Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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01-01-23 | Sabres v. Senators -128 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
10* Senators (ASSASSIN) Buffalo has sure been great of late, but after six straight wins, inclding a 4-3 OT victory at league-leading Boston just last night, I finally expect a predictable letdown here. Right after New Year's Eve as well. Fatigue is a major issue here for the overachieving Sabres. The Senators are off a 3-2 loss here to surging Detroit, but they're no pushovers this season. They're 9-8-1 at home despite the loss last night. This one favors the home side, who would have gotten a much better nights sleep with no travel; great overall line value here, as Ottawa takes full advantage in my opinion! AAA Sports |
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12-27-22 | Oilers v. Flames -134 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -134 | 12 h 42 m | Show |
10* FLAMES (WEST-CONF GOW) The NHL returns from the Christmas Break, and I think this particular matchup favors the home side. It's always an interesting game when these Provincial rivals collide. These teams are in fact very evenly matched, as evidenced by their very similar win/loss records and their offensive and defensive numbers. The ultimate difference maker for me here though is that Calgary plays with the "revenge" factor after falling 3-2 at Edmonton in late October. Look for that to be more than enough to propel the home side to a comfortable victory here at home; lay the price, the play is the Flames! AAA Sports |
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12-17-22 | Jets v. Canucks -105 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 41 m | Show |
10* Canucks (U OF THE U) Vancouver has been playing a lot better of late, having won four of its last five after a 4-3 shootout win at Calgary on Wednesday. Winnipeg has been playing well als, it's off a 2-1 OT home win on Thursday, but with a game at Seattle tomorrow, I believe the visiting side will get caught looking ahead. These teams offensive and defensive numbers are very comparable over the last three weeks, but Vancouver is undervalued in this spot. In my opinion, this is in fact the very definition of "great line value;" the play is the Canucks! AAA Sports |
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11-30-22 | Sabres v. Red Wings -128 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -128 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
10* RED WINGS (Atlantic DIV GOY) I think we're getting really great value on the Wings here. Detroit is 11-6-3-1 this seasonl including 7-3-1-1 at home. Buffalo is 9-12-1-0 this year, including 4-5-0-0 on the road. The Sabres are off a tough 6-5 OT home loss to Tampa, while Detroit's four game win streak was just snapped in a 4-2 home loss to Toronto. Buffalo gets caught looking ahead here as well to its game at home tomorrow night vs. the defending Stanley Cup Champions. In my professional opinion, this is the very definition of "great line value," and it's for this reason for the most part that the Red Wings have become my 10* Atlantic Division GAME OF THE YEAR! AAA Sports |
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11-23-22 | Bruins v. Panthers -102 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
10* PANTHERS (EXPRESS) Boston is 17-2. That's ridiculous. The Bruins are going to get hit hard by regression, and that decline starts here and now in my opinion. They're off the 5-3 win at Tampa on Monday, but after this they return home for five straight tough games vs. Carolina, Tampa Bay, Colorado and Vegas. I think Boston finally gets caught looking ahead. The Panthers play with revenge as well after a 5-3 loss to the Bruins back in mid-October (note that Florida is 7-2 in its last nine in trying to avenge a two goals or greater loss to an opponent.) In my professional opinion, this is the very definition of "great line value;" the play is Florida! AAA Sports |
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11-22-22 | Rangers v. Kings -103 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -103 | 13 h 22 m | Show |
10* LA Kings (ASSASSIN) I think the Rangers are getting too much respect on the road here. They're off the 2-1 win at San Jose, but with a game at Anaheim tomorrow, they'll have to be careful to not look ahead. The Kings are 11-8-2, but they've lost three of their last four. They'll be desperate to get back into the winner's circle here after a 3-2 OT loss at Seattle last time out. The Kings are 6-3-1 at home and I think the offer tremendous value in this spot; the play is LA! AAA Sports |
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11-08-22 | Golden Knights v. Maple Leafs -117 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -117 | 10 h 0 m | Show |
10* Leafs (NON-CONF GOW) The Knights are 11-2. They're 6-1 on the road. They're off a 6-4 win at Montreal on Saturday and they have a game at Buffalo on Thursday. Toronto is 7-4-2, including 5-1 at home. The Leafs offense has to get going. They had one of the top offenses in the league last year. This season they're averaging 2.85 GPG, while allowing just 2.62. The Knights are averaging 3.54 GPG, while allowing 2.08. That's No. 1 in the league. Despite how well Las Vegas has played to this point, I still think it's getting too much respect here on the road in this difficult road venue, vs. this really good team. As I mentioned above, the Toronto offense has yet to find its footing this year, but I expect to step up here and to avenge a 3-1 loss in Las Vegas in late October; great value here on Toronto! AAA Sports |
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11-01-22 | Devils v. Canucks +109 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 23 m | Show |
10* CANUCKS (NON-CONF GOM) Momentum is a very real, almost tangible factor in sports and it's one in which the oddsmakers often have a hard time properly quantifying into a line at times in my opinion. And that's the case here. The Canucks infamously opened up this season by losing their first four games, in each they had at least a two-goal lead, and then went on to lose. Vancouver finally got its act together with a 5-4 road win over the Kraken, and then the following night they destroyed Pittsburgh at home by a score of 5-1. This Canucks team has just been the victim of circumstance at the start of the season, a series of unfortunate events. New Jersey is 6-3 after a 7-1 home destruction of Columbus. Now hitting the road for a tough Western swing, I believe the "hungrier" home side is the correct call here. The oddsmakers are now slow in recognizing how well Vancouver is playing, so let's take advantage; the play is indeed on the Canucks! AAA Sports |
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10-11-22 | Lightning v. Rangers -109 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 36 h 17 m | Show |
10* RANGERS (GOW) The Bolts were 51-23-8 last year, while the Rangers were 52-24-6. The Lightning made it to the Stanley Cup last season, but then lost to the Avalanche. The Lighting were seventh in goals last year and sixth in goals against. This is a big time revenge game for New York though, which was eliminiated by Tampa in six games in the Eastern Conference final last year. New York was ranked 16th offensively last year and second in goals against. Igor Shesterkin finished 36-13-4 with a 2.07 GAA. Andrei Vasilevskiy had a record of 35-16-4 with a 2.46 GAA for the Lightning, but I still love the home side at this price and in this situation. Look for New York to "even the score" with a solid win at home on Opening Night! AAA Sports |
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06-22-22 | Avalanche v. Lightning +100 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 27 m | Show |
10* LIGHTNING (GOM) Momentum. It's a very real, tangible factor in sports. Especially in the playoffs. Tampa was gassed after a tough 6-game series win over the Rangers. Colorado was rested and was "lucky" to win Game 1 by a score of 4-3 in OT. Then the Avs won Game 2 by a score of 7-0. It was the most goals ever let in by Tampa's Andrei Vasilivskliy. But Game 3 saw the Lightning make adjustments and win by a blowout score of 6-2. Game 1 was a coin flip. Game 2 was a blowout for the Avs. Game 3 was a blowout for the Lighting. This series has been evenly matched to this point, but I don't think that the home ice advantage can be overlooked as a very real deciding factor in this series. One last point, the Lightning went down 0-2 to the Rangers in the ECF, only to then win 4 straight, allowing just 5 goals in the process. The value in Game 4 lies with the undervalued home side; the play is the Lightning! AAA Sports |
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06-20-22 | Avalanche v. Lightning -106 | Top | 2-6 | Win | 100 | 14 h 45 m | Show |
10* LIGHTNING (GOW) New York Rangers' fans were rejoicing when their team went up 2-0 on the Lightning in the ECF's, only to then go on to lose 4 straight. That's likely not to happen here, but at the same time, I'm not counting out this experienced Tampa team yet. The Lightning are masters of making adjustments from game-to-game and I'm not reading too much into the 7-0 loss in Game 2. Note though, the Lightning are 6-2 in their last 8 in trying to revenge a shutout road loss against an opponent. The strengths and weaknesses of each club are well known. At this point, it's about handicapping emotions and momentum. It's do or die for Tampa tonight and I expect it to play like that. Conversely, the Avs are now primed for a classic letdown as they hit the road for the first time in the Finals. Look for Tampa to claw its way back into this series! AAA Sports |
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06-18-22 | Lightning v. Avalanche -146 | Top | 0-7 | Win | 100 | 60 h 22 m | Show |
10* AVS (TOP) I had a play on Tampa on the puckline in Game 1, but for Game 2 I'm going to lay the price and play the Avalanche. It was an intense, back and forth Game 1, but with the momentum now on their side, I expect Colorado to win by a more decisive margin today. The Avs jumped out to an early lead, but then led the Lighting back into it, before securing the victory in OT. Andrei Vasilevkiy has been fantastic for the Bolts, but the Lighthing still only managed 23 shots on net in Game 1, compared to the Avs 38. Look for "home ice" to once again play a major factor for Colorado in Game 2! AAA Sports |
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06-09-22 | Lightning -130 v. Rangers | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 37 h 17 m | Show |
10* LIGHTNING (BLOOD-BATH) Momentum is a very real, almost tangible factor in sports. So far "home ice" has meant a lot in this series, but I say it has more to do with timing and chemistry. Just ask the Toronto Maple Leafs how difficult the Lightning can be. I've never seen a team make better key adjustments from game to game to stay competitive. I now have a hard time seeing New York mustering much of an offensive attack at all. This line could/should in fact be larger. I'm banking on Tampa winning a third straight here, and then going home with a chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Final; lay the price, the play is the Lightning! AAA Sports |
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06-06-22 | Avalanche v. Oilers +116 | Top | 6-5 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 39 m | Show |
10* OILERS (BLOOD-BATH GOW) Edmonton has had its chances in this series, but it's come up short. The Oilers advanced past the first and second rounds, but their defensive shortcomings have been exposed here finally by the Avalanche. Colorado has been far from perfect overall during the playoffs though and I think it'll come in a tiny bit complacent here. I'm not predicing that the Oilers come back and win 4 straight or anything, but this Edmonton team is going to play with pride here in Game 4 and risk life and limb getting into shooting and passing lanes to try and avoid the humbling 4-0 sweep. Note though that the Oilers are 7-2 in their last 9 in trying to avenge 2 or more straight losses to an oppnent. I say NO SWEEP! AAA Sports |
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05-30-22 | Rangers v. Hurricanes -142 | Top | 6-2 | Loss | -142 | 13 h 38 m | Show |
