The Vegas offense should be rusty after a long layoff and even if they aren’t, Carolina is not going to allow them a hot start in Game 1. If you take away the Game 1 against the Canadiens where Montreal had their game of the playoffs, Carolina have allowed just a tad over a goal per game in these playoffs in the other six games here at home. Vegas was very good defensively against an Avalanche team that was one of the best in the league all season offensively, and we don’t think they will let the Hurricanes rack up lots of goals. The nerves may set in for both teams with the big spotlight and it might take them a couple games and some offensive adjustments before we see a high scoring game in the series. Very nice value on the under and we are never scared off by 5.5s as we think goals will be hard to come by, especially for the visitors tonight.

The Canadiens are only 2-4 at home in these playoffs and they have generally played better on the road than at home, where they have lost two straight with a goal differential of -6. Home ice hasn’t meant much in these playoffs, in fact. It hasn’t mattered in 11 of 16 playoff games for Montreal so far, where the road team has won. Carolina have won all four road matchups in the playoffs this season. Montreal looked great in their huge Game 1 win, but Carolina fought hard in Game 2 to squeak out a win in OT and take momentum back in this series. Carolina has been one of the best road clubs in the NHL all season and they know the assignment here and we expect them to regain home ice advantage in the series here in Game 3.

Colorado has been one of the top under bets this season and we think that trend will continue here in Game 1. We are getting good value here because the Game 1 matchup between the Avs and the Wild was a crazy shootout and that is fresh on everyone’s mind, but we think this will be a more defensive series with the stakes higher and the Avs played a three-goal game in Game 1 of their series against the Kings and we expect this Game 1 to play out more like that game. The Knights also played a low-scoring game in the first game of their last series as they won 3-1 vs Anaheim. Nine straight meetings at Colorado have gone under this total and there hasn’t been more than five goals scored in any of those games. These are good offensive teams but also they are both in the Top 5 defensively for goals allowed this season and they will both be feeling each other out here in this crucial Game 1 and we know that neither team wants to start the series in a hole so we think the defenses will step it up big time.

This is do or die in an elimination game for the Sabres and we just think they will lock down on defense after allowing six goals to the Habs in Game 5. In that game, Montreal was incredibly accurate as they were limited to 26 shots and only three in the third period. That was their lowest effort in the series for shots on goal. Yet they still scored six goals, so there was some luck involved despite a strong defensive effort from Buffalo. Game 3 in Montreal was the only one of the last four meetings here that went over six goals. We think both teams lock down on defense in the most important game of each team’s season and we think this one has a chance to be the lowest scoring game of the series.

Colorado has a chance to close out this series at home and we expect them to do that tonight. They dominated the two games at home with a +6 goal differential and none of the games in this series have been close and we don’t expect this one to be either. Colorado slumped at but towards the end of the regular season but they seem back in Championship form now and they have played well against a very solid Minnesota team and they have a chance to close things out here at home. In Game 4 they scored two empty netters and that is a good sign for our puckline in case this game is close, but we don’t expect it to be and think the Avs take care of business in a big way.

Five of the last six meetings have gone to extra time, and there is no reason to think this one doesn’t have a chance to as well. Extra time means an extra goal on the total line, but we don’t think we will need that extra goal. We think Philly has a great chance here and they should have a better offensive showing at home than they did in the two road games to start this series. Carolina has dominated possession in the first two games but Philly will make some adjustments here and we expect some aggressive, attacking play. If the Flyers are down by multiple goals late they will pull the goalie early as this is a must win game for them to realistically get back into the series. The plus-money price on the total really stood out to us as the Hurricanes have to face some adversity in this postseason at some point and we could see Philly having a big game offensively and the Flyers haven’t shown that they can really slow the Hurricanes down. It doesn’t take much to beat a 5.5 total, and we think these teams will do enough to get past the number as both teams get their share of the total tonight.

Game 6 was scoreless through nine minutes in overtime and these teams have not seen 6 or more goals since Game 1. This should be another tight affair, and the goaltenders have really locked in and are stopping everything in their path. In Game 6 there were a decent amount of shots and some penalties as well, but the goaltenders shined and we think they will be hard to get past again in this one with both team’s seasons on the line. The penalty kills for both teams have been excellent and we don’t see either team giving the other an inch. Three of the last five games in this series went to OT and none passed five goals, and we think there is nice value here on the under even laying some juice.

The Sabres won both games in Boston and they won’t be intimidated here. They are the better team and they have been very solid on the road this season. This is another case where the oddsmakers are giving too much respected to the team with the more popular name. But the Bruins are not the same team they have been in past years and they are not a championship contender. Neither is Buffalo, but they are the better team in this matchup and they will advance tonight.

This line is an overreaction to the 6-4 result in Game 2. Both games have gone over but as the series goes on the defenses will tighten up, and with this being a very crucial Game 3 with the series tied 1-1, we expect to see better defense. We can’t imagine Edmonton allowing 6 goals like they did in Game 2, and the Oilers will want to quash the Ducks momentum in this important matchup for their title hopes.

We have had one over (barely) and one push (after an empty netter) so far for the totals for this series. But this one now moves to Minneapolis, and the Wild have been the better defense so far as they have allowed the Stars to score an average of two goals per game when you take away the empty netter in Game 2. The last time these teams met in Minnesota it was a 2-1 OT win by the home team. We think we could see a game like that here in Game 3. These are two very good defensive teams and the defenses will start allowing fewer and fewer goals as the series plays on. This one should be a great game if you like defense, and we think the Wild will pull this out in a low scoring affair.

Both teams are trending to the over recently as they are a combined 13-6-1 to the over in 20 combined games. Minnesota is coming in off a 3-6 loss to the Blues in St. Louis last night. The over is 4-1 in the last five second legs of back-to-backs. That game against the Blues was the second time in three games where the Wild gave up at least five goals. Minnesota has scored at least four goals in five of their last seven. The Ducks have given up at least four goals in seven of their last eight. While this game doesn’t have playoff implications, Anaheim has lost seven of eight and will want to get some momentum heading into their first playoffs in forever and they will put an emphasis on getting the offense going. We think that is the same goal for the home team, and we don’t see either team putting that much energy into the defense.

San Jose is still alive for the playoff but there is zero room for error and all four games are a must win to end the season. They have a very winnable matchup here and they have beaten the Canucks in the last two meetings in blowout fashion. In fact, they won both meetings, both of which took place in Vancouver, by three goals each. Vancouver has been playing awful down the stretch and losing most nights by multiple goals. We doubt they will have much interest in this one and the home team rolls tonight.

Toronto has lost three straight and they enter on a back-to-back after a listless performance against the Capitals last night where they barely put up a fight in a 4-0 loss. It’s hard to believe they will play much better here tonight as this looks like a team that is already looking towards the offseason. Toronto has been one of the worst ATS teams all season. They are 33-45 ATS. They have lost by multiple goals in eight of their last eleven losses. These teams played a couple weeks ago in Toronto and the Islanders won 3-1. It could be worse here at home. The Islanders have played themselves out of postseason contention with four straight losses. They had a real tough schedule recently. This is their easiest game out of the last five and basically a must win. We think they play their A Game tonight against a tired Leafs squad that has their eye on the finish line already.

These teams played Sunday in Colorado and the Avs suffered a very rare home loss. This is one of the best teams in hockey despite some poor recent play but we think this will be somewhat of a wake up call for them with the playoffs rapidly approaching and this also sets up a nice revenge spot for Colorado. We always say that the revenge handicapping angle is overrated in pro sports but it does come into play when the teams have met recently, and that is the case here, and it is even heightened with the home loss being a rare one for the Avalanche and the talent this team possesses overall. We don’t think this one will be close.

