Vegas Experts

Big Al McMordie NHL Top Money Lines Picks

Date	Match Up	Rating	Score	Result	Profit	Lead Time	Analysis
04-24-25	Maple Leafs v. Senators -107	Top	3-2	Loss	-107	15 h 6 m	Show
At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Ottawa Senators over the Toronto Maple Leafs. First, the bad news if you're the Senators: you're down 2-0 so your first post-season in eight years could be over in the first round. Now, the good news: Game 2 went to OT and you outplayed and out-shot the Leafs through three regulation periods. And prior to these two playoff games, the Senators were dominant, winning each of the last five regular season meetings with Toronto going back to December 2023. Game 3, of course, switches back to Ottawa and Canadian Tire Centre, where the Sens were one of the best home teams in the league this season, going 27-11-3 there. Obviously tonight's game is critically important for the Sens as going down 3-0 to the talented Leafs would almost certainly mean a round one exit. Ottawa was 20-11 in 31 games this season as a home favorite while the Leafs were 4-5 this season on the road after a three-game win streak. Take the Senators. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-19-25	Avalanche v. Stars +124	Top	5-1	Loss	-100	11 h 24 m	Show
At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Colorado Avalanche. The Stars come into this post-season having lost their last seven games. But those games were meaningless as Dallas was locked into the 2nd place standing of its division for quite some time and the Stars went the rest of the regular season -- that is until that seven-game losing streak began April 5 -- without having lost more than two consecutive games. And they had a considerably better record at home (28-10-3) than they did on the road (22-16-3) so they know how important these first two games are. One bit of troubling news for the home team is that LW Jason Robertson left the April 16 game with a knee injury and may not be able to play in Game 1 (currently listed as a game-time decision). But Dallas has one of the deepest rosters in the NHL and even if Robertson isn't available, there is enough talent there to overcome that (and Colorado has a slew of injuries itself). The home team is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings (3-0 in the three meetings of the regular season). Take the Stars. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-17-25	Flames v. Kings -142	Top	5-1	Loss	-142	17 h 46 m	Show
At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the Calgary Flames. Since March 8, the day after the NHL trade deadline, the Kings have been the best team in the league. They've gone 17-4, while ranking #1 in total scoring, and have outscored their foes by 41 goals. They'll look to cap off a sensational season here, at Crypto.com Arena, where they've won 31 of 40 games thus far. And a win tonight would also establish a new franchise record for most wins (49) in a regular season. Calgary won its 3rd straight game on Tuesday, 5-4 vs. Vegas, but was eliminated from the playoffs that same night when the St. Louis Blues defeated Utah. The Flames are an awful 1-8 on the road following 3+ wins. And they're 22-40 as an underdog on the road. Finally, the Kings do play this game with revenge from a 2-1 loss at Calgary. And they're 29-11 their last 40 at home when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season. Take the Kings. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
04-16-25	Golden Knights +107 v. Canucks	Top	4-1	Win	107	17 h 21 m	Show
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks come into this game off a 2-1 home win over the San Jose Sharks. We'll fade Vancouver tonight, as it's a woeful 15-31 (minus 22.7 net games on the moneyline) off a home win, including 1-10 its last 11 at home off a home win. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights are 18-6 inside the division this season, including a perfect 3-0 vs. Vancouver. We'll take Vegas to close out the regular season with a win. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
04-15-25	Utah Hockey Club v. Blues -155	Top	1-6	Win	100	18 h 54 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Utah Hockey Club. Currently sitting in the second Wild Card spot with one regular season game to go, the Blues seem to be doing everything they can to not make the playoffs for the third straight season. St. Louis has lost three in a row (all on the road) and if it loses tonight and the Flames win their remaining two games (or a win plus an OT loss) then the Blues would be on the outside looking in once again (Calgary also plays tonight and starts one hour later than this game). So you could call tonight's match-up with Utah the Blues' most important game of the entire season. They are home which is a plus as Jordan Binnington has won 10 straight home games. For the season, the Blues are 23-14-3 here and they should get defenseman Peter Broberg back for their finale (Broberg -- who has a +/- of +21 -- missed the last game for personal reasons). After losing the first two meetings with Utah by identical 4-2 scores, St. Louis won the last meeting in Salt Lake, 2-1 on February 2. Utah is 13-25 as an underdog in its first season (9-15 as a road underdog). Take the Blues. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-14-25	Stars -120 v. Red Wings	Top	4-6	Loss	-120	12 h 54 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Detroit Red Wings. The Stars have lost five straight games coming into this penultimate game of the regular season. Detroit comes in off a win over Tampa Bay, but has been eliminated from the playoffs. We'll take Dallas to snap its losing streak, as it is 13-3 (plus 9.3 games on the moneyline) on the road off back-to-back losses. And it's 63-31 (+14.9 net games) as a road favorite. Dallas has completely dominated Detroit with eight straight wins in this series. Take the Stars. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
04-12-25	Wild -108 v. Canucks	Top	3-2	Win	100	20 h 56 m	Show
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks pulled off a big upset as a +180 underdog at Colorado on Thursday, with a 4-1 win. But that game was on the road, where the Canucks have been profitable this season. That hasn't been the case at home, where the Canucks have burned money, going 16-22, minus 11 net games on the moneyline. Even worse: if Vancouver was off a win by 2+ goals, they've gone 1-8, minus 8.2 net games, at home. Meanwhile, the Wild have been profitable away from Xcel Energy Center, going 22-18, plus 7.6 net games on the moneyline. We'll take Minnesota on Saturday night. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
04-10-25	Jets v. Stars -117	Top	4-0	Loss	-117	11 h 35 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Winnipeg Jets. Heading into tonight's game between the teams with the two-best records in the Western Conference, the Stars have lost three games in a row for the first time all season. A win tonight, however, would put Dallas just two points behind Winnipeg with three games to go in the regular season. The Jets won their last game but are just 2-2 in their last four with some injuries creeping up on them at just the wrong time. D Colin Miller (illness), LW Nikolaj Ehlers (foot), and C Rasmus Kupari (concussion) all missed the last game for Winnipeg and are likely all out tonight as well. The Jets won the last meeting of these two on March 14 and the Stars are 12-5 revenging a same-season loss vs. an opponent (8-1 at home). The Jets haven't been road underdogs that much this season, but when they are, they are just 5-6 in 11 games. The Stars are 11-2 this season in 13 home games after one or more consecutive losses (5-1 after two consecutive losses). Take Dallas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-08-25	Maple Leafs v. Panthers +109	Top	1-3	Win	109	14 h 21 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Another Panthers game on Sunday; another Panthers loss. That unfortunately has been a running theme for the defending Stanley Cup champs. Florida has now lost five games in a row and in those losses the team has managed a total of just seven goals. That won't get it done in today's NHL. However the last four of those losses came on the road, and now the Panthers are back at Amerant Bank Arena where they will play four of their five remaining games. That's good news for a team that is 24-11-2 at home this season. The Panthers also decided to rest two of their top forwards in Sunday's game against Detroit -- Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett. Reinhart had played in all of Florida's games and Bennett had only missed two so the thought was that giving them extended time off will re-energize them. The Leafs took the last meeting of these two clubs six days ago in Toronto, and Florida is 6-2 this season at home revenging a same season loss. Take the Panthers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-07-25	Blues v. Jets -155	Top	1-3	Win	100	19 h 21 m	Show