10* CANES (GOW) No need to overthink this one. The home side has won every game in this series. We can expect that trend to continue here as well. During the reg. season the Canes won 3 of 4 in the series. The Canes though are 9-0 their last 9 at home, while New York is just 1-6 in its last 7 here. Antti Raanta has allowed 1 goals in 5 out of the 6 games he's started at home. Look for Hurricanes to dig deep and deliver in friendly confines! AAA Sports |
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05-28-22 | Hurricanes -102 v. Rangers | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -102 | 13 h 22 m | Show |
10* HURRICANES (ASSASSIN) So far the home ice advantage has meant everything in this series, but I expect that trend to finally end here tonight. During the reg. season Carolina won 3 of 4. Carolina took Game 5 by a score of 3-1 and I expect an identical gameplan here in The Big Apple (Antti Raanta only faced 17 shots.) Igor Shersketin has been amazing for the Rangers, but look for Carolina's superior offense to get the job done here finally in Game 6; all things considered, I believe this to be the very definition of "great line value!" AAA Sports |
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05-24-22 | Hurricanes +102 v. Rangers | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
10* HURRICANES (RD) This has been a tight, lower-scoring series. The Hurricanes are still in the drivers seat though with a 2-1 lead and I say they bounce back here after the Game 3 loss. Note that Carolina is 7-1 in its last 8 in trying to revenge a road loss against an opponent in which it was held to 1 or less goals in. Carolina had 44 shots on net last time out, and while Igor Shersketin has been great, I say he has a letdown here in Game 4. Great value on the Hurricanes! AAA Sports |
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05-19-22 | Lightning v. Panthers -155 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -155 | 12 h 24 m | Show |
10* PANTHERS (ASSASSIN) I had a play on Tampa in Game 1, but I'll be laying the price with confidence here in Game 2, as I expect the Panthers to risk life and limb to ensure they don't get into an 0-2 hole. Tampa's been anything but consistent throughout these playoffs, susceptible to big stretches of futility. I say the Bolts are happy with having already earned a split. The Panthers looked a bit slow out of the gate in Game 1, but we can expect Florida to be the aggressor from the outset in this one. Finally, note that the Panthers are 7-2 in their last 9 in trying to revenge a home loss against an opponent in which they were held to 1 or less goals in. The play is FLORIDA! AAA Sports |
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05-11-22 | Penguins v. Rangers -129 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 35 h 17 m | Show |
10* RANGERS (DESTRUCTION) The Rangers have their backs against the wall. They were favored to win this series, but they've uncharacteristically struggled on both ends of the ice. Now down 3-1, I expect New York to extend this series at least one more game. The Pens took Game 4 by a score f 7-2, but note that the Rangers are a near-perfect 7-1 in their last 8 in trying to revenge a 5 goals or greater loss to an opponent. The Pens are still also just 3-8 in their last 11 on the road. Igor Shesterkin is an amazing talent and I look for the Rangers' netminder to bounce back here; the play is the Rangers! AAA Sports |
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05-08-22 | Maple Leafs +110 v. Lightning | Top | 3-7 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
10* LEAFS (BOB) These are two really good teams. Two teams filled with talent and experience. Their offensive and defensive numbers are very similar. Honestly, it would not be difficult to write a convincing argument for either team to win today. The Lightning are in rebound mode here after a 5-2 loss in Game 3. Revenge? It works in some cases, but not here in my opinion. The Leafs (the players, coaches, the organization and its fan base), our without question the "hungrier" dog in this fight. The Leafs haven't won a playoff series in decades. Toronto will be risking life and limb again today and I think that's going to be the difference-maker. Tampa has depth and skill, but I say it's drive to win is now faltering. Expect Toronto's determination to win the day; the play is the Leafs! AAA Sports |
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05-06-22 | Hurricanes v. Bruins -123 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 54 m | Show |
10* BRUINS (1ST RND. GOY) Just a plain old "common sense" play here with this one. The Bruins will be risking life and limb today to try and avoid the 0-3 hole. Carolina was great on the road this year, but even better at home. The Bruins are also 7-2 in their last 9 in trying to avenge 2 straight losses against an opponent. But, the Bruins have now lost 5 straight to Carolina after dropping all 3 regular season contests as well. Yes, Carolina will likely go on to win this series, but we can now expect Boston's best effor this evening. And in my estimation, that'll be more than enough to finally notch a victory; the play is the Bruins! AAA Sports |
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04-07-22 | Maple Leafs v. Stars +130 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 18 m | Show |
10* STARS (EXPRESS) Toronto has sure been hot, but so has Dallas. The Leafs are off a tight 7-6 OT loss at Florida, giving up a huge lead in the unfortunate setback, and now they face a Stars side that's won 4 of its last 5 and which plays with revenge after a 4-0 loss to Toronto in mid March (note that Dallas is 7-2 in its last 9 in trying to revenge a shutout loss against an opponent.) All things considered, a great price here as I expect Toronto get caught looking ahead to its much more winnable home game against the lowly Canadiens next; lay the price, the play is Dallas! AAA Sports |
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04-03-22 | Golden Knights v. Canucks -105 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 26 m | Show |
10* CANUCKS (EXPRESS) Off 4 straight wins, including 2 straight in Seattle, I say the Knights finally have a letdown here in this difficult road venue. This is a home and home set, with two days off before a matchup in Vegas. I say the Knights take the foot off the gas here and get caught "looking ahead." The Canucks can't afford that same luxury though with that game in Vegas up next. Vancouver also plays with revenge here after falling 7-4 to the Knights on November 13th. When you add it all up, I say this one means A LOT "more" to the Canucks! AAA Sports |
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04-02-22 | Wild v. Hurricanes -145 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -145 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
10* HURRICANES (EXPRESS) I feel Carolina should in fact be a much larger favorite here. I like playing against teams that have been on an extended win streak, and then lost a tight game. I like playing AGAINST them in the following contest, and that's the exact scenario here. Minnesota's 8 game win streak was just snapped in a tight 4-3 OT home loss to the Penguins and I expect a predictable letdown here now on the road in this difficult road venue. Carolina is off a 4-0 win over Montreal and it plays with revenge after a tight 3-2 loss to the Wild in mid Feb. As I said off the top, this line should be a lot larger; the play is Carolina! AAA Sports |
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03-25-22 | Coyotes +355 v. Flames | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -100 | 28 h 17 m | Show |
10* COYOTES (GOM) A couple of weeks ago the Flames lost outright at home to Montreal as a big favorite, and I think they're going to suffer the same fate here. Calgary is clearly the better team and Arizona is going to have to play a really good game here to take advantage of this spot, but I believe Calgary is definitely overpriced again considering the circumstances. The Flames haven't been playing their best hockey of late, having split wins/losses over their last 6 games. They're off a 4-3 loss here at home to San Jose has a -300 favorite, but with Edmonton coming to town tomorrow night, I believe this sets up as a classic "look ahead" spot for the home side. The Coyotes play with revenge after a 4-2 loss to the Flames at the start of Feb. They're off 3 straight losses, but note that they're 7-2 in their last nine after 3 or more straight losses in a row. The value is WAY too good to turn down here; the play is the Coyotes! AAA Sports |
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03-24-22 | Predators v. Golden Knights -104 | Top | 1-6 | Win | 100 | 31 h 28 m | Show |
10* KNIGHTS (BOB) Nashville is off a 6-1 loss at LA and I think it'll struggle here in this difficult road venue as well. With three whole nights off before a game vs. the lowly Flyers at home after this, this also sets up as a look-ahead spot. The Knights will look to take advantage, and to also avenge a 3-2 loss to the Predators on January 4th. Considering all of the above situational circumstances working in favor of Vegas here, I believe this to be the very definition of "great line value!" The play is Las Vegas. AAA Sports |
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03-23-22 | Blackhawks v. Ducks -117 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -117 | 33 h 30 m | Show |
10* DUCKS (DESTROYER) The Ducks are beyond desperate after 8 straight losses. Most recently it was a 6-3 setback to Nashville. They play with revenge here as well after an 8-3 loss to the Hawks two weeks ago. Note that Anaheim is 7-3 in its last 10 in trying to revenge a 2 goals or greater road loss against an opponent. So here's the perfect opponent to get untracked against. Chicago is off 3 straight losses, most recently a 6-4 home setback to the Jets. As Bob Barker used to say: The Price Is Right! In my opinion, this is the very definition of "great line value." The play is Anaheim! AAA Sports |
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03-22-22 | Predators v. Kings -120 | Top | 1-6 | Win | 100 | 31 h 34 m | Show |
10* KINGS (EXPRESS) The Kings have been trading wins/losses over their last 5 games. Off a 5-1 loss at Vegas, I expect this pattern to continue here. LA plays with revenge after a 4-2 loss at Nashville on January 6th. Note that LA is 7-3 in its last 10 in trying to revenge a 2 goals or greater road loss against an opponent. The Predators are off a 6-3 road win at Anaheim just last night and I believe they'll struggle here with fatigure in the second game of the B2B. As Bob Barker used to say, "The Price Is Right!" In my professional opinion, this is the very definition of "great line value." The play is LA. AAA Sports |
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03-19-22 | Maple Leafs v. Predators +100 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 27 h 0 m | Show |
10* PREDATORS (EXPRESS) Both teams have been playing extremely well, but the "revenge factor" pushes the pendulum in favor of the Predators in my opinion. Honestly, it would not be too difficult to write a concinvincing argument for either of these teams to win, but Nashville lost 3-0 at Toronto on November 16th and the Predators are 7-1 in their last 8 in trying to revenge a shutout road loss against an opponent. That's the difference-maker here for us; the play is the Predators! AAA Sports |
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03-16-22 | Bruins v. Wild -120 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 29 h 38 m | Show |
10* WILD (EXPRESS) After winning 4 of 5 and 2 in a row, I believe Boston stumbles here on the road vs. the much hungrier Wild. Boston has a game at Chicago on Monday night as well, so fatigue is going to be a major issue here for the visiting side. Minnesota has lost 2 straight, but it enjoys 3 whole nights off after this, so I'm expecting a full 3 period effort from the home side. It's a great "spot" wager and as Bob Barker used to say, "The Price Is Right" as well; the play is the Wild! AAA Sports |
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03-12-22 | Kings -134 v. Sharks | Top | 0-5 | Loss | -134 | 27 h 6 m | Show |
10* KINGS (EXPRESS) I think the visiting side is well worth the price of admission in this matchup. The Kings are 32-19-6-2, but they've been at their best on the road with an 18-7-4-1 record. The Sharks are 25-25-5-2 this year, including 13-13-2-1 at home. LA plays with immediate revenge here and that fact is the basis behind this selection. The Sharks just upset the Kings in LA by a score of 4-3 in OT two nights ago, and LA is 7-2 in its last nine in trying to revenge a home loss against an opponent. SJ has 3 whole nights off after this game and I say it gets caught looking ahead; so look for the revenge-minded Kings to answer on the road on Saturday night! AAA Sports |
