Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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11-11-19 | Senators v. Hurricanes -225 | Top | 2-8 | Win | 100 | 16 h 13 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Ottawa Senators. This is the 2nd game of a home-and-home series, which commenced Saturday, in Ottawa. The homestanding Senators won that game, 4-1, which was Carolina's fourth straight defeat (by an aggregate score of 17-7). But now the Hurricanes are back home. And they're 9-2 after allowing more than three goals in four straight games. That bodes well for Carolina on Monday. As does the fact that Ottawa is an awful 2-18 on the road after scoring more than 3 goals in its previous game, and also 4-16 after winning back-to-back games. Take Carolina. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
11-05-19 | Coyotes v. Flames -155 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 18 h 19 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Arizona Coyotes. The Flames return home tonight from a brutal six-game road trip which featured five teams with winning records. They wrapped up on Sunday against possibly the hottest team in the league right now in the Washington Capitals and held their own, losing a tough 4-2 contest in DC. Their reward for a such a difficult road trip is that they get a home game against a Coyotes team that they've dominated recently. Sure, Arizona stands to be improved from the 39-43 record they put up last season, but whether they're good enough to make the post-season for the first time since 2012 remains to be seen. The Coyotes added Phil Kessel and Carl Soderberg over the summer (both by trade) in an effort to boost their offense, but so far results are mixed. With a 2.85 GPG average, the Coyotes are just 20th in the league in scoring and that number is even lower on the road (2.71). Meanwhile, Arizona may find out tonight just how happy the Flames are to be back home as they are averaging 3.67 GPG here at the Scotiabank Saddledome this season. The Flames are also 35-25 (+6 games on the money line) in their last 60 immediately after allowing four or more goals in their previous game. Take Calgary. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
11-01-19 | Stars v. Avalanche -141 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -141 | 15 h 56 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over Dallas. The Avalanche have dropped their last two games. But those two were against Florida and Anaheim -- two teams that would, if the season ended today, be in the Playoffs. The Dallas Stars, meanwhile, come into tonight's game with a losing record (5-8-1). And Dallas is also an awful 2-5 on the road this season. The Stars did win their last game, 6-3, vs. Minnesota. But the Wild are a woeful 4-9 on the season. And Dallas is 9-17 (minus 14 games on the money line) after scoring 5+ goals in its previous game, while the Avalanche are 37-27 (+14 games on the money line) after giving up 3+ goals in each of their two previous games. Take Colorado. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-29-19 | Capitals v. Maple Leafs -120 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -120 | 17 h 22 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Washington Capitals. The big question facing the Capitals this season as they start a legitimate campaign for their second Stanley Cup in the last three years, is whether this will be the final season in DC for the core group of stars. Alex Ovechkin may have two years left on his contract, but both Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby will be free agents come the Summer of 2020. While the Caps may work out a deal for their veteran center, Holtby is another matter. The 30-year-old goaltender has been showing signs of a decline so far this fall, and the Caps have 22-year-old Ilya Samsonov perhaps ready to take over in net. The 2015 first round draft pick has already appeared in five games (started in four) and the young net-minder has better overall numbers than Holtby who will be in goal for tonight's contest in Toronto. Holtby's career statistics against the Leafs are solid, but last season he struggled against them, going 1-2 with a 3.96 GAA and .896 saves pct in three games vs. Toronto. The Leafs lost on the road to the Canadiens, 5-2, on Saturday. But they are 15-3 at home their last 18 after losing on the road in their previous game. Take Toronto. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-28-19 | Panthers v. Canucks -115 | Top | 2-7 | Win | 100 | 16 h 31 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vancouver Canucks over the Florida Panthers. It's been five seasons since the Canucks made the playoffs. Last season, Vancouver was just 35-36-11, but that was actually better than they had done in the previous two campaigns. And with the changes they made in the off-season, a playoff appearance next Spring is not out of the question. The biggest off-season news were the signings of defensemen Tyler Myers (five-year contract) and Jordie Benn. Up front, the Canucks also added some versatile players with offensive upside in Micheal Ferland (Carolina) and J.T. Miller, for whom they traded a first-round pick to the Lightning. Finally, GM Jim Benning re-signed forward Brock Boeser on a good bridge deal ($5.875 million AAV for three years). There's no more cap room, but the Canucks have 16 players under contract through next season. The Panthers' biggest signing was behind the bench as Joel Quenneville was hired to handle the head coaching duties. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was also brought in, but he has some big skates to fill in future Hall-of-Famer Roberto Luongo, who retired. Bobrovsky has struggled so far and Florida's 3.60 GAA is the fourth-worst in the league. We'll take the Canucks, as the home team is 6-2 in the last eight meetings of these two. Take Vancouver. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-25-19 | Sharks v. Maple Leafs -165 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 14 h 8 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the San Jose Sharks. With all the talent that's on this Maple Leafs team, you have to wonder when they will be able to get at least to the second round of the Playoffs. The first round is as far as this club has gotten in the last three seasons, and it would seem that, at some point, they will make a great leap forward. Toronto is certainly hoping this will be this season with 22-year-old Mitch Marner having been locked up with a huge contract to play alongside the likes of superstars Auston Matthews and John Tavares. Perhaps the final answer will lie with goalie Frederik Andersen who -- at the age of 30 -- needs to show if he can be a Stanley Cup-caliber net-minder. 25-year-old LW Andreas Johnson is a breakout candidate after getting some consideration for the Calder Trophy last season. So far, he has lived up to the hype with seven points in his first 11 games. Jason Spezza, meanwhile, arrived during the off-season on a one-year, $700,000 deal to be the fourth-line center and that's not too shabby. The Leafs have won each of the last three meetings with the Sharks going back to January 2018, while the home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings. Take Toronto. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-24-19 | Hurricanes -117 v. Blue Jackets | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -117 | 14 h 39 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over Columbus. The Blue Jackets went into PNC Arena 12 days ago, and upset the Hurricanes, 3-2. That was Carolina's first defeat of this season -- after opening with five straight wins. And the Hurricanes are currently 6-3 on the year, and rank 4th in the league in shots on goal differential (+5.22). Columbus is also off to a decent start, as it's 4-3-2 so far, including an upset win, 4-3, in overtime at Toronto, on Monday. But Columbus is a poor 1-6 (minus 9 games on the money line) at home off an overtime win. And it's 5-13 (minus 15 games on the money line) at home after allowing 3+ goals in each of its three previous games. Take the Hurricanes. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-21-19 | Avalanche v. Blues -134 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 18 h 12 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Colorado Avalanche. It took almost the entire off-season, but the Avalanche finally signed superstar RW Mikko Rantanen to a contract, thereby keeping the best line in the NHL intact for another season. If there was concern that Rantanen might start slow due to not having signed until the end of September, those fears seem to be put to rest now. The Avs are 7-0-1 coming into tonight, but they face arguably their toughest challenge of the season so far, having to play the Blues on the road. To say the city of St. Louis has not been kind to Colorado would be an egregious understatement as the Avalanche are 3-15 in the last 18 games here going back to 2011 (1-5 in the last six). After a 3-1 start in their first four games, the Blues have now lost four straight, but two of those were in overtime, or via a shootout. And in their last two -- also here at home -- they've out-shot their opponents by a total of 71-56. So there's no panic in St. Louis for the defending Cup Champions who are healthy, with plenty of games left to turn things around. The Avs beat the Lightning in Tampa, 6-2 in their last game, but they are just 7-11 (-5 goals on the money line) in their last 18 after a blowout victory by three or more goals. Meanwhile, St. Louis is 24-15 off back to back losses. Take the Blues. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-20-19 | Oilers v. Jets -126 | Top | 0-1 | Win | 100 | 16 h 22 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Edmonton Oilers. The big question surrounding the Jets heading into this season is whether or not the window of opportunity for them to make the Stanley Cup Finals is closing (or has already closed). Winnipeg lost in the First Round of the playoffs in six games to the Blues last season after reaching the conference finals against the Vegas Golden Knights the previous year. The Jets have to replace three key veteran defensemen (Trouba, Myers, and Chiarot) but there is still plenty of fire-power on this team. The extremely talented young front line of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Blake Wheeler could do enough damage to carry the Jets to their third straight post-season appearance. The Jets have scored 543 goals in the past two seasons, third most in the NHL behind the Tampa Bay Lightning (609) and Toronto Maple Leafs (556). The goaltending situation is solid with Connor Hellebuyck returning after another stellar season and at just 26 years of age, there's no reason to think that he won't get better still. It's true Winnipeg has lost its last three games (by a combined score of 14-5). But Winnipeg is 22-8 at home after not scoring three or more goals in any of its three previous games. And the Jets have been pretty dominant in this series, winning five of the last six meetings going back to October of 2017. Meanwhile, the Oilers are 0-4 in their last four games as an underdog. Take the Jets. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-19-19 | Canadiens v. Blues -150 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -150 | 12 h 39 m | Show |
