We came through last night with two solid underdog plays that both hit. The Sabres were the team to stop the Penguins 15 game winning streak. It always seems like the big winning streaks are stopped by sub par teams. Look at the Blackhawks undefeated in regulation streak being busted by Colorado.
Also, nothing has gone on in terms of trades yet today. The next couple hours will be interesting though. Just one play tonight though….the battle of Alberta!
Season Record To Date: 43-50 for -6.79 units.
Edmonton Oilers @ Calgary Flames
It’s the battle of Alberta and it’s actually a pretty important game for the Oilers who have turned it up of late and won 4 in a row to put themselves in a position to push for a playoff spot down the stretch. They have 13 games remaining and are just one point behind the Blues for the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. The Oilers haven’t been great on the road, but they haven’t been horrible either with a 7-8-3 record. But playing in Calgary isn’t much of a road game so they should be able to continue their momentum from their home win over the Flames just two days prior. The Oilers won that one 4-1 even though they were out shot significantly. I expect an even better showing tonight by the kids.
Play: Oilers -127 (5Dimes.eu)
It’s the day before the trade deadline and there are a lot of teams in action today. It will be interesting to see if any players sit out because they are being shopped around this evening.
Season Record To Date: 41-50 for -10.29 units.
Buffalo Sabres @ Pittsburgh Penguins
The Sabres have lost four straight heading into this one, while the Penguins have won 15 in a row. That said two of those Sabres losses were in shootouts, while the last one was against a strong Bruins team. Tonight they are up against an even stronger Penguins team, but the loss of Sidney Crosby, along with trying to figure out where Jarome Iginla fits into the lineup could affect the outcome of this game. I don’t think the Sabres should be quite as big of dogs as they are.
Play: Sabres +230 (SportsInteraction.com)
Los Angeles Kings @ Phoenix Coyotes
The Coyotes are out of the playoff hunt. They’ve lost 8 of their last 9 games, but taking a closer look they haven’t played that bad in the past few. They lost in a shootout to the Sharks on Saturday, and in overtime to the Wild last Wednesday. In between these games they lit up the Preds 7-4. All of these games were on the road where the Coyotes are only 4-8-5 this season. In fact the ‘Yotes were on the road for 7 of their last 9 games. They will be eager to get home to where they are a respectable 10-7-1 this season. The Kings on the other hand are at the tail end of a 5 game road trip. They did manage to win 3 of these games, but the fatigue may be starting to get to them. I like the Coyotes as dogs in this one.
Play: Coyotes +120 (5Dimes.eu)
Thursday night went pretty well, as we went 2 for 3, with the Preds getting lit up by the Coyotes to keep us from a perfect night. Today I really like our picks and expect a big night.
Season Record To Date: 41-47 for -7.04 units.
New York Islanders @ Pittsburgh Penguins
I’m taking this bet because the line is off at Sports Interaction. The Isles are +235 there, while they are +210 at 5Dimes (Pens are -230). As you can see there is a hedge betting opportunity on this game if you have an account at each site. I like the Isles line at Sports Interaction more though so I’m just going to stick with that single bet, but you could lock in a profit.
Play: Islanders +235 (SportsInteraction.com)
Toronto Maple Leafs @ Ottawa Senators
The Sens are playing their last home game for quite some time with the Women’s World Hockey Championships taking over the Scotiabank Place for the next two weeks while the Sens go on a 6 game road trip. The trip makes this home game against the division rivals very important in terms of where the two teams will end up in the standings at the end of the season. The Sens have been playing very well and following his shutout of the Rangers, Bishop is back in goal for the Senators tonight. As only minor favourites I like the 12-2-3 home team in this one.
Play: Senators -125 (5Dimes.eu)
Nashville Predators @ Colorado Avalanche
The Preds are coming off an embarrassing 7-4 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, and the Avs are the perfect team for a bounce back game. Colorado has been solid at home this season (9-6-1), but the Preds are sitting two points out of a playoff spot and can’t afford losses to the Avalanche at this point in the season.
Play: Predators +100 (5Dimes.eu)
A solid two wins last night. The Wild survived a scare against the Coyotes scoring late to tie up the game and then winning in overtime. The Flames on the other hand got a big enough lead to avoid a sluggish third period collapse and beat the Avs on the night they traded Jarome Iginla.
Season Record To Date: 39-46 for -7.59 units.
New York Rangers @ Ottawa Senators
I can’t bet against the Senators when they are at home. They just seem to find a way to win at the Scotiabank Place this year. I was at the game on Monday against the New Jersey Devils and even while the Sens were outplayed for the majority of the game they found a way to get the W. The Rangers aren’t the same team as last year and are 6-7-1 on the road. The Sens are 12-2-3 at home and Ben Bishop will be back in net looking to once again have a strong outing.