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03-08-22 | Rangers v. Wild -141 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 29 h 37 m | Show |
10* WILD (GOW) This is a great spot wager. The Rangers managed a 4-1 win over Winnipeg on the road despite getting outshot 36-22. The Rangers have sure been playing well of late, but I expect them to stumble here finally against this much "hungrier" Wild side. Minnesota has lost 8 of 10, inculding 2 in a row. That includes a 6-3 home loss to Dallas last time out. The good news for us though is that Minnesota is 7-1 in its last 8 after a home loss of 3 or more goals. The Wild managed a 3-2 win over New York in January, but I expect a much bigger victory this time around; lay the price with confidence! AAA Sports |
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03-04-22 | Golden Knights v. Ducks +105 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 55 m | Show |
10* DUCKS (ASSASSIN) No need to overthink this one. Fatigue is the main issue that I like the Ducks here, as Vegas is off a 5-2 loss at home to the Bruins just last night. The Ducks play with revenge here as well after a 3-1 loss to the Knights in late January. With a "cream puff" of a game against Ottawa at home, Vegas gets caught "looking ahead" as well. The Ducks broke a 2-game slide with a 4-3 win over Boston in their most recent action and note that they're 6-2 in their last 8 in trying to revenge a road loss against an opponent. Overall, this is the very definition of "great line value" in my opinion; the play is Anaheim! AAA Sports |
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03-02-22 | Blues v. Rangers +100 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 28 h 57 m | Show |
10* RANGERS (EXPRESS) Looks like a great spot to pull the trigger on the hungry home side. Yes, the Blues have been playing better of late, but all good things must come to an end. St. Louis has won 4 straight, including a 4-0 road victory at Chicago in its most recent outing (the Blues are interestingly though just 3-7 in their last 10 off a shutout road win in their last game.) New York had won 4 of 5 before most recently suffering B2B defeats, falling 1-0 at Pittsburgh, before then dropping a 5-2 decision at home to the Canucks in its most recent. With a tough upcoming game at the Islanders, I say the Blues finally stumble here; look for the more desperate home side to take advantage! AAA Sports |
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03-01-22 | Flames v. Wild -110 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -110 | 28 h 17 m | Show |
10* WILD (EXPRESS) These are two good teams. Calgary is 31-14-6-0, while Minnesota is 31-16-0-3. The Flames are a respectable 16-10-2-0 on the road, while the Wild are a great 16-4-0-1 at home. But this play comes down to one single thing for me here, the "revenge factor." Minnesota does indeed play with revenge here after falling 7-3 at Calgary on the 26th (the Wild are in fact 7-3 in their last 10 in trying to revenge a road loss against an opponent in which it conceded 6 or more goals in.) Revenge is a dish best served "cold" the say, and it's forecast to be FREEZING in Minnesota tonight; the play is the Wild! AAA Sports |
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02-28-22 | Maple Leafs v. Capitals +115 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 58 m | Show |
10* CAPITALS (GOW) Both teams are fighting for better seeding in the playoffs. Toronto is 34-14-4, while Washington is 28-17-9. The Leafs are off a 10-7 win at Detroit, and suffice it to say, I believe a predictable letdown is in the cards here after that "outlier." The Capitals on the other hand have lost 2 straight. Most recently it was as 2-1 setback to the Flyers. Still, the Caps have scored 3 or more goals in 7 of their last 9 games. They're also 10-3 in their last 13 at home vs. the Buds, while Toronto is in fact just 3-8 in its last 11 in this series overall. Looks like a great spot to pull the trigger for a Washington bounceback! AAA Sports |
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02-26-22 | Wild +128 v. Flames | Top | 3-7 | Loss | -100 | 26 h 27 m | Show |
10* WILD (BOB) I think this is a great spot to pull the trigger on this really good visiting side. Calgary has been great, as it's 30-14-6 overall, including 14-4-4 at home, but after 9 straight wins, it finally came up short in a 7-1 loss at Vancouver last time out. I say the Flames have a predictable letdown here in the second game after their big win streak was snapped. The Wild will look to take advantage, and won't be taking anything for advantage here after their 3-1 loss at Toronto on Friday night. This is the opener of a home and home set for the Wild, with Calgary coming to Minnesota on March 1st. I say the Wild strike first! AAA Sports |
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02-24-22 | Wild v. Maple Leafs -155 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 27 h 32 m | Show |
10* LEAFS (DESTRUCTION) Toronto is off a 4-3 OT loss at home to Columbus. It averages 3.54 GPG, while allowing 2.80. It plays with revenge here after a 4-3 loss at Minnesota at the start of December. With an upcoming two-game road trip starting this weekend, Friday's game takes on added importance for the Buds. Minnesota averages 3.79 GPG, while allowing 3.00. It's off a poor 4-3 loss at Ottawa. With a game at Calgary on Saturday, followed by a home game against the Flames after that, I say the visiting side gets caught "looking ahead." Considering all of the above factors, I think we're getting a GREAT price on the revenge-minded home side; lay the price! AAA Sports |
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02-18-22 | Kings v. Golden Knights -157 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -157 | 31 h 17 m | Show |
10* KNIGHTS (BLOOD-BATH) LA is 24-17-7, while Vegas is 28-18-3. The Kings are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Oilers. Cal Peterson allowed 3 goals in 27 shots. Overall the Kings have been good on both ends of the ice, as goaltender Jonathan Quick is 12-10-6 with a 2.60 GAA. But recent form is an issue for the visiting side obviously. The Knights actually come in as the "hungrier" team here after 2 straight losses. Most recently they fell 2-0 to Colorado. That's noteworthy in this case, as Las Vegas is 7-1 in its last 8 off a shutout loss. The Golden Knights are also 4-1 in their last 5 vs. the Pacific division, while the Kings are just 3-7 in their last 10 in this series. No upsets here, lay the price with confidence; the play is Las Vegas! AAA Sports |
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02-17-22 | Penguins v. Maple Leafs -144 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 27 h 8 m | Show |
10* LEAFS (BLOOD-BATH) Pittsburgh's won 4 straight since returning from the All Star break, but I believe it'll finally stumble here in this difficult road venue. The Penguins are off a tight 5-4 OT win at home ver the lowly Flyers. In fact, the only good team they've beaten since the return was a 4-2 victory over Boston on the first night. Since then thy also have wins over putrid Ottawa and terrible New Jersey. Toronto plays with revenge here after a 2-0 loss to the Pens in November. And that's noteworthy in this case, as the Buds are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 in trying to revenge a shutout road loss against an opponent. Toronto is just 2-2 since returning to action, but it won its lone home game in that span, a 4-3 OT victory over league-leading Carolina. Look for the Leafs to do the same here, as they defend their ice; I have no issues at all in laying this price! AAA Sports |
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02-11-22 | Jets v. Stars -150 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 14 h 47 m | Show |
10* STARS (BLOOD-BATH) Dallas opened up the second half with a big 4-3 win over Nashville. Expect the Stars to keep the good times rolling here on home ice. Overall Dallas averages 2.98 GPG, while allowing 3.02. The Jets opened up with a 2-0 win at home over the Wild. They average 2.81 GPG, while conceding 2.88. Both teams allow more goals than they average themselves, so the home ice advantage CAN NOT be overlooked as a very real deciding factor today. Dallas plays with revenge here as well after a 4-3 loss at Winnipeg in early November. The Jets also have an incredibly tough game at Nashville tomorrow night, setting this up as a classic "look-ahead" spot for the visiting side as well. All things considered, a great price; the play is Dallas! AAA Sports |
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02-08-22 | Golden Knights +101 v. Oilers | Top | 4-0 | Win | 101 | 30 h 32 m | Show |
10* KNIGHTS (DESTRUCTION) Vegas crushed Buffalo by a score of 5-2 in its final game before the break and I expect it to find a way to deliver here on the road to open up the second half. The Knights average 3.35 goals per game, while allowing 2.96. The Oilers average 3.31 GPG, while allowing 3.29. Edmonton is just 12-8 at home this year, while Las Vegas is 14-10 on the road. The Oilers closed with a 5-3 win in the nation's capital to close out their first half, but I expect the Knights' superior defense to help them pull off a minor upset here in Edmonton on Tuesday night; the play is Las Vegas! AAA Sports |
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02-07-22 | Hurricanes +125 v. Maple Leafs | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 29 h 53 m | Show |
10* HURRICANES (GOW) Two of the best in the East collide in this one. Toronto averages 3.60 GPG, while allowing 2.64, while Carolina averages 3.48 GPG, while allowing 2.33. Very evenly matched clubs, each coming in rested and determined to post a big second half run. So why will Frederik Anderson get the better of his former team tonight? Carolina is 4-0 in its last 4 as an underdog, while Toronto is interestingly just 1-4 in its last five Monday games. I say that Carolina's league-leading defense is the difference-maker today; the play is the Hurricanes! AAA Sports |
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01-31-22 | Ducks v. Red Wings -102 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 11 h 47 m | Show |
10* RED WINGS (GOW) Off B2B road wins, I expect the Ducks to stumble in their final game before the All Star break. Detroit plays with revenge here as well after falling 4-3 at Anaheim at the start of January. Detroit has lost 3 of its last 4. It's off a 7-4 loss here to Toronto, but note that it's 7-3 in its last 10 off a home loss of 3 or more goals. Detroit comes out and takes advantage of this spot, while also avenging the earlier loss; great value here on Detroit! AAA Sports |
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01-27-22 | Flames v. Blues -150 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 13 h 3 m | Show |
10* BLUES (EXPRESS) Calgary is off B2B blowout wins, but I think it'll have difficulties here in St. Louis. Most recently the Flames clobbered Columbus 6-0 on the road. St Louis though plays with revenge here after a 7-1 setback at Calgary just last week. The Blues are 6-2 in their last 8 in trying to revenge a road loss of 5 or more goals to an opponent as well. Calgary is back home for a game against the Canucks next, so I think it gets caught looking ahead to that more winnable game. The Blus are 16-4-1 at home this year. Look for that streak to get added to tonight; lay the reasonable price! AAA Sports |
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01-25-22 | Oilers -125 v. Canucks | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 14 h 1 m | Show |
10* OILERS (EXPRESS) Edmonton finally broke its 7-game slide with a big 5-3 home win over Calgary and I expect it to continue its climb back to the top of the mountain. Vancouver is off 2 straight losses. The Canucks have a difficult 5-game road trip to plan for starting on Thursday. I say they get caught looking ahead. The Oilers won the last matchup 2-1 back on October 30th, but all signs point to their superior and motivated offense finding the back of the net a few more times in the Pacific Northwest this evening; lay the price, the play is Edmonton! AAA Sports |
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01-24-22 | Blues v. Flames -135 | Top | 1-7 | Win | 100 | 14 h 40 m | Show |