At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Montreal Canadiens. Now that the Blues have won their first Cup in franchise history (50+ years), the question is: What will they do for an encore? Judging from their off-season moves, the answer is - more of the same. Not that the Blues had many -- if any -- weaknesses, but they made themselves better. St. Louis picked up an All Star defenseman in Justin Faulk (Carolina) and, although they gave up Joel Edmundson and some prospects to get him, the Blues are still ahead of the game on that one. They also avoided arbitration with talented G Jordan Binnington by signing him to a two-year, $8.8 Million contract, ensuring that he'll be happy in a Blues' uniform for at least another couple of seasons. The success of the Canadiens' season seemed to hinge on whether restricted FA Sebastian Aho would accept their massive offer. He did, but unfortunately the 'Canes matched it and Montreal lost out. With Aho, they're a playoff contender; without him, they're not. The Blues are 6-2 in the last eight meetings and the home team is 7-2 in the last nine. Take St. Louis. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-18-19 | Hurricanes -123 v. Ducks | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -123 | 21 h 53 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Anaheim Ducks. Coming off of an incredible run last Spring, the question facing the Hurricanes is simple: Can they do it again or was the second half of last season a fluke? Carolina not only broke a nine-year playoff drought, but they made it all the way to the Conference Finals, beating the Defending Champion Caps before sweeping the Islanders in the second round. In addition to managing to keep talented young Center Sabastian Aho, the 'Canes were also busy on the free agent market, signing forwards Erik Haula and Ryan Dzingel as well as adding talented D-man Jake Gardiner. Goaltending may be the only weakness on this team but the incredibly deep blue-line may be able to pick up the slack defensively. Having said that, #1 net-minder Petr Mrazek was pretty good last season and is off to an even better start this fall, and is still just 27 years old so could certainly improve from here. The road team is 7-2 in the last nine meetings of these two and the 'Canes are a spectacular 46-12 in their last 58 games as a favorite. Take Carolina. NHL Elite Info Winner! As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-17-19 | Canucks v. Blues -169 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -169 | 13 h 26 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St Louis Blues over Vancouver. The defending Stanley Cup champs lost a heartbreaker to the Islanders on Monday, as they gave up the tying goal with less than a minute left in the 3rd period, and then lost 73 seconds into overtime on a Devon Toews goal. It was the 2nd time in St. Louis' six games this season that it blew a 2-goal lead only to lose in overtime. The good news is that it's back home tonight to take on Vancouver. The Canucks did win their last game 5-1, but they're a poor 19-34 after scoring more than three goals in their previous game. Even better: St. Louis is a solid 13-3 off back to back defeats, and 27-17 (+8 games on the money line) at home vs. the Canucks. Take the Blues. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-16-19 | Sabres v. Ducks -123 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 18 h 53 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Anaheim Ducks over the Buffalo Sabres. Could this be the year that a team from Buffalo breaks through and wins a pro sports championship? The Sabres are 5-0-1 and sitting atop their Division right now. The 2019 roster remains largely unchanged from last season with young star Jack Eichel leading a talented group that might put it all together this season. There was, however, a change behind the bench as Ralph Krueger takes over as head coach. It's just the second NHL stint for Krueger who led the Oilers for a brief time in 2012-2013 before being let go and returning to Europe. Speaking of new coaches, the Ducks have one as well. Dallas Eakins -- very successful in Anaheim's minor league system -- has taken over for Randy Carlyle who was left in charge of an injury-plagued team too long last season. The Ducks are 4-2 this season, and Goalie John Gibson continues to show that he's one of the best, as he's off to a great start with a .941 saves pct. and 1.82 GAA in his first five games. Buffalo does come into this game off a 4-0 home shutout of the Dallas Stars. Unfortunately, the Sabres are 4-18 on the road off a home game, and 2-13 on the road after scoring more than three goals in their previous game. Meanwhile, the Ducks are 5-0 in their last five home games, and 9-1 in their last 10 after a game in which they scored less than three goals. Take Anaheim. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-15-19 | Lightning -138 v. Canadiens | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 18 h 39 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Montreal Canadiens. Another season...another chance for the Lightning to show that they can win games after the month of April. Over the past decade or so, Tampa has become the poster child for under-achievement in the post-season in just about any professional sport. Last season however, they set the bar even higher than normal, posting one of the strongest regular seasons in NHL history before flaming out in the first round against the Blue Jackets in four straight games no less. I'm actually quite optimistic about Tampa Bay this season, and released them at 7-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup this season. Anyway, in an effort to bring in someone who knows what it's like to win a Cup (because he just won one), the Bolts signed Blues forward Patrick Maroon to a one-year contract. They also shored up their defense by signing Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year deal. Clearly, a team that finished 2018-19 with a record 128 points in the regular season shouldn't have to do more than just "tweak" the roster, but keep its powerful core of players intact, which is exactly what the Lightning have done. The Lightning are 23-6 after allowing more than three goals in their previous game. And they're 5-1 in the last six meetings with the Canadiens coming into tonight. Take Tampa Bay. NHL High Roller Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
10-14-19 | Oilers v. Blackhawks -130 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 18 h 11 m | Show |
At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Blackhawks over the Edmonton Oilers. The Blackhawks have yet to win a game this season while the Oilers have yet to lose -- off to their first 5-0-0 start since 1985-1986. For the 'Hawks, they needed to improve their defense in the off-season as their 3.55 GAA last season was second-worst in the league. Mission accomplished -- at least from a personnel perspective -- as Chicago added blue-liners Calvin de Haan (Canes) and Olli Maatta (Pens) via the trade route. They also provided long-time #1 Goalie Corey Crawford with some help, signing veteran Robin Lehner as a back-up but one that could see as many minutes as Crawford depending on how things go. It will be Crawford to start at home this evening and the 34-year-old has had success against the Oilers in his career, going 9-7 with a 2.53 GAA in 18 appearances against them. One key for Crawford -- and perhaps the reason he's starting tonight -- is that he was much better at home last season (8-6 with a 2.54 GAA and .921 Sv Pct) than he was on the road (6-12; 3.32; .896). Take the Blackhawks. NHL Game of the Week. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
06-12-19 | Blues +151 v. Bruins | Top | 4-1 | Win | 151 | 18 h 12 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Boston Bruins. We've played on the Blues for 10 straight games, so it's no surprise we're backing them in this Winner-Take-All Game 7. The Blues couldn't close things out on Sunday at home, so they're going to have to try to win their first Stanley Cup on the road. It was not a good game for Blues goalie Jordan Binnington, who allowed four goals on 31 shots. But Binnington has a way of rebounding after a sub-par performance. And he certainly doesn't mind playing in Boston. Indeed, in the last two games here, the Blues and Binnington have gone 2-0 and the 25-year-old net-minder has stopped 59 of 62 shots. It's safe to say that tonight's game will be the biggest of Binnington's career, but the young goalie should be up for it. The Blues are 10-4 in the last 14 meetings with the Bruins in Boston, and 12-6 on the road when playing with revenge from a home defeat. Take St. Louis as a big underdog. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
06-09-19 | Bruins v. Blues -116 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -116 | 55 h 18 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Boston Bruins. The last time we played against St. Louis was in Game 1 of its series vs. San Jose. We had our NHL Game of the Year on the Sharks, and easily won with a 6-3 Sharks victory. However, even though I wanted to fade the Blues in that Game 1, I was pretty sure it would be the last time I would fade them, as I believed they would win the Stanley Cup. Since then, St. Louis has played 10 games, and we've been on them 9 times (and passed the other game completely). Now, after a hard-fought road victory Thursday night, the Blues are one win away from their first-ever Stanley Cup. It's a similar situation to what the Capitals found themselves in one year ago when they won their first Cup in Game 6 against the Golden Knights in Vegas. The big difference for the Blues tonight is that their Game 6 will be at home, where they've had so much success, both in the regular season and playoffs. The Blues won what looked like a close game on Thursday, but they were shutting out the Bruins, 2-0, until Boston finally got on the board with less than seven minutes remaining. Most important is the fact that Jordan Binnington was stellar once again, stopping 38 of 39 shots. Also critical in its victory was the fact that St. Louis made the most of its opportunities, by scoring twice in just 21 shots on goalie Tuukka Rask. If they can pepper Rask with shots tonight the way they did in Games 2, 3, and 4, then the Blues should be hoisting the Cup when the final horn sounds. St. Louis is an awesome 27-9 its last 36 vs. strong offensive teams that score 3+ goals per game. Take the Blues. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
06-06-19 | Blues +136 v. Bruins | Top | 2-1 | Win | 136 | 15 h 13 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Boston Bruins. In what was the closest thing they've had to a must-win situation since their Game 7 against the Stars in the second round, the Blues took Game 4 and evened this series at two-apiece heading back to Boston. It was the third game in a row that St. Louis has out-shot Boston. And for the third game in a row the Blues held the Bruins to just 23 shots on goalie Jordan Binnington. They've now out-shot the Bruins 104-69 over the last three games. But they also know they can't look back and have to focus on tonight and the biggest game of the season so far. And the Bruins suffered what could be a big loss in Game 4 when big D-man Zdeno Chara took a puck to the face and appears to have a broken jaw. His status for tonight is officially listed as questionable, but he didn't skate with his team in the Wednesday practice and it's looking more and more like he won't be available. St. Louis is 9-2 on the road off a home win in which it scored more than three goals. And the Blues are 9-4 in the last 13 meetings here in Boston, and won't be intimidated by the Beantown crowd. Take St. Louis. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
06-03-19 | Bruins v. Blues -110 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 18 h 53 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Boston Bruins. The Bruins administered what can only be described as an old-fashioned butt whoopin' to the Blues in Game 3 at Enterprise Center on Saturday night, 7-2. When the smoke cleared and the disappointed crowd had cleared out, the Bruins had wrested home ice back in the series. But the good news for the Blues -- at least for tonight -- is that on four different occasions in these playoffs (the last four times it's happened, in fact), when they've allowed four or more goals, they've come back to win the next game. Tonight is about as close to a must-win situation for St. Louis as it gets as another performance even close to Game 3 would almost certainly hand Lord Stanley's Cup to Boston. The Blues are 7-2 in their last nine after scoring two goals or less in their previous game, and 29-16 off a loss. And they're a perfect 4-0 in this year's Playoffs when trailing in a series. Take St. Louis. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