Both teams are coming off consecutive losses (three straight for the Ducks) and we think this is anyone’s game. The Blues play strong defense and we think they will lean into that tonight and we expect goals to be hard to come by. The last two meetings have been low scoring, and the Ducks have a long winning streak in Anaheim. Even though the Ducks are better than they have been in recent years, they are not in top form right now and we think they are vulnerable tonight.

We backed the Sharks a ton early in the season as we saw a lot more in this team than the oddsmakers did and we were spot in in many instances as this team played incredibly well and above most expectations. Then after the Olympic Break we started fading them in spots, as we stated that this young team was not ready for a playoff race and this would be a learning curve for them. They have only been 8-10 since the break and despite some bright spots they have folded under the pressure (injuries didn’t help). Toronto had a very disappointing season and they are out of the playoff race essentially. They are still alive mathematically but it would take a massive win streak and help to make a wild card. Auston Matthews suffered a season ending injury a few weeks ago, but this Toronto team was a championship contender and still has a great roster even without their best player. One of the main reasons we like Toronto so much tonight is the massive rest advantage they have over the Sharks. They enter this one off a rare two nights off and have played only one game in the last four nights. That is so crucial at this point of the season, especially for two teams that are essentially playoff no-hopers. The Sharks are coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. San Jose hasn’t been good with no rest. San Jose has lost six straight on the second night of a back-to-back. They have a -15 goal differential in those six losses. They are coming off a highly contentious division matchup against the top team in the Pacific last night in the Ducks. This was an incredibly hard fought game and the Sharks used a ton of energy to rally from a goal down in the last two minutes. We think with this being their third game in four nights that playing an out of conference opponent won’t bring the same enthusiasm and probably won’t have a lot left in the tank. They will likely be playing their backup goalie here, as well. The Leafs are playing well, having won three out of four, including beating those Pacific-leading Ducks on the road and also the Bruins on the road. We think the fresh Leafs will win this one, likely by multiple goals.  

The Devils have won three straight meetings in this rivalry with a +10 goal differential. The Rangers season is over as they are one of two teams that have been eliminated from postseason consideration. They have won two straight entering this game so might not give 100% here even though this is a rivalry game. The Devils have just owned them lately. New Jersey is not eliminated from the playoff picture but will be soon and almost every game is a must win. We think they have a lot more to play for here, they are the better team, and they will have plenty of crowd support here even though this is a road game.

We have been fading San Jose a lot lately and they enter on a 5-Game losing streak. We backed them plenty of times early in the season but the value was gone after a certain point. However, it looks to be back tonight. San Jose should give 100% on the ice to stop this losing streak. This is a very beatable Blues team with a record worse than that of the Sharks. The Blues have been playing well but with a team like this success can turn to failure quickly, and you can look at the Sharks as an example of that. This young team couldn’t handle the pressure of a playoff race. That’s OK since they weren’t winning anything this season and this is a learning lesson for the team that will likely make some noise next season. But we think this is a game where they circle the wagons and play a stellar game. They have won four of seven against the Blues, and all three losses were in OT or SO. And most those wins were when San Jose stunk and before Celebrini came around. Bottom line is that we love the value on the Sharks tonight and expect them to snap the losing streak in this one.

Nashville is peaking at the right time with the postseason fast approaching. They have won four straight, and they have won three straight at home, all by multiple goals. Nashville has won a whopping 13 in a row against the Sharks. San Jose is a better team than they have been in recent years, but Nashville was also a bad team there for awhile. But with this four game winning streak, they have played themselves into a wild card spot as it stands now. The playoff race is a new to the Sharks and they have not taken well to it. They have lost four straight and seven of their last nine heading into this game. This is a team we jumped on early in the season as we saw something special with their roster that the general public hadn’t seen. We jumped off the bandwagon, however, after the Olympic Break because we didn’t think this team had the mental fortitude for the playoff chase. So far we have been right. We think next year the Sharks will be a playoff team, but for now we think they will continue to fade from the hunt down the stretch.

Nashville has a solid track record against Vegas and is 4-3 in the last seven meetings and they have won three of four at home. The last three meetings have been in Sin City, so Nashville will be motivated to win this one on home ice. Vegas is not playing well at the moment. They have dropped five of their last seven overall. They have averaged just a goal per game in those losses and they put up goose eggs in their last two games, so Nashville likely doesn’t have to score a ton to win this game. Nashville is playing well and they have won consecutive games entering this one. Even in losses lately they have played in a lot of close games, so they have been overall much more competitive than Vegas. The Knights have more talent on the ice but Nashville is in better form and home ice should play a big factor.

These teams played less than two weeks ago in San Jose, and it was a wild one to say the least as the Sharks won 7-5. We see no reason this one won’t be high scoring as well. Both teams have been good offensively lately. The Sharks have seven goals in their last two games. They should be able to do enough to get their share of the total tonight. Montreal has been on a tear offensively. They have scored at least 3 goals in 13 straight games, and they had five or more goals in 5 of those 13 games. Three straight meetings have gone over the total, and we think these teams make it four in a row in another shootout tonight.

We have two of the Top 6 defensive teams here in what should be a strong defensive matchup. Both teams have been trending to the under lately. Utah has gone under in four of their last five. None of the Wild’s last four games have gone under (two pushes and two unders). These teams played a couple weeks ago in Utah and the Mammoth won 5-2. But since that game, the Wild have allowed only two goals per game (in regulation). The last matchup was so recent that we think the Wild will be able to make the necessary adjustments on the defensive end to slow down the Utah attack. That Mammoth attack has been inconsistent, and they are on a back-to-back after a two-goal effort in Chicago last night so we see fatigue playing a factor here and we just don’t see them having much success against a stronger defensive opponent.

Utah is a much better team in our eyes and they have as many wins on the road as the Flyers have at home. They have also owned the Flyers, winning all three lifetime meetings. The Flyers should be fat and happy after winning three straight, but we think that’s fools gold. This team just isn’t that good. They have a -11 goal differential on the season compared to +24 for the Mammoth. Utah has won four of six, so they are playing well also. They won their last road matchup over the Capitals. Utah is also the healthier team in this matchup. Konecny is likely still out here, and he is a very important player for the Flyers. We just think the cream will rise to the top here and we don’t see Philly winning four straight over mostly solid competition and we think Utah will assert their dominance here. This price is more than fair.

We were on Calgary last time out in their win over San Jose and in our writeup we stated that the Sharks might be a team to fade for their first few games after the break. While we have no interest in the Oilers laying a big number on the road, we do think the Sharks will struggle to get their share of the total here. This team has averaged around two goals per game for their last five and they scored only one here in their return from the Olympic Break when they lost to Calgary. These teams played before the break in Edmonton and the Oilers won in OT. That match only went over because of OT and the Sharks got three quick goals in that game but then the Oilers figured them out and held them scoreless in the second and third. We just don’t see this offense having much success here and think if they want to have a chance in this one that they will have to concentrate on defense.

Calgary have won nine of the last ten meetings in this series. This is a better San Jose team, but it’s not like the Flames had a championship-caliber squad during all those wins. San Jose is a team we have used a lot since the start of the season because we knew they were ahead of where the oddsmakers had them ranked. And they have been one of the best teams to bet on so far. But the value is kind of gone there now on a night-to-night basis as the oddsmakers have finally caught up. The Flames won two of three entering the break. One of those wins was at home to the Sharks. This San Jose team is built around Macklin Celebrini, and we think he might take a few games to get back into NHL season mode after his Olympic experience, which was a lot for such a young player. It might be tough for him to get back into the swing of things here and a playoff race after having a very busy and consequential Olympics.