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the St. Louis Blues. The hottest team in the League with just four games to go in the regular season? That's easy, it's the Blues. St. Louis has now won a dozen games in a row going back to March 15 and in more than half of those (seven), they only allowed their opponent a single goal. Who's not that hot right now? Only the team with the best record in the NHL. The Jets have lost two of their last three, although all three of those games were on the road and now they return to Canada Life Centre where three of their last five games will be played. And that's a good thing as Winnipeg has a 28-6-4 record at home, one of the best such records in the league. The Jets can also feel good tonight about the fact that they've dominated this series lately, taking five of the last six meetings with the Blues, including the last one on February 22 in St. Louis in a shootout. As good as they've been, the Blues are just 6-8 this season when revenging a home loss vs. an opponent (and just 4-7 on the road). Take the Jets. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
03-25-25	Capitals v. Jets -134	Top	2-3	Win	100	14 h 42 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Washington Capitals. It's the second and final meeting of the season between the two best teams in the League -- as far as total points are concerned -- until a potential Stanley Cup Finals match-up in a few months. DC got the better of Winnipeg in the first meeting in Washington on February 1. But the Caps needed overtime and a similar nail-biter could be on hand this evening at Canada Life Centre. The Jets pitched a shutout in the last meeting here over a year ago, 3-0, but this is obviously a better Caps team this season. The Jets got busy since that early February loss and made three substantial acquisitions at the trade deadline while the Caps pulled off just one deal with the Penguins for F Anthony Beauvillier. The Caps could be in for a letdown tonight after crushing Florida on Saturday, 6-3, as they are just 4-8 in 12 games this season immediately after scoring six goals or more (2-4 on the road). Meanwhile, the Jets are 10-2 in 12 home games this season when playing teams with a winning record. Take Winnipeg. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
03-13-25	Oilers -136 v. Devils	Top	2-3	Loss	-136	19 h 14 m	Show
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the New Jersey Devils. The question isn't whether the Oilers made themselves better at the trade deadline -- clearly they did with two big deals. The question is whether they made themselves better enough to overcome what others did, especially the Stars who landed the big prize in Mikko Rantanen. Time will tell whether this is an Oilers team good enough to win the Conference title for the second straight season. But for now, Edmonton wants to keep clawing away and hopefully catch the Knights who currently hold a five-point Division lead. The Devils won the only other meeting of these two this season, a 3-0 shutout in Edmonton on November 4. But they were healthy back then. Now, they have to go the rest of the way without their best player, C Jack Hughes, who recently underwent shoulder surgery and is lost for the season. So this is a revenge situation against a decidedly-weaker New Jersey team than the last meeting. And the Oilers are 11-4 this season revenging a same season loss. Take Edmonton. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
03-08-25	Blues v. Kings -178	Top	1-2	Win	100	17 h 14 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the St. Louis Blues. With their victory here on Wednesday, the Blues have now taken four straight from the Kings going back to January 2024. And while L.A. has had the benefit of two days off since that tough loss (in a shoot out), the Blues had to take a detour to Anaheim last night to face the Ducks. The Kings used the time off to make their team a little bit better, pulling off a deadline trade for veteran forward Andrei Kuzmenko who should be available tonight. L.A. will be the 29-year-old's third team this season after stops in Calgary and Philadelphia. And Kuzmenko should be able to make an immediate impact on a team that is fighting hard for a playoff spot. In a bit of a scheduling quirk, this will be the second meeting of these two at Crypto.com Arena in the last three days and the third time they've met this month. The Kings are 8-2 in 10 games this season when revenging a loss to an opponent at home and they are also 5-1 overall coming off a home loss (4-0 at home off a home loss). Take Los Angeles. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
03-03-25	Senators v. Capitals -144	Top	4-5	Win	100	12 h 57 m	Show
At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Ottawa Senators. Just a week ago, the idea of the Capitals losing three straight at home would be unthinkable. But here we are back at Capital One Arena and the first-place Capitals are hoping to stop the bleeding with losses here over five days to the Flames, Blues, and Lightning. The team that has featured an unstoppable offense through most of the season managed just four goals in those three games. With a day off to re-group, the Caps now welcome the Senators to town tonight for the first time this season. The good news is that the Caps' woes have nothing to do with injuries -- they are still just as healthy as they've been all season -- and they still hold a comfortable, 10-point lead in their Division (and are six points ahead of the next team in the Conference). The Senators won the last meeting between these two in Ottawa in January, 5-4 in OT and the Caps are a perfect 7-0 this season when revenging a same-season loss. Take Washington. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
03-02-25	Bruins v. Wild -145	Top	0-1	Win	100	8 h 28 m	Show
At 3:35 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Boston Bruins. The Boston Bruins haven't finished an NHL regular season with a losing record in 15 years but if they don't get busy, that could happen next month. At 28-25-8, the Bruins have some work to do -- not only to reach the .500 mark, but also to get themselves into the post-season as Boston currently sits two points below the final Wild Card spot in the East. It doesn't help their case that the Bruins have some serious injuries, including All Star winger and Captain Brad Marchand, who left Saturday's 3-2 win at Pittsburgh with an upper body injury. The 36-year-old didn't return to that game and he likely will not be available this afternoon as the Bruins have a quick turnaround in Minneapolis. The Wild is no doubt happy to be home from a short (two-game) road trip that didn't go well at all, with losses in Utah and Colorado. They have won two of the last three vs. the Bruins but lost the last one about a month ago in Boston. Minny is 17-6 in 23 non-conference match-ups this season. Take the Wild. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
03-01-25	Red Wings -102 v. Blue Jackets	Top	3-5	Loss	-102	16 h 42 m	Show
At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Red Wings over the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is the latest in the NHL's "Stadium Series" and the first time this annual outdoor game -- started in 2014 -- has been played at Ohio Stadium, which is normally home to the College Football Champion Buckeyes of Ohio State University. There likely won't be an NHL Champion from the Buckeye state however as the Blue Jackets are currently barely hanging on to the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 29-30 record and 66 points. That's the same point total as the Red Wings coming into this match-up but Detroit appears to be headed in a positive direction -- having won nine of its last 12 -- while the Jackets (3-4 in their last seven) seem to be treading water. This is also the back-end of a home-and-home series as the Jackets beat the Wings in Detroit on Thursday, 5-2. That could be a huge advantage for the visitors today as Detroit is 13-5 in 18 games this season when revenging a same-season loss vs. an opponent. Take the Red Wings. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
02-27-25	Oilers +106 v. Panthers	Top	3-4	Loss	-100	10 h 22 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Florida Panthers. It's a rematch of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals, won by the Panthers in seven games. This will be the second change for the Oilers to avenge that Cup Finals loss, as they met in Alberta earlier this season, and fell, 6-5. It's been a rough ride for the Oilers since the 4 Nations Face-Off break as Edmonton has lost three straight on the road by an aggregate score of 17-7. But the 4 Nations was tough on the Panthers as well, given that star winger Matthew Tkachuk came out of the tournament with a groin injury which has kept him out of action so far. Tkachuk will also not be able to participate in this game tonight. Overall, dating back to before the break, Edmonton has lost four in a row. However, the last time the Oilers dropped five straight was all the way back in January 2022. The Oilers are 8-3 in 11 games this season revenging a same-season loss vs. an opponent. Take Edmonton. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
02-25-25	Oilers -104 v. Lightning	Top	1-4	Loss	-104	11 h 15 m	Show
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Tampa Bay Lightning. It's only been two games since the Four Nations Face-Off ended but so far things have not gone the way the Oilers would have liked. You can say they were unprepared in Philadelphia on Saturday and their star player, Connor McDavid, was still tired from the tournament. Then, on Sunday afternoon, Edmonton had to face probably the hottest team in the League in the Caps in Washington, and were blown out. Now finally with some rest the Oilers get their next Eastern Conference test against the Bolts in Tampa. The Lightning come in having won five straight although in the last three -- against the Red Wings, Canadiens, and Kraken -- Tampa has been woefully out-shot to the tune of 109 to 64 over those three victories. Edmonton's losing streak -- currently at three games -- should end tonight as they are 4-2 in the last six meetings with the Bolts. The Oilers are also 7-2 in nine games this season following two or more consecutive losses. Take Edmonton. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