06-01-19 | Bruins v. Blues -114 | Top | 7-2 | Loss | -114 | 3 h 10 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Boston Bruins. The Blues did what they needed to do on Wednesday and took a hard-fought, 3-2 overtime game in Boston to even The Stanley Cup Finals and take home ice advantage. The biggest difference for the Blues in Game 2 compared with Game 1 was that they completely took control and turned the tables on the Bruins in terms of the number of scoring opportunities. After being out-shot in Game 1 by a lopsided 38-20, the Blues returned the favor to Boston on Wednesday and fired 37 shots on goalie Tuukka Rask (including four in OT). And their defense held the Bruins to just 23 total shots on Jordan Binnington. Back home tonight, the Blues should be able to keep that momentum from Game 2 -- even with the extra day off. The Blues have dominated the top-level teams, of late, as they're 25-8 vs. foes that score 3+ goals a game, and are 17-5 their last 22 vs. foes that outscore their opponents by 0.3+ goals per game. Meanwhile, though it's had a good record overall the last few years, one of the categories Boston doesn't perform well in is when it plays with revenge. It's a poor 45-41 (minus 16 games on the money line) in that situation. Take St. Louis. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-27-19 | Blues +142 v. Bruins | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -100 | 112 h 44 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, on Monday, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Boston Bruins. The Blues took command in the latter half of Game 6 on Tuesday and were able to clinch the series with the Sharks at home. It was a fitting end to a series that wasn't always kind to the team in blue and gold (St. Louis got screwed out of Game 3 by a missed call by the refs). So, the Blues will now play in their first Stanley Cup Final in almost 50 years, as their last appearance came in 1970 which was their third year in the league. In fact, the Blues hold the distinction of being the only professional sports team in the modern era to make it to its sport's championship series in each of its first three years of existence. The Bruins come into this Stanley Cup on a 7-game win streak. Unfortunately, Boston will have to deal with an extremely long layoff as, by the time the opening puck drops on Monday night, it will have been 11 days since its last game. So, any momentum it had will be long gone. The home team has not fared well in this series as the visitors are 11-7 in the last 18 meetings. And St. Louis is an awesome 60-36 (+17 games on the money line) vs. non-conference foes. Take the Blues. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-21-19 | Sharks v. Blues -150 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 39 h 20 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the San Jose Sharks. The Blues needed a win in San Jose on Sunday and they got it -- and in a big way. It all finally came together for the Blues in Game 5 as they put 40 shots on goal (while allowing just 21) and ran away with a 5-0 plastering which was the Sharks worst playoff shutout loss in their history. It would seem the only thing that can beat the Blues tonight is themselves as they must avoid a letdown at home after that huge road win. After falling behind 4-0 early in the third period on Sunday, the Sharks tried to lure the Blues into a physical game by taking a bunch of cheap shots at them, but St. Louis kept its cool and would have none of it. Now they have the Sharks and goalie Martin Jones on the ropes and the last thing they want to do is give them a chance to catch their breath and get back into this series. The home team is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings and the Blues are 17-7 in their last 24 games as a home favorite. Moreover, St Louis is now 23-7 its last 30 vs. opponents that average 3+ goals per game. Take the Blues. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-19-19 | Blues +120 v. Sharks | Top | 5-0 | Win | 120 | 12 h 8 m | Show |
At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the San Jose Sharks. Still stinging from a missed call in the overtime period of Game 3, the Blues came out in Game 4 and did what they had to do. Now they come back to San Jose for Game 5 with the series all knotted up. And they come back to the SAP Center knowing that the last time they were here, they pulled an upset in Game 2, and beat the Sharks, 4-2. Rookie Goalie Jordan Binnington was back on his game on Friday night, stopping all but one of the 30 shots he faced (.967). And in that second game here last Monday, he had a similar effort. For their third game in a row, the Blues kept their penalties to a minimum (under 10 minutes) after letting the Sharks bait them in Game 1, which resulted in their worst loss of the playoffs. The Blues don't mind at all being the underdog, as they are 6-2 in their last eight in this situation. Additionally, they're an awesome 22-7 their last 29 when playing an opponent which averages 3+ goals a game. Finally, San Jose is a poor 24-30 (minus 19 games on the money line) when playing with revenge from a 1-goal defeat. Take St. Louis. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-17-19 | Sharks v. Blues -137 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 17 h 36 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the San Jose Sharks. The Blues were one minute away from taking a 2-1 lead in this series when they had a defensive letdown. San Jose tied up Game 3 on a Logan Couture tip-in, and then later took advantage of a missed call in overtime (a hand pass which led to the game-winner), so now the Sharks are the ones with a 2-1 advantage. Watching the Blues as they left the ice -- in what can only be described as a controlled rage -- one can't help but think that what happened here on Wednesday night will only serve as motivation for the home team in Game 4. It might not be a "must-win" situation, but it's close to it, as this series will go back to San Jose for Game 5. Thus, a loss tonight would create a huge hole for St. Louis. The Blues are going to do everything they can, of course, to ensure that doesn't happen. Despite their very tough loss in Game 3, the Blues are still 16-7 in their last 23 as a home favorite, and 27-16 off a loss. Meanwhile, the Sharks are a horrid 0-5 this season when leading in a Playoff series, Take St. Louis. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-16-19 | Bruins v. Hurricanes +100 | Top | 4-0 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 32 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over Boston. Coach Rod Brind'Amour confirmed today that Curtis McElhinney will get the start at goalie tonight. And McElhinney has performed admirably in his back-up role this season. He was 20-11-2 with a .912 save percentage in the regular season. And then, in this year's Playoffs, he has been even better. He's allowed just six goals on 106 shots (.943 save percentage). Yes, Carolina lost Game 3 here, at home. But PNC Arena is still one of the most difficult arenas in the league for a road team to go into and win. Indeed, the Hurricanes are 5-1 at home in this year's Playoffs, and are 7-1 their last eight at home, dating back to the regular season. Carolina is also 12-5 this year off a home defeat. Finally, this is the best price Carolina has been given at home by the oddsmakers since they were even money vs. Calgary back on February 3rd. Since then, the Hurricanes were favored in 20 straight games (between -115 and -360). Certainly, the reason for the odds shift is the fact that they're down 3-0 in the series. But the Hurricanes are a solid 9-4 in "elimination" games in the Playoff, while Boston's a poor 14-20 (minus 14 games on the money line) when attempting to close out a playoff series. Take the Hurricanes. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-15-19 | Sharks v. Blues -137 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -137 | 18 h 31 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the San Jose Sharks. The Blues knew that if they were going to keep their incredible season going, they would need to win at least one game on the road in this series. It didn't take long as, after losing Game 1 in San Jose pretty decisively (6-3), St. Louis rebounded on Monday to win Game 2. Now, if they can just win their home games, the Blues will advance to their first Cup Finals since 1970. They let a 2-0 lead slip away in Game 2 thanks to some sloppy play, but they got it back together -- from the latter part of the 2nd period forward -- and took a 4-2 decision. Most importantly, young goalie Jordan Binnington regained his footing after a rough Game 1, which was arguably his worst performance of the playoffs, and which could have shaken his confidence the rest of the way. Tonight, Binnington and the rest of the team will have a sold-out crowd behind them. And that's been a huge factor for the Blues so far. St. Louis is 17-6 in its last 23 home games and 21-6 in its last 27 against an opponent which scored two goals or less in its previous game. Take the Blues. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-14-19 | Bruins v. Hurricanes -110 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -110 | 17 h 55 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Boston Bruins. After making this game of Hockey look easy with a four-game sweep of the Islanders, the 'Canes came into the Conference Final Series riding a wave of confidence. But that wave quickly turned into a tsunami that has hit them square between the eyes, as the Bruins dominated Games 1 and 2 at home. It's likely that the long time off that the 'Canes had while the Bruins finished their series over the Blue Jackets did them no favors. Tonight they really have no excuse as the Finals come to Raleigh for Game 3 -- especially given that the home team (as well as the favored team) is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings of these two. Another performance like they had in the first two games would almost certainly mean the end of the 'Canes' season. Despite losing the first two games, Carolina has actually out-shot Boston, 54-53. And, although he struggled through much of the first two games of the series, the 'Canes still have to be thrilled to have #1 goalie Petr Mrazek back between the pipes. Carolina is a solid 12-5 when playing with revenge from a loss by 3+ goals. And it is also 10-6 after not scoring 3+ goals in either of its two previous games. Finally, at home, in games with an Over/Under of 5.5 goals, the Hurricanes have won 10 of their last 11. Take Carolina. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-13-19 | Blues +118 v. Sharks | Top | 4-2 | Win | 118 | 19 h 30 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the San Jose Sharks. The Blues may have ended up on the short end of the scoreboard in Game 1 on Saturday, but there are a few positive take-aways for the visitors as they prepare for Game 2 tonight in San Jose. First is the fact that, despite the loss, the Blues out-shot the Sharks, 31-25. Second, the Blues took seven penalties compared with the Sharks' four, and committed 12 turnovers to San Jose's 7. So, they know that if they can be more disciplined tonight, they can change their fortunes and tie this series. They also know that their goalie, Jordan Binnington, has been outstanding for them all post-season, while the Sharks' Martin Jones has had his issues. Jones' 2.74 GAA is the worst of any goalie left in post-season play. The Blues were without defenseman Carl Gunnarsson in Game 1 as he suffered an injury in Game 7 of the Conference Semis, but they might get him back tonight. The Blues are also 7-2 in their last nine games as an underdog and 7-3 in their last 10 road games vs. a teams with a home win percentage of .600 (or better). And in games with Binnington between the pipes, the Blues are 13-4 off a straight-up loss. Take the Blues. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-11-19 | Blues v. Sharks -117 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 39 h 54 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the St. Louis Blues. Both the Sharks and Blues come into the Western Conference Finals off of tough, seven-game series. And in each case, the final game was determined by a single goal (with the Blues' victory over the Stars going into double-overtime). No doubt both of these teams will appreciate the extra day of rest as they prepare for Saturday night's Game 1. Coincidentally, this series is a rematch of the Conference Finals of just three years ago. That series was won by the Sharks in six games, and San Jose then proceeded to lose to Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup Finals. That 2016 series vs. the Blues was won by San Jose despite the fact that the Blues owned home ice advantage, and also despite the fact that the Blues prevailed at home in the first game. Fortunately for San Jose, it will have home ice advantage in this series thanks to a better regular season record. And the home team has won Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in nine of the last 12 seasons, so that bodes well for the Sharks on Saturday. Even better: in this series, the home team has gone a perfect 5-0 in the last five meetings. Finally, San Jose is 55-31 (+16 games on the money line) off a home win, and 8-1 this season at home when the Total was 5.5 goals. Take the Sharks. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-08-19 | Avalanche v. Sharks -137 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 18 h 19 m | Show |