10* FLAMES (GOW) St. Louis has been playing really well this year. It's won 8 of 10, including 3 straight. But because this is the opener of a home and home set, I really like the Flames to dig deep here and deliver in friendly confines. This is the first matchup of the year between the teams. Calgary though is desperate after dropping 7 of its last 10. It broke a 4 game slide with a 5-1 win over Florida, then 3 nights later fell 5-3 at Edmonton. The Flames will actually play at Columbus before their rematch in St. Louis on the 27th, but regardless Calgary is 5-1 in its last 6 off a road loss in which it allowed 5 or more goals in. I say Calgary digs deep and delivers in this crucial game; so lay this reasonable price! AAA Sports |
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01-13-22 | Penguins v. Kings +133 | Top | 2-6 | Win | 133 | 14 h 29 m | Show |
Kings (10* NON-CONF GOM) Pittsburgh has played great this year. It comes to LA with only one loss in its last 12 games. The Penguins concede 2.46 GPG. But the feisty Kings have won 2 in a row and 4 of their last 5. LA has also been fantastic defensively, ranked fourth overall on that end of the ice. Evgeni Malkin is back for Pittsburgh, and that'll help out the Penguins in the second half of the season and in the playoffs. But LA is off a great 3-1 win over a red hot Rangers team and I expect a similar defensive effort here on home ice. I say the Pens get classically caught looking ahead to their final road games at San Jose and Vegas. A great spot bet on the undervalued underdog home side! AAA Sports |
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01-06-22 | Panthers v. Stars +103 | Top | 5-6 | Win | 103 | 29 h 44 m | Show |
10* DALLAS STARS. Florida is 18-3 at home, but only 4-4-1 on the road. Dallas is 4-9 on the road, but 11-3-1 at home. "Home ice" has meant EVERYTHING to these clubs and I expect that trend to continue in a big way here! With a red hot Pittsburgh team coming to town nexts, the Stars can't afford to look past the Panthers today. Dallas enters off B2B home wins, most recently a convincing 7-4 victory over Minnesota (Dallas is 6-2 in its last eight after scoring 6 or more goals in a win in its previous outing as well.) Florida opened its 4-game homestand with 2 straight losses, but it's since won 4 in a row at home, most recently a 6-2 win over Calgary. But with a game at division rival Carolina on Saturday, this does 100% for sure set up as a "look ahead" spot for the visiting side. It's a great set of situtional and stat based evidence that leads to our one and only 10* top underdog play of the year! AAA Sports |
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12-31-21 | Oilers -147 v. Devils | Top | 5-6 | Loss | -147 | 5 h 27 m | Show |
This is an 8* on EDMONTON Heading into 2022, the Oilers aren’t exactly in what we’d call a “great” position (they are 4th in the Pacific), but they are a lot better off than the Devils, one of the worst teams in the league. While the Devils did win on Wednesday, that’s rare. They’d previously lost six in a row before defeating Buffalo 4-3. It’s been 23 days since New Jersey won a home game. They aren’t going to win this one; they face Edmonton, who has Connor McDavid. McDavid is having an all-time great season, leading the league in assists and points. Counting last season’s playoffs, McDavid has 159 points in 2021. That’s the most points by a player in a single calendar year since Jaromir Jagr turned in 164 back in 1999. We look for McDavid to be the difference-maker again for Edmonton this afternoon as they look to bounce back from Wednesday’s loss to the Blues. The Oilers are 18-5 their last 23 games vs. teams from the Metropolitan Division and they are 17-7 their last 24 games as a road favorite. As for New Jersey, they’ve lost each of the previous four times they’ve been off a win. Play on EDMONTON AAA |
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12-20-21 | Wild v. Stars -112 | Top | 4-7 | Win | 100 | 13 h 43 m | Show |
This is a 10* on DAL At the start of December, both of these Central Division teams were playing well. Minnesota had an eight-game win streak that was the third longest in team history. Dallas was on a seven-game run of its own. But then things went south for the Stars as they lost five in a row, their longest losing streak since 2014. That streak is now over following Saturday’s emotional OT win over the Blackhawks where the team overcame a scary injury to Tanner Kero, who had to be stretchered off the ice. While three power play goals were the key to victory for Dallas, they outshot Chicago 39-23 and probably should have won that game in regulation. On the other hand, there was no sugarcoating how poorly Minnesota played in a 3-2 loss to Buffalo on Thursday, even though the game went to a shootout. The Wild allowed 40 shots on goal as they lost for a third straight time. After winning eight in a row, it’s now been 11 days since the Wild won a game as they’ve also dealt with two postponements during that stretch. Tough to get into a rhythm when you’re dealing with unexpected time off. The Stars have had this game circled ever since taking a 7-2 loss in the Twin Cities last month. Look for them to send Minnesota to its fourth straight defeat. Play on DALLAS AAA |
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12-16-21 | Golden Knights -171 v. Devils | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 57 m | Show |
This is an 8* on VEGAS Vegas goes for its third win in a row tonight as they pay a visit to New Jersey. While the Golden Knights are in solid shape right now, the Devils are not. The home team has lost seven of eight as well as three in a row. The Devils have given up 10 goals in the last two games while the Golden Knights have scored 10 goals in the last two games. New Jersey has lost 11 of the 15 times they’ve faced a team with a winning record. The Knights are 17-11 with 34 points and now is the time to make a move in the division with the two Alberta teams both struggling. Lots of illness right now with the Devils, COVID and non-COVID, and to add insult to injury they’ve allowed short-handed goals in each of the last two games. Vegas has no problems scoring. They’ve tallied 28 goals in the last six games. Play on VEGAS AAA |
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12-15-21 | Seattle Kraken v. Ducks -147 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 13 h 0 m | Show |
This is an 8* on ANAHEIM Not many expected to see the Anaheim Ducks leading the Pacific Division, but here we are in mid-December and the team has 37 points, which has them on top. The Ducks are coming off a successful five-game road trip out East. Their only loss in the last four games was 1-0 to Pittsburgh. Now five of the team’s last eight games have gone past regulation. But the 1-0 loss to the Pens is the only time the Ducks have been beaten in regulation during that stretch. It should be an easy two points tonight when the Ducks host the expansion Kraken. As you probably expected, the Kraken have struggled in their maiden season. They are last in the Pacific Division and are allowing the second most goals per game in the league. This is a rare chance to fade Seattle off a win as they played last night and beat San Jose 3-1. Fading this team off a win seems like a sound idea, especially when they’re not rested. This is the first time all season that the Kraken have been in that situation. Seattle has multiple players out with COVID, one of them top line center Yanni Gourde. The Ducks are simply a better team than the Kraken, which they already proved once with a 7-4 win up in Seattle last month. Play on ANAHEIM. AAA |
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12-09-21 | Red Wings v. Blues -162 | Top | 2-6 | Win | 100 | 8 h 14 m | Show |
This is a 7* on STL The Red Wings are currently in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with 29 points. But there’s a seven-point gap between them and the top three teams in the division (Florida, Toronto, Tampa Bay). Not only do we not expect Detroit to catch those teams, they are quite likely to take a tumble down the standings. Look no further than their -10 goal differential as reason for that line of thinking. The Red Wings have been a pretty lucky team recently. During a five-game win streak, which is now over, they had four one-goal wins and three of those required overtime or a shootout. The win streak ended with a 5-2 loss to Nashville on Tuesday. Expect another loss in St. Louis tonight. The Blues lost in Detroit 4-2 back on November 24th, so they’re out for revenge. After four hard-fought games against Tampa Bay and Florida (played both teams twice), this should be a relatively easy game for the Blues, who are 8-3-1 on home ice so far. Play on ST. LOUIS AAA |
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12-01-21 | Penguins v. Oilers -121 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 14 h 15 m | Show |
This is a 10* on EDMONTON Edmonton has to be happy with its start to the season. They have a 15-5 overall record and are second in the Pacific Division with 30 points. They are only one point behind first place Calgary. At home, the Oilers are 8-1 and have scored 38 goals. Tonight they host Pittsburgh, a team that is fourth in the Metropolitan Division and ironically enough just lost 2-1 to Calgary. Before that, the Penguins lost 6-3 at home to Montreal. They had won five in a row before the back to back losses. Back to Edmonton, the Oilers have won their last two games - 5-3 at Arizona and 3-2 at Vegas. They should be pretty fired up to be back home Wednesday night as the Oilers are looking for what would be their first regulation win over the Penguins since 2006! They have just four wins in the last 19 meetings with the Penguins. That includes six straight home losses. But we feel tonight is the night they snap that streak. There’s no debate over which team is playing better hockey right now and Edmonton is 38-16 its last 54 games as a favorite. Pittsburgh is playing its fourth game in six days, a situation they’ve lost in four of the last five times. Play on EDMONTON AAA |
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11-28-21 | Maple Leafs -165 v. Ducks | Top | 5-1 | Win | 100 | 12 h 8 m | Show |
This is an 8* on TORONTO The Maple Leafs look to make it nine wins in their last 10 games as they visit Anaheim tonight. The Leafs only loss since Nov 10 came at home, by a score of 2-0 to Pittsburgh. Since that loss, they have rattled off three consecutive road wins where they outscored the Islanders, Kings and Sharks 13-3. The Leafs are now tied for first place (with Florida) in the Atlantic Division with 31 points. They allow the third fewest number of goals per game in the league. Anaheim was once hot itself, winning eight in a row from October 31st through November 16th. But the Ducks have since dropped three of four, though they did win 4-0 here at home on Friday. But the team they beat (Ottawa) is one of the worst in the league right now. The fact the Ducks are third in the Pacific is something we’d call “surprising.” They’ve been a tough out at home and are also strong on the penalty kill. But Toronto, having claimed six straight road games, is in a different class. The Leafs have allowed just 11 goals their last nine games, making them a VERY difficult team to beat. We like them to get the two points on Sunday. Play on TORONTO AAA |
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11-24-21 | Maple Leafs -155 v. Kings | Top | 6-2 | Win | 100 | 13 h 11 m | Show |
This is an 8* on TOR The Maple Leafs come into Wednesday firmly entrenched as one the Atlantic’s three top teams. Neither they nor Tampa Bay have been quite as good as Florida, but you could say the same thing for most teams across the league. The Leafs have won 11 out of their last 13 games however, and Sunday’s 3-0 win at the Islanders was their fourth shutout during that stretch. Tonight the Leafs are in LA looking to avenge one of the two defeats they’ve suffered this month. It was back on 11/8 that the Leafs lost to the Kings 5-1 at home. Both teams were on win streaks at the time of that first meeting. Now the Kings are on a four-game losing skid with the last three defeats all coming here at home. The last one was perhaps the most embarrassing as it was against Arizona, who is the worst team in the league. The Kings have already fallen a bit off the pace set by the top teams in the Pacific and we only see that gap widening as the season progresses. Toronto isn’t going to lose twice to this team, so they’ve got our backing tonight. Play on TORONTO AAA |