02-23-25	Oilers -124 v. Capitals	Top	3-7	Loss	-124	3 h 1 m	Show
At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Washington Capitals. The Capitals were one of the only NHL teams with no players in the just-concluded 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, and the time off obviously helped them as they went gonzo on the Penguins Saturday, taking an easy 8-3 win in Pittsburgh. Edmonton, on the other hand, had representation including the hero for the Canadians in Connor McDavid, who scored the winning goal in the Championship game. But there was some hangover for the Oilers, apparently, as they lost their first game back, 6-3, as a heavy favorite against the Flyers in Philly. Now they travel south to take on the Caps in the second meeting of these two this season. Washington took a 3-2 decision in Edmonton on January 21 despite being woefully out-shot, 32-14 in that one. They can't afford to do that again today. Edmonton started Stuart Skinner in goal yesterday, so today it will be Calvin Pickard for the Oilers and he is 14-5 with a 2.52 GAA in 21 games (18 starts) this season. Take the Oilers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
02-07-25	Stars -102 v. Kings	Top	4-5	Loss	-102	15 h 50 m	Show
At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Los Angeles Kings. After two straight losses in the Western Conference Finals, could this be the season that the Dallas Stars break through? You have to go back to last century for the Stars' only Stanley Cup Championship. And while most of the talk in Dallas, lately, has been to do with the Cowboys and Mavericks, the Stars have a very good team that may be making its own headlines soon. Dallas was upset by Anaheim on Tuesday, and now travels north to Los Angeles for the second meeting of the season with the Kings (and second in L.A.). The Stars have really had the Kings' number lately, taking six of the last eight meetings (and four of the last five). This is a revenge situation for Dallas (which lost the most recent meeting, 3-2), and it is 12-3 this season when revenging a road loss vs. an opponent. The Kings beat the Habs, 6-3, on Wednesday but they are 0-3 this season after scoring six goals or more in their previous game. Take Dallas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
02-04-25	Hurricanes -117 v. Jets	Top	0-3	Loss	-117	16 h 56 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets went into D.C. on Saturday for a much-anticipated match-up with the Caps and came out a winner in overtime. Now they return home to face another very good Eastern team in the Hurricanes. Carolina has struggled with some injuries this season. However, at 32-17-4, it is still very much in the hunt for another division title (it's won three in the last four seasons). This will be Carolina's first visit to Winnipeg in over a year (December 4, 2023) and the 'Canes have been doing very well away from Raleigh lately, having won three of their last four on the road going back to January 20. It's also a revenge situation as the Jets have won the last two meetings with the 'Canes -- both last season. Carolina comes in having lost two straight at home and it is 15-5 this season following a loss. And as good as the Jets have been, they do have a tendency to show road rust this season as they are 1-5 in six games following three consecutive on the road. Take the Hurricanes. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
02-02-25	Red Wings v. Canucks -150	Top	3-2	Loss	-150	17 h 16 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vancouver Canucks over the Detroit Red Wings. Last night, the Wings won their 5th straight, with a 3-1 victory over Calgary. Tonight, they'll travel west to Vancouver and play their 3rd game in four nights against a rested Canucks squad which lost at Dallas on Friday night. We'll take Vancouver to bounce back, as it's 80-53 (+17.0 net games) vs. foes that allow 3 (or more) goals per game. And it's 41-23 (+15.5 net games) off a loss. Meanwhile, Detroit is 30-55 as an underdog. Take Vancouver. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
01-29-25	Wild v. Maple Leafs -161	Top	3-1	Loss	-161	13 h 38 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Minnesota Wild. As goes Auston Matthews, so go the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 27-year-old superstar Center spent two stints on the shelf for upper body injuries but since he's come back on January 4, Matthews has been on fire. He has nine goals and six assists since that return and no doubt Toronto is hoping that his ailments are behind him and Matthews can play the rest of the season and into the playoffs. The Wild comes into Toronto for the first time in over a year (October 2023) and although the Leafs have dominated this series lately, Minny took the last meeting in November at home, 2-1 in OT. The Wild just received some very bad news as its top scorer, Russian Kirill Kaprizov, will undergo surgery and miss extended time. The 27-year-old star was having a Hart Trophy-type of season and will likely be out for at least four weeks. The Leafs have won five of the last six meetings and they are 5-0 this season coming off a loss to a division rival (they were beaten by Ottawa on Saturday). Take Toronto. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
01-25-25	Avalanche -125 v. Bruins	Top	1-3	Loss	-125	7 h 18 m	Show
At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Boston Bruins. The Avalanche had a string of 10 straight games in which they had alternated wins and losses but that streak -- if you can call it that -- ended when the Avs lost on Wednesday to the Jets which made it two defeats in a row for the first time since November 29-30. Colorado gave Winnipeg all it could handle however, falling 3-2 in OT at home. Now they travel to Boston with a couple days' rest to take on a Bruins team that just can't seem to catch a break. No matter what Boston does, it doesn't appear capable of putting together any substantial win streak and has been stuck at or below the .500 mark virtually all season. This will be the first meeting between these two since mid-October and it's a revenge situation for the Avs who are 8-2 in 10 road games this season against losing teams. The Bruins shut out the Senators in their last game here at home on Thursday but today will be their third game in the last four days. Boston is 5-9 this season coming off a home victory. Take the Avs. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
01-24-25	Golden Knights v. Stars -145	Top	3-4	Win	100	15 h 36 m	Show
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Vegas Golden Knights. Here is a rematch of the tough Round 1 Western playoff series from last April-May. The Stars came out on top in seven games in that one but the Knights drew first blood this season, beating Dallas on the Vegas Strip back in early December, 3-2. The rematch is tonight in Dallas and both of these teams are once again having playoff-caliber campaigns with Vegas holding down the top spot in the Pacific while the Stars are currently third in the Central. The Stars have been ultra-tough at home this season with a 17-7-1 record here at American Airlines Center. It's a quick turnaround for the Knights who beat the Blues last night in St. Louis. Dallas is 11-3 in 14 games this season revenging a road loss vs. an opponent (7-3 in 10 home games) and they're also 4-1 this season playing on two days of rest. Meanwhile the Knights are just 2-5 this season when playing on the road against teams with a winning record. Take Dallas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
01-23-25	Golden Knights -143 v. Blues	Top	4-2	Win	100	11 h 32 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the St. Louis Blues. Because of some recent (January) rough patches for the Jets, Maple Leafs, Stars, Lightning, Devils and Golden Knights, the Washington Capitals, of all teams, now have the best record in the NHL. Whether DC really has the best team remains to be seen but the fact is that they're hot and a collection of other good clubs -- Vegas included -- are not. The Knights will complete a home-and-home series with the Blues tonight and -- you guessed it -- they are looking for some revenge having lost on Monday at home, 5-4 in a shootout. It was the fourth loss in a row for Vegas who go back on the road tonight to St. Louis in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The last game notwithstanding, this is a series that the Knights have dominated, taking five of the last seven meetings going back to December 2022. The Blues have been awful off a win this season (8-14 overall and 5-7 at home) while Vegas is 9-6 revenging a loss vs. an opponent (4-2 in six games off a home loss). Take the Knights. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
01-22-25	Panthers v. Kings -117	Top	1-2	Win	100	16 h 51 m	Show