At 9:00 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Colorado Avalanche. Midway through their first-round series against the Golden Knights, Sharks' goalie Martin Jones looked like he might be taking an extended seat on the bench in favor of his back-up. But Jones got things straightened out, and the Sharks survived to advance into the quarterfinals. Now, Jones has a chance to go from near-goat to hero if he can lead his team to one more victory and a trip to the semi-finals. To be fair to Jones, the defense in front of him has played much better lately as the Sharks have limited the Avalanche to just 103 shots over the last four games (the Golden Knights logged 156 shots in the last four games of the first round series). This series has been as back-and-forth as a series can be. But the home ice advantage that the Sharks will enjoy tonight should be enough to put them over the top. To wit: the home team is 39-16 in the last 55 meetings and the favorite is 38-15 in the last 53. Moreover, Colorado hasn't seen a Conference Finals in almost 20 years (2002), so this is unfamiliar territory to most of its current roster of players. Take San Jose. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-07-19 | Stars v. Blues -130 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 16 h 28 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Dallas Stars. The Blues -- a team which has found itself on the short end when it's been faced with a "must win" so many times in the past -- did what it needed to do on Sunday in Dallas. As a result, the Blues are now one victory away from their second Conference Finals in four years. For most of their history, the one thing the Blues lacked was a go-to goalie who could get hot in the post-season and carry the team on its shoulders. They finally seem to have found that in rookie Jordan Binnington. While he isn't the NHL's leading goalie in this post-season by almost any measure, Binnington's 2.59 GAA while playing every minute of all seven of his team's games is very impressive, especially when you consider he is the only rookie net-minder out there right now. The Blues have a decided advantage in the injury department tonight, being 100% healthy while the Stars have a number of regulars who won't be suiting up. The Blues are also 20-6 in their last 26 when playing an opponent which scored two goals or less in its previous game, and 42-28 (+11 games on the money line) off a road win. Take St. Louis. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-06-19 | Bruins v. Blue Jackets -115 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -115 | 16 h 51 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Boston Bruins. After a shocking four-game sweep of the President Trophy-winning Lightning in the first round, the Blue Jackets are -- perhaps surprisingly -- finding that the going is a lot tougher against the Bruins. With the series knotted at 2-2 heading into Game 5, the Bruins did what they needed to at home, and are now one win away from the Conference Finals. But the Jackets aren't done by a long shot, as they come back to their home arena where they won 22 games in the regular season (and have lost just once this post-season). Columbus has to be further bolstered by the fact that the home team is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings of these two clubs going back to November of 2016. And, finally, it's worth noting that the Jackets are 8-4 in their last 12 (and 27-18 in their last 45) coming off of back-to-back losses. Take Columbus. As always, good luck...Al McMordie | |||||||
05-04-19 | Avalanche v. Sharks -128 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 19 h 37 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Colorado Avalanche. The Sharks had a chance to take a 3-1 lead in Colorado on Thursday but instead the Avs blanked their visitors. Now the series comes back to the Bay Area and the Sharks have to try to shake off the loss in Game 4 and get back to business. They out-shot the Avs, 32-28 but allowed a goal in the 2nd and 3rd periods before an empty-netter sealed the deal, 3-0. The Sharks have to avoid the penalties tonight -- they committed four in that 3rd period to the Avs one -- and if they can do that, then there's every reason to think that they can take a 3-2 lead going back to Denver. They certainly are hopeful that history repeats itself, as the last time the Sharks were shutout was Game 4 of their first-round series -- 5-0 in Vegas. They came home from that one and promptly pounded the Knights, 5-2, in Game 5 en route to winning the series. The Sharks are a terrific 13-4 (+ 8 games on the money line) in their last 17 revenging a shutout loss, and have won nine straight at home following a loss by more than two goals. Take San Jose. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-03-19 | Stars v. Blues -140 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -140 | 17 h 29 m | Show |
At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Dallas Stars. The Stars leveled this series at 2 games apiece on Tuesday night behind some solid play by the defense and goalie Ben Bishop. The series now shifts back to St. Louis for Game 5 where the Blues need to demonstrate that they can find some consistency on their home ice. Rookie goalie Jordan Binnington has proven himself as a #1 NHL goalie, going 30-8-2 this season -- including his post-season starts. However, now is the time for the 25-year-old to take the next step, a la Matt Murray of the Penguins in the 2016 playoffs. Having said that, Binnington needs to keep his cool tonight and not let his emotions get the better of him like he did at the end of the 2nd period on Tuesday, with a rare four-minute, goalie-on-goalie penalty as the teams were leaving the ice. The Blues (and Binnington) will be aided tonight by the sold out crowd at Enterprise Center -- the same crowd which pushed them to a 24-15-2 record here during the regular season. The Stars are an awful 26-47 (minus 33 games on the money line) off a home win. Similarly, the Stars are just 15-29 (-23 games on the money line) in their last 44 off a home win in which they scored four or more goals. Take the Blues. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
05-01-19 | Islanders +109 v. Hurricanes | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -100 | 15 h 3 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Carolina Hurricanes. There have been upsets in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, but none more surprising than the Hurricanes victories in the first two games of this second round series. The 'Canes had to go to seven games to beat the Caps, while the Islanders were well-rested after a first round sweep of the Pens. But that hasn't mattered so far as the Canes out-played the Isles at home as they did in Game 7 of the series with DC. But Game 2 was costly to Carolina, as it lost two more players to injury, including #1 goalie Petr Mrazek who left in the 2nd period with a groin injury. Back-up Curtis McElhinney came in and stopped all 17 shots he faced, but asking him to do that again after he played in just one regular season game since the end of March is a tall order. The Isles know that a loss tonight would basically end their season so expect them to come out swinging tonight. The good news for them is that, with the 'Canes victories in the first two games, the road team is now 7-1 in the last eight meetings. And the Islanders are 11-1 this season off back to back losses, and 16-1 after not scoring 3 or more goals in any of their two previous games. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-30-19 | Sharks +111 v. Avalanche | Top | 4-2 | Win | 111 | 21 h 46 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Colorado Avalanche. When their first-round series against the Golden Knights got underway, the Sharks had to wonder if Martin Jones could be relied on to get them past the first five games. In Game 1, Jones was his usual solid self (two goals on 26 shots). But in Games 2 through 4, he completely fell apart, and allowed 11 goals on just 54 shots -- a save percentage of just .796. In two of those games, Jones was pulled and replaced by back-up Aaron Dell. But in the last three games of that series -- and so far in the first two of this one -- the dependable Martin Jones has returned, as he's allowed just 12 goals on 188 shots -- a .936 save pct. That's the type of goaltending which will win you a Conference Title, if not a Stanley Cup. His career record vs. the Avs is pretty impressive -- a 10-3-1 record with a 2.85 GAA in 14 games. The Sharks are also 38-18 in the last 56 meetings of these clubs. Meanwhile, the Avs are a poor 3-13 in their last 16 Conference Semi-Final games. Take San Jose. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-29-19 | Blues +104 v. Stars | Top | 4-3 | Win | 104 | 15 h 9 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Dallas Stars. If a team is expecting to go deep in the NHL playoffs, it has to be able to win on the road. No club has demonstrated that more in this post-season than the St. Louis Blues. The Blues have yet to lose away from St. Louis, having swept all three first-round games in Winnipeg leading to this series. Tonight will be the Blues first road game of the second round and the fact that it will take place in Dallas is going to test that road record as the Blues are 1-4 in the last five tries here. However the good news is that they won here this year (3-1 on January 12) and with the split that occurred in Games 1 and 2, the road team is now 4-2 in the last six meetings. And in their last 20 road games of the season (going back to January 23) the Blues went 12-8. St. Louis is also 15-8 (+6 games on the money line) in its last 23 games coming off of a home loss to a division rival, and 8-1 on the road after giving up more than 3 goals in its previous game. Take the Blues. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-28-19 | Hurricanes v. Islanders -135 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -135 | 11 h 11 m | Show |
At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Carolina Hurricanes. For those who thought that Carolina's 7-game series victory over the Capitals would take its toll on the Hurricanes and that they would be easy pickings for the Isles in Game 1...they need to think again. The dogged visitors (just ask the defending Champion Caps how pesky Carolina is) showed no sign of weariness on Friday night, and held New York scoreless for 60 minutes of regulation. In the OT, Jordan Staal worked his magic again and scored the game winner to put the 'Canes up 1-0 in the series. It's likely that the long layoff (the Isles hadn't played in 10 days since sweeping the Pens) did New York no favors so look for the Isles to be much sharper this afternoon in Game 2. The Islanders can start by firing more than the 31 shots (only 29 in regulation) they registered on Friday while keeping the same tight defense and goaltending. If they can do that, this series should be even at 1 game apiece heading to Raleigh for Game 3. The Hurricanes are a horrid 18-47 on the road vs. winning teams, 27-58 on the road off 3+ wins, and 33-61 after shutting out their opponent in their previous game. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie | |||||||