We love the Kraken in this spot. Not only have they been playing better, but they have owned the Ducks at Anaheim as they have win four straight here. Seattle is playing as well as any team in the NHL right now. They have won four straight and five of six, with the only loss coming at home to Anaheim. We don’t think the Ducks are a good enough team to beat the Kraken twice in a short period of time. Seattle is well rested as they have enjoyed a rare two days off. During their current winning streak they have beaten some heavy hitters: Vegas, Toronto, Washington and New Jersey, so it’s not like they padded their standing on cupcakes. The Ducks have been incredibly inconsistent the last couple months. They are recently coming off a long winning streak but have now lost two of their last three.

The Sharks are playing very well lately and they have 13 goals in their last four games, and there was one game there where they only had a single goal, at Tampa Bay on a back-to-back. Edmonton has played in consecutive high scoring games where 22 total goals were scored. We see a shootout here, and the Sharks are definitely a live dog. These teams have played a lot of under games in the past, but this is a new Sharks team and they like to be aggressive and they have playmakers who can score. We see both teams getting their share of the total tonight.

The Sharks will take any chance they can get to accumulate points in their hunt for the postseason and they will not hesitate to lay down a beating on a struggling Vancouver squad who is playing as bad as any team in the NHL lately. Vancouver has had their number the last couple years and now it is payback time. San Jose has won the last two meetings and looks to make it three in a row today.

The Rangers have been a strong over team since Shesterkin has been sidelined. They face a San Jose team that can score some goals at home and that will allow some as well. These teams played in October to a 6-5 San Jose OT win. The over is 9-0-1 in the Sharks last 10 home games, and they so often play high scoring games here. We think that will be the case tonight with the Sharks returning from a four-game road trip. It’s sometimes tough for a team on their first game back home after a road trip and they may not be fully focused defensively.

We do not see the Blackhawks doing anything on offense here. They will have to step up on defense to keep this one competitive or the Hurricanes will run away with it, and both scenarios bode well for the under. The Blackhawks are really struggling offensively right now and have averaged less than two goals per game in their last six. They have averaged less than two goals per meeting with the Hurricanes in the last six matchups, and they were shut out twice in that span. They will have trouble scoring tonight. Bussi is a Top 5 goaltender this season and he is in the zone right now. The Hurricanes overall have a Top 8 defense. Chicago is actually underrated on defense and they are in the middle of the pack defensively for goals allowed. They can put up a stand here and make this one a low scoring affair. They have two shutouts in their last five games, including last time out vs. Winnipeg. We think there is a great chance they can hold Carolina to three or fewer goals. They are 29-20 this season to the under, and they have the ability to clamp down on defense when the offense isn’t producing.

Buffalo has been playing really well lately and they will give the Hurricanes a challenge here in the MLK Day matinee. They have scored at least four goals in eight of their last ten games, and they rung up five goals in five of those games. Their offense is humming like a well oiled machine, and we don’t see them letting up today. Carolina is one of the hottest teams in the league and they have 13 goals in their last two games, so there is a chance they could top this total as a team. They are the No. 3 offense for scoring in the league, and Buffalo is in the bottom half of the league defensively. We see the Hurricanes doing some scoring today, and Buffalo has the chops to keep up and get their share of the total.

These teams played last night in LA, a 3-2 shootout win by Anaheim on away ice. This is a quick revenge spot and the Kings are the better team. They have been better on the road than at home this season. These teams have alternated wins and losses for six straight games, and now it’s the Kings turn. The defense shouldn’t be as good here with the fatigue factor as defense takes a lot of energy. The Ducks have played good defense the last two games but we don’t think they can hold that up, and they have allowed five or more goals in seven of their last 10 games.

At 31-14 to the over, Anaheim is one of the best over teams on the total this season, and we don’t mind paying a little juice for the over here tonight. The Ducks defense has been atrocious, and it has allowed at least five goals in seven of the last eight games. There is a good chance that Dallas will capture most of the goals for this total. Dallas has the third best offense in the NHL for goals scored per game, so it’s not inconceivable for them to surpass this total as a team. But we have a very sneaky feeling that the Ducks will make a game of this. The Stars are on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. Their defense might not have the energy, and Anaheim will be attacking for sure on offense. The Ducks have had two nights off, and that is ample time to regroup after nine straight losses, and we could see the Ducks come out strong on offense. We certainly think they will get their share of the total. The Ducks have gone over in eight straight. Dallas has gone over in four if six. Three straight meetings have gone over the posted number.

We were on the Jets last time out as they broke their 11-game losing streak to the LA Kings here at home. And we mentioned in our writeup that they might have been the best team on an 11-game winning streak in history, as they lost 10 of those by one goal and played a lot of good teams. We think after their big win that they may want to start another streak in the other direction. They have beaten the Devils in two straight with a +9 goal differential in those games. They have won the last four at home and all were blowouts. The Devils are in a tailspin right now and have lost seven of their last nine games. Many of these haven’t been close.

The Jets have lost 11 straight. But this is legit probably the best performance we have ever seen from a team on an 11-game losing streak. Four of those losses were in OT and ten were by a single goal. The one that wasn’t was a two-goal loss to the Senators where Ottawa scored late. There defense and goaltending has been sufficient during this bad stretch. They have played a very tough schedule and they really should have won a few of those games. This has involved some bad luck. But the value on this team is at an all time high for a team of this caliber. They are relatively healthy compared to the Kings and they are very good at home. They are desperate to end their franchise biggest losing streak in history. This could be a bad spot for the Kings who are coming off a game with their biggest rival where they gave it their all and still came up short.

The Sharks laid a beating on Columbus last night (we were on San Jose), and we think they saved some energy for this back-to-back against their biggest rival. That was a pretty easy win for them, to be honest. The Sharks have actually won three of the last five meetings. LA has beaten San Jose only once in the last eight meetings by multiple goals. San Jose is one of the best ATS teams in the league, and LA is one of the worst. LA won consecutive games against the Wild, but they have only four wins in their last ten games, so they are not in top form in our opinion.

Two straight meetings, one in LA and one in Minnesota, have gone over, both winning on home ice in a shootout. We could see a repeat here. Those games, including a meeting in Minnesota on Saturday, averaged seven goals apiece in regulation. Each of these teams is trending heavily to the over right now. Minnesota has gone over in five straight, and three of those games went to extra time. The Kings have gone over in four straight. During Saturday’s matchup, the scoring was fluid, and we saw four goals, two from each team, heading into the final period, setting up a strong chance for the over, especially at 5.5, and there were four goals in the final period. We don’t think either team will make huge defensive adjustments here, so we expect a similar type game.

Philly has won six of the last eight meetings and three of the last four in Vancouver, and we think they match up extremely well with the Canucks. That matchup advantage was on display eight days ago when the Flyers scored a 5-2 win at home over the Canucks. In professional sports, Revenge is an overrated handicapping angle. It sometimes is a factor after a quick turnaround, but these teams have played other games since and if Vancouver was a very revenge-minded team, they have a lot of scores to settle as they are in last place in the Pacific so far. The Flyers have been a solid team on the road, and Vancouver has barely had any home ice advantage this season (4-11-1 at home). The Canucks racked up some wins on the road lately but they have lost three straight at home.