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the Florida Panthers. The defending Stanley Cup champions began a five-game western road swing last night with a win in Anaheim over the Ducks. Now, the Kings will get to host their second straight game as the Panthers come in for the first meeting of these two teams in over a year. Florida is having another strong season, but has struggled a bit recently, going 6-7 in the last 13 games going back to December 23. And five of those six victories have come against the Rangers, Penguins, Utah, and Anaheim (twice) -- all teams with losing records. Although the Kings have won six of the last seven meetings with the Panthers, this is a revenge situation after Florida's 3-2 OT victory last January 11. Despite their recent success, the Panthers are just 14-17 in their last 31 games as a road underdog of +100 to +150. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is 11-4 in its last 15 home games after scoring one goal or less in its last. Take the Kings. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
01-21-25	Lightning -130 v. Canadiens	Top	2-3	Loss	-130	9 h 25 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Montreal Canadiens. These two teams met less than a month ago in Tampa with the Canadiens pulling off an upset, 5-2. The Lightning only managed 23 shots in that game and that's been a problem for them off and on all season. They'll be traveling from Toronto where they lost last night to the Maple Leafs but at least managed a decent amount of shots (30 to the Leafs' 28). Look for the Bolts to come out firing tonight against a team they've been dominating recently despite that December result. Tampa had some key injuries earlier in the season but is pretty healthy now and that's a good thing as the Bolts try to hold on to the last non-Wild Card spot in the Atlantic Division. The Habs have allowed more than 3.2 goals per game here at home this season while scoring at a rate under 3.0. That could be a big problem for them tonight as the Bolts have the highest road goals-for average in the league at 3.65. Tampa has won seven of the last nine meetings, including four of the last five. Take the Lightning. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
01-13-25	Panthers -154 v. Flyers	Top	3-4	Loss	-154	10 h 38 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Philadelphia Flyers. Most of the attention in the sports-crazed City of Brotherly Love is on the Eagles these days -- and for good reason. But while the 18-25 Flyers haven't been enjoying near the same success as Philly's NFL team (or the 76ers or Phillies for that matter), this is still a franchise with a lot of pride. Unfortunately, that pride is mostly the result of the Flyers Championship teams of the 1970s as the current version hasn't been to a Conference Finals in 15 years. At least they broke their latest losing streak (that had reached four) in their last game in a big way, 6-0. But that was against the lowly Ducks and Philly takes a big step-up in class tonight with a visit from the defending Cup Champion Panthers. Florida has alternated wins and losses in its last seven games and it's due for a victory tonight against a team that it's dominated lately, taking the last three meetings going back to last March (two here at Wells Fargo). The Flyers are 0-7 this season revenging a same-season loss vs. an opponent. Take Florida. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
01-11-25	Lightning v. Devils -139	Top	2-3	Win	100	12 h 51 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Devils and Lightning are both third place teams as of this writing, but New Jersey has eight more points than Tampa does (though the Bolts have played five fewer games (39 vs. 44)). No doubt New Jersey is aware that when it comes to this match-up, the Bolts have been eating their lunch, winning each of the last five meetings going back exactly one year from today. If the Bolts have an area they need to improve on, it's their performance on the road. They are just 9-9-1 away from Tampa this season and they were just swept on their recent three-game, western road trip, and none of those teams were as talented as the one they face tonight. The Devils are 7-0 this season revenging a road loss vs. an opponent. Take New Jersey. As always, good luck...Al McMordie
01-09-25	Maple Leafs v. Hurricanes -159	Top	3-6	Win	100	18 h 27 m	Show
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are on a five-game win streak coming into tonight's important match-up in Raleigh. But it's important to note that all five of those wins came against losing teams: a home-and-home sweep against the 15-25 Islanders, a home win vs. the 20-23 Bruins, and then another home-and-home sweep against Philadelphia (17-24). So it's safe to say that tonight is a big step-up against the third-place Hurricanes. With the serious knee injury to #1 goalie Frederik Andersen, young Pyotr Kochetkov has risen to the occasion, and is clearly the guy in net for Carolina right now. The 25-year-old finished 4th in Calder (Rookie of the Year) voting last season and was the highest-ranked netminder in that category. So far this season, he is picking up where he left off with a 2.50 GAA, .902 saves pct and 15-9-1 record in 26 games. This is the first meeting of these two clubs this season and the 'Canes have won each of the last four against the Leafs going back to March of 2023. Take Carolina. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
01-07-25	Predators v. Jets -135	Top	2-5	Win	100	13 h 4 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Nashville Predators. The Jets come into tonight on a three-game losing streak -- the second for them this season as they had a four-game swoon back in late November/early December. Perhaps a visit from the injury-riddled Predators will go a long way to getting Winnipeg back on track. Nashville is currently without at least five players including a pair of big defensemen in Adam Wilsby and Thomas Novak (both with upper body ailments). But the biggest problem by far for the Preds this season is how anemic their offense has been on the road. In 22 games played away from Nashville, the Preds have scored at a league-worst rate of 2.03 goals-per-game. Not surprisingly, they are just 5-13-4 on the road this season as a result. These two have split their first two meetings this season, with the Jets posting a shutout in their latest, 3-0 here at Canada Life Centre on December 30. The Preds are 1-9 this season when revenging a road loss vs. an opponent. Take Winnipeg. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
01-06-25	Panthers v. Avalanche -115	Top	1-3	Win	100	9 h 23 m	Show
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Florida Panthers. The winners of two of the last three Stanley Cups meet tonight in Denver for the first time in almost a year. They played in South Florida once this season with the Avs prevailing in a big way, 7-4, right before Thanksgiving. The Avs continue to thrive despite one of the longest injury lists in the league. They just put together a six-game win streak that was only snapped in a shootout on Saturday against the Canadiens. On December 9, the Avs acquired goalie Mackenzie Blackwood from the Sharks and that trade is looking genius right about now. With a new contract, the 28-year-old Canadian netminder seems poised for some great things in Colorado as so far he has posted a 6-1-1 record and 1.78 GAA in eight games (seven starts) for his new team. With the recent injury to their other goalie, Scott Wedgewood, Blackwood will be in net tonight and figures to get the lion's share of the work. The Avs are 4-0 this season immediately after scoring one goal or less in their previous. Take Colorado. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
01-04-25	Rangers v. Capitals -160	Top	4-7	Win	100	4 h 45 m	Show
At 12:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the New York Rangers. The Caps met a team very much like their own on Thursday night and the result was as you might expect. With no winner crowned in regulation and OT, the Wild and Caps went to a shootout before Minny prevailed. On that same evening, the Rangers bested the Bruins in New York to break their four-game losing streak. The Rangers swept the Caps in the playoffs last April but things could be a lot different this season as it's DC that has the hot hand and New York that is struggling. The two meet in DC for the second time this season for a Sunday matinee with the Caps taking the first meeting, 5-3 while out-shooting the Rangers by a lopsided 46-19. Making New York's job even harder today is the fact that its Vezina trophy-winning goalie, Igor Shesterkin, is on injured reserve with an upper body injury and will not be available. The Rangers are 5-10 in 15 games this season when revenging a loss vs. an opponent. Take the Capitals. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
12-31-24	Bruins v. Capitals -134	Top	1-3	Win	100	6 h 31 m	Show
At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Boston Bruins. It's only two games, but so far, Alex Ovechkin is two-for-two. In a pair of contests since returning from a broken leg, the Caps' Captain and future NHL Hall of Famer has scored a goal in each (although the first one was of the empty net variety). Clearly Washington showed during Ovechkin's time away that it is a very good team even without its goal-scoring machine, but it is certainly a better team with him in the lineup. The Caps' last game of 2024 will be a home matinee and it's also a chance for revenge as the Bruins beat them in their only other meeting this season -- 4-1 in Boston on December 23. After an 8-12 start to the season, it was clear the Bruins needed a positive change. And they got it when Joe Sacco replaced Jim Montgomery behind the bench as so far Boston is 12-6 under its new Skipper. The Capitals are 14-4 this season when revenging a loss vs. an opponent and they're 5-0 in their last five when revenging a same-season loss. Take Washington. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