04-23-19 | Golden Knights -105 v. Sharks | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -105 | 18 h 46 m | Show |
At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the San Jose Sharks. If you had told us that the Knights would pile up 59 shots against the Sharks and goalie Martin Jones in Game 6 (vs. only 29 that Marc-Andre Fleury had to face) then we would have said "series over." After all, Jones had been pretty awful leading up to that game on Sunday. But despite the fact that the home team threw everything but the kitchen sink at Jones, he somehow prevailed. And the Sharks got the game-winner in double OT to force this Game 7. Of course, just because Jones was spectacular on Sunday, it does not mean he will equal that performance one game later -- especially in light of the fact that, in the first four games of this series, Jones had allowed 13 goals on 80 shots (a 0.838 saves percentage). There are other reasons to like the visitors tonight as well. Like the fact that they are 19-6 (+12 games on the money line) in their last 25 when revenging a home loss. Or that they're 25-9 after not scoring 2+ goals. Take Vegas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-21-19 | Sharks v. Golden Knights -172 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -172 | 16 h 23 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the San Jose Sharks. Not that they needed more motivation, but the Golden Knights must be licking their chops at the prospect of getting back to the Conference Championship now that the #1-seeded Flames are out. But first things first, and that means finishing off the Sharks. No doubt, the Knights want to get this series over with tonight rather than going back to San Jose for a Game 7. In a very short period of time, T-Mobile Arena has become one of the toughest places for opposing teams in the NHL. In fact, the Knights are almost perfect (4-1) in five post-season games vs. the Sharks here at home coming into tonight. And they're 35-16 at home when the Total was 6 goals (or more). Sharks goalie Martin Jones had a much-needed solid performance in Game 5 at home, but he has been shaky at best here in Vegas. In fact, Jones has been pulled mid-game four times in eight games at T-Mobile in the regular season and playoffs. Although he wasn't pulled in the Sharks' 6-3 loss here in Game 3, he easily could have as he was the following game after allowing two goals in the first seven shots. Take Vegas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-20-19 | Stars v. Predators -140 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -140 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Dallas Stars. The Preds felt pretty good after victories in Games 2 and 3 of this series, but the defense fell apart in Game 4 -- an easy 5-1 win for the Stars at home. Now it's back to Nashville with the series all tied up at two games apiece. The Stars were just 19-22 on the road during the regular season, and Nashville is always a tough place for visiting teams in the post-season, especially in the first round. The fact that they got blown out in Game 4 may be a blessing in disguise as the Predators are 5-1 in their last six (37-14 in their last 51) after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game. And they are 14-2 in their last 16 games following a loss by three or more goals. The Stars are 29-60 in their last 89 games as a road underdog and 9-26 (-24 games on the money line) after scoring five or more goals in their previous game. Take Nashville. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-19-19 | Avalanche v. Flames -170 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -170 | 17 h 35 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Colorado Avalanche. Add the Avalanche and Flames to the growing list of first round surprises in this year's NHL Playoffs. After winning the first game of this series convincingly, the Flames have now fallen in three straight and stand just one game away from elimination heading into Game 5 tonight back at home. The #1 seed in the West cannot afford to allow 52 shots like it did in Game 4 in Denver on Wednesday. But on the bright side, if you're a Calgary fan, is the fact that, despite the lopsided shot totals, the game still went into overtime. Unfortunately, a Mikko Rantanen goal with 10 minutes left in the extra stanza extinguished the Flames by a 3-2 final score. The Flames knew that winning two in Colorado would be tough so now they will rely on their own home ice advantage which worked well for them in the regular season (26-10-5). Moreover, the Avs are just 16-35 in their last 51 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. Take the Flames. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-18-19 | Golden Knights v. Sharks -113 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 18 h 29 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Vegas Golden Knights. The Sharks return home for Game 5 with their post-season lives hanging by a thread. After taking Game 1 here last Wednesday, San Jose has been steamrolled by the defending Western Conference Champs, losing the next three games by a combined 16-6. Monday's Game 4 on the Strip was especially bad, as the Knights never gave the visitors a chance in a 5-0 shellacking. Look for the Sharks to mix up some lines tonight as they try to get back to the form that won them 46 games in the regular season -- 25 of them here at home. The Sharks also will get the services of C Joe Thornton back tonight, as the veteran leader had to sit out game four to serve a one-game suspension. The Knights are 1-5 in their last six road games and 5-16 in their last 21 as an underdog. Meanwhile, San Jose is 8-1 when playing with revenge from a shutout loss, and 13-1 at home after losing by more than two goals in its previous game. Take the Sharks. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-17-19 | Flames -104 v. Avalanche | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -104 | 16 h 36 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Colorado Avalanche. Like their #1-seeded partners over in the Eastern Conference, the Flames are in a bit a trouble in their first round series (though won't be swept like Tampa Bay was). After looking every bit the part of a top seed in the first game when they blanked the Avs 4-0 at home, the Flames have stumbled in Games 2 +3, and now find themselves down 2-1 heading into this crucial Game 4 in Denver. Look for Calgary to tighten up the defense considerably tonight as it can ill-afford to give up another 56 shots to the home team as it did on Monday. The Avs are thin at the center position with Derick Brassard suffering from an illness and Vladislav Kamenek still sidelined with a shoulder injury. Neither is expected to suit up tonight. Despite their loss on Monday, the Flames are still 9-3 in the last 12 meetings and 4-1 in the last five here at the Pepsi Center. Take Calgary. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-16-19 | Lightning -135 v. Blue Jackets | Top | 3-7 | Loss | -135 | 15 h 30 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Columbus Blue Jackets. In one of the most shocking first round results ever, the heavily-favored Lightning find themselves on the brink of elimination -- down 3-0 to the Blue Jackets heading into Game 4 in Columbus tonight. You can basically count on one hand the number of teams that have come back from a 3-0 deficit in a first-round NHL playoff series. And now the Lightning find themselves in that position. But there's some reason for optimism. The most obvious is the fact that the Bolts will get the services back of the NHL's most productive player. Nikita Kucherov (41 G; 87 A; 128 Points) served a one-game suspension for Game 3, and will be on the ice tonight for the visitors. Certainly, if Tampa had Kucherov in the last game, it could have made a difference in the final result. And, although they've had a handful of three-game losing streaks in the last couple of seasons, the fact remains that the Lightning have not lost four in a row since January 2017 (and they're 9-2 their last 11 following a 3-game losing streak). Even better: the Lightning are 11-0 this season after a road loss (and 36-15 the last 3 seasons). Take Tampa Bay. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-15-19 | Capitals v. Hurricanes -124 | Top | 0-5 | Win | 100 | 14 h 4 m | Show |
At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Washington Capitals. The Hurricanes' task is straightforward: win Games 3 + 4 to level this series at two games apiece. It's true that the Caps have won each of the last five meetings here in Raleigh. But all five defeats were narrow, and were decided by a single goal, with three of the five ending in overtime or a shoot-out. Additionally, Carolina out-shot Washington in four of those five games. So there are plenty of reasons to like the home team tonight in what clearly is a must-win for the 'Canes. For technical support, consider that the Caps are a poor 6-13 in their last 19 playoff games, priced as an underdog of +150 or less, while Carolina cashed 67% at home this season off back to back losses. Take Carolina. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-14-19 | Lightning -132 v. Blue Jackets | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -132 | 17 h 51 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Lightning went down two-games-to-none at home in this first round series with a 5-1 loss on Friday. And, to make matters worse, Tampa's top scorer, Nikita Kucherov, will miss today's game due to a suspension for a boarding infraction. But there are a few reasons for the fans in the Bay area not to panic. The most obvious is that, despite their performances in the first two games, the Bolts are still the more talented team. Tampa's success this season also wasn't primarily at home; it was also the best road team in the NHL this season, winning 30 of 41 games away from Amelie Arena. Historically, the Lightning have performed exceptionally well here in Columbus, taking each of the last three games (including the only meeting here in the regular season), and six of the last seven. If all of that wasn't enough, it's also worth noting that the Lightning are 8-0 in their last eight games immediately following a home loss by three or more goals, and 11-0 after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game. Meanwhile, Columbus is a horrid 2-8 at home this season after scoring 3+ goals in back to back games. Finally, NHL teams have gone 27-14 following a Playoffs loss by more than three goals. With their backs against the wall, we'll back the Lightning. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-14-19 | Islanders v. Penguins -190 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -190 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
At 12:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over New York. The Islanders took Games 1 + 2 in this series, and come into the Igloo on a four-game win streak. Unfortunately for New York, it's an awful 15-35 (minus 22 games on the money line) after winning its four previous games. Meanwhile, the Penguins are 34-10 at home with Mike Sullivan as coach after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game, and 12-1 off back to back road losses. They've also won nine of 10 Playoff series with Sullivan on the bench, and won't panic just because their collective backs are against the proverbial wall. Take the Penguins to bounce back in Game 3. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-12-19 | Penguins -123 v. Islanders | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -123 | 16 h 59 m | Show |
