort in Game One but the Rangers will be more aggressive in Game Two. Look for the Rangers to limit the Sens scoring chances Saturday as they know the 40+ shots they allowed on Henrik Lundqvist can't happen again in this one. The Rangers, when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less, have gone 36-14 the last 3 seasons - including a fantastic 12-2 this season! When trailing in a playoff series the Rangers are 7-3 the last 3 seasons. When playing with revenge, the Rangers are 25-13 this season! In a home game with a posted total of 5 goals or less the Sens are only 18-26 and the Rangers won 27 of 41 (66%) road games this season! 10* Top Play NEW YORK RANGERS money line Saturday afternoon |
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04-27-17 | Rangers -110 v. Senators | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 48 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (-) @ Ottawa Senators @ 7 ET - The Rangers got past a very strong Canadiens team in the first round and they did it by winning 3 straight games after being down in a 2-1 hole in the series. I am impressed. I am not so impressed with the Senators series victory over the Bruins as Boston was banged up and also simply not a consistent team this season. The Bruins had a lot of holes. The Rangers don't! Also, the Rangers have thrived on the road all season. New York's 27 road wins in the regular season easily topped the league. Also, the Rangers took 2 of 3 at Montreal in their opening round series win. As for the Senators series with the Bruins, the road team won 5 of the 6 games. The Rangers lost their most recent trip to Ottawa 3 weeks ago but the Rangers playoff position was set at that point. Also, the Rangers have won 25 of 37 this season when playing with revenge. The Senators have lost 4 of 5 this season when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS |
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04-23-17 | Capitals v. Maple Leafs +135 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 46 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Maple Leafs certainly have proven worthy to be worthy competition for the Capitals and I feel strongly that they aren't done yet. While their 2-1 lead in the series is gone, this has been a tight battle all the way in this series with 4 of the 5 games decided in overtime. That said, way too much value is being given to Toronto here considering they are on home ice and no team has won 3 straight in this series yet and I expect that will not occur in this one as these two teams have proven to be too closely matched. The Leafs had scored 4 goals in 3 straight games before the 2-1 loss in Game 5. To put that in proper perspective, consider that the Caps have scored more than 3 goals just once in this entire series. Indeed Toronto has proven they are up to the challenge and certainly they are well coached. The Capitals have lost 11 of 16 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. Also, the last 3 seasons combined, Washington is 4-8 when they're leading in a playoff series. Toronto has a long-term mark of 18-8 when trailing in a playoff series and the Maple Leafs had outshot the Caps in 3 straight games (including both games in Toronto) before being outshot in Friday's loss. Bounce back time here for the Leafs as they avoid elimination and force a Game 7 for Tuesday. 10* TORONTO |
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04-22-17 | Canadiens -103 v. Rangers | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -103 | 10 h 11 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) @ New York Rangers @ 8:05 ET - The Rangers tried but were unsuccessful in asking the league to move this game to Montreal! All kidding aside, the Rangers are simply a better team on the road than at home. It doesn't make a lot of sense and yet it is a fact. That said, the fact you can get Montreal at a fair price here (instead of laying a big price at home) is a true value in this spot as the Habs look to avoid elimination. Clearly, the Canadiens were outplayed as Game 5 went on and they deserved to lose that one in OT which they did. However, that doesn't mean that Montreal is finished and it doesn't mean that Montreal can't make adjustments and force a Game 7 back to at the Bell Centre. Note that the Canadiens have won 11 of 17 games this season when playing with home loss revenge. Also, prior to New York's home win in Game 4 of this series, the Rangers had lost 9 of their last 11 home games! New York still has not scored a power play goal in this series and the Canadiens have 3 power play markers in the last 3 games. The Rangers have only outshot the Habs once in the first five games of this series. In the Canadiens two wins they outshot NYR by a combined 28 shots. The Habs are well aware of this and will be ultra aggressive tonight and not look like the same team that got out-skated as that game went on Thursday night. I look for a huge bounce back effort on the road in this one Saturday night. 10* MONTREAL |
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04-21-17 | Bruins -120 v. Senators | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 3 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (-) @ Ottawa Senators @ 7:35 ET - The road team has won 3 of the 4 games so far in this series. After winning game one at Ottawa, the Bruins have lost 3 straight and I look for them to bounce back big here and avoid elimination. Boston has won 5 of 7 this season when on a losing streak of 3 games or more. Ottawa has lost 6 of 10 this season when they are off of a shutout win. Also, in a home game with a posted total of 5 goals or less, the Senators have lost 25 of 42 the last 3 seasons combined. Every single game in this series has been decided by a single goal and give credit to Erik Karlsson for being the difference maker for the Sens so far. The Bruins have had enough and I look for them to make some adjustments here for Game 5 that will prove to be the difference maker against Karlsson and company. Also, Karlsson has averaged nearly 29 minutes of ice team in these last 3 games and there has been only one day of rest between games ever since the Game 1 win. For a team relying so heavily on one player, fatigue could be a key factor here and I know the Bruins are going to do their best to make life miserable for Karlsson in this one. 10* BOSTON |
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04-20-17 | Rangers +131 v. Canadiens | Top | 3-2 | Win | 131 | 5 h 54 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Rangers won 2/3 of their road games this season. So now, one of the best teams in the league this entire season continues to be very undervalued on the road even though they already split the first two games of this series in Montreal. Had the Rangers lost Game 4 in New York the situation would be different but, after losing Game 3 on home ice, NYR showed a lot of resiliency in bouncing back and will carry that momentum north of the border tonight. Keep in mind, playing for the Habs in hockey-mad Montreal is like playing in a pressure cooker and the Canadiens, prior to the Game 4 win, had lost 10 of their last 16 home games. Keep in mind that tough stretch included all the late season match-ups when the pressure was on. Honestly sometimes it's almost easier being on the road when the pressure is that intense and, indeed, scrutiny is huge in Montreal. Facing the road warrior Rangers just intensifies the entire situation and that means all the pressure is on the Canadiens in this one. I'll gladly take the more relaxed team that has played so well on the road this season and will grab this solid underdog price. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS |
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04-19-17 | Wild -107 v. Blues | Top | 2-0 | Win | 100 | 15 h 16 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (-) @ St Louis Blues @ 9:35 ET - The Wild are down 3-0 in this series and, just like the Blue Jackets last night, I expect them to avoid getting swept out of the post-season. Minnesota has outshot the Blues by a margin of 38 shots on goal in this series. Even though Jake Allen has been fantastic between the pipes for St Louis (just 1 goal allowed each game), it is not as if Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk has not played well. In fact, he has allowed just 2 goals in each game. The shots on goal edge shows you that the Wild have actually outplayed the Blues for lengthy stretches throughout this series. The fact that they are down 3-0 certainly has been a shocker but with one win they know they get a chance to head back home for Game 5 and so Minnesota is certainly not hanging their heads here. Look for a big performance from the Wild here as they finally get a few more past Allen tonight. Even with winning Games 2 and 3 after taking the opener, St Louis is still just 3-6 in recent seasons when leading in a playoff series. Also, the Wild have gone from being a 2 to 1 favorite on home ice in Game 2 to basically a pick'em price in Game 4. That is what you call value and I'll take it because this is one angry, determined, and talented road dog taking the ice in St Louis tonight. 10* MINNESOTA WILD |
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04-17-17 | Blackhawks -104 v. Predators | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -104 | 11 h 1 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (-) @ Nashville Predators @ 9:35 ET - The Blackhawks didn't just lose on Saturday, they got thoroughly embarrassed in a 5-0 home shutout and got booed off the ice in their own barn. Needless to say, a response can be expected after a game like that and there is also a key angle that supports my expectation that Chicago will come out flying all over the ice tonight. Of course the playoffs are a new season but, in the regular season, the Blackhawks were a PERFECT 7-0 when they entered a game off of back to back losses where they were held to 2 goals or less in both games. In this case, after losing their first two games of the post-season in shutout fashion, that angle is certainly in effect here. Additionally, though it didn't pan out Saturday, the Blackhawks have gone 7-2 the L3 seasons combined when they enter a playoff game trailing in the series. Give the Predators credit for how they've played in the first two games but they undoubtedly are going to face a different level of play from the Blackhawks Monday and we're getting line value here since Chicago is on the road. Keep in mind, the road team has won 6 of the last 9 games between these teams. Also, even with Saturday's win, Nashville has still lost 4 of 5 this season when off of a shutout win. Additionally, when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more, the Preds have lost 19 of 29 this season (and 51 of 80 the L3 seasons combined). Look for the proud Hawks to respond HUGE on Monday night. 10* CHICAGO |
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04-16-17 | Wild -108 v. Blues | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -108 | 6 h 54 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (-) @ St Louis Blues @ 3:05 ET - The Wild really let out some frustration at the end of Game 2 and they're fired up heading into St Louis for this Sunday afternoon match-up. Yes the Blues are up 2-0 in this series and now on home ice but there is a reason this game is priced the way it is. I just don't see the Wild going down 3 games to 0 in this series and I feel the "venting" they did in Game 2 will serve them well here. Minnesota is fired up and they have outshot the Blues 76 to 48 so far in this series. Even with the win in Game 2 Friday, St Louis is still an ugly 2-6 in recent seasons when they are leading in a playoff series. When the Wild enter a game on a losing streak of 2 games and they were held to 1 goal or less in at least of the games, they've gone 3-1 this season and the 3 wins came by a combined scored of 16 to 6. Look for some road revenge in this one as Minny drops the Blues to 2-7 when St Louis is leading in a playoff series. 10* MINNESOTA |
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04-14-17 | Rangers v. Canadiens -144 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 7 h 19 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Habs jumped on the Rangers early on Wednesday but despite a huge edge in shots on goal early it was New York that got the early lead and then managed to hang onto it the rest of the way. Give the Rangers credit for getting the job done but expect the Canadiens to come out even stronger tonight and also get more traffic in front of Henrik Lundqvist as there were rebound opportunities for Montreal but they need guys there to punch them in. The Canadiens have won 13 of 17 when off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more this season. The Habs had won 6 of 8 before that home shutout and the Rangers, prior to winning 2 straight, had lost 7 of their 9 prior games. This a good price to have on the home team coming off of shutout in Game 1 and that has me elevating this play to my highest rating. 10* Top Play MONTREAL on the money line early Friday evening |
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04-08-17 | Predators v. Jets +102 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 102 | 10 h 26 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (-) vs Nashville Predators @ 7:05 ET - Even though the Jets aren't going to the playoffs they've certainly been playing like a playoff team and I know they want to carry that momentum right into the off-season. That said, Winnipeg is very hungry for a win here in their final game of the season and, winners of 6 straight and 9 of their last 11, the Jets are unlikely to be denied here. The Predators are off of a big road win at Dallas but previously lost 4 of their last 5 and truly the Preds have already been looking ahead to the playoffs. Also, the home team has won all 3 meetings between these clubs this season. I look for more of the same on Saturday evening. The Predators had averaged just 1.8 goals per game in their last 5 road games before the explosion against the Stars. The Jets, incredibly, have scored 4 goals or more in 5 straight games and 12 of their last 19. The Predators have lost 18 of 27 this season when off of a divisional game. Also, the last 3 seasons combined, Nashville has lost 50 of 79 games when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Winnipeg has won 18 of 28 divisional games this season and the Jets have won 4 of 5 home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more this season. This total is high for a reason. The Jets continue their red hot goal-scoring run. 10* WINNIPEG |
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04-07-17 | Lightning +125 v. Canadiens | Top | 4-2 | Win | 125 | 9 h 56 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - The Bolts kept their slim post-season hopes alive with a big win at Toronto last night and, until their eliminated, you can bet that the Lightning aren't going to stop going hard. Tampa Bay again is in a must-win situation here and they are likely visiting the right team at the right time to notch another crucial pair of points in the standings. The Bolts re in Montreal where the Canadiens are already crowned as the Atlantic Division champs and truly have nothing to play for here. Certainly the Habs are trying to say "playoff-ready" and play a better game than they did in the 2-1 loss at Buffalo Wednesday evening. But the fact is that it is virtually impossible for the Canadiens to match the intensity that a desperate Tampa Bay team will bring to the ice Friday night. Further hindering the Habs chances here is the fact that their defense is very banged up. That said, the only reason Montreal is favored here is because they are on home ice but the intensity and motivational edges clearly lie with the road dog in this one. The Lightning have won 6 of their last 7 road games and I look for another W tonight to keep the Bolts playoff hopes alive. 10* TAMPA BAY on the money line early Friday evening |
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04-02-17 | Flyers +135 v. Rangers | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 57 m | Show |