This is of course a major rivalry, and the Rangers have gotten the better of the Islanders in seven of the last nine meetings, including two straight at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY. The Rangers have won three of four and are playing extremely well right now. Last time out they beat the Capitals in Washington, 7-3. The Islanders are coming off a 2-1 home win over the banged-up Devils, but this team lost three straight before that and they haven’t scored more than two goals in a game in their last four. The Rangers have been much better on the road than at home this season, and if they can fix their home ice problems this team will be a factor in the playoff race. The Rangers are in better form, they have done much better in this rivalry recently, and they are very strong on the road. All signs point to a Rangers win today, and this line is packed with betting value.

Both teams are trending to the over. San Jose has gone over in three of four, with one push, while the Knights have gone over in consecutive games. These teams have a history of high scoring games, with four of five, including the last two, and five of seven, going over the posted total. In the last two meetings we got a pair of 4-3 Vegas wins, and we could see that type of game here. This is a regional rivalry, and with San Jose on the way up and likely to be a playoff mainstay in the coming years anchored by generational talent Macklin Celebrini, this rivalry will likely become a prominent one. Both teams enter on a losing streak – San Jose at two games and Vegas at three – so there will be some urgency for both teams to get on the scoreboard. Jack Eichel, the Knights points leader, missed last week with an illness but should be good to return to the lineup here and will no doubt bolster the Knights attack. But we like the over even if for some reason Eichel does not play. The Sharks offense has seen its ups and downs but they have averaged four goals (in regulation) per game in their last four. The Knights have scored at least three goals in five of their last six. These teams haven’t been playing their best defense lately. The Knights have allowed 10 goals in their last two games. The Sharks have allowed 17 in their last four. We think both teams will get some opportunities to light the lamp in this one, and these teams seem to always play a competitive game in recent meetings, so we don’t think we will see a blowout or one-sided game. Since this is the last game before the holiday break, we think these teams will play extra hard knowing rest is coming, and we think this will be a high scoring affair.

Love the Wild in this spot. After a typical slow start to the season, this team is playing championship caliber hockey right now. They have won five straight, and they beat teams like Dallas, Boston and Washington by multiple goals. They are a little banged up heading to this one but have the depth to weather any players who might miss the ice tonight. Minnesota has been a solid road team this year and they can be trusted with your wagers when away from home. In the NHL sometimes teams come from nowhere to be in the playoff race, and that was Columbus last year. But it looks like they were a flash in the pan as they surely don’t look like a playoff caliber squad this season. They beat Anaheim in OT last time out, but that was their first win in six tries and Ws have been few and far between. The Wild have won six of the last eight meetings. They have won three straight and four of five at Columbus.

The Sharks did break out for four goals vs. Carolina but they have scored only one goal each in three of the last four. Toronto’s defense is playing on another level lately and they have allowed an average of one goal per game in their last five. We just don’t see San Jose breaking out here and they will have a real challenge in finding the net tonight. Toronto has been one of the top over teams this season but they have gone under in four straight because of their defense and we think they will shut the Sharks down big time here.

We were on Nashville last night for our 5-Unit winner and in our writeup we stated one of the reasons we liked the Predators over the Avalanche was that Colorado was playing Florida on Thursday. And now Florida has that game looming and that one is a lot bigger than this matchup at Utah, and Florida could be saving some energy. The Panthers had recently lost four straight at home, so they aren’t in the best form right now. Utah came storming out of the gates this season and the oddsmakers had them overrated but they have come back to earth and they are even showing value in some instances, and we think tonight is one of those nights. Utah has been very solid at home so far, while Florida has been poor on the road.

Anytime we have a home team getting a decent price and getting goals, we have to take a look and see if it makes sense. We think it does here. Nashville is playing their best hockey of the season recently with four wins in their last six games. They are well rested with two days off since a loss at Carolina. Colorado is coming off a pair of one-goal wins, and they know they probably don’t have to give full effort here to win. They have the two-time defending champs on deck for Thursday and probably will be looking ahead a bit here. Nashville has won four of the last five meetings at home.

The Wild have won four straight in Seattle and 7 of 10 overall. They are the much stronger team and this line is very fair for the rod team on Monday night. Seattle is in a tailspin right now and has lost five straight, three of which came at home. Minnesota has lost consecutive games but we can give them a mulligan for that since overall they have won 7 of their last 10. And 6 of their last 8 games have been on the road. The Wild have been strong on the road and have a winning record away from home, and we think this two-game slide was just a blip on the radar for a playoff-caliber squad that is playing well at the moment. Seattle is not a playoff team. We expect their long losing streak to continue tonight.

Very nice opportunity here taking the best ATS team in the NHL (Blackhawks) against the worst ATS team in the NHL, Vegas. Chicago is 20-5 ATS and 8-3 ATS on the road. The Knights are 7-18 ATS and only 2-12 ATS at home. Vegas seems to be a big favorite here based on name alone as these teams have a similar record SU and both are coming off a win that broke a long losing streak. When Vegas wins, it’s rarely by more than one goal. The Blackhawks have been excellent at keeping games close. They recently had a five-game losing streak, but only one game got out of hand. Vegas really hasn’t been playing up to their potential recently and we think the Blackhawks are a live underdog. But they are more trustworthy ATS as they always play hard despite their opponent usually having a pure edge in talent.

This is one of the best rivalries in the Western Conference. We think both teams will want to score, and it is always a good idea to target the over at 5.5 in good spots. Lo and behold, we are a month and a half into the season and San Jose is only three points behind the Kings in the standings. They are firmly in the Wild Card race. It brings even more to this rivalry when both teams are competitive. Three straight meetings have gone over, and those three have averaged more than eight goals each. We like the way the Sharks have been playing defense and the Kings are always strong in that area, but we think we will see some goals here again and this one should be very entertaining.

Anaheim is in a bit of an offensive slump but we are betting it will be short lived and a great chance it ends tonight. They have been getting the shots on goal. They have just had some bad luck and strong goaltending from the opposition. Before their recent road trip they were the top offense in the league, averaging more than four goals per game. We don’t think they are the best in the league, but they are good. Boston is Top 3 in the league in penalty minutes, so we think there is a good chance we can get the power play going tonight. The Bruins have been trending to the over in their last 10, where they have scored at least three goals in eight of those games. We see them getting their share of the total here. These teams met last month in Boston and it was a crazy game. The Ducks won 7-5, and Granlund got two of those goals. He should be back in the lineup tonight. These teams have averaged 10 goals per game in the last two meetings, and we feel this one has a great chance to be another shootout.

Anaheim went into their road trip as the No. 1 scoring team in the league but they managed only four goals in three games in what was a rough road trip. They were on a 7-match winning streak heading into that road trip, where they lost all three games. We think getting back home will get them back into their offensive groove. And Utah is always a threat to light up the scoreboard as they have a good offense as well. The Mammoth have gone over in four of their last five. We see a competitive game here where both teams get their share of the total.

Two of three lifetime meetings went over the total. The last meeting was in Buffalo around a week ago and it was a 2-1 Utah win. There were a lot of shots in that match and a similar amount that we saw in both 5-2 Mammoth wins that preceded the Nov. 4 meeting. We expect to see some goals here. Buffalo has been trending to the over, with six of eight games going over the posted number. Five of their last seven games have gone to extra time, which is always good for the over. And we think they will be competitive again here. We expect them to get their share of the total. Utah has allowed at least four goals in five of their last six. They have allowed 15 in their last three for an average of five per game. Their offense has been inconsistent, but they have faced a road-heavy schedule and we expect them to see an offensive renaissance here at home tonight.