At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over New York. The Islanders took a 1-0 series lead with an exciting 4-3 overtime win on Wednesday. I fully expect the Penguins to bounce back tonight, as they're 39-15 when playing with revenge from a loss by a single goal. And they're also 69-38 following a game where they surrendered more than three goals. Meanwhile, the Islanders are a horrid 51-86 after winning their three previous games. The Penguins out-shot the Islanders in each of the three periods (17-12; 13-10; 11-9), as well as the overtime period (3-2). And their shots in the 2nd and 3rd periods were also of a significantly higher quality than the Islanders' shots. I look for Pittsburgh to level this series at 1 game apiece. Take the Penguins. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-06-19 | Jets -120 v. Coyotes | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 19 h 24 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Arizona Coyotes. This is a big game for the Jets. A victory by Winnipeg tonight in the desert coupled with a Nashville loss would bring the Jets their first Division Title since moving north from Atlanta. It's been a frustrating end-of-season road trip so far for the Jets as they lost their last two in Minnesota and Colorado, the latter one being a 3-2 OT defeat on Thursday. But the good news for them is that they have dominated this series lately, taking five of the last six meetings going back to January of 2017. It's true that the Coyotes have had a strong second half of the season, but they've still been one of the most anemic teams at home all season with just a 2.70 GPG average here at the Gila River Arena. Moreover, the Jets are one of the best teams in the league when playing as a road favorite (4-1 in their last five as a road favorite overall, and 17-5 in their last 22 as a road favorite of -110 to -150). And they are 46-22 in their last 68 vs. teams with a losing record. Take Winnipeg. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-04-19 | Islanders -111 v. Panthers | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 17 h 19 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Florida Panthers. The same team that tried to help the Islanders on Monday night will now face them at home in the next-to-last game of the season for both teams. I say "tried" because, despite the fact that the Panthers beat the first-place Caps here three days ago, the Isles lost that same night at home to the Leafs, 2-1. So tonight is a must-win situation for the visitors if they are to have any hope of winning the Division (and they will keep their collective eyes on the out-of-town scoreboard as the Caps play the Habs at home at the same time). In what can only be described as "too little - too late", Florida comes in on a three-game win streak having beaten the Senators, Bruins, and aforementioned Caps, but the Panthers had already been eliminated from post-season contention. This series has not been kind to the hosts lately as the home team is 1-6 in the last seven meetings of the Isles and Panthers. Even better for the Isles: they are 16-7 in their last 23 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-02-19 | Sharks -147 v. Canucks | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -147 | 18 h 3 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Vancouver Canucks. Although the Sharks can't catch the Calgary Flames for first place in the Pacific Division, they still are in a battle to hold onto the second-best record in the Western Conference. San Jose's 97 points coming into tonight is 1 point better than the Jets, who are leading the Central Division. And this is a position that the Sharks would like to maintain with three games left in the regular season. Tonight, they head to Vancouver to play the Canucks -- a team they have totally dominated in recent meetings. In fact, the Sharks are 6-0 in their last six games against Vancouver going back to December of 2017. They are also 21-8 in the last 29 meetings at Rogers Arena. The Canucks did beat the Stars, 3-2, in OT in their last game. But that may not bode well for tonight as they are 6-12 in their last 18 (-6 games on the money line) off of a home win. They are also 3-9 in their last 12 after an overtime victory. Take the Sharks. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
04-01-19 | Maple Leafs -109 v. Islanders | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 2 h 25 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the New York Islanders. The Maple Leafs will try to salvage the third game of their 3-game road trip tonight. They lost at Philadelphia, 5-4, and then lost at Ottawa, 4-2. The good news for the Leafs is that they've only lost three-in-a-row once this season, as they're a super 11-1 this season when working on a two-game losing streak. The Islanders, meanwhile, are ripe for a letdown following their back-to-back 5-goal efforts at Winnipeg (5-4) and vs. Buffalo (5-1). New York's a poor 34-45 (minus 11 games on the money line) after scoring 3+ goals in back to back games. Take Toronto. Good luck, as always....Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-31-19 | Bruins -191 v. Red Wings | Top | 3-6 | Loss | -191 | 15 h 36 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over Detroit. The Red Wings come into game off their first home shutout win of the season -- 4-0 vs. New Jersey. And that was just their 2nd shutout of the season, overall. This is a tough spot for the Red Wings, as they're playing their 3rd game in 4 nights, while Boston has had the last two days off. Detroit is an awful 1-10 at home when playing its 3rd game in four nights. And it's also just 24-60 its last 84 divisional contests, and 12-27 after giving up less than two goals in its previous game. Take Boston. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-30-19 | Flyers v. Hurricanes -190 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 27 m | Show |
At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Philadelphia Flyers. No team has been as up-and-down this season as the Flyers. Looking totally lost at some times and like a playoff team at others, the Flyers have pretty much been treading water for the last two months and look to be staying home for the post-season this year. They somehow managed to beat the Maple Leafs in their last, 5-4, in a shootout. But the Flyers were just 2-5 in their previous seven games. The 'Canes did not help their case for a Wild Card spot this past week, losing two straight games. But those were against the defending Cup Champion Capitals, who are hungry to repeat. And the Canes did go 4-1 in their previous five, with the only loss coming against the best team in the League (Tampa). They are no doubt looking forward to their final five games, three of which come against the Flyers (2) and Devils. The Flyers are just 18-20 away from Philadelphia this season while Carolina is 6-1 in its last seven home games vs. teams with a losing road record. Take the Hurricanes. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-27-19 | Stars v. Flames -160 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -160 | 18 h 48 m | Show |
At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Dallas Stars. With six games to go in the regular season, the Flames are inching ever closer to wrapping up the best record in the West (along with home ice through the Conference Finals). So it's a bit of a mystery how -- as a huge favorite and riding a three-game win streak -- Calgary managed to get shut out by the Kings in its last game on Monday, 3-0. About the only thing you can point to is the fact that goalie Mike Smith had been used in three straight games in five days (with a road game in the middle) and simply ran out of gas. So tonight the Flames will turn to David Rittich and give Smith a much-needed break. He may be a little-known back-up with just 16 starts under his belt heading into the season, but Rittich has been rock-solid so far for his team with a 26-12 record in his starts with a .911 save pct and 2.63 GAA. This is a big revenge situation as the Stars have beaten the Flames in both their meetings this season. The Flames are 12-5 (+ 6 games on the money line) in their last 17 revenging two consecutive losses. And Dallas is 8-25 (including 1-8 this season) after scoring more than 4 goals in their previous game. Take Calgary. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-26-19 | Kings v. Oilers -198 | Top | 4-8 | Win | 100 | 15 h 45 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Los Angeles Kings. For the first 10 years of his career, the Kings' Jonathan Quick was one of the most feared goalies in the league. Along with dominant numbers, multiple All Star appearances, and numerous individual awards came two Stanley Cup Championships (2012 and 2014). But to say that Quick has taken a step back this season would be a gross understatement. His GAA (3.25), and saves percentage (.891) are both career-worsts, and he will finish the season with a losing record for the first time since he became a full-time net-minder in 2008-2009. It wouldn't be fair to pin all of the fault for L.A.'s lousy season on Quick, but he certainly hasn't helped matters much. The Oilers looked like they might be a playoff team into early December, but those hopes have since been dashed by their inconsistent play. The Kings beat the Oilers in the last meeting in L.A., 4-0 but Edmonton is 10-4 (+8 games on the money line) in its last 14 revenging a loss in which it scored one goal or less. The home team is also 20-7 in the last 27 meetings. Take the Oilers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-25-19 | Bruins v. Lightning -141 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 17 h 7 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Boston Bruins. The Bruins might be almost 20 points behind the Lightning in their division, but they are also likely the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, if not the entire League right now. And the Bruins would like to show tonight that they can beat the Bolts when they need to. It might be tempting to assume that the Lightning will spend their remaining regular season games trying to stay healthy without giving a 100% effort since they already have the Presidents Trophy locked up. But the last thing Tampa wants to do is go into the playoffs on a losing note, especially losing to teams like the Bruins who it may very well see again in May. Sure, the Bruins are on fire, having won their last three by a combined 17-4. But two of those were against the Devils and Panthers. And Tampa poses a much bigger challenge tonight, especially at home. Amalie Arena has not been kind to the Bruins lately as they are 1-4 in their last five here. Also, the Bruins are also 1-5 in the last six meetings overall while the favorite is 26-11 in the last 37 meetings. Take the Lightning. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-23-19 | Wild v. Hurricanes -161 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 9 h 57 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Minnesota Wild. The Wild pulled off an upset Friday night, beating the Defending Cup Champion Capitals in Washington by a 2-1 margin. Now they head south to Raleigh to face a Canes team that is only two points out of third place in the Metropolitan -- the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. So Carolina's backs are against the wall heading into this game having lost its last one by a 6-3 tally on Thursday. But losing to the Lightning almost doesn't count at this point as the team that has already clinched the President's Trophy is running over every other club in the league right now. Prior to the loss to the Bolts, Carolina had won four of out five, including victories over the Penguins, Predators, and Avalanche. The home team is 5-1 in the last six meetings of these two while the favorite is 10-2 in the last 12 meetings as well. It's true that this is also a revenge situation for the Wild, as they lost 5-4 to Carolina back in October. But they are just 8-15 in the last 23 (-10 games on the money line) avenging a same season loss. Take the Canes. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-19-19 | Red Wings v. Rangers -130 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -130 | 6 h 21 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Detroit Red Wings. The road has been a tough place lately for the Rangers as they have been away for six of their last seven, losing all six. Their lone home game during that period was a 4-2 victory over the Devils. The Rangers aren't going anywhere come playoff time but they're still a dangerous team at home. After losing four in a row and 12 of their last 13, the Red Wings somehow managed a win over the Islanders on Saturday, 2-1. But Detroit is 2-7 in the last nine trips to MSG and the home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings, so the Wings success could be short-lived as they try to beat the odds tonight on the road. And that's the other problem as Detroit has won just 11 times in 33 games away from home. Another issue for the Wings tonight is injuries. While New York is close to 100% healthy, Detroit has a list of walking wounded. Finally, the Red Wings are a wallet-busing 11-27 (-17 games on the money line) in their last 38 after not allowing 2+ goals in their previous game. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-18-19 | Golden Knights v. Sharks -155 | Top | 7-3 | Loss | -155 | 20 h 24 m | Show |