Play: Senators +100 (SportsInteraction.com)
Buffalo Sabres @ Florida Panthers
The Panthers are just a really bad team this year. The Sabres on the other hand have just had a bad year, but I don’t think they are as bad as their record indicates. The Panthers have lost 3 in a row and are just 4-8-5 at home this season. That’s 4 wins out of 17 games at home! Their 3 game losing streak all comes from games at home and they have only managed to score 3 goals over that span. The Sabres still have an outside shot at the playoffs if they turn it on down the stretch and this is really a must win game for them. I’m surprised they are the underdogs in this one.
Play: Sabres -101 (5Dimes.eu)
Phoenix Coyotes @ Nashville Predators
The Coyotes lost a hard fought battle in Minnesota last night and now they will travel to Nashville to try to break their 7 game losing streak. Phoenix is only 3-8-4 on the road this season and they are up against a Preds team that has won 3 straight and are making a push for the playoffs. Expect a win from Nashville tonight.
Play: Predators -145 (5Dimes.eu)
Only four games in the NHL tonight, but there are some intriguing match ups and some sharp bets.
Season Record To Date: 37-46 for -9.59 units.
Colorado Avalanche @ Calgary Flames
The two worst teams in the West square off tonight in Calgary. I’ve been fading the Flames all season, but tonight I’m taking them because even though they played last night in Chicago, as bad as they will be will likely be better than the Avs, who have won only 2 of 15 games on the road this year and have just looked awful even with Ryan O’Reilly back in the lineup. The Avs and Flames are likely the two worse managed teams in the NHL over the past few seasons, and of course it was these teams that were at the center of the O’Reilly debacle about a month ago. Now they are both sitting with very little hope of the playoffs. The Avs trading their first round pick for Varlamov was one of the worst trades I’ve ever seen and that pick will almost certainly now be a top 5 pick in the upcoming draft. The team won’t make the playoffs next year either, which will result in them losing O’Reilly for nothing after they can’t offer him $6.5 million per year as a grinder with “character”. Just mismanagement all around by both of these teams. Anyways take the Flames tonight.
Play: Flames -115 (5Dimes.eu)
Phoenix Coyotes @ Minnesota Wild
I’m not a fan of the Minnesota Wild, but I can’t deny that they are playing some good hockey of late. They’ve won 6 in a row and seem to be a shoe-in for the playoffs. Phoenix on the other hand have lost 6 in a row and I don’t foresee either of these streaks ending tonight. The Wild are 11-3-1 at home this season, while the Coyotes are 3-8-3 on the road. It’s also very surprisinig to me how good home records are this season and how bad road records are for the majority of teams. There are only 2 teams in the West who have lost more games than they’ve won at home. This same phenomena is in the East with only 4 teams having losing home records. With every game being played within the Conference and thus fewer long road trips I would have thought home ice would mean less in this shortened season.
Play: Wild -145 (5Dimes.eu)
I took the weekend off, but on Friday we finally got back to the winning ways with a couple of winning bets thanks to the Blue Jackets and Penguins.
Season Record To Date: 36-45 for -9.26 units.
New Jersey Devils @ Ottawa Senators
The Senators just keep finding ways to win. They put up a solid effort against a weak Tampa Bay team in a matinee on Saturday and now will look to separate themselves even further from the Devils at the Scotiabank Place tonight. The Sens are 11-2-3 at home this season, while the Devils are 5-6-4 on the road. Ben Bishop gets the nod in goal for the Sens today and even though he hasn’t been playing his best games of the season the team has been getting wins with him between the pipes. The Devils have won 2 in a row and are just 4 points back of the Sens in the East so this is an important game for everyone involved.
Play: Senators -130 (SportsInteraction.com)
Los Angeles Kings @ Chicago Blackhawks
The Kings have lost their last two games and seem to have lost the form that brought them back into the playoffs after a horrible start to the season. Chicago on the other hand is coming off a tough loss to the Ducks, but they have had 4 days to think about it and I expect a big effort from them tonight at home in Chicago. The Blackhawks are 11-1-1 at home this season, while the Kings are 5-8-1 on the road.
Play: Blackhawks -133 (5Dimes.eu)
I am not having a good last few plays here at NHL Betting Tips, with both the Hurricanes and Jets losing on home ice last night. There are a couple good games tonight so hopefully we will have a bounce back night before the weekend.
Season Record To Date: 34-45 for -11.26 units.
Calgary Flames @ Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets have been one of the best teams in the league over the past month. They are 7-0-3 in their last 10 games and have begun to make a push for the playoffs in the West. As I write this they are only two points behind the Sharks for the final playoff spot in the Conference. They can’t afford a slip up tonight against a weak Flames team. I’ve been fading the Flames all season because they are awful. They have only won 3 of 13 games on the road this season and I don’t expect them to add another win to that column tonight.
Play: Blue Jackets -139 (5Dimes.eu)
Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Islanders
The Islanders faded against the Habs last night, giving up 3 goals in the third period to lose 5-2. Now in a back-to-back game situation they play the Penguins who have won 10 straight. It’s not an ideal situation for the Islanders, and to make matters worse they have won only 5 of 17 home games this year. The Pens on the other hand are 12-4-0 on the road and look almost unbeatable over this stretch of wins. They should keep it going tonight with a relatively easy win over the Isles.