NHL TV Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:35 ET - Though their playoff chances are slim, the Flyers haven't stopped fighting. With their 3-0 shutout of New Jersey yesterday, Philly has won 4 straight games. They now visit New York where the Rangers have lost 8 straight games. Even though the Rangers are off of an OT loss to the Penguins they had to score 2 goals in the 3rd period Friday just to get to OT as they rallied from a 2-goal deficit. The fact is that the Rangers just aren't playing very well right now while Philly continues to push hard and has won their last 4 games by a combined scored of 18-7. With Flyers winning 4 straight overall and the Rangers losing 8 straight at home, we're testing a combined 12-0 run here. Also, Rangers have lost 16 of 26 when off of a divisional game this season and Flyers have won 16 of 25 when off of a divisional game. The Flyers will rally around the Neuvirth goalie situation and Mason could be back tonight but Stolarz was fantastic between the pipes yesterday. The road team has taken 6 of the last 7 meetings between these clubs and we are certainly getting extra line value here with the road dog. 10* PHILADELPHIA FLYERS money line Sunday |
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03-29-17 | Kings +125 v. Flames | Top | 4-1 | Win | 125 | 12 h 26 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ Calgary Flames @ 9:05 ET - Two years ago these teams met late in the season and the Flames got the win to secure a playoff berth. They're trying to do the same tonight. Also, Los Angeles lost at Edmonton last night and that allowed the Oilers to secure a playoff berth. Knowing that the Kings are a quality hockey club that is battling hard and giving it their all to keep their own slim postseason chances alive, I just don't seem them falling short in this spot. To allow two teams to secure playoff spots at their own expense is something I just don't see happening especially when you consider Calgary did clinch a berth two years against LA as noted above. This is, essentially, the game of the year for Los Angeles and I expect a fantastic effort from the Kings here. Los Angeles had won 5 straight games in this series, including a 5-0 win at home early this season before the Flames now have taken two straight. As a result, the Kings have revenge on their minds here and Calgary, before back to back wins (albeit one against a bad Colorado team), had lost 3 of their last 5 games and the Flames allowed 4 goals per game in those 3 defeats. The Kings have won 14 of 22 games this season when they are off of a divisional game. The Flames have a losing record in divisional games this season and also a losing record in games this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Look for an upset here and the odds makers are expecting it too. That's why they had to make this line so low on the Flames to encourage action and Calgary and get balanced action on this game. Look for the Kings to surprise many with a huge road effort tonight as they are playing for their playoff lives. 10* LOS ANGELES |
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03-28-17 | Senators v. Flyers -120 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 5 h 57 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - While the Flyers playoff chances are certainly bleak, one thing is for certain, if they are to make it they have to keep winning. On home ice and off of a rejuvenating 6-2 win at Pittsburgh, look for Philly to take advantage of hosting an Ottawa team that has lost 5 of its last 7 games and scored a total of only 12 goals in these 7 games. Philadelphia has won 5 of its last 7 home games and they only have 2 road games left this season so they know they can still make a late-season push by continuing to defend home ice. Look for them to do just that tonight! The Flyers have won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these clubs but they did lose the last time they hosted the Senators and they'll be looking for some payback here. The Sens could be rusty as they enter this game with 2 days of rest and that has seen them lose 9 of 15 this season and 27 of 46 the last 3 seasons combined. The Flyers have won 14 of 23 when coming off of a divisional game this season. Also, the last 3 seasons combined the Flyers have won 41 of 66 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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03-27-17 | Blackhawks +100 v. Lightning | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 37 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - The Blackhawks are off of an embarrassing loss at Florida (7-0 Saturday) and I fully expect a response here. Adding to the likelihood of a big response here is the fact that the Lightning hammered the Hawks 5-2 in Chicago two months ago. The revenge-seeking Blackhawks have won 12 of 17 games this season when playing with home loss revenge. Also, Chicago has only lost back to back games once since January. Dating back to a win on February 2nd, the Blackhawks had won 18 of 22 games prior to the ugly loss to the Panthers Saturday. Amazingly, the Bolts are currently on a 7-game run where the road team is 7-0. This includes the Bolts current 3-game losing streak on home ice and Tampa gave up 5 goals in EACH of those 3 home defeats. Tampa Bay has lost 16 of 26 non-conference games this season and also the Lightning have been defeated in 14 of their last 23 home games that had a posted total of 5.5 goals. With TB having given up 15 goals in their last 3 home games, they're in trouble here as they face an angry Blackhawks team off of a 7-0 beating. Last, but certainly not least, the Bolts are quite banged up right now and those injury issues will be magnified when facing one of the top teams in the league. Great line value here since the Hawks are on the road. Grab it! 10* CHICAGO |
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03-25-17 | Sharks +122 v. Predators | Top | 2-7 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 59 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - San Jose lost badly at Dallas last night. As followers know I had the underdog Stars in that game and the Sharks went with back-up goalie Aaron Dell and also appeared to clearly be looking ahead to this playoff rematch from last May. Even though San Jose did get the better of Nashville to knock them out of the post-season last year, that doesn't prevent this from being a revenge spot for the Sharks. Why? Because San Jose recently lost at home to the Predators by a 3-1 count and that arguably was the beginning of some tougher times for the Sharks as they've now lost 6 of their last 8 games. The point is that San Jose needs to snap the skid before the two-day break they have coming up prior to a home date with the Rangers. That means this game is circled in red on the Sharks calendar and they'll be looking to avenge the home loss from earlier this month. #1 goalie Martin Jones will be back between the pipes for the Sharks tonight and he has been very strong in recent games but just hasn't gotten much support from the offense. That should change tonight as San Jose has scored 20 goals the last 5 times that Preds goalie Pekka Rinne has started against them. The Sharks have won 8 of 11 games this season when off of a loss by 2 goals or more in their prior game. The Predators have lost 12 of 17 Saturday games this season. Also, Nashville has lost 41 of 66 (and cost their backers 30.1 net units) the last 3 seasons when they are off of a win by a multiple goal margin. After beating Calgary 3-1 Thursday, look for the Preds to fall flat here. 10* SAN JOSE SHARKS |
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03-23-17 | Flames +127 v. Predators | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 24 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+125) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - Great spot to grab the Flames as they've been one of the hottest teams in the league but are coming off of a loss. That means you can expect a supreme effort from Calgary tonight and this is a Flames club that has not suffered back to back losses in TWO MONTHS! The Flames had won 17 of their last 21 games prior to a 4-2 loss at Washington on Tuesday. Adding to the line value here is the fact that the road team has taken 6 of the last 7 meetings between these clubs as the Predators have won 2 of the last 3 games played in Calgary while the Flames have won 4 STRAIGHT meetings at Nashville. The Preds come into this game off of a win but had lost 5 of their 8 prior games. Even though the Predators are playing this game with home loss revenge, that is a situation that has seen Nashville lose 10 of 15 times this season. Also, when off of a win by 2 goals or more, the Preds have lost 14 of 21 times this season and 41 of 65 times the last 3 seasons combined. The Flames, considering how hot they have been and the fact they're off of a loss and have had a ton of success at Nashville, are offering a lot of line value in this spot. The Predators are known for their struggles off of a big win and they have the Sharks on deck and San Jose is the team that knocked the Preds out of the post-season last spring. Tremendous situational edges here. 10* CALGARY on the money line |
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03-16-17 | Flyers -106 v. Devils | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -106 | 7 h 43 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - Off of a big win over in-state rival Pittsburgh it may seem tough to take the Flyers here but, keep in mind, they're still fighting hard for a playoff spot and have been a very streaky team this season. Also, they get the added edge of facing a Devils team that has lost 10 straight games! Additionally, the Flyers are a respectable 8-6 (+3.0 net games) when in a back to back spot this season and also Philly is a perfect 3-0 this season when off of a shutout win! When off of a divisional game this season the Flyers have won 12 of 19. As for the Devils, they have lost 5 of 6 when they are playing with three or more days of rest between games. New Jersey has been off since Saturday at Arizona because the northeast snowstorm cancelled their most recent game. Look for the Devils to be "rusty" coming off of a west coast road trip and having not played in 5 days! The Flyers should be skating circles around the Devils here as they ride the momentum of last night's key win over the Pens as Philadelphia looks to remain alive in the playoff chase. New Jersey has lost 51 of 80 divisional games the past 3 seasons combined and the Flyers get revenge tonight for losing the first two games to the Devils this season by a combined score of 8 to 1. Payback time. 10* PHILADELPHIA on the money line Thursday |
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03-14-17 | Blackhawks v. Canadiens -117 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -117 | 8 h 53 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:35 ET - The Blackhawks are off of a key divisional win over Minnesota and could be caught flat here at Montreal. Chicago had lost two straight games before knocking off the Wild and, though they've been playing well overall, the Blackhawks are arguably not as hot as the Canadiens. Montreal comes into this game having won 7 of its last 8 games. They needed to get hot after some mid-season doldrums and they've done just that as they've won 8 of 10 the last 4 weeks. While Chicago has been solid overall defensively, they have given up 2 goals or more in 6 of their last 9 games while Montreal, amazingly, has given up 1 goal or less in 5 of their last 6 games. In fact, other than ugly loss at Calgary, the Canadiens last 6 games have seen them allow a total of 4 goals in the 5 games not against the Flames. While the Hawks are off of that big win over the Wild, the Habs have had this game circled as it is their only game between the 12th and the 18th and picking up 2 points is critical for them in this one. Look for them to get revenge for a loss at Chicago earlier this season as the Canadiens have fallen victim to the Blackhawks in recent seasons and this is the perfect spot for payback. 10* MONTREAL |
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03-11-17 | Islanders +100 v. Blues | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 9 m | Show |
Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #15 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - This line looked a little "funny" as it opened up at a pick'em price even though Blues have the home ice edge. Sure enough, many are now backing the home team here as the St Louis money line is getting plenty of attention from the betting markets. I am well aware of the fact that the Blues have won 3 straight games and have actually fared well in most back to back situations this season. However, St Louis more recently has not impressed. Prior to this 3-game mini-run the Blues had lost 5 straight games. Also, believe it or not, St Louis has not won consecutive home games since November 28th and December 1st. Overall, the Blues have lost 8 of 13 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season and I look for the high-scoring Islanders to give them trouble here. The Isles have excelled as it relates to longer road trips and have won 21 of 29 the last 3 seasons combined when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Look for more of the same tonight as the Isles have scored 4 goals or more in 9 of their last 18 games. By comparison, prior to scoring 4 goals last night, the Blues had averaged only 1.6 goals per game in their last 7 games! Road rout on tap with the more rested team here as St Louis again fails to win a home game when they enter having won their most recent home contest. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS |
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03-02-17 | Predators +112 v. Canadiens | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Thursday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - Both teams come in on winning streaks but the Predators have averaged 4 goals per game their last 11 games while the Canadiens have scored a TOTAL of just 4 goals in their last 5 home games! As you can see from those numbers we are getting great line value here with underdog Nashville. The red hot Preds have revenge on their minds as they lost at home to Montreal in early January. Prior to that Nashville had won the last 2 meetings by a combined score of 7-2. A lot of value is given to home ice in NHL match-ups but the road team has outshot the home team in each of the last 3 meetings by a combined tally of 109-71 in shots on goal. The Predators have won 12 of 19 when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more this season. The Preds also have won 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. The Habs have lost 10 of 16 (and cost backers $6,700 at $1K a game) when they are off of a shutout win. After a revenging 1-0 win over Columbus on Tuesday, look for Montreal to fall flat tonight against the red hot offense of the revenge-minded Predators. 10* NASHVILLE money line Thursday |
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02-25-17 | Canadiens v. Maple Leafs -115 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 7 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #10 Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The reason this is a contrarian play is because many will back the Canadiens here simply based on their long history of success against the Maple Leafs. This is actually helping to make this the perfect spot to back Toronto because the line is being held lower than it should be because of Montreal's past successes in this match-up. The Maple Leafs have a great shot at finally getting into the win column against the Habs as Montreal still "can't get right" even after the coaching change. Overall it is a long, ugly stretch that has seen the Canadiens lose 8 of their last 10 games. The Leafs come into this game off of a tight loss that has them fired up as they previously had won a respectable 16 of their last 28 games. For the Leafs, that type of a stretch is progress and Toronto has won 9 of 13 this season when playing with home loss revenge. Conversely, Montreal has lost 8 of its last 12 games against teams with a losing record! The Maple Leafs have outshot the Habs in all 3 match-ups this season so they've been on the cusp of turning the corner against a hated rival. On Saturday I foresee them indeed finally turning the corner! Great line value here with the team playing the better hockey and not going through a transitional phase! 10* TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS money line |