Anaheim have the best offense in the league, averaging over four goals per game, and they have been even better as they have scored seven in each of their last two. Their offense is humming as a well-oiled machine recently and we don’t see Vegas slowing them down. They have 23 goals in their last four games. Vegas has a pretty good offense themselves, and they are a team that won’t shy away from a shootout. Nine goals have been scored twice in their last four games, one of which was a win and one that was a loss. We see Anaheim continuing to thrive offensively but Vegas will be able to keep pace and this one looks like a probable shootout.

Five of the last six meetings have been one-goal games. The Sharks were one of the best puckline teams last season and they are 10-4 ATS this season. This team is better than last year and they are playing hard until the end here early in the season. They have won three of four outright, with the only loss coming vs. the Red Wings in a shootout. We expect a close game here and there is nice value in the puckline here.

We think the Canucks are taking a significant step back this season and this team is getting too much respect from the oddsmakers. They have dropped five of their last seven overall, and three of those five losses were by multiple goals. We were on Nashville over Calgary on Saturday and we watch that whole game and were very impressed with the Pred’s performance and we think the positive momentum will carry over here. Vancouver has been decent on the road this season but we don’t see that holding up for long, and most teams should be able to collect a win when the Canucks visit. Nashville already beat Vancouver here last month, and forget about revenge because four other teams have dealt the Canucks a loss recently. Nashville outshot the Canucks 35-22 for shots on goal, and the Preds had too many penalties in that game but still won. If they can clean up their play, there is no reason to think this won’t be a multiple-goal win.

The only thing stopping the Blackhawks from a perfect ATS record is an empty netter at home against the Kings two games ago. They fought hard all game and should have covered that one as well. This team is very much improved this season and they have a swagger we just haven’t seen from this team in years. They are playing with extreme confidence, and this club isn’t just looking for morale wins, close matches, they are looking for wins. And the oddsmakers have been slow to adjust to the new reality for this team. We will take advantage. Winnipeg once again looks like a strong team. They have played in quite a few close games lately, and they are an average 5-5 ATS. They have covered only one of their six games at home, and that was an empty netter against Calgary. The Blackhawks always play Winnipeg tough. Four of the last six meetings went to extra time. All but one of those games was a one-score game, and the one that wasn’t was a two-goal Winnipeg win on an empty netter in December of last year. And by the looks of it this Blackhawks team is much better than those squads, and we think they will be playing to win tonight.

These teams are a combined 12-5-2 to the over. Calgary has surprisingly been a strong over team. They have given up more goals than they would want on the season. But they have also seen an uptick on goals lately with eight in their last two games. They will definitely want to score tonight against a fellow Canadian squad and a top one at that, and we think the positive momentum will continue on offense… at least for them to score their share of the total. They will probably only need two to get us past the total here, but with three it should be a done deal. Toronto have gone over in four straight, where they have given up 16 goals in regulation. Their offense has averaged four goals apiece in those games. They are 7-2 to the over this season so far, so you have to love the 5.5 total here.

Utah has been racking up goals lately on offense and they have been playing solid defense. But they got a big win at Minnesota last night and we just think this is a flat spot for their offense. Despite having the No. 2 offense in the NHL, Utah is 5-4 to the under so far this season. We think on a back-to-back that they will have a tough time lighting the lamp here in Winnipeg. The Jets lead the league in Save Percentage and they have allowed the least goals in the NHL (three-way tie). We see a defensive game from both teams here and we think there is a great chance we could see a three- or four-goal game here.

The Blackhawks should have covered five straight pucklines against Tampa Bay but in two of those games the Lightning scored empty netters after the Blackhawks pulled the goalie. But Chicago actually won two of those games outright. The Blackhawks are much improved this season and they have been perfect against the puckline at 7-0. Tampa Bay is having a rough season so far. They have covered just one puckline, and that was as an underdog. This is one of the title favorites, and they will snap out of their funk, but we are betting it won’t be tonight as Chicago is playing to win this one while the Lightning are still figuring some things out. Tampa Bay has the talent edge, but Chicago is playing great team hockey to start the season and we expect them to keep this one close if not win outright.

We are going with San Jose again and even though we lost badly with them last time we think they are a solid wager tonight. The Mammoth have looked horrible to start the season and this team just can’t score goals. You have to score to cover the puckline and we just don’t see them outplaying the Sharks enough to cover the puckline. San Jose looked very solid in their first two matchups and we will give them a mulligan for the Carolina loss, where the game got away from them quickly.

The Sharks are an improved team this year. This might not be evident in their season ending points total because they should be sellers at the trade deadline and at a certain point they won’t be playing hard every game. But now they are playing hard and even though they lost their first two games, they were both games they could have easily won and they lost both in overtime. But San Jose was a Top 10 puckline team last season, so they kept more games close than people realize. This is the last game of a three-game homestand to start the season, so they would really want to win one of these and this is their last chance. We think they will definitely put their best foot forward in effort even though Carolina is the much stronger squad. But Carolina didn’t look great last time out and were lucky to beat the Flyers at home in OT, and now this is their first road game all the way across the country. And the Hurricanes have some much tougher opponents upcoming on this six-game road trip, so they might be conserving their energy here in a matchup they know they can win without 100 percent effort. Carolina has won eight of the last nine meetings, but six of those were one-goal games. Their last visit to San Jose was a 3-1 win where the stats were closer than the final score indicated. We love to play home dogs on the plus-goals puckline at minimal juice, and San Jose showed all last year that they can cover pucklines against superior teams. And we think this is a better Sharks team than last year.

The last three meetings have averaged more than eight goals apiece. Vegas had an absolute battle with the Kings last night where they lost 6-5 in overtime, and come here not only on a back-to-back but after overtime. And even though it’s early in the season, these players aren’t quite in midseason physical form here and we think the defense of the Knights may suffer and we think the Sharks might sneak up on them here. San Jose will probably be a better offensive team than a defensive team, and they have young Celebrini leading the way on that front. And they definitely have some unheralded players that can make some noise on offense. The Knights have a long winning streak against San Jose and they always score a lot here in the Bay Area as they have at least four goals in each of their last four visits. San Jose will probably not be very good this year again. But we think they will play hard, especially at the start of the season. This team was very good ATS last season as they managed to hang around with better teams, and we see them being able to get their share of the total here. As the season goes on there will be less and less excitement in this building, but the SAP Center will be rocking for the home opener, and we think this will be a high scoring game and we think the Knights might have some lapses on defense on the B2B but San Jose should allow some goals as well.

Believe it or not, the Blackhawks were a Top 10 ATS team last year. Many teams forming the Top 10 ATS list were bad teams record wise. Chicago was one of the worst teams in the league last season. San Jose was also. Both were among the best ATS clubs. And this Blackhawks team should be better than last season. They are not a playoff team by any means, but they are at a good spot in their rebuild and could be thinking playoffs next season. But they should have a real positive outlook here at the beginning of the season, and that should help them keep some games close and maybe even pull a couple upsets. The Blackhawks always seem to play the Panthers tough. These teams have alternated wins and losses for the last three seasons. In fact, Florida scored a blowout win the last time these teams met, but that was the first time they covered the puckline in six times against the Blackhawks. Florida has their banner ceremony before this game. That can be a distraction at times when teams are more focused on the previous season than the one in front of them. Also, you have to remember that the Panthers were far from the best team in the league during the regular season last year but they are a team that has the ability to switch to another gear in the postseason. We think they will struggle similarly this regular season, and they are already missing two of their Top 3 scorers from last season due to injury. The public is all over the Panthers in this first game of the regular season, but we think this will be another close matchup between the two. Florida had a losing record ATS last season and they are going to be a very public favorite early in the season. You also have to remember that this team, along with the Oilers, had the shortest offseason two seasons in a row, so both ace candidates for a slow start in our eyes.