12-28-24	Devils v. Hurricanes -127	Top	2-5	Win	100	14 h 29 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the New Jersey Devils. In the second day back from the Christmas break, 11 games will be contested, and no match-up is any more intriguing than this one between the Devils and Hurricanes. This is the second act of a back-to-back, home-and-home series. Last night, the Devils won Game 1 at home. The 'Canes went with #1 goalie Pyotr Kochetkov in the crease on Friday so tonight it will be back-up Dustin Tokarski. The veteran netminder may have been a journeyman who didn't have an NHL team last season, but so far with the 'Canes this season, the 35-year-old has been very good, posting a 2.51 GAA and 9.04 Saves Pct in his two starts so far. For the Carolina skaters, Sebastian Aho went into the holiday break hot, recording points in five consecutive games while Jack Roslovic enters tonight with points in three straight contests. The Hurricanes are 13-4 as a home favorite this season while the Devils are 13-21 in their last 34 games as an underdog (10-14 in their last 24 as a road dog). Take Carolina. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
12-22-24	Hurricanes -145 v. Rangers	Top	3-1	Win	100	7 h 36 m	Show
At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the New York Rangers. The Rangers pulled off a major upset on Friday, beating the Stars in Dallas, 3-1 to snap a losing streak that had reached three games. But this is a Ranger team which has had a tough time stringing together consecutive victories lately. And their task is made even more difficult by the fact that they're facing the 20-12 Hurricanes this afternoon. Carolina ran into a bit of a buzzsaw on Friday night in the form of the Washington Capitals and they fell, 3-1, despite out-shooting DC and limiting the Caps to just 22 shots on goal. The Rangers' struggles this season have been well-documented but they are nonetheless still a bit of a mystery. They are almost 100% healthy and feature basically the same roster as last season when they won the Presidents Trophy with 114 points in 82 games. But for some reason, they can do no better than a .500 record so far (16-16). New York is 1-7 in its last eight home games when coming off of a victory. Take the Hurricanes. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
12-14-24	Kings -102 v. Rangers	Top	5-1	Win	100	7 h 27 m	Show
At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the New York Rangers. The Kings had their recent win streak snapped at six games on Thursday when they dropped a tough one to the Devils in New Jersey, 3-1. But there's no shame in losing to the Devils these days. Plus, in the six straight victories that Los Angeles pulled off between November 27 and December 10, they outscored their opponents by an aggregate total of 21-8. For the Rangers, their challenges continue. Sure, they won their last game, but they had to struggle to beat the Sabres, 3-2 and were out-shot 31-28 in that contest. More bad news for the Rangers this afternoon as they had to put big defenseman K'Andre Miller on injured reserve after he sustained an upper body injury vs. Buffalo. Like Crosby and Ovechkin, Anze Kopitar is looking to finish his long and successful career in L.A. after having played there for 18+ seasons and the 37-year-old is having another outstanding campaign with 32 points in 29 games. The Rangers are 1-6 in their last seven home games following a win. Take the Kings. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
12-12-24	Lightning -145 v. Flames	Top	8-3	Win	100	22 h 1 m	Show
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Calgary Flames. The Lightning continue their western road trip with the first visit to Calgary in almost a year (December 16, 2023). After a win in Vancouver , the Bolts dropped a tough one in Edmonton to the Oilers on Tuesday. The Flames have a record that's almost identical to that of Tampa, which is a bit surprising given their poor offensive output this season. Through their first 29 games, Calgary is scoring at a rate of just 2.57 goals per game -- fourth-worst in the Western Conference. That's quite a contrast to the Bolts who are second only to the Caps (4.04 GPG) with 3.81 goals per game. The Flames have won the last three meetings with the Lightning but, prior to those, Tampa took six of seven going back to February of 2018. The Bolts are 7-4 in their last 11 immediately after scoring one goal or less in their last game while the Flames are 22-32 in their last 54 games as an underdog. Take Tampa. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
12-10-24	Bruins v. Jets -132	Top	1-8	Win	100	8 h 27 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Boston Bruins. First the bad news about the Jets heading into this match-up with the Bruins. They've lost five of their last seven games overall and Boston has won seven of the last eight meetings going back to January of 2020. Now the good news. Despite their recent slump, the Jets are still 20-9 overall and 9-3 here at home. And almost all of those losses against Boston were when the Bruins were a dominant team. Those days appear to be over in Boston, if only temporarily. A four-game win streak has finally pushed the Bruins over the .500 mark for basically the first time all season (15-11-3) but they appear to be a shell of the team that dominated the Eastern Conference for the better part of the last decade. A recent coaching change seems to have helped, but Brad Marchand is about the only veteran left from those recent glory days. The Bruins are 2-5 as a road underdog while the Jets are 88-41 (+23.5 net games) as a favorite, including 18-3 this season (+13.0 net games). Take Winnipeg. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
12-06-24	Stars -118 v. Golden Knights	Top	2-3	Loss	-118	12 h 37 m	Show
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Vegas Golden Knights. Dallas comes into this game off a 3-2 loss at Los Angeles. We'll take the Stars to bounce back tonight, as they're 29-14 (+8.7 net games) off a road loss, including 18-8 (+8.0 net games) on the road. Even better: the Stars are 49-24 (+12.2 net games) as a road favorite, and 4-1 in the last five meetings with the Golden Knights. Take the Stars. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
12-05-24	Avalanche v. Hurricanes -147	Top	3-5	Win	100	8 h 50 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Colorado Avalanche. The Hurricanes come into tonight's match-up with the Avs having lost three straight games for the first time this season. The first two was a home-and-home sweep at the hands of the defending Cup Champion Panthers but the last one was a big upset at home to the 12-14 Kraken. The Canes are currently in third place in the Metro Division with a pretty healthy lead over the fourth place Rangers but they don't want this current streak to extend any further. They are back home tonight to face Colorado who they lost to in the first meeting of these two on November 9 back in Denver and Carolina is 19-8 in its last 27 revenging a same-season loss versus an opponent. The Avs are devastated right now with injuries, including two of their best offensive players in forwards Jonathan Drouin (upper body) and Gabriel Landeskog (knee). The Canes are 9-3 here at home this season and 12-1 in their last 13 home games coming off a home loss. Take Carolina. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
11-30-24	Oilers v. Avalanche -118	Top	4-1	Loss	-118	15 h 59 m	Show
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Edmonton Oilers. The Avs were in Dallas last night where they lost to a Stars club that is extremely tough at home this season. After that game they flew home so they can face the Oilers tonight for the first time this season. Edmonton also has a quick turnaround after beating the Utah Hockey Club on the road Friday night. The Oilers were lucky to get out of Salt Lake City with a victory as they were out-played and out-shot last night and now they'll face a much tougher task at Ball Arena against the 13-11 Avalanche. Historically, this has been a tough place for visiting teams, although not as much this season as the Avs are just 7-6 here. But that stat is misleading for tonight's game as in the last six games here, the Avalanche is 5-1 with victories over the Kings, Hurricanes, and Golden Knights included in those. Colorado has dominated this series lately, taking seven of the last 10 regular season meetings going back to 2019 plus a four-game Conference Finals sweep back in 2022. Take Colorado. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
11-29-24	Rangers -144 v. Flyers	Top	1-3	Loss	-144	3 h 17 m	Show