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02-19-17 | Blackhawks -120 v. Sabres | Top | 5-1 | Win | 100 | 7 h 13 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Sunday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (-) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 6:05 ET - It has been amazing how poorly teams have done after the mandatory bye week this season in the NHL. The Blackhawks won 5 straight games through last Saturday and then they were off all week and, sure enough, lost yesterday. That defeat for Chicago (versus Edmonton) will have the Hawks fired up to bounce back here. They're catching the Sabres red hot heading into their bye week which starts tomorrow. The Sabres have been getting strong goaltending from Robin Lehner but this is a back to back spot and he was in goal for yesterday's home win versus St Louis. With Buffalo playing a lot of games recently, this is a tough spot in terms of the goalie situation. Also, the Sabres are 0-2 this season (and 1-7 the L3 seasons combined!) when they enter a game on a 3-game winning streak. As you can see, Buffalo is not known for long losing streaks and they're in trouble here with Chicago coming into this game angry off of a loss. Also, the Sabres have lost 30 of 44 when in the 2nd game of a back to back and the Blackhawks also have a long winning streak going against Buffalo. Chicago comes into this game having won 22 of 32 games against teams with a losing record this season. Also, the Blackhawks have won 7 of 10 this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back and the Hawks have won 32 of 45 Sunday games the past 3 seasons combined. 10* CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS on the money line |
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02-18-17 | Panthers +150 v. Kings | Top | 3-2 | Win | 150 | 12 h 11 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Saturday Florida Panthers Money Line (+) @ Los Angeles Kings @ 10:05 ET - Even though this is a back spot for Florida, they are the play here. They are on a tremendous surge thanks in part to the recent return of two of their top players, Jonathan Huberdeau and Alexander Barkov. The Panthers have now won 6 of their last 7 games and the lone loss was to the Kings in Florida. In other words, this is a revenge spot for Florida and I expect them to get it. Keep in mind, even though this is a back to back LA and Anaheim are right next to each other in Southern California so no true travel was involved here. The Kings have but one win (that victory over the Panthers) in their last 4 games and Los Angeles has been outscored 15 to 3 in their other 3 games. Both of these teams are battling for playoff spots (one in the East and one in the West) but only one team is currently playing like a true contender and that is the Panthers. That said, I'll gladly grab the underdog value in this revenge spot. The Panthers have already won 9 of 13 Saturday games this season. The Kings have also fared well on Saturdays but they come into this game struggling and their goaltending has been a major issue of late. 10* FLORIDA PANTHERS money line |
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02-17-17 | Penguins v. Blue Jackets -116 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 14 h 47 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #2 Friday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins are playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and this is a tough back to back situation for them. Pittsburgh had to battle hard to get past Winnipeg 4-3 in overtime last night. The Penguins also saw a couple of players leave yesterday's game with injury as both Justin Schultz and Olli Maatta were forced out with injuries in the 2nd period last night. Whether those players are able to go tonight or not the fact remains that the Penguins players are in a tough spot here considering the scheduling situation. The Blue Jackets were off yesterday, they are at home for this game, and they're playing it with revenge. The Pens did knock off the Jackets earlier this month but the Penguins have won just once in their last five visits to Columbus! The Blue Jackets will have #1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky ready to go for this one after resting him Wednesday and he is 4-1 with a solid 2.16 GAA in his 5 home starts versus Pittsburgh since he came to Columbus in 2013. Certainly tonight's big divisional battle means a lot to both teams but certainly it is even bigger for the Blue Jackets as they want to make the most of hosting the Stanley Cup Champions just like they did in their only other home game with the Penguins this season: a 7-1 win on December 22nd. The Pens have lost 15 of 28 (-$8,600) Friday games the past 3 seasons while the Blue Jackets are a stellar 9-1 (+$9,400) on Fridays this season. Also, Columbus is a perfect 6-0 this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on home ice. Look for the Jackets to get the job done in what is game 5 of a 7-game homestand as that record extends to 7-0 on the season. 10* COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS |
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02-16-17 | Flyers +143 v. Oilers | Top | 3-6 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Game #63 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Edmonton Oilers @ 9:05 ET - Even though this is a back to back spot for the Flyers it is not a tough travel spot as they Calgary to Edmonton is a short trip. Also, the Flyers schedule has been light prior to this and, after this game, the Flyers have 2 days off then a game then another 2 days off then a game and then yet another 2 days off before their outdoor game at Pittsburgh. That said, with the Flyers off of a loss last night and desperate to pick up points in the standings, I expect a huge game from them here. They catch Edmonton off of a win but the Oilers had previously lost 4 of their last 5 games and averaged only 1 goal per game in those 5 games. That said, the Oilers also have a big game road trip on deck which begins with a revenge game versus the Blackhawks in Chicago on Saturday. Don't be surprised if the Flyers come out as the better skating team and much more aggressive hockey club given the scheduling dynamics of this situation. Philly has won 8 of their last 12 when playing the 2nd game of a back to back this season and the Oilers have lost 21 of their last 32 February games. The Flyers have allowed just 1.9 goals per game in their last 10 games while Edmonton, before their win over Arizona, had lost 3 straight home games by a combined score of 13-5. This situation is set up perfectly for the upset. 10* PHILADELPHIA FLYERS |
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02-15-17 | Blues -101 v. Red Wings | Top | 2-0 | Win | 100 | 7 h 1 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (-) @ Detroit Red Wings @ 8:05 ET - This is a classic case of hot versus not and I look for St Louis to keep rolling. The Blues have responded well since the firing of Ken Hitchcock and they head to Joe Louis Arena on a 4-game winning streak. Also, the Blues have not just been winning they've been getting the job done in blowout fashion. St Louis has won 4 straight by a combined score of 14-3 and the Blues last 6 wins have been by a combined margin of 18 goals (22-4). While the Red Wings will do their best to put up a fight (particularly on home ice) they are short-handed with some injury issues (and a possible suspension) and note that the road team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these clubs. Detroit has lost 4 straight games and the Red Wings have given up 4 goals or more in 6 of their last 9 games. Conversely, Blues goalie Jake Allen comes into this game on a red hot run. The Red Wings have lost 32 of their last 48 games while the Blues are playing some of their best hockey this season. Even though Detroit is well rested here, they have actually lost 27 of their last 43 when they enter a game with 2 days of rest. The Blues have won 21 of 33 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals and they are positioned well to get another one here. 10* Top Play ST LOUIS BLUES money line |
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02-14-17 | Ducks +137 v. Wild | Top | 1-0 | Win | 137 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Tuesday 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Wild are coached by former Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau and so far the Minnesota head coach has gotten revenge on his former team twice already this season. I expect the 3rd time to be the charm for the Ducks players as they now get revenge on the former Anaheim coach. The Ducks are off of an ugly 6-4 loss at Washington Saturday but may have been peeking ahead at this game. Anaheim has won 9 of 11 games this season when they are off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. The Ducks did outshoot the Wild in their loss at Minnesota in late January. Make no mistake the Wild have been playing solid hockey but they have been giving up quite a few goals. In other words, they've been on the edge of getting knocked off had they not scored a pile of goals themselves. That is significant here because the Ducks had allowed an average of only 2.4 goals per game in their 5 games prior to losing badly at Washington. As for the Wild, even though they've won 4 of their last 6 games they've allowed an average of 3 goals per game during this stretch. Look for the revenge-minded Ducks to prove to be the hungrier team here and Minnesota has had some injury issues become quite impacting to their blue line as some defensemen are dealing with injuries. This is definitely a contrarian play but it is a situation offering tremendous line value and appears to be the perfect spot for an upset! 10* Top Play ANAHEIM DUCKS money line |
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02-11-17 | Saint Louis Cardinals +145 v. Canadiens | Top | 4-2 | Win | 145 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
NHL Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Saturday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Blues recently fired coach Ken Hitchock and it certainly has grabbed the club's attention. St Louis enters this game having won 3 straight and the Blues have allowed 1 goals or less in 4 of their last 5 games. The scheduling situation here is ideal for St Louis to stay hot and yet we're able to get a big plus money price on the underdog Blues here. Montreal just got back from a trip out west and the first game back is often the toughest. Not only that, unlike the Blues, the Canadiens have been struggling in their own end as they've allowed 3 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 games. The Habs were somewhat fortunate to escape Arizona with a 5-4 win and that snapped a 4 games losing streak for slumping Montreal. The Canadiens had lost 10 of 15 prior to defeating the Coyotes and this a Montreal team that has not managed to win consecutive games since early January. The Habs have lost 15 of 25 games against teams with a winning record and I feel strongly that they are not priced properly here. The Blues have won 39 of 60 Saturday games the past 3 seasons combined and they'll be fired up for Hockey Night in Canada. Grab the big dog value here. 10* ST LOUIS BLUES MONEY LINE early Saturday evening |
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02-09-17 | Kings +100 v. Panthers | Top | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 8 h 36 m | Show |
Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #17 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:35 ET - Even though the Panthers have won 3 straight and also welcomed back some key personnel in their most recent game, the trouble for Florida is their last game was Friday! After their mandatory "bye week" that became part of the NHL schedule this season for each team, the Panthers are likely to come out a little sluggish here. That is going to spell trouble against a Kings team that, inexplicably, is off of back to back 5-0 shutout losses! Another key to the motivation for Los Angeles here is the fact that they don't play again until next Thursday as their bye week starts after this game. Look for LA to bring plenty of resolve to the rink tonight and "leave it all on the ice" because the last thing the Kings want to do is go into their bye week off of a 3rd straight poor effort! Keep in mind, Los Angeles had won 5 straight games before their 2-game skid while the Panthers had lost 4 straight games before their 3-game run prior their bye week. The Kings entered Tuesday's game at Tampa Bay having won 9 of 13 this season when off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. They were unable to get the job done. They are in the same spot again here and you will see a Kings team going "all out" this time. Given the situation, the Kings will prove to be the much hungrier team in this spot. 10* LOS ANGELES KINGS money line early Thursday evening |
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02-08-17 | Blackhawks -102 v. Wild | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 7 h 5 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - This is a very strong situation for the Blackhawks. Even though Minnesota is a quality hockey club and is on home ice, there is a reason that this game is basically priced as a "pick'em" and that is the fact that the Blackhawks have a huge scheduling edge here and certainly have revenge on their minds. Even though Chicago has dominated the Wild in recent playoff meetings, these teams have played a lot since their most recent post-season meeting and the Minnesota has held the upper hand. In fact, Minny has now won 8 straight regular season meetings with the Blackhawks! Not only is that enough to have Chicago fired up for this game, the Hawks also are looking up in the standings at Minnesota in the top spot in the Central Division right now. That is certainly atypical as well and the Blackhawks have had this game circled as "their game of the year" for the past few weeks. Keep in mind Chicago lost at home to Minnesota in mid-January. That immediately added to the intensity of this revenge game for the Blackhawks as they know they must gain ground on Minnesota in the division and head to head match-ups tonight and in two weeks from now give the Hawks the coveted opportunity to pick up 4 points on their division rivals. The big scheduling edge here is that the Blackhawks have had a full 3 days off to get geared up both physically and emotionally for this game whereas the Wild had to play at Winnipeg last night! Minnesota is only a .500 team in back to back spots this season. Chicago is off of a big win at Dallas Saturday and the Blackhawks have won 8 of 12 this season when off of a win by a multiple goal margin. Also, Chicago has won 14 of 19 when they are off of a divisional game this season! When playing with home loss revenge the Blackhawks have won 9 of 14 games this season and they want this one badly! 10* CHICAGO on the money line Wednesday night |
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02-07-17 | Blue Jackets v. Red Wings +106 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 6 m | Show |
Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #12 Tuesday 10* Top Play Detroit Red Wings Money Line (+) vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:35 ET - The Blue Jackets are off of a 5-1 home loss to New Jersey so many may be looking to back them here. However, that was the 4th loss for Columbus in their last 5 games and the Jackets have now allowed 4 goals or more in 6 straight games! That spells trouble against a Red Wings team that is seeing Petr Mrazek start to get hot between the pipes. He's been playing better over the past month but it didn't always show up in the box score. Last week at Nashville it certainly did as Detroit got a 1-0 win over the Predators. A team can ride a hot goalie and, even though the Red Wings have been outshot 78 to 43 in their past two games they won both games thanks, in part, to Mrazek. This is the Red Wings final home game for more than a week as they have a tough road trip on deck. That further increases the important of this game for Detroit. Conversely, the Blue Jackets a have a long homestand on deck and could get caught peeking ahead to that as I am predicting they'll get outplayed by a hungry Red Wings team looking to make sure they make a run toward notching a 26th straight playoff appearance. Detroit was embarrassed at home by the Blue Jackets in December and the Red Wings have won 9 of 13 this season when playing with home loss revenge. Columbus has lost 46 of 74 when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. 10* Top Play DETROIT RED WINGS on the money line Tuesday evening |