We don’t think there will be any Game 7 this year between these two teams and we think Florida will close this thing out at home tonight. This Panthers team has been the best team in the postseason by far, and they really showed the ability to raise their level of play once the playoffs hit after it looked like this may be a year that they would flame out early. Edmonton’s defense and goaltending has no answer for this team, and we just don’t think the Oilers can win this one in either a low scoring game or a shootout. Florida knows they have their chance at glory tonight and they don’t want to return to Edmonton, so we think this experienced team will treat this like a Game 7 tonight.

The under should have hit last game. We had a big play there and we consider it a bad beat because of the insane amount of penalty minutes. The Oilers especially lost their composure and we think they will be very disciplined here. We think this will be the lowest scoring game of the series so far.

We wanted to see how Game 2 played out before making our move on the under after a big play winner on the over for Game 1. And we thought Game 2 might go slightly over and that was the case, as this game was 4-3 against a 6.5 total when Edmonton tied it up with a goal as time almost ran out. Then these teams went around 28 minutes of OT without scoring again. We said in our Game 1 writeup that these teams will start to tighten up on defense, and we think that will be the case here for Game 3. Game 3 is always a crucial one in any 7-Game series and Florida has a chance to really move ahead in the series, while Edmonton can regain home ice advantage. It’s telling that the oddsmakers added juice to the under after the first two games went over, as they are protecting against sharp action on the under. We expect to see the best defensive games of the series from both teams.

Dallas has scored two goals in the last three games but they are on the verge of elimination and they have no choice but to be ultra aggressive here. We are not sure if they can win, but we think they will score. And defensively they have no answer for Edmonton in this series. Their only way to compete is to score tonight, and we think that both teams will get their share of the total.

Dallas has lost their scoring touch and Edmonton has really clamped down on defense. We just don’t see the Stars doing much here on offense and they should have a tough night on that end once again after scoring a single goal combined in Games 2 and 3. Their season is essentially on the line tonight and they have to step up the defense. We think that will happen. Game 3 was looking like it was trending under and the Oilers got a late goal in the second and then went off in the third. We just don’t see that happening again, and we think whomever wins this will win a low scoring game.

This is the last stand for the Hurricanes, who are down 3-0 in the series. While we are not sure they have what it takes to win, they will likely play a lot better on defense than they did in Game 3. That game looked like it was going to be an under most of the game until Florida exploded for five goals in the third period. That is unlikely to happen again. The Hurricanes haven’t been able to get anything going on offense in this series, so they are going to have to rely on their defense to get the job done. We think they will rise to that task. Before that third period outburst by the Panthers, five of the previous seven meetings have gone under. Florida is probably going to take their foot off the gas a little, which is human nature when a team is up this big in a series. We just see a very low scoring game here and think this one will be an easy cashed ticket.

These teams have now gone over in three straight meetings. Dallas has scored at least four goals in four straight meetings. They were amazing on offense in Game 1 and especially on the power play. We don’t see how Edmonton will slow them down. We also think the Oilers will make adjustments on offense and they will have a better offensive showing. They did score three goals in Game 1. They have had one bad offensive game in recent playoff matchups but otherwise they have scored at least three goals, and often many more, in nine of their last 10 games in this postseason. We think both teams get their share of the total tonight.

After seeing the Panthers lay a beatdown on the Hurricanes in Game 1, we absolutely love this plus-money price on them tonight. We had them handicapped as a small favorite for this Game 2 matchup So, amazing value here. NHL isn’t like the NBA and teams can climb out of a hole in series, so this game isn’t do or die for the Hurricanes quite yet. So they won’t be playing with desperation or anything. The Panthers are much more battle tested in this playoffs and it showed in Game 1. Carolina played two teams that didn’t pose much of a challenge in the Devils and Capitals. Washington looked nothing like the team we was in the regular season in these playoffs. Florida played an incredibly tough Lightning team and then a championship-caliber Leafs squad. Remember, they swept the away first portion of games in that series against the Lightning and we think they have a great chance to do it here. They are 6-2 on the road this postseason and they have won three straight playoff road games after their Game 1 win.

We think this is an amazing price for the Hurricanes for Game 1. We think this series will go far, but Carolina has a big rest advantage as they closed up their series on May 15 and the Panthers have a quick turnaround with only one day off. The Panthers have played two more games than the Hurricanes this postseason, and the extra rest is a huge advantage at this point of the season. Couple that with the fact that Carolina is one of the best home teams in the league and they are almost unbeatable here. Florida has been a little better than average on the road this season, and that is a big reason why they had an unfavorable seed this postseason.

We are a bit surprised Toronto made it this far in this series and the Panthers came out flat at home in Game 6. We will give them a mulligan here. They have a lot of successful experience in situations like this in the past couple years and they know how to win a Game 7. Toronto always falls short in the postseason, and we think that pattern will repeat tonight. This price is more than fair, and Florida won Game 5 here, 6-1, so they won’t be intimidated on road ice tonight.

We don’t think the Capitals will roll over easy here. Carolina can close this one out in Game 5, but not so quick. Washington has won four of the last five meetings at home, and the lone loss was in Game 1 in overtime. They bounced back with a 3-1 home win in Game 2. The NHL Playoffs aren’t like the NBA postseason, and it is much more realistic for a team to come back from being down big in a series to take it to 7 games or even win it. Look what we saw in the Stanley Cup Finals with Edmonton last year when they were down 3-0 and pushed it to seven games. We aren’t saying the Caps will do the same, but they are taking it one game at a time and we think they have a much better chance to win this than the odds would indicate. They have been almost unbeatable at home this season, while Carolina has been a different team on the road than at home most of the season.

Nine of the last ten meetings have gone under between these two teams and Game 3 was the only game to go over. Dallas scored five last time out and Hellebuyck wasn’t good in that one but he was coming off a shutout in Game 2 and we think he will tighten things up here. Dallas got three goals in the third and that game kind of got away from Winnipeg but they have their season essentially on the line here as they don’t want to go down 3-1, so they will pull out all the stops defensively. Last game was an outlier for the recent history between these teams and it’s great value getting a plus-money price on the under here as we think this will be a defensive battle.

Edmonton didn’t play that well in Game 3 and they were still in a position to win until the final seconds. We like them to win this series and this Game 4 at home is extremely crucial in that pursuit. They had won four straight meetings against Vegas before that Knights goal at 19:59 in the third period of Game 3. We really just expect them to come out and play their A Game tonight, and then they will have three chances to close the series out. This is their biggest game of the season and we expect them to respond positively.

Dallas stole home ice advantage for this series in Game 1 but Winnipeg played well enough to win and many of the numbers were in their favor. We see this series going a long way and it’s extremely likely Winnipeg evens this one up tonight. Dallas might rest on their laurels here as they already did their job and a split for the first two games in Winnipeg is a win for them already. So it’s just natural that they might not give the same effort in Game 3, and they probably won’t get the lucky bounces, either. Winnipeg has won four of the last six meetings despite the Game 1 loss. Even though we were on Dallas in Game 1, we fully expect this series to be even by the time they move to Dallas for Game 3. The Jets will find a way to get it done.