At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Philadelphia Flyers. Heading into the season, many were wondering if this was the season that the Rangers would get back to Stanley Cup glory. After all, New York's (as in Manhattan's) professional hockey team won the President's Trophy last season with the most points in the league (114) and then the Rangers came two wins away from appearing in their first Cup Finals in 10 years. But after eventual winner Florida dispatched of them, the Rangers went into the off-season thinking they could do it all over again -- except win the whole thing this time -- with the same team they already had. New York made very little changes and returns this season with essentially the same roster but so far the results have been disappointing. The Rangers come into this afternoon having lost four straight -- three on the road -- but if there's one thing that can turn them around it's a date with the Flyers. New York has owned this series lately taking 10 of the last 12 meetings including each of the last six here in Philly. Take the Rangers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
11-27-24	Golden Knights v. Avalanche -155	Top	1-2	Win	100	12 h 59 m	Show
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vegas Golden Knights. What looked like it was going to be one of their most successful road trips in a while turned sour real fast for the Avalanche on Monday. After winning games in Philadelphia, Washington, and South Florida (all in regulation), the Avs laid an egg in Tampa and gave up eight goals to the Lightning. But the travel had likely taken its toll by then as Colorado was playing its fourth road game in eight days and the Avs gave regular goalie Alexandar Georgiev the night off and went with inexperienced Justus Annunen in net against the high-powered Bolts. No doubt the Avs will be happy to be back home tonight for this crucial Conference match-up with the Knights. Vegas comes in flying high following a trio of road victories but it's interesting to note that the Knights are just 2-6 in their last eight road games immediately following a three-game win streak. Meanwhile the Avs are 11-3 in their last 14 home games coming off a road loss (7-3 in their last 10 off a road blowout loss). Take Colorado. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
11-25-24	Stars v. Hurricanes -122	Top	4-6	Win	100	10 h 30 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Dallas Stars. The Hurricanes are no doubt happy to be back home after a tough three-game road trip that saw them lose back-to-back in New Jersey and Columbus after beating the Flyers in Philadelphia. Even with those two losses -- the 'Canes first back-to-back defeats all season -- Carolina still has one of the best records in the league at 14-5-1 good for 29 points and a second place standing in the Eastern Conference. The 'Canes have been dominant at home this season, winning seven of eight here at Lenovo Center. Having said that, tonight will not necessarily be easy against one of the best from the West. But although the Stars have won six of their last eight, four of those victories came against the Blackhawks (7-12-2), Penguins (7-12-4), Bruins (10-9-3), and Sharks (6-12-5). The Hurricanes are 23-7 in their last 30 home games coming off a loss and they're also 19-5 in their last 24 coming off a loss to a division rival (11-3 in their last 14 home games in those situations). Take Carolina. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
11-23-24	Seattle Kraken v. Kings -159	Top	1-2	Win	100	13 h 46 m	Show
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the Seattle Kraken. When the Kings made a blockbuster trade with the Jets to acquire big center Pierre-Luc Dubois after the 2022-23 season, it looked like Los Angeles had taken advantage of poor little Winnipeg. But Dubois was a disaster in his only season in Tinseltown and now it's the Jets who are flying high in 2024-25, with plenty of help from the haul that they got in return for Dubois -- especially C Gabriel Vilardi who is emerging as a star at the age of 25. With Dubois and a host of others shipped out of L.A. in the off-season, the Kings have once again remade themselves, with veteran Captain, Anze Kopitar, as the one remaining piece of their glory days of a decade ago (and still going strong at age 37). Kopitar is surrounded by a very talented youth movement with the Kings hoping that this will be the season they finally beat the Oilers and advance in the playoffs. They have won three of the last four meetings with Seattle and they are also 9-4 at home after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game. Even better: Seattle has won just 19 of 58 games (minus 13.6 net games on the moneyline) when installed as an underdog. Take L.A. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
11-21-24	Hurricanes v. Devils -115	Top	2-4	Win	100	14 h 53 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Devils return from a semi-successful three-game trip to Florida that saw them take two in a row in Miami against the Panthers but then lay an egg in Tampa against the Lightning. Chances are New Jersey was spent after two tough games against the defending Stanley Cup Champions and the four days that the Devils have had off should do them a world of good as they come home for what should be a tough match-up with the 'Canes. It's somewhat the opposite situation for Carolina as it had to play in Philly last night in what was the 'Canes' third game in five days. Canes goalie Frederik Andersen got off to a torrid start but it lasted only four games as now the 35-year-old netminder is out indefinitely with an injury and Carolina has been filling his void with a pair of predominantly untested first-string goalies in Spencer Martin and Pyotr Kochetkov. The Devils are 17-10 in their last 27 games off a road blowout loss by three goals or more. Take New Jersey. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
11-19-24	Panthers v. Jets -112	Top	3-6	Win	100	9 h 12 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over Florida. The Panthers blew out Winnipeg, 5-0, on Saturday. We'll take the Jets in this rematch, as Winnipeg is 37-20 at home off a road loss by more than 2 goals, and 72-49 (+14.1 net games) after not scoring 2+ goals in its previous game. Meanwhile, the Panthers are a poor 33-41 (minus 11.3 net games) on the road off a win by more than 3 goals, and 86-132 (minus 31.8 net games) after not allowing 2+ goals in their previous game. Take the Jets. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
11-14-24	Jets v. Lightning -113	Top	1-4	Win	100	9 h 46 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Winnipeg Jets. These teams met earlier this month in Manitoba, and Winnipeg skated away with a 7-4 victory. But two of the Jets' goals were of the empty net variety, so the game was played much closer than the final score would indicate. We'll take the Lightning tonight to snap its 3-game losing streak, as it is 27-9 at home its last 36 vs. Western conference foes; 6-2 at home off 3+ losses; and 11-4 when playing at home with revenge from a road defeat. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
11-11-24	Stars -155 v. Penguins	Top	7-1	Win	100	10 h 1 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Pittsburgh Penguins. At first glance, November doesn't look good so far for the Stars. But despite a 1-3 record since the beginning of the month, consider the following: Those three losses were twice to the defending Cup Champion Panthers (who look like the best team in the East once again), and once to the Jets. And all Winnipeg has done so far this season is set an NHL record by winning 14 of its first 15 games. For the Penguins, they went into Washington on Friday night and beat a red-hot Caps team that clearly wasn't at its best in that one (the Caps turned around a day later and annihilated the Blues in St. Louis, 8-1). At 6-8-2, the Pens are off to one of their worst starts in recent memory and their age has been showing on the ice so far this season -- especially in the third period when they seem to almost always run out of gas. This has been a very lopsided series lately with the Stars winning the last three meetings and five of the last six going back to October of 2021. Additionally, Dallas is 45-22 (+11.7 net games) its last 67 as a road favorite, and 56-28 (+15.7 net games) off a loss. And the Pens are a putrid 18-44 (minus 21.1 net games) as an underdog, and 38-45 (minus 23.7 net games) off a win. Take Dallas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
11-02-24	Stars -102 v. Panthers	Top	2-4	Loss	-102	9 h 27 m	Show
At 12:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Florida Panthers. No team had more depth last season than the Stars. Still, it wasn't enough and in the post-season Dallas fell to the red-hot Oilers who then turned around and lost to the Panthers in the Cup Finals. While Dallas saw the retirement of one of its best offensive players in recent years -- Joe Pavelski -- there is such a strong youth brigade currently underway that few would be surprised if this team matches the 113 points it put up last season. So far so good, as Dallas is off to a 7-3 start. This afternoon is the back-end of a 2-game International series in Finland against last season's Champions, who are coming into this contest on a four-game winning streak. Because these two just played on Friday with their #1 goalies, tonight's rematch will feature each team's back-up. Stars back-up Casey DeSmith has a 1.69 GAA in three games including a shutout, while Florida back-up Spencer Knight has a 3.03 number in three games. Take the Stars. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