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02-05-17 | Flames +141 v. Rangers | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 8 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Sunday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 2:05 ET - The Rangers beat the Flames in Calgary early this season but New York comes into this one struggling a bit. The Rangers have lost 5 of their last 9 games. New York is off of a win but it came by a 2-1 count and the Rangers are averaging just 2 goals per game in their last 5 games. The Flames have won 8 of 11 this season when they are playing with home loss revenge. Even though the Rangers come into this game with 2 days of rest, surprisingly they have lost 5 of 9 this season (-3.7 net units) when they enter a game off of 2 days of rest. The point is that, even with fresh legs, the Rangers really don't belong in this price range here. The Flames have won 3 straight games heading into this one and have averaged 4 goals per game during the hot streak. Overall, Calgary has scored at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 8 games. With the hotter offense and their goal-tending rounding into form, the Flames are well worth the investment here as a road dog. Calgary did outshoot the Rangers by 8 shots on goal in the loss earlier this season and the Flames come into this one having outshot their opponents by an average of 7 shots per game in their last 8 games. I look for their strong play to continue here and for the result to be an upset win on the road as the Rangers lookahead to what they perceive to be a tougher match-up Tuesday when Anaheim will be in town. 10* Top Play CALGARY FLAMES money line Sunday afternoon |
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02-02-17 | Senators v. Lightning -130 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -130 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
Early Blowout - Rickenbach NHL Game #56 Thursday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -130 vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:35 ET - Former Lightning coach Guy Boucher, now the head coach for the Senators, makes his first return to Tampa Bay since being fired about 4 years ago by the Bolts. In his time with Tampa, Boucher worked closely with Jon Cooper (current Lightning head coach) for more than two years and that makes this game even bigger for Cooper. The Bolts need this game in more ways than one but especially with Cooper going up against Boucher this game has extra meaning for the Tampa Bay organization. The Lightning have won 4 of the last 5 meetings overall and also have won 3 of the last 4 match-ups in Tampa. The Senators come into this game having lost 3 of their last 4 games and allowing 5.3 goals per game in the 3 defeats. Though Tampa Bay has also certainly been under-performing they know it is not too late to make a run at getting into playoff position and this is the 1st of 3 remaining games on this critical 4-game homestand for the Lightning. After dropping the first game 4-3 to Boston, look for the Bolts to respond here. Tampa Bay has won 43 of 66 games the past 3 seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. On the other hand, Ottawa has actually underperformed against teams that are struggling this season as they have lost 12 of 20 games against teams with a losing record this season. I like the low price on home ice with Tampa in this one. They got back to the basics in yesterday's practice and had great practice sessions. Physically they are certainly ready here and the Lightning also are ready mentally after "clearing their heads" a bit in good working sessions with coach Cooper yesterday. He has this team ready to defend their home ice against a former coach in Boucher. The Senators run into a buzzsaw in this one tonight as the Bolts will be flying all over the ice at home. 10* TAMPA BAY on the money line |
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01-25-17 | Flyers +129 v. Rangers | Top | 2-0 | Win | 129 | 9 h 2 m | Show |
TV Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Wednesday - 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 8:05 ET - This is a revenge game for the Flyers as they were demolished by the Rangers 5 to 2 in Philly earlier this month. Though a lot of value is given to home ice when lines are made, the fact is that provides value in certain situations and this is one of those spots. It is the road team that is seeking revenge, these teams are close in proximity, and the road team has won 5 of the last 6 meetings. That said, home ice tends to be overemphasized in games like this and we can take advantage by grabbing the value on the other side. The Flyers have had two days off after a much needed win (in OT) over the Islanders Sunday. Look for Philadelphia to build off of that win and the Flyers have outshot their opponents 83 to 67 in their two games since returning from their "bye week" which is new to the NHL this season. Philly has come back from the bye rejuvenated and refreshed and playing with good energy again. As for the Rangers, they enter this game on a 3-game winning streak but they've lost 6 of 8 this season when they enter a game on a winning run of 3 games or more. Also, the Rangers have been outshot 59 to 36 in their past 2 games and this will be their 3rd game in 4 days. Look for the recent road domination in this series tonight. 10* PHILADELPHIA on the money line Wednesday |
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01-24-17 | Lightning +140 v. Blackhawks | Top | 5-2 | Win | 140 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #19 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:35 ET - Two years ago the Bolts lost 4 games to 2 in the Stanley Cup Finals. Needless to say this is the kind of revenge that doesn't go away easily and, as they enter this game off of 3 straight losses (despite outshooting their foes by a combined 101 to 68), look for the Lightning to "bring it" tonight. It should be a huge effort from a Tampa Bay team that has under-performed this season but was hopeful of "kicking things up a notch" on this road trip. The Bolts have won 6 of 9 (including 4 of 6 this season) when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. Also, Tampa Bay has won 33 of 49 (including 5 of 6 this season) when they enter a game off of 2 days of rest. When the Lighting are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more, they have won 42 of 65 the past 3 seasons combined. Tampa Bay lost badly at Arizona Friday despite outshooting the Coyotes 48 to 23. Chicago is off of a 4-2 home win over Vancouver but don't be fooled by the final score. That game was a 2-2 game very late. Also, the Blackhawks scored very late to win their prior game 1-0. Previous to that the Hawks had lost 4 of their 9 prior games so it's not like Chicago has been rolling of late. That said, we are getting tremendous line value here with a very hungry revenging road dog. I'll take it! 10* TAMPA BAY |
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01-22-17 | Predators +117 v. Wild | Top | 4-2 | Win | 117 | 9 h 10 m | Show |
Divisional Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Predators are finally heating up. They have won 5 of their last 6 games including 3 of 4 so far on this road trip. They also just go PK Subban back which is also a huge boost for this hockey team. The Preds wrap up this 5-game road trip with this game here in Minnesota and they have the scheduling edge as Nashville was off yesterday while the Wild were locked into an intense battle with a Ducks team that was hell-bent on extracting some revenge. The fact that Minny fought off Anaheim in their revenge bid and got the W yesterday makes this spot even stronger for the Predators. The Preds are now catching the Wild off of a win and in a back to back spot. Minnesota has lost 2 of 3 this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on home ice. Nashville has won 4 of 6 this season (and 21 of 34 the past 3 seasons) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Nashville took 3 of the 4 meetings last season but Minnesota has now beaten the Predators in each of the first two match-ups this season and both of those were at Nashville. That makes this a huge revenge spot for the Preds and, with the way their playing right now coupled with scheduling edge, this looks like the perfect spot for a road rout. 10* NASHVILLE |
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01-21-17 | Ducks +155 v. Wild | Top | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 59 m | Show |
No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 9:05 ET - This line has been going up, up, up all morning long as everyone is grabbing the Wild at home. I'll gladly grab a revenging Ducks team that had won 3 straight games before losing at home to Minnesota on January 8th. Since that game, Anaheim has gone 5-0-1 their last 6 games. As you can see, the only regulation loss that the Ducks have in their last 10 games came at the hands of the Wild but their revenge goes far deeper than just that. Minnesota is coached by their former coach, Bruce Boudreau, and the Ducks players want this game badly and it looks like their catching the Wild at the perfect time to get revenge. Minnesota has given up 13 goals in their last 4 games. The Wild ended up winning but they did blow a 3-1 lead against the lowly Coyotes. Also, they just lost defenseman Jonas Brodin to injury. Overall there is no debating the fact that Minny has been one of the top teams in the league this season. However, they have allowed 3.1 goals per game in their last 10 games and, on Saturday, they host a Ducks team that has only given up 2 goals or less in 9 straight games! Speaking of Saturday, that is the one day of the week where, oddly enough, things have not gone well for Minnesota with 7 losses in 11 Saturday games this season. Anaheim has won 4 of 5 this season when playing with home loss revenge and the Ducks have won 23 of their last 32 January games. I love the revenge angle here as well as the line value as I'll gladly grab the hungrier team that is also doing a better job of keeping pucks out of their own net. 10* ANAHEIM on the money line Saturday night |
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01-20-17 | Blackhawks +140 v. Bruins | Top | 1-0 | Win | 140 | 9 h 56 m | Show |
NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET Friday - There has been a big line move on this game for two reasons and none of them is a completely "justifiable" reason in my opinion. That said, we are getting fantastic line value in being able to take the Blackhawks as a big dog in this game. The Bruins opened up as a -125 favorite in this game and the line is now as high as -160 on Boston. This is because there are rumors floating around the Bruins as to the possible firing of head coach Claude Julien. Of course now the betting markets are viewing this as "Boston must bring their A game or else" and I see it differently. The last thing this Bruins team needs is more pressure and this is only going to put more pressure on them. Tuukka Rask has been struggling badly between the pipes and now there is added pressure of what is swirling through the media in Boston and it truly would be better for the Bruins if they were on the road rather than "under the microscope" at TD Garden. The other reason for the big line move is because the Blackhawks are going with their back-up goalie Scott Darling this evening. But that is actually good news for Chicago as Corey Crawford has been struggling between the pipes. The fact that Darling is getting the start tonight is actually a positive if you're backing the Hawks and I am doing just that tonight! Chicago is off of a win at Colorado Tuesday and the Blackhawks have won 13 of 17 this season when they are off of a divisional game. Also, Chicago has won 7 of 10 this season when off of a win by a multiple goal margin and the Hawks have won 17 of 25 games against teams with a losing record on the season. The Bruins have lost 6 of their last 9 games and they've allowed at least 3 goals in 7 of those 9 games. Boston is off of a demoralizing loss at Detroit where they blew a huge lead and those expecting a bounce back here should keep in mind that the Bruins have lost 9 of 12 this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, Boston has lost 42 of 70 non-conference games the past 3 seasons combined. The Bruins also have the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins on deck as well. Tremendous situational line value on the road dog in this one. 10* Top Play CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS on the money line early Friday evening |
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01-12-17 | Bruins v. Predators -105 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 13 h 28 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET Thursday - The struggling Predators got an improbable victory in overtime versus Vancouver Tuesday as they scored the winning goal short-handed in OT with just seconds left on the clock. That was just the 2nd win in 9 Preds games that have gone beyond regulation this season. This banged-up Nashville team certainly needed that win and I expect them to now use that as a momentum shift as they host Boston tonight and look to string together some wins. Even though the Bruins have been hot on their current road trip, Predators goalie Pekka Rinne has been sharper than Boston netminder Tuukka Rask in recent games. Rinne has a .946 save percentage compared to .902 for Rask over their last 4 starts. The Bruins suffered a couple injuries in their big 5-3 win at St Louis Tuesday and that helps "level the situation" here as the Predators continue to deal with injury issues. The end result is that I'll gladly ride the hotter goalie on home ice in a pick'em situation. The Preds win over the Canucks is the type of momentum-turning victory that Nashville needed. The Bruins have lost 8 of 11 this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, Boston has lost 37 of 65 road games with posted total of 5 goals or less the past three seasons. The Predators have won 43 of 71 home games with a posted total of 5 goals or less the past three seasons. As hot as the Bruins have been, they have allowed 3 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 games. The Preds have held 5 of their last 6 opponents to 2 goals or less! 10* Top Play NASHVILLE on the money line |
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01-11-17 | Penguins v. Capitals -119 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 22 h 17 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 8:05 ET Wednesday - Both teams come in red hot but the Capitals have the home ice edge, the hotter goalie, and they still have playoff revenge on their minds. Yes, Washington certainly got some revenge with a 7-1 drubbing of the Penguins back in November but the Capitals did lose their first chance at revenge (3-2 loss at Pittsburgh in October) and, overall, there is no way they can not be fired up about any chance to host the defending Stanley Cup Champs. The Caps want to make their move this season and get that top spot. The Pens do have a few concerns heading into this one as goalie Matt Murray has been dealing with a lower body injury and a number of Penguins are also battling an illness that has gripped a few players. The Penguins have won 5 straight games but they've allowed 9 goals in their last 4 games while the Capitals have won 6 straight games and have allowed 1 goal or less in 4 of their last 5 games. Including playoff games, the home team has won 6 straight match-ups between these teams. The Penguins have lost 29 of their last 50 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The Capitals have won 10 of 14 games this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Caps goalie Braden Holtby is 4-0 and has allowed a total of just 4 goals in his last 4 starts. 10* WASHINGTON money line Wednesday |
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01-07-17 | Stars +133 v. Blues | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