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11-19-21 | Avalanche -134 v. Seattle Kraken | Top | 7-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
This is a 10* on COL Colorado came into the season as one of the Stanley Cup favorites, but got off to a surprisingly slow start. That’s changed recently, as despite not having star Nathan MacKinnon, the Avs have won three in a row. Two wins were over Vancouver and the other against San Jose. They have scored a total of 17 goals during this win streak, which has seen them make up for the absence of MacKinnon by going 6 for 13 on the power play. Tonight the Avalanche go up against a team that is - not surprisingly - near the bottom of the league’s standings. The expansion Kraken have lost five straight while giving up four or more goals every time. We had the Over when they last played - and lost - 4-2 to Chicago. Seattle fell behind 3-0 in that game and had only three shots on goal in the first period. Only one team (Arizona) has fewer points than the Kraken’s 9 as they continue to reside in the basement of the Pacific Division. This shapes up to be another easy two points for the Avalanche. Play on COLORADO AAA |
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11-15-21 | Islanders v. Lightning -124 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
This is a 9* on TB After starting the season with three straight losses, Tampa Bay has turned things around. You had to figure they would. After all, this is the team that’s won the last two Stanley Cup Finals. In each of their last seven games, the Lightning have picked up a point. That’s five wins and two overtime losses. Five of their next six games are at home, including this one against the team they beat in last year’s semifinals. It was a seven-game series with the Islanders last summer, but we expect the Lightning to roll tonight. This will be the Islanders’ 12th straight road game to open the year as they wait for their new arena to be ready. The Isles have played a game since Thursday, but you’ve got to figure they are road-weary. Having three days off didn’t help them in Newark on Thursday as they lost to the Devils 4-0. Before that was a 5-2 loss in Minnesota. It’s six straight losses to teams with winning records for the Islanders. Play on TAMPA BAY AAA |
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11-11-21 | Sharks v. Jets -173 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 8 m | Show |
full analysis to follow |
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11-09-21 | Ducks v. Canucks -145 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -145 | 14 h 31 m | Show |
This is a 9* on VANCOUVER Vancouver sits second to last in the Pacific Division as of this writing. The only team below them in the standings is the expansion Kraken. Tonight the Canucks host Anaheim, who is four points ahead. The Ducks have won their last four games, but all of those have come on home ice. The road has not been quite so kind. Four of the Ducks' five away games have ended in defeat. They’ve allowed four or more goals in each of their last four road games and lost them all. Vancouver is wrapping up a seven-game homestand tonight after playing its first six games on the road. They won 6-3 against Dallas on Sunday. We think the home ice advantage is the key determining factor in the outcome of this game. Also, Vancouver is allowing a fewer number of shots per game than Anaheim. The Ducks’ current win streak is their longest in nearly three years. Can it continue? We think not. Play on VANCOUVER AAA |
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11-05-21 | Blackhawks v. Jets -163 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 45 m | Show |
This is a 9* on WINNIPEG Winnipeg has won five of its last six with the one loss coming in OT. Four of those wins came without leading scorer Mark Scheifele, who returned to the lineup for a 4-3 win over Dallas earlier in the week. The Jets face downtrodden Chicago tonight. The Blackhawks have only one win this season and it came Monday at home vs. Ottawa. They and the Coyotes seem to be in a race to determine not just who finishes last in the division, but in the entire NHL. A sexual abuse scandal (from 10 years ago) has wreaked havoc on the Blackhawks franchise. Things have been no better on the ice. After winning for the first time in 2021, they blew a two goal lead to Carolina on Wednesday and lost 4-3. Who wants any part of this Chicago team right now? Not us. Play on WINNIPEG AAA |
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10-30-21 | Wild v. Avalanche -146 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 29 m | Show |
This is a 10* on COLORADO The Avalanche, considered one of the odds on favorite to win the Stanley Cup, have gotten off to a very disappointing start. Thursday’s 4-3 triumph over St. Louis was just the third win of the season for the Avs. They’ve needed four goals in each of those three wins. They are 0-4 when failing to score four times in a game. Colorado is 30th in goals allowed per game at 3.71. They’ve got to work on getting that number down. We think they will on Saturday when they host Minnesota in a big early season division clash. After a 4-0 start, the Wild have lost two of three games. This will be their third road game in five days. Thursday saw them lose 4-1 to the expansion Kraken. Colorado’s third win of the season should not be dismissed as they were the first team to defeat St. Louis this year. The Avalanche outshot the Blues 42-18. Given what we all thought of the Avs at the start of the year, there’s no reason not to take them at this low price on home ice. Play on COLORADO AAA |
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10-26-21 | Wild v. Canucks +105 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 8 m | Show |
This is a 10* on VANCOUVER The Canucks seek a third straight victory on Tuesday. Only this time they are back on home ice. The previous two wins came in Chicago and Seattle, at the tail end of a six-game road trip. This is actually their first home game of the season! In each of the previous two victories, Vancouver scored four goals. The fact they finished the six-game road trip at 3-2-1 was pretty impressive. The trip took them across all four time zones. Last season, the Canucks were a much more respectable team at home. Minnesota arrives here off its first loss of the young season. They fell behind Nashville 3-0 after one period and could not recover. Penalty killing has been an issue so far for the Wild. They’ve allowed a power play goal in every game thus far. This will be their third game in four nights while the Canucks have had the last two days off. Play on VANCOUVER AAA |
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10-20-21 | Blues v. Golden Knights -122 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -122 | 13 h 31 m | Show |
This is a 10* on VEGAS Vegas is banged up heading into Wednesday’s tilt with St. Louis. It’s pretty fortunate then that they’ve had the Blues’ number. Last year, the Golden Knights captured six of the eight head to head matchups. Going back further, they’ve won 8 of 10 over the Blues. We don’t think this one will be any different. The Blues are 2-0 with 12 goals scored. But this is their third road game in five days, a tough situation even at the start of the season. Pavel Buchnevich just got handed a two-game suspension for his hit on Arizona’s Lawson Crouse. He had a goal and two assists in the first two games. The Golden Knights have not played since last Friday when they were beaten 6-2 by the Kings. They are 6-1 the last seven times they have been off a game where they gave up five or more goals. Play on VEGAS AAA |
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10-19-21 | Canucks -155 v. Sabres | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -155 | 10 h 28 m | Show |
This is an 8* on VANCOUVER Buffalo is 2-0 on the young season, but we’d hold off on printing playoff tickets. The Sabres were a last place team a season ago, finishing with only 37 points. At one point, they lost 18 consecutive games. Jack Eichel is injured and still likely to be traded. The team’s second leading scorer from last year, Sam Reinhart, is now skating down in Florida. The two teams that Buffalo has beaten thus far, Montreal and Arizona, are a combined 0-5-1. They needed a shootout to get by the ‘Yotes on Saturday. So Tuesday looks like a probable first loss as Vancouver comes to upstate New York. The Canucks are 1-1-1 thus far with every game coming on the road. After the first two games were decided in shootouts, they lost 3-1 in Detroit on Saturday. But that score was misleading. The Red Wings not only got an empty-net goal in the final minute, but were also outshot by the Canucks 41-21. It was a simple case of Vancouver running into a hot goaltender. We can’t see Sabres’ goaltender Craig Anderson, who is 40 years old, having many more games like the one he had vs. Montreal. Play on VANCOUVER AAA |
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10-19-21 | Sharks v. Canadiens -150 | Top | 5-0 | Loss | -150 | 10 h 28 m | Show |
This is an 8* on MONTREAL The Canadiens are desperate here as they’ve started the season 0-3. That’s the worst record in the league right now. Every loss has come in regulation and the Habs have only managed one goal in each game. With two days off to do some serious “soul-searching,” they should bounce back and finally get into the win column tonight, hosting the Sharks. Even though there’s no Carey Price in goal right now, let us not disregard that the Habs made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in June. It’s not so much Price not being between the pipes, but the lack of offense - and an 0 for 11 power play - that’s the biggest culprit in the team’s first 0-3 start in over a quarter century. The offense should fix itself tonight against a San Jose team that gave up three goals in its opener. The Sharks did win, 4-3 over the Jets, but a team with five rookies in the lineup and no Evander Kane isn’t going to be very good on a nightly basis. San Jose does have a five-game win streak at the Bell Centre, but has not played here since March of 2019. That was a much different (and better) team back then. Play on MONTREAL AAA |
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10-18-21 | Ducks v. Flames -185 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -185 | 14 h 59 m | Show |
This is a 7* on CALGARY Calgary should have its way with Anaheim tonight. This is just the second game for the Flames. The first was a 5-2 loss to Edmonton. But 5 v 5, we thought they looked pretty strong against the Oilers. The problem was that they gave up two power play goals. They did outshoot their rival 47-33. Anaheim has already played twice and we went against them Saturday vs. Minnesota. After winning the opener 4-1 over Winnipeg, they lost 2-1 to the Wild (just as we thought). In two games, the Ducks have allowed 77 shots. That’s a lot. Anaheim was a bad team last year as they finished with only 43 points. Like we said in the previous writeup, it’s been awhile since the Ducks weren’t bad. The last three seasons have all seen them finish at/near the bottom of the division. The favorite has won 47 of the last 68 times these teams have played. Play on CALGARY AAA |
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10-16-21 | Stars v. Bruins -160 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 2 m | Show |
This is an 8* on BOSTON Heading into Saturday, there are still four teams in the NHL who have yet to play a regular season game. One of them is Boston, who will open things up tonight by hosting by Dallas. The Stars opened their season with a 3-2 overtime win against the Rangers. They were outshot 33-26, although they did open a 2-0 lead early in the second period. The odds of Dallas starting their season with two straight wins seem remote. That’s because they are 8-22 their previous 30 games as an underdog, including 2-6 L8 on the road. They are 6-13 SU their L19 games after a win. Boston figures to be one of the league’s best teams this season, even after moving on from longtime goaltender Tuukka Rask. Linus Ullmark should be more than an adequate replacement for Rask. Play on BOSTON AAA |
