North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Free Pick January 22, 2018 – Jesse Schule

This is a 6* play on the Blues.

St. Louis won their season opener at Colorado, but they were blown out by a score of 8-0 in their second game against the Avs. They won't like the stink of that embarrassing loss, and that will add a little extra motivation to beat up on an inferior San Jose team. The Sharks are 1-6 in their last seven road games, and they are 17-35 in their last 52 games as an underdog. The Sharks are 3-9 in their last 12 games playing on 1 days rest, and they have lost five straight against the Blues.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on Van +1.5.

I had the Canucks in their last game against the Flames, and they lost 3-0. I expect a better effort here tonight. This is what I said prior to the last game: "The Canucks got themselves a veteran goaltender this off-season, and some might consider Braden Holtby an upgrade from Jacob Markstrom. Holtby got the win in the Canucks season opener, stopping 28-of-31 shots against the Oilers. Markstrom was on the losing end of a 4-3 overtime loss at Winnipeg. The Canucks are 8-3 in their last 11 road games, and I like their chances of getting the best of their former netminder."

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on Louisville.

Louisville is coming off it's first loss in conference play on the road at Miami, and they are back home to host Florida State on Monday. The Seminoles aren't quite as formidable as they were a year ago when they finished first in the ACC, but they are just a half game back in the conference standings. Louisville is 23-1 in 24 home games since the beginning of last season, and I like their chances of adding to that total. The Seminoles have only played once on the road this season, losing to Clemson. This spread should be 3-4 points higher than it is.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Atlanta Hawks.

The Minnesota Timbewolves are 3-8 overall, and six of their eight losses have come by double digits. Karl Anthony Towns has only played four games, and they are 2-2 when he plays. He's tested positive for Covid-19 and will not play Monday in Atlanta. The Timberwolves are 12-26 ATS in their last 38 games overall, and they are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six versus the Hawks. Atlanta won it's last home game by a score of 112-94 versus Philly. They should be able to lay a similar beating on a short-handed T-Wolves team.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 6* play on the Wings +1.5.

The Red Wings are obviously a young team in the middle of a rebuild, and it might be a few years before they can call themselves a contender. They have to be happy after splitting their first two games at home versus the Carolina Hurricanes. They host rivals Columbus on Monday afternoon, and six of the last 10 head to head meetings have been decided by just one goal. The Blue Jackets are 0-2 after losing both their games at Nashville. The Blue Jackets are 7-20 in their last 27 overall, and they had the most OT losses in the NHL last season.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Winnipeg Jets +1.5.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are the favorite to win the North Division, but Winnipeg is still a contender. They have a veteran lineup and a Vezina winning goaltender. The Jets won their season opener in overtime against Calgary. The Jets have won two of their last three versus Toronto, and both of those wins came in games decided by one goal. The Leafs have lost five straight coming off a win, and they are 4-14 in their last 18 in the third game of a 3-in-4 situation.The road team has won five of the last six meetings between these teams. \

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 6* play on the Sabres +1.5.

Buffalo is off to an 0-2 start, losing back to back games to the Washington Capitals. The Flyers are off to a 2-0 start, winning back to back games against the Penguins. It's understandable that Philly is a heavy favorite, but I think the Sabres are going to be competitive here. The under is 4-1-1 in the Sabres last six games as an underdog, and they have gone under in four of their last five overall. This should be a close game that could go either way.

GL,

Jesse Schule