At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Vegas Golden Knights. With a seven point lead over the fourth-place Coyotes, the Golden Knights have a pretty good hold on the last guaranteed playoff spot from the Pacific Division. Still, despite a successful (i.e., winning) season, this year's version of the Knights appears to fall far short of the one which went all the way to the Finals less than 12 months ago. The Sharks, on the other hand, stand an excellent chance of eclipsing their wins and point total from last season and reaching the century mark for the second straight year. San Jose would like to be this year's Vegas, and make it all the way to the Finals for what would be its second time in the last four seasons. Vegas won at home last night, but they are just a .500 team on the road this season (18-18). Even worse for Vegas: this will be the sixth time this season that it had to go on the road as an underdog after playing the previous day. And Vegas has gone 0-5 in the five previous games, while being outscored in those games, 22-8. Finally, the fact that the Sharks have allowed four goals in each of their last two games (vs. the Panthers and Predators) has triggered a team situation which is 75%, as the Sharks are 18-6 (+12 games on the money line) after allowing four or more goals in two straight. Take San Jose. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-17-19 | Devils v. Avalanche -240 | Top | 0-3 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the New Jersey Devils. The Devils' six-game road trip comes to an end this afternoon in Denver. The good news for them is that after today, six of their final nine games are at home. New Jersey's road record this season is atrocious at 10-27 -- the second-worst in the league. And Colorado has not been friendly to them as the Devils are 1-6 in the last seven meetings here and 4-11 in the last 15 meetings altogether. Already eliminated from playoff contention, it's been a lost season for New Jersey, with injuries to the roster almost too numerous to mention heading into the final weeks. The Avs almost certainly will be staying home in mid-April as well, despite some of the most talented offensive players in the league. A recent upper body injury to All Star winger Gabriel Landeskog has doomed them, but the Avs still have enough fire power to handle the Devils. Colorado won the the only other meeting this season on October 18 and the Devils are 5-18 in the last 23 (-13 games on the money line) revenging a same season loss vs. an opponent. Take the Avs. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-16-19 | Blue Jackets v. Bruins -150 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Any hope that the Bruins had of catching the Atlantic Division-leading Lightning just went out the window with a three game losing streak. Boston is now 19 points behind Tampa and hoping to hold on to second place with the Toronto Maple Leafs hot on the trail. The good news for tonight is that the Bruins are back home after losing those three on the road, as Boston is 27-7-3 at the TD Garden this season. The bad news is that after tonight, seven of the Bruins last 10 games are on the road. This is a revenge situation, as one of those three losses was in Columbus on Tuesday when the Jackets blitzed the Bruins, 7-4. Boston is 6-3 in its last nine games when revenging a blowout loss by an opponent of three or more goals. This has also been a very host-friendly series lately as the home team is 5-1 in the last six meetings of these two. Boston is also 21-10 (+ 8 games on the money line) in its last 31 after playing three consecutive road contests. Take the Bruins. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-15-19 | Golden Knights -130 v. Stars | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Dallas Stars. If the Golden Knights are going to make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals, they're going to have to get over two big hurdles -- the Flames and Sharks. Calgary and San Jose are both double-digit points ahead of the Knights as of this writing. The Flames just showed how dominant they can be, when they beat the Knights, 6-3, last Sunday to snap the Knights' six-game win streak. The good news for Vegas tonight is that it will have had four days of rest coming in and it is 11-5 in its last 16 when playing on three or more days off. The Stars have won their last two -- both on the road -- against the the Sabres and Wild, but they've struggled against Vegas, losing four of the five games that have been played between the two, including the last three. The Knights are also 25-15 (+ 10 games on the money line) immediately following a road loss. Take Vegas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-13-19 | Blackhawks v. Maple Leafs -225 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -225 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Chicago Blackhawks. Considering they went 9-23 in their first 32 games of the season, the fact that the Blackhawks are now 30-30-9 doesn't seem so bad. In fact the Hawks are on a three-game win streak heading into this match-up in Toronto tonight. But those three victories have come against the Sabres (in OT), Stars, and Coyotes -- three teams with a combined record of 101-107. The Leafs set a franchise record with 105 points last season, and with 13 games to go in the regular season, they only need to go 8-5 in order to match that number. The difference is that they finished first in the Division in 2018, but will do no better than second -- and might even finish in third -- thanks to a very tough couple of teams in the Bruins and Lightning. And speaking of Tampa, the Bolts just had their way with Toronto, beating the Leafs 6-2 in their last game on Monday. That defeat bodes well for the Leafs tonight as they are 18-3 (+14 games on the money line) in their last 21 coming off of a loss to a Division rival by two or more goals. Take Toronto. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-12-19 | Sharks v. Jets -125 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -125 | 14 h 9 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the San Jose Sharks. The two division leaders in the West face off tonight in a crucial game with only three weeks to go in the regular season. Winnipeg will likely be happy to get back to inter-conference play after an eastern road trip that saw them go 2-2. They lost the last game of that trip on Sunday, 3-1, but there's no shame in losing a close game in DC to the defending Champion Capitals right now. The Sharks, meanwhile, are on a five game win streak, but three of those five have come against the Avs, Blackhawks, and Wild -- all teams with losing records. And four of the five were played in San Jose where the Sharks have an incredible 25-5-5 record compared to one that is barely over .500 on the road (19-14-3). That's a similar situation to the Jets, who have been dominant here at Bell MTS Place (22-8-4). The Jets have taken three of the last four meetings with the Sharks, with their lone loss coming in OT (3-2) in the last one on February 5. The Jets are also 45-29 (+13 games on the money line) in their last 74 games revenging a same-season loss. Take Winnipeg. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-11-19 | Rangers v. Oilers -155 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 17 h 37 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the NY Rangers. We played against Edmonton here, at home, on Saturday, and got the $$$ when Toronto came into Rogers Place, and defeated the Oilers, 3-2. But we'll switch gears and take Edmonton tonight, as it will be facing a Rangers team which has lost six of its last seven games (and 21 of its last 31). Even worse for New York: it lost, 2-1, earlier this season at Madison Square Garden to Edmonton. And it's a poor 30-48, -17 games on the money line, when playing with revenge from an earlier loss in the season. The Oilers are just 7 points away from the Playoff Picture at the moment so, with 14 games to go, there's still an opportunity in front of them, if they can string some wins together. Take the Oilers. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-10-19 | Golden Knights v. Flames -140 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 16 h 16 m | Show |
At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over Vegas. The Golden Knights had to play last night. And, although they won, 6-2, at Vancouver, they'll be hard-pressed to duplicate that feat tonight. Indeed, this will be the fifth time this season that Vegas has had to go on the road as an underdog after playing the previous day. And Vegas went 0-4 in the four previous games, while being outscored in those games, 16-5. In contrast, Calgary will be playing tonight's game after having the two previous days off. Take the Flames to blow out Vegas. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-09-19 | Maple Leafs -144 v. Oilers | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 45 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers' current winning streak is tied for their longest of the season at four games. But three of those four were against the likes of the Sabres, Senators, and Canucks, three losing teams with a combined record of 81-122. So they take a big step up in class tonight against a Maple Leafs team that is 41-21-5 and also a team that just pounded the Oilers on February 27, 6-2 in Toronto. It doesn't appear that the Oilers will have much -- if any -- of a home ice advantage tonight. The Oilers are just 15-17 at Rogers Place. But more important is the fact that the Leafs are sporting one of the best road records in the league at 20-9-4. And even more dominant is Toronto's 11-3 record in its last 14 games as a heavy road favorite and the fact that the Oilers are 1-6 in their last seven games as a home underdog. Finally, the Leafs are 32-17 (+10 games on the money line) in their last 49 games when playing on two days of rest, including 8-1 their last nine on the road. Take Toronto. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-06-19 | Blues -170 v. Ducks | Top | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 18 h 43 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Anaheim Ducks. The Blues lost their last game -- an embarrassing 4-1 defeat to the Stars at home -- but they are still just five points behind the Division-leading Predators. Now is the time for them to step it up if they are to capture their first division crown in five years. A trip into Anaheim to play the 25-41 Ducks could certainly help. For one thing, the road team has captured the last five meetings in this series, dating back to November of 2017. For another, the Blues are a bit of an oddity in that they have a better record on the road than they do at home (albeit slightly). And Anaheim's 12 wins here at the Honda Center is tied for the fewest number of home victories in the league so far this season. If the last meeting is any indication, this could be a blowout as on January 23, the Blues came in here and trounced the Ducks, 5-1, limiting them to an absurd 13 shots on goal the entire game. The Blues are also 22-6 in their last 28 games as a road favorite priced from -151 to -200. Take St. Louis. NHL Game of the Week. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-03-19 | Flyers v. Islanders -154 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -154 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Isles played one of their biggest games of the season on Friday when they faced the Capitals at home and for two periods, they were beating the Defending Cup Champions. Nobody knows the Caps better than Isles coach Barry Trotz, but he and his team couldn't hold that lead in the third period and the Caps got out of New York with a hard-fought 3-1 victory. The Isles will be happy to see the Flyers, with their losing record, on Sunday. Philly has a goalie problem right now as it must rely on either Brian Elliott or Cam Talbot with both #1 Michal Neuvirth and red-hot rookie Carter Hart sidelined with injuries. Speaking of hot goalies, veteran journeyman Robin Lehner has resurrected his career with the Islanders and is having his best season ever, with a league-leading 2.07 GAA and .931 saves pct. in 34 starts. With Thomas Greiss going against the Caps on Friday, Lehner should be back in goal today. The Isles are a solid 23-13 (+14 games on the money line) in their last 36 off of a loss to a division foe, while Philly's an awful 4-16 its last 20 after scoring more than four goals in its previous game. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-02-19 | Stars v. Blues -160 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -160 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Dallas Stars. The Blues were the hottest team in the League in February, winning 11 games in a row at one point -- starting on January 23 and continuing through February 17. Since then, the Blues have been treading water a bit, going 2-3 in their last five. Last night they lost to a very good (and also red-hot) Hurricanes team in Raleigh and tonight they will be attempting to avenge one of those other losses. On February 21, St. Louis went into Dallas and lost to the Stars badly, 5-2. The Blues are 14-9 (+5 games on the money line) in their last 23 when playing with revenge from a blowout loss by more than 2 goals. The Stars have been alternating wins and losses over their last six games, with their latest being a 4-3 OT victory over the Kings in Los Angeles on Thursday. Their biggest problem right now is the myriad of injuries they've sustained, with the two biggest names being LW Jamie Benn (upper body) and RW Mats Zuccarello (arm). Dallas is 28-41 (-23 games on the money line) in its last 69 after scoring 4+ goals in its previous game. Take the Blues. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
03-01-19 | Avalanche v. Sharks -190 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 18 h 1 m | Show |
At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Colorado Avalanche. The Sharks return home from a tough four-game road trip that included games in Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Boston (they got a bit of a break in the fourth one which was in Detroit). They're still chasing the Flames for the top spot in the Pacific, but can feel pretty good about the playoffs at this point, sitting a healthy 11 points ahead of third-place Vegas. They should be pleased to see that this opening game of their 4-game home stand is against the Avalanche, a team they've dominated here. Colorado is just 4-22 in its last 26 visits to Silicon Valley, a trend which the Sharks hope will continue tonight. Few teams in the league have been as tough at home this season as the Sharks, who are 19-5-5 in 29 games at SAP Center. The Avs squeaked out a 3-2 SO win at home over the Canucks in their last game, but only managed two goals in regulation on 45 shots. We'll take the home team, as the Sharks are a solid 24-9 (+14 games on the money line) in their last 33 after a blowout loss by three goals or more in their previous game. And they're 20-5 at home after giving up more than 2 goals in each of their two previous games. Take San Jose. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
02-28-19 | Flyers v. Blue Jackets -185 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 15 h 0 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Philadelphia Flyers. After back-to-back shutouts over the Senators and Sharks, the Jackets ran up against the Penguins on Tuesday and were soundly beaten, 5-2. The NHL trade deadline just passed and no team was as active as the Blue Jackets. Columbus added Ryan Duchene and Ryan Dzingel from Ottawa in separate deals, then added Adam McQuaid from the Rangers and Keith Kinkaid from the Devils. The Jackets also elected to hold onto winger Artemi Panarin and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, two organizational pillars that were discussed as potential trade pieces due to their expiring contracts. The Jackets have been in the league for 20 years without a single playoff series victory, so their aggressive deadline deals seem to signal that they believe this is their best chance to win a Cup. What better way to debut their new lineup than to play a Flyers team that they have dominated lately as the Jackets are 4-0 in the last four meetings, and 12-1 their last 13 meetings here, at home. Columbus is also 12-5 in its last 17 after a loss by two or more goals in its previous game. Take the Jackets. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
02-27-19 | Canucks v. Avalanche -168 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 16 h 42 m | Show |
At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks somehow snapped a three-game losing streak in their last game despite several injuries which have left them depleted -- especially on the blue line. The fact that their last game was against the woeful Ducks no doubt helped immensely as the Canucks notched their first shutout of the season, 4-0, while registering only 29 shots. They will likely need to do much better than that tonight with their top two defensemen -- Chris Tanev and Alexander Edler -- on the shelf. The firepower of the Avs' offense has been on display lately with 20 goals scored in the last four games and it will likely be able to exploit the losses on Vancouver's back line tonight at home. The Avs lost a tough one in their last, 4-3, in OT to Florida. But prior to that, they had beaten the Jets, Blackhawks, and Predators by a combined score of 17-4. They are also avenging an embarrassing loss to Vancouver, 5-1, here on February 2. Vancouver is 8-21 (-14 games on the money line) in their last 29 off a home win in which it scored four or more goals. Take the Avalanche. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
02-26-19 | Stars v. Golden Knights -184 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 16 h 41 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Dallas Stars. Like their 2018 Finals counterparts in the East (the Capitals), the Golden Knights are going to have to find some consistency if they are to have a chance to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals in three months. Vegas is barely over .500 right now (32-31) and currently sits in the third playoff spot in the Division, just two points from falling into the Wild Card. The team that is immediately behind the Knights is tonight's opponent, the Dallas Stars. In its short history, this series has been dominated by the Knights, as they have taken three of four meetings, including the most recent one here on the Strip, last December, by a score of 4-2. They've lost three straight coming into tonight's game, despite out-shooting their opponents in all three of those. So, the Knights will look for the kind of performance they had here on February 16 when they fired 50 shots on goal, and crushed the Predators, 5-1. The Stars did beat the Blackhawks in their previous game, 4-3, but they are just 2-8 (-9 games on the money line) in their last 10 coming off of a one-goal win over a division rival. And they're 5-14 on the road after scoring more than 3 goals in their previous game. Finally, this will be Dallas' 3rd game in four nights. And it's an awful 8-23 on the road in that scheduling situation. Take Vegas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
02-25-19 | Oilers v. Predators -235 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 14 h 58 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Edmonton Oilers. Amazingly, the Oilers have only had one winning season in over 30 years. And by the looks of things, this season will not be their second. The team that was once so dominant -- winning five Stanley Cups in a seven-year span in the 80's -- is just 26-35 and in sixth place in the Pacific Division. But they did something almost as rare as having a winning season in their last match-up with the Predators four months ago. They won. And it was the first victory for Edmonton over Nashville in 14 meetings going back to October of 2014. The Oilers also won their last game, 2-1 over the Ducks despite being out-shot by a 34-21 margin. The Preds do very well in these situations as they are 53-27 (+18 games on the money line) in their last 80 when revenging a same season loss vs. an opponent. They are also 31-15 (+9 games on the money line) in their last 46 coming off of a home loss. Take Nashville. As always, good luck...Al McMordie | |||||||
02-24-19 | Rangers v. Capitals -202 | Top | 5-6 | Win | 100 | 5 h 54 m | Show |
At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the New York Rangers. The Caps return home from a six-game road trip that was moderately successful. They had a chance to go 4-2 on the trip, but fell to the Sabres yesterday in Buffalo, 5-2. The very inconsistent Braden Holtby continued in that vein as the Stanley Cup-winning goalie allowed four goals on 41 shots yesterday in the loss. With the quick turnaround today, look for back-up Pheonix Copley to mind the net for the home team. Copley has had arguably a better season than the more experienced Holtby, with a 13-5-3 record in 22 games (19 starts), a 2.97 GAA and a .904 saves percentage. Copley has also won his last three starts -- two against the Kings and one against the Avalanche. And he beat the Rangers in his only other career start against them which was this season back on November 24, 5-3, in New York. The Rangers went with back-up Alexandar Georgiev in net yesterday in their win against the Devils, so Henrik Lundqvist should be starting today. Unfortunately for the Rangers, they're 0-4 in the last four trips to DC. Take the Capitals. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. | |||||||
02-23-19 | Canadiens v. Maple Leafs -175 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 1 h 39 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over Montreal. The Maple Leafs are on their longest losing streak of the season, as they fell for the 3rd straight game this past Thursday in a 3-2 loss to Washington. The good news for tonight's game is that Toronto is 8-1 at home its last nine when it was on a 3-game (or worse) losing streak. The Leafs will also be happy to see their Canadian rivals tonight, as the Leafs have won six straight in this series. And that's not much of a surprise given how poor the Canadiens have played lately with double-revenge (16-41). Montreal's lost its last three road games by a combined score of 12-4, and I expect another blowout this evening. Take the Maple Leafs. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. | |||||||
02-23-19 | Devils v. Rangers -145 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 4 h 54 m | Show |
At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils. With their 4-0 victory on Thursday, the Devils have now won three of their last four games. But those three wins have come against the Senators, Wild, and Sabres -- three losing teams with a combined record of 78-103. Now they head to New York for a Saturday Matinee in a place that has not been kind them recently. New Jersey is 1-4 in the last five visits to Madison Square Garden and the home team is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings of these two. Meanwhile, the Rangers have been treading water lately, having alternated wins and losses over their last eight games, with their last effort being a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Wild. Already thin on the left side with the injury to Taylor Hall, the Devils had LW Miles Wood return recently, only to have him go back on the shelf after an injury on Thursday night against the Senators. The Devils are 3-10 (-10 games on the money line) in their last 13 coming off of a blowout win by three goals or more. And the Rangers are 35-21 (+19 games on the money line) in their last 56 off of a home loss. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie |
Service | Profit |
---|---|
William Burns | $1,056 |
Ross Benjamin | $790 |
Joey Tron | $511 |
Ricky Tran | $501 |
Dan Kaiser | $445 |
Sean Murphy | $296 |
Jimmy Boyd | $286 |
Matt Fargo | $220 |
Ray Monohan | $36 |