Central Division Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET Saturday - These division rivals are meeting for the last time this season. Dallas won the first game this season and that earned them some measure of revenge for last spring's playoff ouster at the hands of the Blues. However, St Louis has now taken the last two meetings this season and the last thing the Stars want is to lose the season series to the Blues after also getting knocked of out of last season's post-season at the hands of St Louis. That said, there is considerable line value here on the Stars as a sizable dog in this match-up. Dallas wrapped up a 3-game homestand with back to back losses after it began with a 3rd straight overall win for the Stars. The past three seasons combined, when Dallas enters a game having played each of their three prior games on home ice, the Stars have won 19 of 28 games! Also, Dallas has fresh legs here after back to back day off and the Stars have won 28 of 44 games when playing with two days of rest between games. The Blues have lost 7 of their last 11 games and goalie Jake Allen is likely distracted here (if he even plays). He is about to become a father for the first time and is listed as questionable for tonight's game. In losing 7 of their last 11 games, the Blues have allowed an average of 3.6 goals per game during this stretch. More of the same Saturday. 10* Top Play DALLAS STARS money line |
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01-06-17 | Maple Leafs -110 v. Devils | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 23 h 60 m | Show |
No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line -110 vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:35 ET Friday - The Maple Leafs are fired up after "letting one slip away" in a 6-5 loss at Washington on Tuesday. Toronto had won 5 straight before that loss and they're also playing this game with revenge on their minds as they lost at New Jersey 5-4 early this season. While the Leafs are off of a loss, the Devils have actually won back to back games which is quite surprising considering they had previously lost 19 of their last 24 games! The line value here is swaying heavily in favor of the Maple Leafs because we are getting a short price with them since they're on the road and yet the situational edges are largely in their favor. Only once this entire season have the Devils had a winning streak of more than 2 games. As for the Maple Leafs, they haven't lost back to back games since mid-December and they have won 8 of 12 this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Toronto also has won 6 of 9 this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The Devils have lost 4 of 5 Friday night games this season and 24 of 34 Friday games the past 3 seasons combined. They've lost both home games this season that have had a posted total of 5.5 goals. With the odds makers calling for a higher scoring game here (hence the 5.5 total) you know it is likely that the better offensively skilled team is the one likely to be doing most of the damage! 10* TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS money line Friday |
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01-04-17 | Rangers v. Flyers -110 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -110 | 26 h 40 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Rangers @ 8:05 ET Wednesday -This one is a bit of a contrarian play because, even though it will be the 2nd night of a back to back situation, the Rangers have played very well in back to backs this season. Also, New York has excelled in road games this season. However, the Flyers have the big rest edge here as they have been off since a tough New Year's Day loss at Anaheim. The Flyers held a 55-25 edge in shots on goal and yet lost so they're fired up to respond here after playing so well and yet not getting 2 points against the Ducks. Of course no extra motivation is really needed when the Rangers are in town as this is a huge rivalry. The Flyers have the rest edge, they also get a boost with the expected (or imminent) return of goalie Michal Neuvrith, and they get revenge for a 3-2 loss to the Rangers earlier this season where Philly outshot them 42-23. It is payback time here and the situation is perfect. 10* PHILADELPHIA on the money line Wednesday |
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01-03-17 | Canadiens +114 v. Predators | Top | 2-1 | Win | 114 | 22 h 23 m | Show |
NHL Non-Conf Game of the Month - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET Tuesday - Perfect set up here as the Predators are off of a 4-0 shutout win over a divisional rival and have lost 10 of 11 this season when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. As usual, look for the Predators to struggle off of a big game where they scored big goals. As for the Canadiens, they certainly won't be complacent in this one. Montreal lost both games to Nashville last season and they also come into this game fired up because they are off of an OT loss to Pittsburgh where they allowed the tying goal with less than a minute to go in the game! The Habs have won 6 of 9 this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Also, Montreal has won 9 of 13 this season in their games against teams with a losing record. Note that the Predators also have lost 11 of 16 this season when off of a game against a divisional rival and the Preds have lost all 3 games this season when they enter with 3 or more days of rest. Nashville hasn't played since Friday and will be rusty here. The fired up revenge-minded Canadiens are the play here. 10* MONTREAL CANADIENS money line Tuesday |
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12-20-16 | Sabres +145 v. Panthers | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 30 m | Show |
Contrarian Annihilation - NHL Game #9 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Buffalo Sabres Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:35 ET - The Panthers are off of a win at Colorado and are now back home in Florida. However, even though the Panthers are certainly happy to be back home, the first game back east after a road trip in other time zones is often the toughest and Florida also visited Minnesota and Winnipeg on that 3-game trip. Also, Florida has not won back to back games in the past month! In fact, before the win over the Avalanche, the Panthers had lost 8 of their past 10 games. That said, they truly don't belong in this price range against an improving Sabres team. Buffalo is off of a loss at Carolina but the Sabres had previously won 7 of their last 12 games. Buff also has won 4 of their 7 Tuesday game this season (up 2.0 net games) while the Panthers have lost 7 of their 8 Tuesday games this season (and lost 6.8 net games). After playing 3 consecutive road games this season, Florida has lost 6 of 8. After a win by a margin of 2 goals or more this season, the Panthers have lost 5 of 6. Buffalo won on home ice earlier this season versus Florida. That 3-0 dominance could be repeated here as, prior to that game, the road team had gone 3-0 in the 3 prior meetings. The situation is right, the price is right (in terms of giving huge value to the dog), and I am raising this one to a top play as this is a case of hot versus not. 10* Top Play BUFFALO SABRES money line Tuesday |
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12-17-16 | Lightning +160 v. Oilers | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 54 m | Show |
Businessman's Best - NHL Game #69 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Edmonton Oilers @ 10:05 ET - Though there has been some frustration for the Bolts lately, they were fully focused on this road trip to western Canada as an opportunity to "get right" and I look for them to get the key 2nd win in 3 games by notching a victory tonight. Even though they lost at Vancouver last night, they did outshoot the Canucks and #2 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was between the pipes. #1 goalie Ben Bishop will be in the crease tonight and he helped lead the way to Tampa Bay's 6-3 win at Calgary that began this road trip. The Lightning have outshot their opponents by a 62 to 46 margin so far on this road trip and I feel the Oilers are way overpriced in this spot. Keep in mind, Edmonton started the season hot but, since late October the Oilers have now lost 16 of 24 games! The Oilers simply don't merit being priced as a 2 to 1 favorite based on the way they've been playing for the past SEVEN weeks! Also, even though Edmonton is well-rested here, they have lost 7 of 10 the prior two seasons when they are enter a game with rest of 3 days or more. Additionally, the Oilers are 0-5 this season when they are off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less! In fact, Edmonton has now lost 4 of its past 6 home games and they've averaged just 1.8 goals per game in those 6 home contests! The Bolts are 7-1 this season in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. That means, taking the 0-5 nad 7-1 marks, we're testing a combined mark of 12-1 in favor of the big road dog in this game. I'll gladly grab that! 10* TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING money line Saturday night |
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12-15-16 | Wild +118 v. Predators | Top | 5-2 | Win | 118 | 8 h 51 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - NHL Game #59 Thursday - 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - This the only road game that the Wild have in a span of two weeks. In other words, Minnesota is undoubtedly fully focused on this game and adding to that focus is the fact that Nashville has won each of the last two meetings with the Wild and the last one was via a shutout. Minnesota has payback on their minds and the Wild come into this game playing their best hockey of the season as they have won 5 straight games by a combined score of 16 to 7. Minny is catching the Predators at the perfect time for an upset win as Nashville is off of a big 6-3 win over St Louis in divisional action. Note that Nashville has lost 8 of 9 this season (and lost 40 of 60 the past 3 seasons) when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, when off of a divisional game this season, the Preds have lost 8 of 12 (-7.0 net units) so far this season! Prior to the win over the Blues, the Predators had lost 5 of their last 7 games and this is a classic case of "hot versus not" and I'll ride the hot team at the underdog price with the motivational edge and the situational factors in their favor. 10* MINNESOTA WILD money line Thursday |
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12-13-16 | Blue Jackets -105 v. Oilers | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
NHL Game #69 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Edmonton Oilers @ 9:05 ET - Columbus has won 6 straight games. They are beginning a road trip to western Canada and they are fully focused on this match-up as they have won 3 of their last 4 games against the Oilers but they lost their last trip to Edmonton by a count of 5 to 1. The Blue Jackets are catching the Oilers at the right time. Edmonton is off of a divisional win over Winnipeg but the Oilers rallied for two 3rd period goals to get that W. The point is that Edmonton certainly wasn't overly impressive in that game and this is an Oilers team that had lost 7 of their 9 prior games. The Blue Jackets have not only won 6 straight games, they've been dominating as 4 of the 6 wins have come by a margin of at least 3 goals! The Oilers have allowed 15 goals in their last 4 games while the Blue Jackets have allowed a total of only 11 goals in their last 7 games! This is clearly a case of two teams heading in opposite directions. Also, Columbus has won 4 of 5 this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Also, when the Blue Jackets enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more, they've won 14 of 20 games the past 3 seasons combined. The Oilers have lost 9 of 13 games against Eastern Conference foes this season and also have lost 28 of 36 Tuesday games the past three seasons combined. Great line value here with the "pick'em price" available on this quality road team. 10* Top Play COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS Tuesday night |
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12-09-16 | Rangers +114 v. Blackhawks | Top | 1-0 | Win | 114 | 11 h 26 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Friday - 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:35 ET - Many will look to back the Blackhawks here since the Rangers are in a back to back situation. However, the Rangers are actually a perfect 4-0 this season (and have won 23 of 35 the last 3 seasons combined) when they are playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the Rangers used back-up goalie Antti Raanta last night at Winnipeg so that means top goalie Henrik Lundqvist will be between the pipes tonight. Chicago could only hope for such good fortune for themselves as, the fact is, Corey Crawford is still out (appendix) and both Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook are expected to miss tonight. That has the Blackhawks down 3 key players and also note that the road team has swept the series between these clubs each of the past two seasons. The road dominance (4-0 L4) should continue here given the situation. Yes, the Hawks are off of a win over Arizona but the Coyotes are the worst team in the league. Prior to that win Chicago had lost 5 of their last 8 games overall and back-up goalie Scott Darling had lost 3 straight starts. The Blackhawks have lost 9 of 16 (-$6,800) the past three seasons combined when they are off of a shutout win. Also, the Rangers have won 8 of 12 games against teams with a winning record this season while Chicago has lost 4 of 7 games against teams with a winning record this season. Before scoring 4 goals against the downtrodden Coyotes, the Blackhawks were held to 2 goals or less in 6 of their 8 prior games. Look for the Hawks to struggle again tonight. 10* Top Play NEW YORK RANGERS money line Friday |
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12-08-16 | Predators v. Stars +110 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 110 | 6 h 16 m | Show |
NHL Game #15 Thursday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) vs Nashville Predators @ 8:35 ET - Certainly Dallas has been hurt by injuries but that hasn't stopped them from putting up a fight. The Stars have outshot three of their last four opponents by a double digit margin! Dallas also is getting stellar goaltending from Kari Lehtonen of late as he's been rock solid in his last 3 starts. The issue for the Stars has been generating enough offense but they've certainly been generating opportunities and they will start to cash those in. The Stars have revenge on their minds here as they lost 5-2 at Nashville two weeks ago. Dallas outshot the Preds 35 to 21 in that game but fell well short on the scoreboard. It is time for a little payback and home ice is likely to have a huge impact in this one. The Predators have lost 6 of 7 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. The Preds are off of a 4-3 win over Colorado Tuesday but that was at home. Nashville has lost 7 of 8 this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. The last 3 seasons combined in that situation, the Predators have lost 39 of 59. Also, the Preds have lost 25 of their 36 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals the past three seasons combined. Even with all their injury issues the Stars have won 6 of 9 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season and they've won 48 of 82 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals the past three seasons combined. The Stars have won 19 of 29 the past three seasons when they are off of game where they were held to 1 goal or less. 10* Top Play DALLAS STARS money line Thursday night |