Play: Penguins -152 (5Dimes.eu)
Both of our small dogs were in battles last night, but unfortunately both the Stars and Oilers came up a bit short. As always Thursdays are big in the NHL and today is no exception, even with March Madness getting underway.
Season Record To Date: 34-43 for -8.62 units.
New Jersey Devils @ Carolina Hurricanes
The Devils are slumping a bit and they have only won 4 of 14 on the road this year. This is a big game for both teams and I think the Hurricanes have a superior lineup and being at home on top of that should get them a win in this game.
Play: Hurricanes -117 (5Dimes.eu)
Washington Capitals @ Winnipeg Jets
The Caps have only won 4 of 14 on the road and the trips to Winnipeg will start to take their toll on teams at this point in the season. Washington is close to being out of the playoff hunt while the Jets are in the thick of things in both the Eastern Conference and the Southeast Division. The Jets are only 9-6-2 in Winnipeg this season, but that will improve as the season comes to a close.
Play: Jets -147 (5Dimes.eu)
Season Record To Date: 34-41 for -6.62 units.
San Jose Sharks @ Edmonton Oilers
The Sharks continue to lose games and their hold on a playoff spot in the Western Conference seems to be slipping away. They have got Martin Havlat back from injury, but even before he went down the team struggled to put up points. This is especially true on the road where the Sharks have won just 4 of 15 games this season. The Oilers are coming off a big win over Nashville and will look to continue the momentum against this struggling Sharks team. I do expect San Jose to turn things around at some point, but until it happens I will be fading them.
Play: Oilers +100 (5Dimes.eu)
Dallas Stars @ Colorado Avalanche
The Avs have lost 4 straight and adding Ryan O’Reilly to the lineup doesn’t seem to have helped much as the Avalanche have won just 2 of 9 games with him in the lineup. The Avalanche have dropped from 4 points back with 3 games in hand to 6 points back of 8th with no games in hand and now sit in last place in the Western Conference. I never understood why they wouldn’t take the first and third round picks from the Flames, considering the first rounder will almost certainly be a top 10 pick and O’Reilly won’t be worth the $6.5 million per year that they will have to offer him to keep him from becoming an unrestricted free agent after next year. They can’t even trade him for a full year now and there is a chance that will bring them past next years trade deadline, so they probably signed a player for too much money, gave up a top 10 pick and won’t even be able to get anything for him next year when the team is once again not in the playoff race at the deadline. Anyways, enough ranting on that, the Stars responded to an 8-1 thrashing at the hands of the Blackhawks with a 4-3 win over the Flames on Monday and I expect more of the same tonight.
Play: Stars +106 (5Dimes.eu)
I’m a little late with the post today, especially for such a big night in the NHL. Last night the Red Wings let us down, losing to the lowly Flames. Detroit just cannot get things going on the road this season it seems. I’ve got 7 picks tonight so I’m going to keep the reasoning short for each game.
Season Record To Date: 30-38 for -7.66 units.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Toronto Maple Leafs
The Penguins are on a tear having won their last 6 games. This includes coming back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Bruins in their last game. They are 11-4 on the road this season and the Leafs haven’t been great at home. I expect the Pens to find a way to win this one.
Play: Penguins -137 (5Dimes.eu)
New York Islanders @ Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa has dropped like a rock since they won 6 of 7 games to start the season. Since that point they are 5-14 in terms of wins and losses. Tampa has lost 7 of their last 8 home games and I just think the Islanders have a better team than they get credit for. Take the Islanders as minor dogs in this one.
Play: Islanders +110 (5Dimes.eu)
New York Rangers @ Winnipeg Jets
This is a huge game as the playoff races in the East are already heating up. I expect the Rangers to come out with a lot more effort in this one than they did against the Sabres (the game that sent Torts into rant mode). I just think the Rangers are the better team and it should show through in this important game.
Play: Rangers -106 (5Dimes.eu)
Colorado Avalanche @ Minnesota Wild
The Avs have plummeted to the basement of the Western Conference and they have only won 2 of 13 games on the road this year. The Wild are playing some good hockey and they should be able to handle the Avs in this one.
Play: Wild -140 (5Dimes.eu)
Anaheim Ducks @ Dallas Stars
Anaheim got outplayed severely by the Wild in their last game, but still found a way to win. The Ducks just keep putting W’s up this year and I’m not going to bet against them in a pick’em game right now. Take the Ducks to keep rolling.
Play: Ducks +100 (5Dimes.eu)
Nashville Predators @ Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks squeaked out a shootout victory over the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Before that they had lost four straight and 6 of their previous 7. Simply put they aren’t the Canucks you expect them to be right now. The Preds could easily steal this game so at the current odds they are a very smart bet.
Play: Predators +150 (SportsInteraction.com)
Los Angeles Kings @ San Jose Sharks
The Sharks are bad. They are 4-14 since they started the season 7-0. The Kings had the opposite start to the season, but they are now coming on strong. The home ice advantage won’t be enough for a struggling Sharks team in this one. They have to turn their season around soon, but it won’t be tonight.
Play: Kings +100 (5Dimes.eu)