10-26-24	Capitals v. Lightning -155	Top	0-3	Win	100	13 h 23 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Washington Capitals. At 5-1, there's no doubt that the Caps are the most surprising team in the Eastern Conference so far. But with a small sample size, the question is whether or not this team of mostly unknowns is playing way over its head and will regress in a big way in the weeks to come. Tonight could go a long way toward answering that question as DC's hockey team heads to Tampa to play a very good Lightning club. Only one of the Caps' opponents so far has a winning record as of this writing (Dallas Stars). And while the Bolts are just 4-3 overall, they've won two of three here at home coming in. Last season's Ross Trophy winner (most overall points), Nikita Kucherov is back in Tampa and even without Steven Stamkos feeding him the puck, the 31-year-old already leads the league with eight goals. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is also back and with three wins already he is just four away from 300 for his career. The Caps are 16-32 in their last 48 road games vs. teams with a winning record. Take the Bolts. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
10-24-24	Devils -153 v. Red Wings	Top	3-5	Loss	-153	19 h 9 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Detroit Red Wings. The Devils are 5-4-1 after 10 games and although they filled their biggest need by obtaining one of the best goalies in the league -- Jacob Markstrom -- in the off-season, the big netminder is not the type to play 60-65 games in a season. Markstrom's large body will need plenty of nights off, and therein could lie a problem for the Devils as they try to compete with the game's elite clubs. Markstrom had to sit on Tuesday against Tampa and, although Jersey scored five goals on that night, back-up Jake Allen allowed eight (on 37 shots) and the Devils fell at home. After a day off, New Jersey travels to Detroit with plans to have Markstrom right back where he belongs on the ice. Markstrom has a career 2.73 GAA and 20 shutouts to his credit and although he is entering his age-35 season, the big netminder is showing few signs of slowing down. Jersey is 36-18 in its last 54 as a road favorite and 6-2 in its last eight road games off a home blowout loss by three or more goals. Take the Devils. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
10-22-24	Kings v. Golden Knights -140	Top	1-6	Win	100	16 h 57 m	Show
At 11:00 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Los Angeles Kings. It's easy to summarize the Golden Knights' season so far. They win at home and lose on the road. After three wins on the Vegas Strip to open the season, the Knights have lost in Washington, Tampa, and South Florida -- with one of those being in OT -- resulting in a 3-2-1 record after six games. They're no doubt happy to be back at T-Mobile arena tonight as they begin a four-game homestand here tonight against the Kings. L.A. has an almost identical record, having lost two of their three in the extra stanza. Due to work at Crypto.com arena, the Kings have been forced to play all of their games on the road and that will continue tonight before their home opener scheduled for Wednesday. The moves that L.A. made in the off-season do not appear likely to improve its chances against the likes of Edmonton, Vegas or Vancouver. The Knights are 14-3 in their last 17 home games coming off a road loss, and are 26-13 off 3+ losses. Take Vegas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
06-13-24	Panthers v. Oilers -130	Top	4-3	Loss	-130	41 h 7 m	Show
At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Florida Panthers. After another sub-par night in Florida, the Oilers are down 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals as the two teams travel north to Alberta for Game 3. Edmonton may be down, but it's far from out of this series. The Oilers had a 1-0 lead in Game 2 and, despite the loss they woke up big in the third period, and out-shot the Panthers 12-7 in that stanza. So what are the keys for Game 3? First of all, the Oilers need to resist taking costly penalties as Florida had 6 power play opportunities on Monday, including a five-minute major by virtue of a knee-to-knee collision courtesy of Warren Foegele that took out Eetu Luostarinen about nine minutes into the game. The Oilers' offense needs to play better than it did in Games 1 and 2, and returning home tonight with a boost from the rowdy home fans might be just what they need to put multiple tallies on Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who's been brilliant so far. The Oilers are 6-1 in their last seven games following two or more consecutive road losses, 11-5 when trailing in a playoff series, and 40-16 when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. Take Edmonton. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
06-10-24	Oilers +122 v. Panthers	Top	1-4	Loss	-100	16 h 10 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Florida Panthers. The Oilers lost the first game of this series here in south Florida, as the Panthers shut out Edmonton, 3-0. Tonight, Florida will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead before the series heads north of the border. The Oilers have gone 1-1 in the first two games of all three of their series leading to this Stanley Cup Finals so they'll look to do the same in this series with a road victory tonight. In 10 road games this post-season -- including Saturday night's loss here -- the Oilers are a solid 6-4. But they'll need to get the offense going however if they're going to be successful against this very good Florida club. In the five playoff games in which Connor McDavid has not had at least one point, the Oilers are 1-4 and in the ones in which he has, they are 11-3. The Oilers are 4-0 in their last four games when trailing in a playoff series, and 6-3 their last nine off a shutout loss. Meanwhile, Florida is 23-45 (minus 43.8 net games) off a home shutout win. Take Edmonton. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
06-02-24	Stars v. Oilers -135	Top	1-2	Win	100	17 h 60 m	Show
At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Dallas Stars. Like the Florida Panthers over in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Oilers took Game 5 on the road and now come back home for a Game 6 in which they have a chance to clinch a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. It would be Edmonton's eighth appearance in the Finals (they've won five Cups) and its first since 2006. They come into this all-important opportunity at home having just played their most complete game of the post-season, beating the Stars 3-1 in Dallas while out-shooting them as well. And much-maligned Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner was outstanding for the second game in a row, perhaps quieting his critics -- of which there have been quite a few lately. The Oilers will have their crazed fans north of the border making it very difficult for Dallas to get back into this series tonight. The Oilers are 45-10 in their last 55 games after allowing one goal or less in their previous while the Stars are 11-14 this season when revenging a same season loss vs. an opponent. Take Edmonton. As always, good luck...Al McMordie
06-01-24	Rangers v. Panthers -163	Top	1-2	Win	100	16 h 48 m	Show
At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the New York Rangers. The Panthers finally broke through on Thursday and had the kind of victory that they knew they could achieve given they way they had been dominating play. And it was a victory that did not require OT and puts them on the brink of clinching a spot in the Cup Finals tonight at home. Although it was another one-goal game, the Panthers took a 2-1 lead late in the 3rd and then scored an empty net tally before New York got one back with its net still empty. So, Florida does not want to waste this moment and go back to New York for a Game 7 where -- if nothing else -- the rabid Rangers fans will provide an adrenaline rush for the home team. Once again, as they had in Games 3 and 4, the Panthers not only dominated the flow of the game and puck control, but they also easily won the shots-on-goal battle, 37-27. It was the third straight game that they had held the Rangers to under 30 SOG. Florida is 26-9 in its last 35 after allowing two goals or less in two straight games. Take the Panthers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-31-24	Oilers +114 v. Stars	Top	3-1	Win	114	17 h 35 m	Show
At 8:30 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Dallas Stars. Easy victories have been hard to come by in both of the Conference Finals so far. That's why when Edmonton rolled to a relatively lopsided 5-2 victory in Game 4 on Wednesday night, it was something for them to take note of. What makes that victory even more impressive is that the Stars took a 2-0 lead in the first period but instead of panicking, the Oilers relied on their offensive stars (McDavid - 3 assists; Draisaitl - 1 goal) to bring them back. They also stuck with Stuart Skinner -- who admittedly had been shaky of late -- and did not replace him after the two Dallas goals. And Skinner rewarded his team's trust, shutting out the Stars over the final 54 minutes of the contest. Now the key for the Oilers is to take the formula from those last 54 minutes and bring it to a hostile arena. The Oilers are 25-13 in their last 38 games after a win by 2+ goals while the Stars are 4-7 in their last 11 revenging a blowout loss by 3+ goals. Take the Oilers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie
05-30-24	Panthers -116 v. Rangers	Top	3-2	Win	100	17 h 29 m	Show