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10-15-21 | Wild -155 v. Ducks | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 14 h 1 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MINNESOTA The Wild opens its 2021-22 season Friday night at The Pond. The Ducks have already played a game and were 4-1 winners here on home ice against Winnipeg. We do not see Anaheim opening with two straight underdog wins. They’ve lost to the Wild seven straight times while getting outscored 24-13. The Ducks haven’t been “good” in some time, having finished at/near the bottom of the division for three straight seasons. In addition to having the Ducks’ number, Minnesota has made the playoffs eight of the last nine years. The Wild were one of the highest scoring teams in the league last year and are a deserved favorite in this one. Play on MINNESOTA AAA |
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10-14-21 | Penguins v. Panthers -175 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 11 h 11 m | Show |
This is a 7* on FLA The Penguins surprised everyone, including us, by going into Tampa Bay and winning 6-2 on Opening Night. We think their chances of starting the season with consecutive wins as big underdogs are rather small. Give Pittsburgh credit for outworking the Lightning in the opener. But the final score was highly misleading. The last three goals all came on an empty net. Remember that the Pens are playing shorthanded. They are without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. This is going to be Florida’s first game and they should take advantage of all the absences on the Penguins’ bench (more than just Crosby and Malkin). The Panthers finished with the fourth most points in last year’s truncated regular season and were 20-5-3 on home ice. Play on FLORIDA AAA |
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10-12-21 | Penguins v. Lightning -175 | Top | 6-2 | Loss | -175 | 34 h 59 m | Show |
This is a 7* on TB The big story for the season opener between the Penguins and Lightning is that Sidney Crosby is not expected to be on the ice. The Penguins’ star is still recovering from off-season wrist surgery and probably won’t be back until later this month. It’s a key absence for a Penguins team that is already outgunned in this matchup. In case you’d forgotten, the Lightning repeated as Stanley Cup Champions last June. They bring back the entire foundation of the two championship teams and unlike last year, Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov should be around the entire regular season. They are one of the favorites to win it all again this year, rightfully so, and if they do it they’d pull off the first three-peat since the Islanders won four in a row 40 years ago. Minus Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (also injured), the Penguins have little chance here. They have lost seven of the last nine times they’ve played the Lightning while dropping all five here in Tampa. All but one loss came in regulation time. Even if Crosby miraculously suits up, the Pens won’t win here. Play on TAMPA BAY AAA |
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07-05-21 | Lightning -147 v. Canadiens | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -147 | 37 h 2 m | Show |
This is a 10* on TB The Montreal Canadiens made an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals. They have been the underdog in every one of their playoff games, rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to oust Toronto and also defeated heavily favored Vegas along the way. But it would appear as if the Lightning are too much for them. Tampa Bay needs one more win to repeat as champions and we think they’ll make this series a sweep on Monday. The first three games were all decided by two more goals with the Lightning outscoring the Habs 14-5. It was a series-high six goals in Game 3, proving that they don’t need the home ice advantage to win. Tampa Bay has won 14 of its last 16 games against Montreal. They have not even trailed for a single second in this series. The Canadiens had the lowest point percentage of any of the 16 playoff teams and were the only one to post a negative goal differential in the regular season. It really is a bit miraculous that they even made it this far. Goalie Carey Price has seen his save percentage plummet to .835 in this series. The NHL season ends on Monday night. Play on TAMPA BAY AAA |
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06-25-21 | Islanders v. Lightning -161 | Top | 0-1 | Win | 100 | 13 h 34 m | Show |
This is a 10* on TAMPA BAY We’ll lead with the trend that you all know is coming. Over the last two postseasons, Tampa Bay is a perfect 12-0 SU off a loss. We have taken them each of the first two times they’ve been off a loss in this series. The last one resulted in the infamous 8-0 thrashing of the Islanders back in Game 5 here in Tampa. There have been only five losses the entire postseason for the Lightning. They’ve averaged an incredible 5.6 goals/game when off a loss, scoring a total of 28 times. Three of those times they scored six or more goals. They’ve never scored fewer than four. So that’s a “tall hill” to climb for an Islanders team that has scored only 11 goals this entire series. The Lightning have scored 19 goals. Game 7 being in Tampa Bay is obviously big for the Lightning. Not just because of their own 26-10 SU home record. But also due to the fact the Islanders have a losing road record this season. Tampa Bay averages 3.7 goals/game at home. The Islanders average just 2.2 goals/game on the road. The last 80 times that the Lightning have scored two goals or less in a game (they lost Game 6, 3-2), they are 63-17 SU in the next game. Play on TAMPA BAY AAA |
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06-21-21 | Islanders v. Lightning -183 | Top | 0-8 | Win | 100 | 20 h 19 m | Show |
This is a 7* on TB We’ll lead with the key trend: Over the last two postseasons, the Lightning are 11-0 SU off a loss. We went with the trend in Game 2 and they won there for us. So we’ll do it again for Game 5, also on home ice. The reason the Lightning lost Game 4 is pretty obvious. They gave up three goals in the second period. That put them in a hole that was too big to climb out of. They almost did, scoring twice in the third period. The good news, besides the trend mentioned above, is that other than the second period of Game 5 the Lightning have allowed just five goals in this series. They are 19-5 when seeking to avenge a loss this season. Brayden Point has scored a goal in seven straight games. The Lightning are 62-17 SU the last 79 times they have been off a game where they scored two goals or less. With the series moving back to Tampa Bay, it’s also worth pointing out that the Lightning are 46-19 SU L65 home games. Play on TAMPA BAY AAA |
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06-20-21 | Golden Knights -172 v. Canadiens | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 29 h 17 m | Show |
This is a 10* on VEGAS Montreal seems to have proved the doubters wrong once again. They now lead this Stanley Cup semi final two games to one after stunning Vegas in Game 3. That last win saw them get a gift goal near the end of regulation as Marc-Andre Fleury misplayed the puck badly. That tied the game up, then a little more than seven minutes into overtime Josh Anderson scored the game-winner. Since falling behind Toronto three games to one in the first round series, the Habs are 9-1, the only loss being Game 1 of this series. Vegas outshot them 45-27 in Game 3 and clearly should have won the game. They were just two minutes away from being up 2-1 in the series. The Golden Knights have proven themselves to be resilient this postseason, erasing early series deficits in both previous series. This is the third time they’ve dropped two straight in the playoffs. Each of the previous two times saw them come back to win the next time out. This time they’ll have to do it on the road. Considering this is probably the best team in the league, we have little hesitation in betting them in this spot. There has been only one time all season that Vegas dropped three straight games. Montreal is a team no one expected to still be playing, let alone leading this series. Vegas has outshot Montreal in all three games and scored one more goal. They’re simply better. Play on VEGAS AAA |
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06-15-21 | Islanders v. Lightning -193 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
This is an 8* on TB After dropping Game 1 at home, you’ve gotta figure Tampa Bay is going to come out flying for Game 2. Certainly we’re not alone in this assessment given how the money line has moved. Totally justifiable though as the Lightning haven’t lost back to back games in the playoffs. They are 7-2 this season when seeking to avenge a home loss and 18-5 seeking to avenge a loss of any kind. Off a game where they scored one goal or less, they have an 8-2 record in 2020-21. So all signs point to TB evening this Stanley Cup semifinal up. The Islanders average just 2.2 goals/game on the road, so you’re not getting any more scoring from them than what we saw in Game 1. Shots were even on Sunday, but NY is still allowing 37.2 per game in the playoffs. That’s a high number. Tampa Bay is a really solid home team and we just can’t see them losing two in a row on home ice. Head Coach Cooper said of the GM1 loss, “Our minds weren’t there.” That’s not going to be the case here. Over the last two postseasons, the Lightning are 10-0 SU off a loss. Play on TAMPA BAY AAA |
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06-13-21 | Islanders v. Lightning -188 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -188 | 7 h 10 m | Show |
This is a 7* on TAMPA BAY Just like last year, Tampa Bay will face the Islanders for the right to move on to the Stanley Cup Finals. Last year’s Eastern Conference Final was won by the Lightning in six games as they went on to win the whole thing. That series was played in a bubble. This time TB has the home ice edge, a nice deal for them as they were 21-7 at home in the regular season. While they’ve got a better record on the road than at home in the postseason, don’t think for a second the Lightning didn’t want home ice advantage in this series. The Islanders have a much better record at home than on the road. New York has also fallen behind two games to one in both series thus far. Tampa Bay jumped out to 2-0 series leads against Florida and Carolina. Both teams are averaging just over 3.5 goals/game in the playoffs. But the Islanders average only 2.2 goals per game on the road for the season. They’ve also allowed 37.7 shots/game in these playoffs. Unlike last year’s Conference Finals, Steven Stamkos is healthy for the Lightning. He has 13 points in 11 playoff games. Vasilevskiy (.934 postseason save percentage) is the best goalie in this series. Play on TAMPA BAY AAA |
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06-09-21 | Bruins -132 v. Islanders | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -132 | 12 h 32 m | Show |
This is a 10* on BOSTON The Islanders, thanks to two straight high scoring performances, have taken the lead in this series and are one more win away from advancing to the NHL’s version of the “Final Four.” But what you need to understand about the Game 5 result in Boston is that the Bruins had a colossal 44-19 edge in shots. That they lost 5-4 is shocking. Losing while getting 25 or more shots on goal is something that has happened only four times to the Bruins in the playoffs since 1960. It was only the second time NY won a playoff game when getting outshot by that man. The Islanders also got three power play goals in the win. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy was highly critical of the way the game was called, so that’s something to keep an eye on here in Game 6. Boston has scored first in four of the five games in the series, yet lost three of them. Tuukka Rask is expected to be fine for Game 6 and should play better between the pipes. The Islanders are a good home team, but we like Boston in this one. Play on BOSTON AAA |
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06-08-21 | Golden Knights v. Avalanche -139 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -139 | 13 h 32 m | Show |
This is a 10* on COLORADO The home team is 4-0 in this series, which is a matchup of arguably the two best teams in the league. Colorado and Vegas tied for the most points in the regular season. They were 1-2 in goal differential. Home ice being such an edge really shouldn’t shock any of us. Colorado is 26-4-2 at home. Vegas is 25-6-3. Now the series goes back to Denver. Guess who we’ll be playing? It is very hard to look past how good the Avalanche had been in the playoffs before dropping the last two games in Sin City. They won the first six games by a combined score of 30-10. They are 20-0-1 the last 21 home games which does include the four playoff wins. They beat Vegas 7-1 in Game 1 before squeaking out a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 2. The Avs top line struggled in Vegas, but had six goals and 24 shots in the first two games. Look for the home team trend to continue. Colorado has had just one three-game losing streak all season. Play on COLORADO AAA |