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12-07-16 | Bruins +130 v. Capitals | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 58 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - NHL Game #53 Wednesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - No team in the NHL has more road wins (8) than Boston and I expect the "road warriors" to be at it again on Wednesday night in Washington. The Bruins have outshot their opponent by 20 shots or more in 3 of their last 7 road games. That's impressive production on the road and certainly Boston will be highly motivated facing the Capitals because Washington has swept the season series with the Bruins each of the past two seasons. Boston comes into this one on a 3-game winning streak while the Capitals are off of a fortunate OT win in a game they never led. The Caps just aren't playing that well right now as they had lost 3 straight (and 6 of their last 10) before that tight win versus Buffalo. Washington is facing a much tougher opponent than the Sabres tonight and I'll take advantage of the underdog line value here as the Bruins improve to 4-0 in the month of December. The Bruins have gone 8-3 in Tuukka Rask's 11 road starts this season as he's compiled an incredible .950 save percentage away from home. The Capitals have lost 3 of the last 4 starts that Braden Holtby has made! 10* Top Play BOSTON BRUINS money line Wednesday evening on the NBC Sports Network |
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12-06-16 | Flames +117 v. Stars | Top | 2-1 | Win | 117 | 8 h 40 m | Show |
No Doubt Blowout Rout - NHL Game #15 Tuesday - 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ Dallas Stars @ 8:35 ET - The Flames are hot right now with 3 straight wins and 8 victories in their last 12 games. After a homestand where Calgary won all 3 games by a combined score of 14 to 5, the Flames are fully focused on keeping the momentum going on this quick 2-game road swing. The mini-road trip starts in Dallas where Calgary has won in 2 of its last 3 visits but this is a double revenge spot for the Flames. Not only did the Stars beat them in Calgary 4 weeks ago, they also beat them in their last visit to the Big D. That said, the Flames have a little extra motivation here and Calgary has won 5 of 7 this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Flames also have won 3 of 4 this season when they are off of a win by a multiple goal margin so look for them to stay hot here. As for Dallas, they are off of a 3-0 win at Colorado but previously had lost 7 of their last 10 games. The Stars continue to be dealing with injury issues and now Patrick Sharp is out for an indefinite period with a concussion. Dallas forwards continue to be impacted by the injury "bug" and the Stars are averaging just 2.2 goals per game in their last 10 games. They simply have not been the same high-flying team they once were and, right now, Calgary is firing on all cylinders and the Flames are highly motivated here. That makes for a very dangerous dog and Dallas has lost 10 of 13 this season when off of a divisional game! Not only that, the Stars have another big divisional game on deck as Nashville is up next. 10* Top Play on the CALGARY FLAMES on the money line Tuesday |
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12-02-16 | Canadiens +119 v. Sharks | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 10 m | Show |
Game of the Week: Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Friday - 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ San Jose Sharks @ 10:35 ET - The Sharks will be the popular choice here since they have the home ice edge but they are off of a divisional win over the rival Kings and I expect the Canadiens to be the much hungrier team tonight. Montreal lost both match-ups (by a combined score of 9-3 last season!) so they have payback on their minds here. Also, unlike San Jose, the Habs are coming into this game off of a loss as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at Anaheim on Tuesday. Montreal is expected to have Carey Price in between the pipes tonight and they are 13-3 in his 16 starts this season. The Sharks will counter with Martin Jones but he has won only 6 of his 10 non-conference starts this season. San Jose, the past 3 seasons combined, has lost 34 of 63 home games with a posted total of 5 goals or less and that has cost their backers $27,200 at $1,000 per game in this situation! These are two of the top clubs in the league and the value here is with the hungry, revenge-seeking underdog. 10* Top Play MONTREAL CANADIENS on the money line Friday |
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12-01-16 | Lightning +130 v. Blues | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 52 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Game #63 Thursday - 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Lightning have lost 3 straight games and have certainly been impacted by some injury issues. However, even though centerman Steven Stamkos is going to be out for months, there is a chance that key defenseman Anton Stralman is going to play tonight at St Louis. This will undoubtedly give the Bolts a boost and they don't want to go winless on this road trip. Tampa Bay's next game is at home versus Washington but there is no lookahead here because the Bolts know they can't afford to look ahead when they need a win to get back on track before getting back into divisional action. Keep in mind, the Blues certainly have their full attention too because St Louis not only swept them last season, they swept them the prior season as well. The key to the value is the Lightning tonight catch the Blues off of a key win over Dallas (the same team they faced in last spring's post-season battle). Off of a big win and now facing a non-conference foe, don't be surprised if St Louis comes out a little flat in this game. The Blues have had a tendency to show some rust when off of 2 days rest. They've won 3 of 7 in this situation this season but the four losses have come by a combined score of 13 to 3 and St Louis was a sizable favorite in 3 of those 4 defeats. Look for this trend to continue here as they again get throttled as rested, sizable fave against a hungrier foe. 10* TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING money line Thursday |
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11-11-16 | Flyers -109 v. Maple Leafs | Top | 3-6 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 24 m | Show |
Double Perfect Top - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Friday - 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - The Maple Leafs are off of a 7-0 home loss to the LA Kings Tuesday. Toronto would love to bounce back of course but they truly "had it coming" as they have not been playing very well. The Leafs were winning but still giving up way too many shots on goal and it finally caught up with them against Los Angeles. The Maple Leafs have allowed more than 40 shots on goal in 3 of their last 4 games and they'll now be challenged by a Flyers club that is off of back to back losses. Only once this season has Philly lost three straight and remember they had one of the best runs in the league from January through April of last season. Brayden Schenn is moving back to being a top line left winger after spending some time as a 3rd line center for the Flyers. Look for Schenn's reuniting with Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds on the top line to give Philadelphia a boost. They were flat against the Red Wings Wednesday. While many will be looking to the Maple Leafs for a response here, this is a Toronto club that has lost 42 of 59 games when they are off of a contest where they were held to 1 goal or less! The road team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these clubs and the Flyers are already 2-0 this season when off of a loss where they were held to 2 goals or less. Philly won those two games by a combined score of 10 to 6 and they roll again here. 10* PHILADELPHIA Friday |
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11-10-16 | Sharks -105 v. Panthers | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 7 h 19 m | Show |
Top Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Thursday - 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (-) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:35 ET - The Sharks have a big situational edge here. Not only was San Jose the best team in the league last season on the road, they catch Florida in a very tough scheduling spot. Even though the Panthers are at home and had two days off before this game, they are coming off of a huge win over the in-state rival Lightning. Not only that, Florida has a huge home date with the Islanders on deck for Saturday. It was the Isles whom ended the Panthers season last spring in the playoffs and this will be the first shot that Florida has had at revenge. That said, this is truly a "sandwich spot" for the Panthers coming off of a big win over the Bolts and having a big revenge game on deck with the Islanders. The Sharks got back on track with a 3-0 road win at Washington to start off their 6-game road trip on the right foot. After some ups and downs early this season, San Jose has this road trip "circled" as an opportunity to "get right" and the Sharks won 28 of their 41 road games last season! The Panthers beat Tampa Bay on Monday by a 3-1 final and Florida is 0-3 this season when off of a win by 2 goals or more. 10* SAN JOSE money line Thursday |
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11-08-16 | Senators +145 v. Predators | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Game #17 Tuesday - 10* Top Play Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - The Senators have allowed a total of only 3 goals in their last 4 games. Overall, the Sens had given up 1 goal or less in 4 of their 5 prior games (all 4 were wins) before a 2-1 home loss to Buffalo on Saturday. That defeat has Ottawa fired up for this game and they gave up 11 goals in losing both games to Nashville last season. It is time for a little payback and the Sens are catching the Predators at the right time. The Preds have had a rough start to the season as they are trying to make all the pieces fit after some off-season changes. Nashville has lost 8 of their last 10 games. The Predators also have a big game on deck with the division rival Blues for Thursday. The Senators are already 4-1 against the Western Conference this season and they keep that hot streak going here. 10* OTTAWA money line Tuesday |
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10-21-16 | Predators -108 v. Red Wings | Top | 3-5 | Loss | -108 | 11 h 49 m | Show |
NHL Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Friday - 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (-) @ Detroit Red Wings @ 7:35 ET - The Predators are a team on the rise and the Red Wings are a team on the decline. Detroit hopes to return to those glory years soon but they truly have lost some of their mojo with barely sneaking into the post-season last year after many years of big success. As for the Preds, the deal for PK Subban is part of a push that Nashville feels can push them closer to the ultimate prize and this team, off of back to back losses, is not a team that anyone would want to face. Adding to the motivation for the Predators is the fact that they not only lost both games to Detroit last season, the Red Wings got the best of them with winning both match-ups the prior season as well. Nashville is hungry to finally notch a win over the Red Wings and the Predators are off of a disappointing 2-1 home loss to the Stars that adds fuel to their fire here. In fact, when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less, the Preds have won 23 of their last 35 games and netting $10,000 for their backers at $1,000 per game in those 35 games. As for the Red Wings, they've been a money-burning -$6,600 in Friday games the past two seasons. That said, even though it's Friday night at The Joe, the Red Wings are facing the wrong team at the wrong time. Off back to back wins where Detroit allowed just a single goal in each game, a "let down" is in store here. As for the Predators, off of scoring just 1 goal versus Dallas, and looking to avenge past losses to the Red Wings, they're going to be flying all over the ice to notch the road win here tonight. Keep in mind, while the Preds have outshot their opponents overall on the season, the Red Wings have been outshot by a sizable 139 to 97 margin so far this season. 10* NASHVILLE money line Friday |
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10-18-16 | Flyers +145 v. Blackhawks | Top | 4-7 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 25 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Game #17 Tuesday - 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:35 ET - The Blackhawks are off of a big win over Nashville Saturday but they still have lost 2 of their first 3 games and have been outshot 96 to 70 in those three contests. Also, Chicago has allowed 7 power plays goals in 13 opportunities for the opposition. The Flyers are dead even (60-60) in shots on goal so far this season and have allowed just 1 power play goal in 9 chances for opponents. Philadelphia feels good about earning 3 of 4 points thus far in this season opening road trip and the Flyers are fired up about wrapping it up properly tonight in Chicago before heading home for Thursday's home opener. The Blackhawks have had trouble with the Flyers historically as Philly has won 21 of the last 31 meetings including 3 of 4 the past two seasons. Of course this game carries special meaning for the Flyers as they lost to the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals in June of 2010. That is the only trip to the Finals that Philly has had in the past 19 years so of course it carries extra meaning for Philly even though only current captain Claude Giroux remains from that team. Michal Neuvirth is expected to be in goal for the Flyers tonight. He won his only start this season and also had a spectacular .981 save percentage in the playoffs last spring and a fantastic .924 save percentage in the regular season. Corey Crawford is certainly a great netminder for the Blackhawks but, dating back to last season, he has allowed 3 goals or more in 10 of his last 12 starts! Chicago has lost 10 of his last 13 starts and they lost his last 4 starts of the regular season last spring, then lost 4 of his 7 starts in the post-season, and now have lost his first two starts of this season. The upstart Flyers are catching him at the right time and note that Neuvirth has allowed 2 goals or less in 6 straight starts. He also started both games against the Blackhawks last season and beat them both times while allowing a total of only 2 goals in the two starts. More of the same Tuesday. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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06-12-16 | Penguins v. Sharks -105 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 27 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line -105 vs Pittsburgh @ 8:05 ET - The Penguins have dominated shots on goal in this series. Yet this has been a very tight series with the victories coming by the slimmest of margins. The key reason the Sharks are still in this is because of the goalie edge and that is likely to be a key again Sunday as Martin Jones does it again and outduels Matt Murray. Pittsburgh's Murray has now lost 2 of his last 3 and allowed 3 goals in each defeat. The Penguins have a losing record this season when playing with two days of rest. The extra rest between games helps the team that is trying to come back in the series moreso than the team that is trying to close it out because, believe me, Pittsburgh is so anxious to get that fourth win and hoist the Stanley Cup. The pressure on the Penguins is huge and that is another factor in Sunday's Game 6 because the Sharks were essentially left for dead after they lost Game 4 in San Jose. The Sharks have won 17 of 27 this season (and 35 of 53 the last 3 seasons) when they have two days of rest between games. The Sharks have won 24 of their last 33 games against teams with a winning record. Also, San Jose had won 8 of their last 9 postseason home games before they lost Game 4 here earlier this week. The Sharks make up for that defeat tonight. *10* SAN JOSE |