The last two games have averaged eight goals apiece. There is no pressure on Montreal here. They weren’t even supposed to be in the playoffs and their future is bright. They are just going to be aggressive on the offensive end here and throw caution to the wind. We think they will have some success on the offensive end. Washington has averaged 4.25 goals in this series, so they should have no problem grabbing their share of the total. We just don’t see a strong defensive stand from Montreal that might be typical of a team with high season expectations on the verge of elimination, and we see another high scoring game here just like the last two.

Every game of this series has gone over, which has been surprising, but we have seen the total creep up and we just think there is value here. It is telling that the under is juiced this way, and with this series knotted up, we see the defenses start to shine. These have been two of the best under teams in the league this season, and we expect a low scoring game in this series. One of these games is going to be a 2-1 type of game, and we think this could be the one as the winner of this one is on the verge of advancing, so we really see the defenses starting to shine.

Florida got a little complacent in Game 3 after winning the first two pretty easily in Tampa Bay. This is one of the best home teams in the NHL, while the Lightning have been mediocre on the road this season. We just don’t see the Panthers losing their two games at home and letting Tampa Bay back into this series. Florida has won five of the last eight meetings. We think that Florida just slipped up in Game 3 more than the Lightning are in this series and we expect them to be focused and efficient tonight, and this line is more than fair for the home team.

Washington has a chance to put Montreal on the ropes tonight, and we think they will do it. We think they might have the best showing of the playoffs so far tonight. That is just a hunch, but we do expect them to win this one. The Caps are a very strong road team. They have more road wins than the Canadiens do at home. Washington has won their last two visits here. We think the Capitals are the type of team that can get better throughout a series as they identify their opponents’ weaknesses. They looked a lot better in Game 2 than they did in Game 1. It’s so cool that Montreal is back in the playoffs. This team has a bright future. But they are just happy to be here this year and not a true championship contender, and Washington is one of the best, if not the best, team in the league. We think they show it tonight in this crucial Game 3.

Game 1 was a 6-5 shootout and a Kings win, but the three previous meetings all went under the posted total. We think the defenses will make adjustments here and this series will tighten up starting here in Game 2. There weren’t an abnormal level of shots in Game 1, but the defenses allowed too many chances and the goalies didn’t play well for either team. We just don’t see a replay of Game 1 happening. These have been two of the better defensive teams in the league this season that have relied on defense to get where they are now. This is the first total we have gotten above 5.5 in the last five meetings. And it’s telling that the under is juiced here, as the oddsmakers expect these teams to tighten things up in Game 2. We think this one should go well under the total.

The Sharks are a team we backed on the puckline a lot early in the season as we knew they were better than the market had them ranked. But they have shipped off some good players and they are clearly planning for the future. We faded them on the puckline last night, and they really faded in the third period against the Flames in a 5-2 loss. This is not a deep Sharks roster, so this is going to be a real tough back-to-back for them when they already looked like they ran out of gas last night. This team hasn’t been good on back-to-backs lately with their depleted roster. Their last B2B was at the end of March when they faced their biggest rival, the LA Kings, in LA, after a home matchup with the Rangers. They lost 8-1. And if they can’t get excited for a matchup against their rival, what will happen here against Vancouver? And unlike that last back-to-back, both of these games are on the road here, which makes the B2B even more difficult. Neither team is going to the playoffs, but the Canucks are a much better team, and they are catering to the home crowd tonight and want to give them a victory. The Sharks don’t really have much motivation here and are probably looking forward to a day off tomorrow before their final home game on Wednesday at Edmonton. We could see them giving max effort in that one, but not this road matchup against Vancouver. The Canucks have won four of the last five meetings at home by multiple goals, and we think there is a great chance that this one is a bloodbath on the ice tonight in Vancouver.

Calgary kept their playoff hopes alive with a massive 4-2 win over the Wild last time out, and this team seems determined to make the postseason. Minnesota hasn’t secured their spot either, so that win was impressive. Calgary finishes the season with Vegas and at the Kings, so this is absolutely a must win. These teams played Monday, at San Jose, and the Sharks got a goal with less than 30 seconds left to win on the puckline, and they had a man advantage. Calgary has won by multiple goals in three of the last five meetings at home, and with the familiarity

Minnesota has won four straight meetings by multiple goals. We have been big on fading San Jose on the puckline lately, and it has been paying often as this team loses steam and prepares for the offseason. The only reason they cashed the puckline last time out vs. Calgary was a late 6-on-4 situation, and even a bad team like the Sharks can usually convert in that scenario. The Wild have won six straight meetings, five by multiple goals. The Wild have played a Murderer’s Row of opponents lately, so they will relish this opportunity for an easy win.

Calgary has won five straight in San Jose, and four of those have come by multiple goals. The fight has seemed to have left the Sharks, who are losing more and more games by multiple goals after being one of the better ATS teams most of the season. They have lost five straight, and three of those have come by multiple goals, including last time out in a 5-1 home loss to the Kraken. Early in the season this Sharks team had a lot of good vibes and they were improved on the ice this season. But as the losses piled up the morale started to go down, and here we are as the team is already looking towards the offseason and next season. Calgary has an outside shot at the playoffs. But they need wins and help. This is basically a must win for the Flames, and we think they bring their A Game and win big, leaving nothing to chance.

These teams have gone over in nine of the last 10 meetings. It’s almost like clockwork. The Kraken have been eliminated from the playoff picture and the Canucks are soon to follow, so the defense shouldn’t be too intense here. The Canucks defense has been inconsistent lately and we think Seattle will be able to light the lamp here as they are coming off two straight matchups with Dallas where they scored only one goal in each game but they scored six before that against Edmonton and we are confident they will focus on offense tonight. Vancouver played another strong defensive team last time out in Winnipeg and also scored a single goal. But they had 11 goals in their two matchups previous to that, and that is the kind of scoring we expect in this one. At 5.5 you don’t need an epic offensive showing to cover the over, and we think both teams will get their share to once again send this one over.

Anytime you can fade the Predators on the road at a decent price, you have to look further into it. They are one of the worst road teams in the NHL this season. And this one checks out. The Flyers have been playing well and enter on a two-game winning streak. They scored 13 combined goals in wins over Buffalo and Montreal. Nashville is a step below both of those teams. Philly has won three of four at home, and one of those wins was against the Lightning, so their home play has been good recently. Nashville has lost two straight, and they scored a combined three goals in losses to the Knights and Blues. They have scored one or fewer goals in six of their last nine matchups. You don’t really have to look at the W/Ls for their recent games when knowing that stat to surmise they have not been winning. You have to score to win in this league, and the Flyers are coming in very confident with their offense tonight.

We like to back a good team off a bad loss, and that is what we have here as the no-hope Predators came into Carolina last game and won easy. Every team, even championship contenders, have a bad game. But they usually come back strong and focused in their next game. Carolina have won nine of the last ten meetings, and eight of those wins came by multiple goals. Montreal has looked pretty bad lately and they have given up 12 goals in their last two games. One of those was last night in Philly, so they are on a B2B here, and that’s not a good situation against a focused Hurricanes squad.

Boston has lost six straight entering this one, and this team is just a dumpster fire right now. And this losing streak came when they were in the thick of the playoff race. This team is not making the postseason, and there will be big changes to come. Morale can’t be great on this team right now. The Ducks haven’t been great but they have been winning more than the Bruins. They have a couple wins recently and took the Stars to OT on the road in a recent matchup. This team we think wants to finish the season strong, and it’s always one of the biggest games of the year when Boston comes to town no matter how badly they are playing. Out of the three bad teams in the NHL the last couple years – Sharks, Blackhawks, and these Ducks – we think Anaheim has the brightest future with their current rosters and we like the stage they are at in their rebuild. We think they bring their A Game tonight. Oh, and don’t forget that the Ducks have won the last two meetings, both in Boston.