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06-07-21 | Jets v. Canadiens -144 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 5 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MONTREAL If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. It’s become very clear that Montreal has become a very different team in the postseason. Since falling behind Toronto three games to one in the first round series, the Habs have stormed back to win six in a row and are now just one win away from the final four and being North Division Champs. At no point during this six game win streak have the Canadiens trailed. That’s impressive. They proved us wrong by smashing Winnipeg 5-1 last night and the 24-hour turnaround does the Jets NO favors. It’s extremely hard to get motivated when down 0-3 in a series, knowing that only four teams in history have ever come back from that deficit. Montreal goalie Price has been out of his mind the last four games with a .958 save percentage. It’s been 376:18 since the Habs last trailed in a game. That’s the fifth longest stretch in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Winnipeg lost 9 of its last 12 regular season games before a surprise sweep of Edmonton in Round 1. Three of the four wins against the Oilers required OT. We were dead wrong about yesterday and will now rectify that. Play on MONTREAL AAA |
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06-07-21 | Islanders v. Bruins -186 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -186 | 9 h 35 m | Show |
This is a 7* on BOSTON The Islanders and Bruins are deadlocked at two games apiece in this series as we head to Game 5 in Boston. Furthermore, both teams have scored 11 goals in the four games. Each has a three-goal victory and a one-goal victory. The Islanders won Game 4, 4-1, and we took them. But we also cited their tremendous home record as a reason for doing so. The road has been far less kind to the Isles this year. They were 11-13-4 in the regular season. They are 3-2 in the postseason, but all three wins came in overtime. Boston’s top line was held without a goal in Game 4, something we expect to see change in Game 5. The Bruins are 2-0 off a loss so far in the playoffs and 11-2 their previous 13 home games. This looks to be a classic bounce back position. Things could have gone a lot differently in the last game had David Pastrnak not hit the post on a wide open net when the game was still scoreless. That 4-1 loss was very misleading as the Islanders added two empty-net goals after getting what turned out to be the game-winner with just under seven minutes to go. Play on BOSTON AAA |
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06-06-21 | Jets +124 v. Canadiens | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 48 m | Show |
This is a 10* on WINNIPEG We think it’s time for Montreal to stop winning. The only team that made the playoffs with a negative regular season goal differential has come “back from the dead,” winning its last five games. They were down 3-1 in the first round series against Toronto and haven’t lost since! They are now up 2-0 on the Jets after taking both games in Winnipeg. After winning a high-scoring affair in Game 1, 5-3, the Habs got Carey Price’s eighth career playoff shutout in Game 2, 1-0. Price made 30 saves and the only goal in the game came with Montreal actually playing short-handed. Winnipeg has to be kicking itself right now. But all is not lost yet. This is a team that won three overtime games in the first round sweep over Edmonton. Once they came back from a three goal deficit. It would be foolish to write them off. We think they are the better team and, again, can’t see Montreal continue to win. Yes, they are hot. During the five game win streak, they have not trailed. You’d have to go back to 2012 to find the last time a team pulled that off in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Jets are 6-0 their last six as underdogs. This is the first time Montreal has been favored in these playoffs. Play on WINNIPEG AAA |
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06-04-21 | Canadiens v. Jets -109 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 3 m | Show |
This is a 10* on WINNIPEG Winnipeg cannot afford to be down 0-2 when this series heads to Montreal this weekend. So off a poor showing in Game 1 where they lost 5-3, expect the Jets to come out flying tonight in Game 2. One could make the argument that “rust” was an issue for Winnipeg in Game 1. They had not played in more than a week after sweeping the first round series against Edmonton. Montreal had just one day off between series after they won a Game 7 in Toronto. They scored three goals in the first period Wednesday, which is more than they averaged PER GAME in Round 1. The Canadiens have been underdogs in every playoff game so far and were the only playoff team with a negative regular season goal differential. So it’s a surprise that they’re still playing, let alone leading a second round series. After the brutal hit Jake Evans took at the end of Game 1, the Habs have some obvious motivation themselves tonight. But as Winnipeg’s Andrew Copp so “eloquently” put it, “We're not worried about any targets or whatever they're saying in the media. We're worried about going and winning Game 2. It's a big f---ing game for us." Montreal is 17-7 L24 after scoring five or more goals in the previous game. Play on WINNIPEG AAA |
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06-03-21 | Bruins v. Islanders +125 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 9 m | Show |
This is a 10* on the ISLANDERS The Islanders earned a split in Boston, which is all they needed to do. Now they have the home ice advantage in this East Division Final. They were big underdogs in Boston for Games 1 and 2. They are still the dog in Game 3 at home and we’re seeing a lot of value with them in that role. The Game 2 win did require overtime. But the Islanders did have a 3-1 lead with 10 minutes to go in regulation. Goalie Semyon Varlamov made 39 saves in Game 2, proving that the Islanders now have two reliable options between the pipes. It is very important to recall how good the Islanders were on home ice in the regular season. They went 21-4-3 at Nassau Coliseum. Only Carolina had a fewer number of home regulation losses. Boston lost all four regular season visits to Uniondale. In the three home games in the first round, NY scored 13 goals. Each one saw them score at least four times. So you can see why we think there’s real value here. Play on NY ISLANDERS AAA |
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06-02-21 | Golden Knights v. Avalanche -176 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 15 h 45 m | Show |
This is a 10* on COLORADO Colorado absolutely ragdolled Vegas in Game 1, winning 7-1. Based on the fact they’ve won their first five playoff games by a cumulative score of 27-8, the Avalanche look like the favorites right now to capture the Stanley Cup. None of the five games have been decided by fewer than three goals. They outshot Vegas 37-25 in Game 1 as their speed was clearly too much for a team coming off a Game 7 victory. That the Avs swept their first round series while the Knights went the full seven games seems to be significant here, though not as significant as the Avs having home ice advantage. These were two of the most dominant home teams in the regular season. But Vegas is just 11-26 its last 37 games as a road underdog. Colorado has not lost a game since May 5th and is 13-1 in its last 14. While we expect to see Marc-Andre Fleury back between the pipes for Vegas, he alone cannot stem the tide. Play on COLORADO AAA |
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06-01-21 | Lightning v. Hurricanes -110 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 45 m | Show |
This is a 10* on CAROLINA Of the three second round series that are already underway, Tampa Bay was the lone road team to take Game 1. That puts a lot of pressure on Carolina to win Game 2. We think they will as they should bounce back from their worst offensive performance of the postseason. The ‘Canes scored just one goal in Game 1 after scoring at least three in all six games of the first round series against Nashville. The Lightning were outshot 38-30 in Game 1 as they continue to allow very high shot totals (37.9 per game) in the playoffs. Eventually, that is going to come back to bite them. Game 1 was just the 10th time all year that Carolina was held to one goal or less. They had also won all their home games in the first round. They had just eight home losses the entirety of the regular season and a league-low three in regulation. So we really can’t stress just how atypical the Game 1 showing was for the Central Division champs. Count on them evening this series up at a game apiece. Play on CAROLINA AAA |
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05-29-21 | Maple Leafs -185 v. Canadiens | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -185 | 8 h 44 m | Show |
This is a 7* on TORONTO Toronto failed to close out Montreal on Thursday, losing Game 5 at home in overtime by a score of 4-3. But that followed three wins by a cumulative score 11-2 and there’s no doubt who the better team is in this series. So we expect the Maple Leafs not to let a second chance to end the series pass them by on Saturday. The number of goals scored by the Canadiens in Game 5 (4) matched the number they had in the first four games of the series. It was just their second win since May 3rd! Coming into the playoffs, our opinion was that the Habs were the weakest of the 16 teams. There will be 2,500 fans present at the arena tonight, the first time there have been fans at a NHL game in Canada since the pandemic. But that can only carry an inferior side so far. Toronto is 18-4 playing with revenge and 11-1 if the loss was at home. This Montreal team has just one regulation win in May and only one win streak since the beginning of April. Play on TORONTO AAA |
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05-28-21 | Wild v. Golden Knights -171 | Top | 2-6 | Win | 100 | 11 h 25 m | Show |
This is a 10* on VEGAS It’s come down to a Game 7 between the Wild and Golden Knights. This will be the Knights’ third try at putting away the Wild and they hope the third time's the charm. They get the game at home. While they’ve lost two of the three home games in the series, you’ve got to think they are still happy to be playing in Sin City. The regular season saw them lose just seven times at T-Mobile Arena. In the franchise’s short history, they have established quite the strong home ice advantage. There have been three games in this series where Vegas has had 40 or more shots on goal. Somehow they lost two of them. They lost Game 5 despite a 40-14 edge in shots. Things were tighter (in terms of shots) in Game 6, but the Wild won that one 3-0. The bad news for Minnesota is that they are 3-11 off their previous 14 shutout victories. After being blanked in Game 1, Vegas rallied for a 3-1 win in Game 2. They’ve held Minnesota to an average of 1.8 goals on 25.7 shots per game in this series. Those kinds of numbers usually result in you advancing. The Golden Knights are 9-3 this season after being held to one or zero goals in their last game. Play on VEGAS AAA |
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05-26-21 | Penguins +100 v. Islanders | Top | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 53 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PITTSBURGH Pittsburgh finds itself down 3-2 in this best of seven series with the Islanders, so it’s “win or go home” at this point. This has been a closely contested series as four of the five games have been decided by one goal, two of them going past regulation. The Penguins’ problem is that they lost both those OT games. The last game went to double overtime with the Islanders winning 3-2 despite a massive 50-28 edge in shots on goal for the Penguins. It was a game the Pens never trailed in until they lost. If you talk to fans of the team, goalie Tristan Jarry is quickly becoming the “goat” (not to be confused with the G.O.A.T.) as it was his mishandling of the puck that led to the deciding goal in Game 5. But let’s look at what Pittsburgh has done well in this series and that’s average 38.8 shots on goal per game. They are 18-5 in revenge spots this season. Outside of Game 4, they’ve trailed for only 31 seconds in the entire series. One could argue they should be the ones up 3-2 as they’ve arguably looked like the better team most of the way. We believe they will stay alive and force a deciding Game 7. Play on PITTSBURGH AAA |