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06-01-16 | Sharks +122 v. Penguins | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 33 h 46 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line +122 @ Pittsburgh @ 8:05 ET Wednesday - Whether it was the long layoff or not, the fact is the Sharks were back on their heels early in Game One and ended up digging themselves into a 2-0 hole in the first period. San Jose did respond with a solid second period to tie up the game entering the third and ended up losing the game late with just a couple minutes left when Pittsburgh got the deciding goal. As San Jose coach Peter DeBoer alluded to, the fact his that the Sharks spent too much time standing around and watching and they turned pucks over too often which led to odd-man rushes and breakaways. The point is that it was NOT a good effort overall and San Jose perhaps had too much time off between games. That won't be the case in game two and one of the Sharks players summed it up best when talking to reporters after the game: "We obviously weren't prepared," Sharks center Logan Couture said. "It doesn't take me to say that. You guys saw it yourselves. It was ugly. Tough to explain. We need to be better than that." With that said, I believe you should fully expect that the Sharks WILL be better than that in Game Two after still narrowly missing out on stealing Game One despite not playing well in two of the three periods. The Sharks will rally around that point too and this is a San Jose team that has won 23 of 32 road games this season with a posted total of 5 goals or less. Also, the Sharks have only lost back to back games ONCE since late MARCH! This is a team that has proven they know how to respond off of a loss and I look for tremendous energy from San Jose in game two. The fact that they are on the road again here actually favors them as the Sharks have played so well on the road all season and will be playing with an "us against the world" mentality on Wednesday. The Penguins have lost 7 of 13 games when leading in a playoff series and that has result in a money burning -4.1 net units as they were favored in many of those games just as they are favored again here. Grab the underdog value and look for the best road team in the NHL to come up with their best game of the postseason Wednesday. Goalie Matt Murray has played well for the Penguins but the Sharks know they certainly did not test him in Game 1 the way they NEED to (and are FULLY capable) of testing the young goalie. I'll take goalie Martin Jones and a fired up Sharks team over Murray and the Pens for a BIG play in Game Two Wednesday. *10* SAN JOSE |
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05-30-16 | Sharks +137 v. Penguins | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 77 h 52 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* San Jose Sharks Money Line +137 @ Pittsburgh @ 8:05 ET Monday - The Penguins go from facing a Lightning team without their starting goalie (Bishop) and with two hurt star players (Stralman wasn't 100% and Stamkos only played in Game 7), to now taking on a Sharks team that is healthy and is arguably the best road team in hockey. San Jose has their # 1 goalie (Jones) while the Penguins continue to go with their back-up goalie (Murray) as their #1 goalie (Fleury) faltered when called upon in this series. Murray is going to be far more tested by the dangerous (and speedy) Sharks then he was by the injury-impacted Lightning. I like the value of having the road dog in Game One after a bit of a layoff here for each club. San Jose won 2 of their 3 road games against St Louis and Pittsburgh did drop 2 of their 4 home games against the Penguins. With that said, the over-compensation by the markets for home ice really helps in a match-up like this where, also, in Game One there will be a lot of "feeling out" from each of the teams early on. In other words, the fact that the Penguins have the last line change (because of playing on home ice) may not matter quite as much in a Game One setting because the coaches don't even know yet what the best match-ups will necessarily be! These teams rarely see each other since the play in opposite conferences and that further adds to the value of a road dog that has the element of surprise coming into Game One of this series. It is my belief that the Penguins weren't fully tested in the Eastern Conference finals (even though it went 7 games) because the Lightning were well short of being at 100%. Now the Pens face a healthy Sharks team that many thought would not get out of the first round of these playoffs (dominated a tough Kings team) and then whom many thought would falter against the powerful Blues who had the home ice edge in that series. The Sharks are "the real deal" and they show that by notching the upset win in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals. *10* SAN JOSE |
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05-25-16 | Blues +140 v. Sharks | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -100 | 24 h 28 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line +140 @ San Jose @ 9:05 ET - A lot of line value being offered here to a Blues team that will respond to the goalie change back to Brian Elliott as well as the fact they are now in a elimination setting. In the Blues last 9 playoff games, the road team has been victorious in 7 of the contests! 5 of those 7 road wins have been by a margin of 3 goals or more so it's not like all those games have been squeakers either. With that said, there is simply tremendous line value here as we can grab the Blues off of a loss and making a goalie change back to the guy who got them here (Elliott). With both these teams having such a long of history of playoff struggles (neither has won the Stanley Cup and the Sharks have never even made it to the Stanley Cup Finals) the pressure is often felt even moreso by the home team than the road team. The Sharks want so badly "to do this" for their fans and for their organization and feel the pressure of having never been the Western Conference representative. Right now, St Louis still stands in their way. The Sharks have lost 17 of 30 home games this season that had a posted total of 5 goals or less. The Blues won 29 of 45 road games this season that had a posted total of 5 goals or less. St Louis has also won 15 of 23 games this season when off of a loss by a margin of two goals or more. Look for the dominance of the road team in St Louis games to continue and look for the Blues to improve to 3-0 this postseason when trailing in a playoff series as they force a Game 7 by winning Wednedsay night. *10* ST LOUIS |
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05-23-16 | Sharks +113 v. Blues | Top | 6-3 | Win | 113 | 13 h 47 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line +115 @ St Louis @ 8:05 ET - I rode the Blues to victory in Game Four of this series as they bounced back from back to back shutout losses in this series. Now it is the Sharks turn to bounce back after getting absolutely throttled on Saturday. St Louis simply hit the ice with a full head of steam in Game Four and the Sharks got down big very early in that game and then couldn't recover. It would not surprise me if the same thing happened Monday in Game Five but this time the Sharks will be on the right side of the blowout. The Blues are dealing with a few injury issues that raise some concerns for Monday's game. San Jose will take advantage and the Sharks have been "road warriors" all season long including winning 22 of 31 road games with a posted total of 5 goals or less. Additionally, San Jose has won 20 of their last 26 games overall against teams with a winning record. When playing with home loss revenge the Sharks have won 16 of 24 this season. When tied in a playoff series, San Jose is a perfect 3-0 so far this post-season. Additionally, the Sharks have won 15 of 23 games this season when off of a loss by a margin of 2 two goals or more. In St Louis' postseason action, the road team has won 6 of the last 8 games. The Blues have a losing record overall at home in this postseason and they also have lost 3 of their last 4 home games heading into this one. Value with the road dog once again. *10* SAN JOSE |
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05-20-16 | Penguins v. Lightning +133 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 133 | 30 h 57 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line +133 vs Pittsburgh @ 8:05 ET Friday - The Lightning have been outplayed so far in this series. There is no doubt about that. However, when you look closely at what's transpired so far it makes sense that Tampa Bay bounces back here after a battle with "complacency" in Game 3 of this series. What happened is that that Tampa certainly took advantage of catching the Penguins "flat footed" in Game One of this series and they jumped ahead for the series lead. Then, even though they lost Game Two of this series, the Lightning very nearly won it. It was decided in overtime. After that game, the attitude of Tampa Bay was that they were heading back home for Game 3 and they had earned the split in Pittsburgh. It was almost a "satisfactory" feeling and then "complacency" setting in because they now had Game 3 at home, they very nearly had a 2-0 series lead, etc. What transpired next is that, other than the first 7 minutes of the game against the Penguins Wednesday, the Lightning got absolutely drilled in Game 3. The problem is not the goalie either. Though Bishop has been out, Andrei Vasilevskiy has done a fantastic job filling in and game two was scoreless (despite TB being outplayed) until finally the Pens got on the board with 10 seconds to go in the second period. That was a huge momentum swing and the Lightning could not recover in what ended up being an ugly third period. What I see happening now in Game 4 is Tampa Bay playing their best game of the entire postseason. The Lightning know how they can play when they play "the right way" like they did in the Game One victory. They also know they can't afford to go to Pittsburgh down 3 games to 1 in this series. I look for the Lighting to play their "Game of the Year" Friday and that is why this is my Eastern Conf "Game of the Year" as well. Tampa hadn't lost 2 straight games since early April and they have won 47 of 72 (+17.4 net) when off a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The Penguins have lost 54 of 99 (-32.6 net) after scoring 4 goals or more. *10* TAMPA BAY |
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05-18-16 | Penguins v. Lightning +115 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 16 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line +120 vs Pittsburgh @ 8:05 ET - Tremendous line value for the home dog in this one. Yes, Pittsburgh outplayed the Lightning in Game Two but the Pens still had to go to overtime and very easily could have ended up being down 2 games to none in this series. This line, in my opinion, has a lot to do with the absence of #1 goalie Ben Bishop for Tampa Bay. I will take advantage of this "free value" because honestly, has everyone forgotten that Matt Murray is still in net for the Penguins? He's earned his spot but who is to say that he is playing better than Andrei Vasilevskiy right now? Vasilevskiy has turned aside 71 of the 75 shots he's faced in this post-season! Murray (now staying in goal even with Marc-Andre Fleury healthier) hasn't faced the barrage of shots yet in this series that he's about to face tonight. The Lightning were outshot by a combined 76 to 41 margin in Pittsburgh but a lot of that had to do with key factors. Tampa Bay jumped on the Penguins in game one so they then took their foot off the gas and just focused on protecting the lead and playing defensive-minded hockey. Then in Game Two, of course the Pens came out fired up and outshot the Lightning by a big margin. That was no surprise as Pittsburgh had just lost on home ice and need to respond. Now the roles are reversed. The Lightning have lost just one game in each playoff series thusfar. In fact, they entered Monday's game on a 5-game winning streak. That said, coming off of a loss and having been outplayed in Game 2 in Pittsburgh, the Lightning are going to pepper Murray with shots. Additionally, let's not forget that Tampa Bay is healthier (other than Bishop) now than what they were earlier in the post-season. Everyone says that OT goal will change everything for Sidney Crosby and the Pens. I say Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and company better be ready tonight because I expect the Lightning to play one of their best games of the entire post-season tonight. The Pens have lost 2 of their last 3 road games. The Lightning have won their last 2 home games by a combined score of 8-1. *10* TAMPA BAY |
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05-17-16 | Sharks +115 v. Blues | Top | 4-0 | Win | 115 | 13 h 33 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line +115 @ St Louis @ 8:05 ET - The Sharks outshot the Blues by a 32-23 count in Game 1 but lost a tight one 2-1 despite having more scoring chances and better scoring opportunities. Sometimes "puck luck" can definitely be a factor in a game but, rest assured, the Sharks will playing with even more energy and more resolve tonight. San Jose won 2 of the 3 regular season meetings between these clubs and even though they lost Game 1 of this series, the Sharks have now outshot the Blues in four straight games by an average count of 33.5 to 25.5 shots on goal. When you "carry the play" like that it is eventually going to translate to victories on the scoreboard too! San Jose has won 31 of their last 46 games when playing with revenge. Also, the Sharks have won 21 of 30 road games with a posted total of 5 goals or less this season. Additionally, San Jose has won 18 of their last 23 games against teams with a winning record. The Blues don't handle success too well. When they are leading in a playoff series the Blues are 1-5 this spring and have gone 2-7 the past three years combined. The Sharks even this series up and there is excellent line value here with the best road team in the conference again getting plus money on the money line in game two. *10* SAN JOSE |
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05-15-16 | Sharks +120 v. Blues | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 2 m | Show |
Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL *10* San Jose Sharks Money Line +120 @ St Louis @ 8:05 ET - Two great teams match-up here and both are coming off of hard fought 7-game series. A couple of keys here favor the Sharks however. For one thing, both of the Blues first two series went 7 games. The wear and tear (physically and mentally) has to have taken a toll on St Louis at this point. I am also more impressed with who the Sharks have beaten to get to this point. I know the Blackhawks were the defending champs but it is so hard to repeat and they just didn't have that same hunger that they had last year. Then the Stars knocked off a Stars team that had a great regular season but whose goaltending was always a question mark and that proved to be their undoing in the playoffs ultimately. As for the Sharks, they have knocked off a Kings team that many expected to challenge for the Cup this season and they then knocked off a gritty Predators team that had a "playoff style" of play which made Nashville a very tough "out". With all this said, I look for San Jose to steal Game One in St Louis. San Jose was a top road team in the regular season. The Sharks have won 21 of 29 road games with a posted total of 5 goals. San Jose has also won 18 of their last 22 games against teams with a winning record. The Sharks have won 4 of the last 5 meetings with the Blues in St Louis and the road team has taken 6 of the last 9 meetings between these clubs. The home team, of course, continues to have extra "juice" in the line for the home ice "edge" but that simply gives even more line value to a "road warrior" like the Sharks in a spot like this. *10* SAN JOSE |
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05-11-16 | Blues +101 v. Stars | Top | 6-1 | Win | 101 | 13 h 8 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line +101 @ Dallas @ 8:05 ET - The road team has won 4 of the last 5 games in this series and I look for that trend to continue in Wednesday's winner take all Game 7. Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock is 4-2 in Game Sevens while Stars head coach Lindy Ruff is 0-3 in Game Sevens. There is more than just a coaching edge here though. The Blues are built better for playoff hockey. They gutted out a series win over the mighty Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs and they did it with their strength and grittiness. Yes, the Stars have great speed and skill but they won't see the open ice they saw in Game 6 in my opinion. This is a "gut check" game and the type of game where the team that can grind a little better, be stronger along the boards and win the puck possession battles is likely to ultimately prevail. That team is St Louis and while I credit the Stars Kari Lehtonen for a fantastic performance in Game 6, I also feel that Brian Elliott is going to deliver a bounce back performance for the Blues in Game 7 between the pipes. Admittedly he has been their best player in this post-season and after an early exit in Game 6 look for a huge effort from Elliott in Game 7. If the Blues do decide to go with Jake Allen here between the pipes, it's hard to argue against him either given the performance he gave on Monday as the Blues very nearly came back to win after digging themselves into an early 3-0 hole. The Stars are 0-3 the past three postseasons when they are tied in a playoff series. The Blues are 4-0 this postseason when tied in a playoff series. *10* ST LOUIS |