Five straight meetings have gone over the posted total. St. Louis has been an underrated team all season and they are playing great on offense and are a legit playoff team in our eyes. They have scored at least four goals in six straight games. They could do even better here and we think they could get close to covering this total by themselves. Montreal has gone over in five of their last six. Their offense has been inconsistent but they have scored at least four goals in four of their last six. They are one of the better over teams this season and in games where they don’t play well on offense they usually give up goals on defense. We do think they will get their share of the total today, however. They have 10 goals in their last two visits to Enterprise Center.

Lay the goals here comfortably. The Blackhawks had another disappointing season, and despite a bright future with Bedard, this team doesn’t have much to play for as we get close to the end of the regular season. That lack of competitiveness has shown, as they have lost six straight entering this matchup, and they have lost by multiple goals in five straight. The Blues have won four straight and six of eight, and they have impressive wins in that stretch at LA Kings, at Minnesota and they have covered the puckine in three of their last four. If the season ended today, the Blues would be in the last wild card spot in the west. But to say their playoff spot is safe would be a fallacy. They are one point ahead of the Canucks and two points ahead of the Flames. Utah is also in the mix. So this is almost a must win at home against one of the worst teams in the league. We expect, with the way St. Louis has been playing recently, they will bring their A Game here and win by multiple goals. They have won eight of the last 10 meetings, and seven of those wins were by multiple goals.

Montreal has won the last two meetings outright and they have covered the puckline in three straight meetings. The Canadiens are not only a very solid home team, but they have been an excellent ATS club this season at 37-28 ATS. Florida has a losing record ATS. Montreal is back home after a four-game road trip, and they have won three straight at home, including a 4-0 drubbing of Carolina. The Panthers have been particularly poor ATS on the road recently, and they are 1-5 ATS in their last six road contests. Florida is also probably a little overvalued here on the moneyline and puckline as they have been at home a lot in recent games and they are more vulnerable on the road in general.

The Hurricanes are the biggest favorite on the board today, and for good reason. Detroit has been playing horrible hockey lately, despite a win last time out vs. Buffalo, and this team has generally been horrid offensively. They have scored two goals or fewer in five of their last seven games. Even when the Wings are playing well they never seem to perform at Carolina as the Hurricanes have a long streak of covering the puckline at home in this series. Carolina have won five straight and are coming off puckline wins over Tampa Bay and Winnipeg. They are taking a big step down in class here.

The last three meetings have seen 10 or more goals scored each. That includes a pair of games in January, a 6-5 Nashville win and a 7-5 Nashville win. None of the last six games have gone under (two pushes). We think these teams are in for some more scoring here tonight. Neither team is making the playoffs, so this game isn’t very important. We don’t see a lot of defense being played as a result. Offense comes naturally, but defense takes effort. The Sharks have given up 11 goals in their last two matchups and this team will be poor defensively down the stretch. They already have the mindset of looking forward to next season and the focus just isn’t there lately. Nashville has allowed at least three goals in four of their last five and we think the Sharks will get their share of the total as well tonight.

These teams have averaged over eight goals each in the last three meetings. Five of the last eight meetings have gone over with one push. The Blues have scored at least three goals in eight straight games. They have scored four or more in half of those. Anaheim’s offense has been inconsistent but we expect a very competitive game from them here and we think they can challenge for the win despite being a decent sized underdog. We think both teams will get their share of the total here. The Ducks have gone over in three of their last four games. They seem to either score a lot or give up many goals recently, and this is a matchup where we expect both clubs to get to at least three goals. The winner has scored six goals in five of the last eight meetings. Five of the last eight have gone over for the Blues. Both of these teams trend to the under on the season but their recent results have trended to the over, and we love taking the over on a matchup with strong scoring history and that we expect to be a competitive game.

Columbus is one of the best ATS teams in the league so it’s scary to go against them here on the puckline, but we think this is a bad matchup for them. They have lost six straight in this series, and the Panthers covered the puckline in four of those games. Florida has a goal differential of +20 in those six matchups. Columbus is coming off a beatdown at Tampa Bay, and this matchup won’t be any easier. Florida is one of the hottest teams in the league, and they are covering the puckline in a lot of their recent wins.

Boston hasn’t been playing well at all but this looks like a matchup that can get them back on track. The Bruins have had a very tough schedule and they have suffered a bunch of one-goal and OT losses. They have lost six of seven, and all were one-goal losses and despite the matchup against a hot Anaheim team, all opponents were playoff type clubs. Now they face a Predators club that has won only three of their last 10. They are absolutely horrible on the road and rarely win away from home (6-20-4). Boston is a team that we normally stay away from because they are a public team and their odds are normally skewed by the bookies. And we have stated it all season that this team is way down from what we are used to. But their stock is low now and we think this is an amazing spot for them to get a win in front of the home fans.

The Ducks are playing very good hockey right now. We had this game handicapped at a much higher number than the bookies have released. They have won eight of their last 11 games and the losses were all on the road. They have beaten the Canucks, Bruins, Kings, and Stars, so it hasn’t been too favorable of a schedule. The rebuild looked promising heading into the season, and it all seems to be coming together now. This team should compete for the playoff next season. Chicago enters on a five-game losing streak. They rarely win on the road. They have the second worst point total in the league after the Sharks, and this team is just playing out the string right now. Once in awhile they play an inspired game, but that usually comes at home and this team has just been awful defensively, where they have given up an average of five goals in their current five game slide.

These squads have gone over the posted total in three straight meetings. These are two strong under teams, but we will try to beat the total at 5.5 at a nice plus-money price. The Kings have gone over in five of their last six. It’s because their offense is on fire right now. They have averaged five goals in those over games. And they played some very solid defensive teams during this streak. Vancouver has been the opposite and they have been on an under streak but that has to end sometime and this looks like the one where it will, and we don’t see them slowing the Kings down tonight. Also, we expect the Canucks to notch a couple goals in what should be a competitive game, so we think they get their share of the total as well.

The Blackhawks have won only two of their last eight. But this is probably one of the few teams in sports where morale victories mean something, and Chicago has had quite a few of those lately. They lost to Edmonton, Tampa Bay and Carolina at home, all in overtime. They lost by two to Minnesota only on a Wild empty netter and were in that game all the way through. They beat the Lightning on the road and also the Knights at home. They also lost by only one in a road matchup against the Hurricanes. While it may not show in the standings, this team seems to be turning a corner to where they could actually be a good team next season. Nashville is the big road favorite here, but the reality is that the Predators have been wildly disappointing and are in reality only five points ahead of the Hawks in the standings. They are among the three worst road teams in the league, along with these Blackhawks and the Sharks. They have lost five straight overall entering this matchup.

We love the Capitals in this spot. Winnipeg has been the hotter team but this is a great spot to get a win for the home team and we think Washington will bring their A Game in this marquee matchup. Washington has dropped two of three but they are coming off a very tough road trip where they won three of five and lost to Vancouver (2-1) and Ottawa in OT. But now they are back home where they have been virtually unbeatable this season. Winnipeg have looked very good lately but they have had a much easier schedule and this is definitely their toughest matchup in awhile. We think there is great value on this line tonight. The Capitals have won five of the last six meetings and five straight at home.