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05-25-21 | Predators v. Hurricanes -190 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 7 m | Show |
This is a 7* on CAROLINA Carolina has “fooled around” with Nashville too much and now finds this series deadlocked at two games apiece. The “problem” is they’ve run into a hot goaltender in Juuse Saros, who has stopped 171 of the 184 shots he’s faced. Still those 184 shots through four games are the most any goalie has seen in these playoffs. Eventually, the Hurricanes are going to breakthrough and don’t be surprised if it comes via the power play where they’re just 2 for 14 so far in the series. This was a team that was second in the league in converting with the man advantage (25.6%) during the regular season. It was a regular season that saw them win the Central Division with 80 points. After losing both games in Nashville, the series is now back in Raleigh where the ‘Canes have suffered just three regulation losses all season. They won the first two games here - 5-2 and 3-0. Both losses in Nashville were double overtime games. The Predators have lost seven of their last eight games here. All signs point to the favorite taking Game 5. Play on CAROLINA AAA |
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05-24-21 | Wild v. Golden Knights -177 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -177 | 15 h 51 m | Show |
This is a 7* on VEGAS Vegas can end this series tonight and set up a second round showdown with Colorado. They’re back home - where they’ve lost only eight times all season. One of those was Game 1 to Minnesota, but the Golden Knights have stormed back by taking three straight, the last two on the road, and they’ve increased the margin of victory in every game. They won 3-1 in Game 2, 5-2 in Game 3 and 4-0 in Game 4. Now we don’t think they’re going to win by five goals tonight. Vegas was a little lucky to win the last game 4-0 seeing as how they only had 18 shots on goal. Improving on that kind of shooting percentage will be difficult, but you can also look for them to get more shots on goal here. They are still averaging more shots per game in the series than the Wild. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury seems to be in top form with a .966 save percentage and 0.99 goals against average. Minnesota has scored just four goals in the four games. Play on VEGAS AAA |
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05-22-21 | Canadiens v. Maple Leafs -181 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 9 h 58 m | Show |
This is an 8* on TORONTO Maple Leafs fans have not seen their team win a playoff series since 2004. There have been five first round exits since then. So there’s a lot of uneasiness right now after a rather shocking 2-1 loss to Montreal in Game 1. Toronto won the North and was very much the best team in the division. But things can change quickly in the playoffs and John Tavares is out “indefinitely” after being taken off on a stretcher Thursday. Nevertheless, we expect the Leafs will bounce back and win Game 2. One one time this season have the Leafs lost more than three in a row. Having also dropped their final two regular season games, that’s the position they find themselves in tonight. They are 17-4 playing with revenge and 10-1 if at home and playing with revenge. Play on TORONTO AAA |
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05-21-21 | Jets v. Oilers -165 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -165 | 12 h 49 m | Show |
This is an 8* on EDMONTON Edmonton can obviously not afford to fall into an 0-2 hole in the series and we don’t expect them to. The Oilers were actually beaten fairly soundly in Game 1, losing 4-1 to a Jets team they’d beaten in seven of nine regular season matchups. Winnipeg had only 22 shots on goal the entire game, so the fact they got four goals should be considered very fortunate. Winnipeg’s regular season ended with nine losses in the last 12 games and two of the three wins came against Calgary and Vancouver, the North Division’s non-playoff teams. Edmonton dropped its regular season finale, a meaningless affair with Vancouver, so they are now coming off consecutive losses for the first time in quite a while. March was the last time the Oilers lost two straight. Being off two straight losses is a situation that’s treated the Oilers pretty well in 2020-21. They are 4-1 when that’s the case. The team’s only three game losing streak this year came at the start of March when they dropped three straight games to the first place Maple Leafs. Connor McDavid won’t let his team lose a second straight home game. Play on EDMONTON AAA |
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05-19-21 | Jets v. Oilers -155 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -155 | 13 h 56 m | Show |
This is an 8* on EDMONTON The Winnipeg-Edmonton series FINALLY gets underway on Wednesday and we really like the Oilers to take Game 1 at home. They finished second in the North Division this year with 72 points and Conor McDavid leading the way. McDavid led the NHL in individual points with 105, which is 21 more than teammate Leon Draisaitl, who finished second. Making McDavid’s individual performance all the more impressive is that he played in only 56 regular season games. The Oilers won seven of the nine regular season meetings from the Jets, whose regular season didn’t end until last Friday. Edmonton won six of its final eight regular season games, which is a lot better than Winnipeg, who dropped 9 of 12. Two of those three Jets victories were against Calgary and Vancouver, the two teams from the North that didn’t make the playoffs. The other was the totally meaningless regular season finale with Toronto. A big problem for the Jets continues to be the number of shots they allow. No goaltender has faced more shots over the past three seasons than Connor Hellebuyck. McDavid is the difference here for an Oilers team that’s won 26 of 35 when favored. Play on EDMONTON AAA |
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05-18-21 | Wild v. Golden Knights -160 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 14 h 50 m | Show |
This is an 8* on VEGAS Vegas suffered a 1-0 loss (in overtime) in Game 1, but seems to be a safe bet to bounce back in Game 2 due to its strong home ice advantage and overall prowess. While the Golden Knights may rue not finishing first in the division, they did have the second most points in the entire league and they did have the top goal differential. They also outshot Minnesota 42-30 in Game 1. The Wild are 6-1-2 this season vs. Vegas, but the Golden Knights are 21-5-3 at home. It is obviously critical that Vegas doesn’t fall into an 0-2 hole heading back to Minnesota as they have never won a game in regulation in the Twin Cities. The Knights have won six straight times after being held to two goals or fewer in the previous game. This is a team that scored five or more goals 20 times in the regular season. They are 3-0 all-time in Game 2’s if they dropped Game 1. We expect them to “break out” offensively in this one. Play on VEGAS AAA |
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05-17-21 | Predators v. Hurricanes -179 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 12 h 8 m | Show |
This is a 7* on CAROLINA The NHL Playoffs have not been short on drama thus far with the first five games all being decided by one goal and four of them going into overtime. The Nashville-Carolina first round series gets underway on Monday and the favorites (Carolina) are hoping for a better result than the four home teams had Sunday (0-4). We think the Hurricanes WILL protect their home ice advantage tonight as they look to have a decided edge in this series with the Preds. The ‘Canes won the Central Division this year thanks to 80 points and their +43 goal differential was third best in the entire league. Nashville is somewhat of a “fringe” playoff team as they were one of the last to get in the tournament and only outscored opponents this season by two goals. Carolina won the season series, 6-2. Those two losses came in the final two games of the regular season - when the ‘Canes had nothing left to play for - and the Preds were trying to lock down the Central’s final playoff berth. Both games were also played in Music City. Nashville scored only five goals in the four games here in Raleigh. Carolina has NEVER lost four in a row this season. Play on CAROLINA AAA |
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05-16-21 | Wild v. Golden Knights -151 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -151 | 5 h 29 m | Show |
This is an 8* on VEGAS While Vegas missed out on the Presidents Trophy and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, we don’t anticipate them having much difficulty defeating Minnesota in Game 1 of this best of seven series. They still have the home ice edge in this series, which is huge as they are 21-5-2 in Sin City this season. Having given up the second fewest number of goals while scoring the third most, the Golden Knights finished the regular season with the top goal differential in the NHL. Minnesota did give them some trouble this year as eight meetings resulted in 24 goals per side. But now that it’s playoff time we expect Vegas’ superiority to take hold. Riding goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury seems like a good idea as his regular season save percentage was .928. The Wild didn’t finish the regular season well as they gave up 11 goals in a pair of losses at St. Louis. Vegas won their last game 6-0 over San Jose and is 15-3 their last 18 overall. Almost a no brainer to take them on home ice. Play on VEGAS AAA |
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05-14-21 | Maple Leafs -150 v. Jets | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -150 | 13 h 35 m | Show |
This is an 8* on TORONTO Before each team embarks on their 1st round playoff series, they must complete the 56-game regular season. Toronto won the North Division with a 35-13-7 record and 77 points. They will face 4th place Montreal in the first round, a series that won’t begin until next Thursday. Winnipeg was third in the North (29-23-3, 61 points) and they have a far tougher 1st round draw against Edmonton, a series that will begin on Wednesday. This regular season finale is all about pride, but we like the Maple Leafs as they are 6-0 in their previous six visits to Manitoba. In this particular Canadian rivalry, the road team always seems to find success. Whether the game is in Toronto or Winnipeg, the road team has won seven of nine this year including six straight. It’s been a crash landing for the Jets at the end of the regular season as they’ve won just twice in their last 10 games. One of those was Tuesday against a Vancouver team that didn’t look the least bit interested. It’s been a month since the Jets last won back to back games. Toronto is simply the better team and will be looking to bounce back from a 4-3 overtime loss to Ottawa. The Maple Leafs have gone nine games without a loss in regulation (7-0-2). Before the 5-0 win against Vancouver, the Jets had scored only 17 goals in 10 games. They face goalie Jack Campbell, who has a 17-2-2 record this season. Play on TORONTO AAA |
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05-13-21 | Canucks v. Flames -149 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 10 h 11 m | Show |
This is a 7* on CALGARY Though neither team is going to playoffs, Vancouver and Calgary still have four games against one another. The reason for all the remaining games is the Canucks’ COVID-19 outbreak back in March. Vancouver looked lifeless in a 5-0 loss at Winnipeg Tuesday and we see no reason why they’ll look any better here. Flames coach Darryl Sutter is saying all the right things, talking about “player evaluation” these final four games. Calgary is off a 6-1 win over Ottawa and has had three days off to prepare for tonight’s game. Vancouver has just two wins in its last 10 games and is 1-10 SU this season when coming off three or more straight games on the road. This is a team with only nine road wins, which is tied for second fewest in the league. Play on CALGARY AAA |