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05-10-16 | Capitals +120 v. Penguins | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 32 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line +120 @ Pittsburgh @ 8:05 ET - The Capitals have turned the tide in this series. Not only did they stave off elimination in Game 5, they also cast some self doubt into the Penguins. Give credit to Pens goalie Matt Murray for playing over his head for much of the post-season thusfar but the fact is the Caps are starting to get to him. Undoubtedly Washington has the edge in goal with Braden Holtby between the pipes. They also have the momentum edge now after getting that crucial Game 5 win. The Capitals know that with one more win today they get the luxury of having Game 7 on home ice. That was something they earned as they were the top team in the NHL regular season. Washington's Alex Ovechkin is so hungry for post-season success and a shot at the Stanley Cup and he has already earned more points in this series than Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby combined! The Capitals will get a boost in Game 6 Tuesday with the return of Brooks Orpik as well. His physicality makes him a key contributor for the Caps and they'll be glad to have the defenseman back on the ice tonight. The Capitals, over the past three seasons combined, are 3-1 when trailing in a playoff series. The Penguins are a money-burning 5-6 (-3.6 net units) when they are leading in a playoff series the past three seasons. When playing with two days of rest between games Washington won 8 of 13 games this season while the Penguins won just half of their 22 games and cost backers 2.8 units. In the two games in Pittsburgh so far in these finals, the Capitals outshot the Penguins 49 to 23 in one of them and then lost the other game 3-2 in overtime. It's time for the roadie to take another game in this series and the set up is perfect for the Capitals to do just that as a road dog and force a Game Seven. *10* WASHINGTON |
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05-09-16 | Stars +145 v. Blues | Top | 3-2 | Win | 145 | 12 h 18 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line +145 @ St Louis @ 8:05 ET - The Stars are still without Tyler Seguin for Game 6 on Monday but there is a chance they will get Patrick Eaves back for this critical game as the winger did travel with the team to St Louis. Speaking of traveling, the road team has won 4 of the last 6 meetings between these teams and that includes 3 of the last 4 games in this series. While I certainly respect the Blues (and did use them again in their Game 5 win) I also feel that the Stars played much better than the 4-1 final score from Saturday would lead you to believe. By the way, Dallas has won 17 of 20 (85%!) this season when they are off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. The Stars are one of the most potent offenses in the league and, not surprisingly, have won 9 of 11 (82%) when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. As strong as the Blues are, they have struggled in this situation in the past. St Louis is 1-4 this season (and 2-6 the past 3 seasons) when leading in a playoff series. They entered this series on a 9-16 run in 2nd round playoff games and I fully expect this series to end up going 7 games and feel great line value is being offered here with Dallas as a big dog. The Stars have outshot the Blues in 4 of the 5 games in this series and while a lot of credit deservedly goes to St Louis for being up 3-2 in this series it also goes without saying that, as Dallas coach Lindy Ruff stated, some "puck luck" has played a role in that. The Stars play their best game of the series with their season on the line and I expect that to result in the upset win at a nice underdog price here. *10* DALLAS |
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05-06-16 | Lightning -105 v. Islanders | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 11 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -105 @ NY Islanders @ 7:05 ET - All the pressure is on the Islanders here after losing Game 3 in overtime. The Isles now trail 2-1 in the series and they know that a home loss puts them in a 3-1 hole heading back to Tampa Bay for Game 5. This is a lot of pressure for a club and goalie (Thomas Greiss) that is not accustomed to playoff success. Keep in mind, the only game that the Islanders won in this series was Game One and that had a lot to do with catching the Lightning off of a long layoff between series as Tampa Bay had made quick work of the Red Wings in the first round. That said, the Lightning are truly starting to "impose their will" in this series and they have the better (and more playoff seasoned) goaltender with Ben Bishop between the pipes. Tampa Bay is outshooting the Islanders by an average of 9 shots per game so far this in series. The Lightning know they can put a stranglehold on this series with the win tonight and Tampa Bay is 3-1 this postseason when leading in a series. Also, in all 2nd round playoff games, the Lightning have a long-term record of 17-5. For the Islanders, this is their first second round series they have played since they made it to the conference finals 23 years ago! Playoff experience is huge and the Lightning are hungry to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals after losing to the Blackhawks last spring. They continue their "mission" tonight. *10* TAMPA BAY |
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05-05-16 | Sharks +100 v. Predators | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 48 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line +100 @ Nashville @ 9:05 ET - Despite outshooting the Predators 27 to 25, the Sharks ended up on the wrong end of a 4-1 final in Game Three. They are still up 2-1 in the series. Also, San Jose has won 21 of 27 games this season when they are on the road and the posted total is 5 goals or less. They have been road warriors all season long and I fully expect them to respond tonight. The Predators long-term history in second round playoff games is not good as they have lost 10 of 14. Also, Nashville has lost 15 of 24 games this season when they are off of a win by a multiple goal margin. The Sharks won all 3 of their first-round playoff road games as they dispatched of the favored Kings in the 5 game series even though they split at home. The Sharks this entire season have been beasts on the road compared to at home. So, after a rare road loss, San Jose is going to come out flying tonight. They know they still have the home ice edge no matter what happens tonight but they also know it's time to "impose their will" and avoid allowing the Predators to knot this series at two games apiece. The Preds finally got their special teams going in Game 3 but, prior to that, Nashville's special teams play had been struggling while the Sharks had been playing very well on the power play and on the penalty kill. That said, I look at Game 3 as more of an aberration than anything else. The Sharks have not lost two straight games since late March. The Predators had lost 10 of their last 16 games before getting the key win in Game 3. Give credit to Nashville for notching that big win but the Sharks now answer the call tonight. *10* SAN JOSE |
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05-04-16 | Capitals +102 v. Penguins | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line +100 @ Pittsburgh @ 8:05 ET - The suspension of Kris Letang is hugely impacting to this game. The Penguins were already short-handed on defense and Letang is so important in so many aspects of the game. He is so important in fact that the Pens lost 9 of the 11 games that he missed this season! It is a key loss and certainly he deserved the suspension. Look for the Capitals to take advantage as, even with Letang on the ice in game three, the Caps completely outplayed Pittsburgh but they came up on the wrong end of a 3-2 final. The Capitals will push hard again tonight as they know they can still wrestle back the home ice edge and even this series up with the win tonight. Washington outshot the Penguins by a 49-23 margin in game three. Give credit to goalie Matt Murray for "stealing" that win for the Pens but his job will get even tougher tonight with the Penguins defense corps even further decimated by the absence of another key player. The Pens are a money burning -3.8 net units (4-5 record) when leading in a playoff series. The Capitals have won 18 of 28 when playing with revenge and I look for them to improve their 3 year mark to 3-0 when trailing in a playoff series. *10* WASHINGTON |
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05-03-16 | Stars +122 v. Blues | Top | 1-6 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 59 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line +122 @ St Louis @ 9:35 ET - The Stars outshot St Louis by a 76-57 margin down in Dallas but had to settle for a 1-1 split. The Blues played an excellent game in game two but, even then, they sat back on their heels and allowed Dallas to come back. However, give credit to the Stars for continuing to bear down and managing to get the two goals needed to send that game two to overtime. The fact is that had goalie Antti Niemi played the whole game for the Stars they might have gotten the win. If Kari Lehtonen is back between the pipes tonight I do expect him to bounce back. But I also would not be surprised to see Niemi getting the start in St Louis tonight. The fact is that Stars head coach Lindy Ruff has done a good job of managing the goalies so far in the post-season and the goalie change during game two certainly seemed to spark Dallas. Lehtonen bounces back tonight or Niemi makes the most of his opportunity. Either way the Stars should be good between the pipes in this one. The key will be continuing to use their speedy and talented forwards to create excellent scoring chances. Though the Blues got by the Blackhawks in round one, they are facing a much tougher challenge with the higher seeded Stars in this series. Tonight's game three is offering excellent line value to the Stars because they are on the road so we get an underdog price on arguably the top team in the conference. The situation is perfect as Dallas has won 10 of 14 when playing with home loss revenge this season. Also, the Stars have won 16 of 22 this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The Blues playoff struggles are well documented and though they are 2-0 in this post-season when tied in a playoff series, they came into this post-season having lost 12 of their last 18 in playoff games when the series was tied up. Knotted at 1 game apiece here look for the Stars to wrestle back the home ice edge by notching the road win tonight. *10* DALLAS |
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04-30-16 | Penguins +105 v. Capitals | Top | 2-1 | Win | 105 | 12 h 36 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line +105 @ Washington @ 8:05 ET - The Penguins lost in OT at Washington in Game One and I expect a big response in Game 2. Of course this is a tightly contested battle involving two solid hockey clubs. It truly is a battle that the entire hockey world was looking forward to. Crosby and the Pens against Ovechkin and the Caps. We must pick our spots to find value on the side in this series and that's why I went with the over in Game 1 which certainly ended up being the best play to have in Game 1 as no one enjoys sweating out side plays that are decided in OT. One of the keys to this play today is that Pittsburgh has been playing so well that they have not lost back to back games in 3 and 1/2 months! That's right...all the way back in mid-January was the last time the Penguins lost back to back games. The Capitals are off of back to back wins and only ONCE in the past 2+ months have the Caps managed 3 straight wins. That was when they won the first 3 games of their series with the Flyers. Prior to that, the Caps hadn't won three straight games since February! The Pens have won 12 of 16 this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Even with the Capitals win in Game one, Washington is only 50/50 in their last 22 games against teams with a winning record. The Pens are very hungry and even this series up. The outshot the Caps 45 to 35 in Game One. *10* PITTSBURGH Money Line |
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04-27-16 | Predators +155 v. Ducks | Top | 2-1 | Win | 155 | 14 h 52 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line +155 @ Anaheim @ 10:05 ET - The Ducks have done it again. They've failed to avoid the situation that haunts them as they now have a Game 7 situation against a team they were supposed to get past rather handily in the first round. Not only have the Ducks been outworked and outplayed through much of this series, they also have the added pressure of having Game 7 on home ice and knowing that they've lost in this same situation for three straight post-season appearances! That's right it's been a Game 7 on home ice that has eliminated the Ducks each of the past three seasons. This is a huge mental burden to bear and the coach's burden is also there. Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau is 1-6 in Game 7's in his coaching career. Predators coach Peter Laviolette has a 4-1 career record in Game Sevens. The Ducks won Game 5 in Anaheim but they lost the first two games of this series here and, overall, had lost 4 of their past 5 home games dating back to the regular season. The late season slump, the history of post-season failures, and the overall struggles to dominate in this series like they should...it has all caught up with the Ducks here. This means we are getting great line value with the Predators as a sizable dog especially when you consider how well Pekka Rinne is playing between the pipes right now. *10* NASHVILLE Money Line |
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04-25-16 | Blackhawks -106 v. Blues | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -106 | 13 h 23 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL *10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line -105 @ St Louis @ 8:35 ET - All the pressure is on the Blues here. Yes, it's a classic Game 7 so both teams should be feeling the pressure. However, the Blackhawks have plenty of experience in this situation. As for the Blues, their post-season experiences have been defined by failures to close out teams. I feel strongly that St Louis already blew their shot to eradicate those post-season demons when they blew a huge 3-1 lead after one period in Chicago on Saturday. The Blues know they let a great chance get away and now they have all those questions in their own mind about when they're going to finally be able to "seal the deal" with post-season success. The added pressure for the Blues is having this Game 7 on home ice. Note that home ice hasn't meant a lot in this series as the road team won 4 straight games from Game 2 to Game 5. The Blues are 1-3 the past three seasons and 7-12 long-term when they are tied in a playoff series. The Blackhawks are 11-7 overall in first round playoff games the past three seasons while St Louis is 7-11 in the same span. With the return of Duncan Keith after that Game 1 loss the Hawks have been the better team in this series. They have the experience edge tonight and don't have the same "self-doubt" going in their minds like the Blues do. That raises this play (with favorable odds available because Blackhawks are on the road) to my highest rating. *10* CHICAGO |