At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the New York Rangers. Three games, three overtimes is how this series has gone since its opening contest. And if there's one thing that's apparent after these games -- especially the last two -- it's that Florida is dominating the play on the ice, even if it's not necessarily reflected by the final result on the scoreboard. Indeed, the main reason those last two games even went past 60 minutes is because of a guy named Shesterkin, who has been in goal for the Rangers. And while it has to be a bit frustrating for the Panthers that they're not leading in this series, there is no need to make wholesale changes and the strategy for tonight's Game 5 is simple -- keep doing what they're doing. Over the last two games, Florida has out-shot New York by a whopping 77-46. The Panthers are 23-7 in their last 30 coming off a home victory. Take Florida. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-29-24	Stars v. Oilers -128	Top	2-5	Win	100	18 h 18 m	Show
At 8:30 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Dallas Stars. After the Oilers took Game 1 of this Western Conference Finals in Dallas, the Stars have come back strong, winning Games 2 and 3 by a combined 8-4. They put up five here in Edmonton on Monday (although one was an empty net goal) while holding the Oilers to just 22 shots on goal. That kind of shot production won't get it done in this series and Edmonton knows that. Like he did in the Vancouver Series, Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner will have to rebound strong tonight after a sub-par performance in Game 3 (four goals on just 21 shots). After being given a two-game breather in the semifinals, Skinner came back with a .921 SV% and 1.62 GAA across his four starts leading up to Monday. And during the regular season, Skinner was one of the best in the league with a 2.62 GAA and 36 victories. Edmonton is 10-3 in its last 13 games when playing with double-revenge (two straight losses vs. an opponent). Take the Oilers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-28-24	Rangers v. Panthers -165	Top	2-3	Win	100	19 h 16 m	Show
At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the New York Rangers. Since a relatively easy 3-0 victory for the Panthers on the road in Game 1, these two have played two barn-burners in Games 2 and 3 -- both needing overtime -- setting up what should be an exciting fourth game tonight in South Florida. Technically it may not be a "must-win" game for the home team, but it's about as close as you can get to one as the Panthers do not want to go back to New York down three-games-to-one. The good news for the Panthers coming out of that last loss is that they came back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to force the OT. And for most of the game they out-played the Rangers, outshooting them 37-23. Playing their fourth game in seven nights, the goalies -- New York's Shesterkin and Florida's Bobrovsky -- could be starting to feel fatigued and that could be an advantage for the Panthers with their "shoot on sight" mentality. Florida is 11-4 in its last 15 games following a one-goal loss, while the Rangers are a poor 9-13 (minus 12.0 net games) this season after scoring more than 4 goals in their previous game. Take the Panthers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-23-24	Oilers v. Stars -127	Top	3-2	Loss	-127	40 h 45 m	Show
At 8:30 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Edmonton Oilers. It will be the #1 seed Dallas Stars taking on the Edmonton Oilers -- 2nd place in the Pacific Division -- for the right to go to the 2024 Cup Finals. Game 1 takes place Thursday night in Dallas where the Stars have been solid this season. Although they began their playoffs with two straight losses at American Airlines Arena, the Stars have won three of five here since then. These two just played here on April 3 and that game was all Dallas as the Stars took an easy 5-0 decision. Edmonton's biggest question mark coming into this series is right in its crease as regular #1 goalie Stuart Skinner has been shaky, to say the least. Even in the series-clinching Game 7 against the Canucks on Monday, Skinner allowed two goals on just 17 shots. But for Skinner's defensemen playing superbly on that evening, Vancouver would probably be playing this game tonight. The Oilers are a soft 2-7 in their last nine revenging a blowout loss by more than 3 goals, and they're 6-17 in the first game of a playoff series. Meanwhile, Dallas is 20-8 its last 28 off a division road win. Take the Stars. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-20-24	Oilers -150 v. Canucks	Top	3-2	Win	100	18 h 55 m	Show
At 9:00 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Vancouver Canucks. When you have the best all-around player in the World, it does wonders for your chances -- even if you have to win a Game 7 on the road. So, despite having to play at Vancouver tonight, because the Oilers have Connor McDavid on their side, they will be favored to advance to the Western Conference Final. By the same token, Vancouver's objective tonight is simple -- stop McDavid. In the last five games of this series, when the 27-year-old superstar center tallied at least one point, the Edmonton Oilers won. In the two games that he was held point-less -- you guessed it -- they lost. Of course it's easier said than done to keep McDavid, who led the conference with 100 assists in the regular season, off the board. Also, in their three victories, the Oilers have allowed an average of just 18 shots on goal (with no game more than 21), so another defensive effort like that should get the job done tonight. The Oilers are a solid 41-16 (+16.5 net games) on the division road the past 3 seasons. And they're 44-10 following a game where they didn't give up 2+ goals. Take Edmonton. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-18-24	Canucks v. Oilers -184	Top	1-5	Win	100	14 h 55 m	Show
At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Vancouver Canucks. After splitting the first four games, Vancouver won a huge Game 5 at home to get to a series-clinching situation tonight. Now, Game 6 switches back to Edmonton and the big question for the Oilers is whether they will switch back to Stuart Skinner in goal or stick with back-up Calvin Pickard. Skinner -- who started the bulk of the games for Edmonton in the regular season -- really struggled in the Oilers' losses in Games 1 and 3 and Pickard has been solid, even in defeat on Thursday. Still, I expect the Oilers to go with the well-rested Skinner in this elimination game, and then possibly switch back to a rested Pickard for Game 7 (but we are taking the Oilers, regardless of which goalie is between the pipes). The fact of the matter is that the Game 5 road loss falls on the Oilers' offense, which managed just 23 shots on young Canucks goalie, Arturs Silovs, who is subbing for the injured Thatcher Demko. If Connor McDavid and company can get back to the output they had in Games 2, 3 and 4, Edmonton should be able to force a Game 7 back in Vancouver. Key stat: the Oilers are 8-1 their last 9 after a game where they had 24 or less shots on goal. Take the Oilers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-17-24	Panthers v. Bruins +128	Top	2-1	Loss	-100	17 h 19 m	Show
At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers. Down 3-games-to-1, the Bruins had to win on the road in Game 5 of this series and not only did they do that, but they also were finally able to shut down the vaunted Florida offensive attack. Boston played its best defensive game of the series on Tuesday, holding the Panthers to just 29 shots on goal after they had averaged over 36 in the first four games of this series. Florida started Game 5 very slowly and was beaten to the puck on numerous occasions early on while not finding any rhythm with its passing and puck control. By the time the Panthers got things under control it was too late as McAvoy scored the game winner about halfway through the second period and goalie Jeremy Swayman slammed the door shut the rest of the way resulting in a 2-1 Bruins victory. Another tight effort like that should get the job done back at home tonight and force yet another Game 7. The Bruins are 15-6 in their last 21 off a close one-goal win over a division rival. Take Boston. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-13-24	Stars v. Avalanche -129	Top	5-1	Loss	-129	16 h 56 m	Show
At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars. If the Stars make it to the Stanley Cup Finals -- and indeed if they win it all -- they may look back on the third game of this series as being the turning point. After splitting the first two games at home, Dallas was in the unenviable position of having to go to the toughest arena for visitors in the league with the likely prospect of returning home down three games to one. But not only did Dallas win Game 3, it shut down the potent Avalanche offense in the process and scored two late empty net goals for a 4-1 win. The Stars' penalty kill was outstanding, especially in the first period when they had to withstand three Colorado power plays, and did so successfully while taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. A repeat of that performance however seems unlikely as the Avs rarely lose two home games in a row. Dallas is just 3-9 in its last 12 after scoring four or more goals against a Division rival, and a poor 29-31 (minus 18.5 net games) off back to back wins. Meanwhile, Colorado is a fantastic 37-17 (+14.4 net games) off back to back losses. Take Colorado. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-12-24	Panthers v. Bruins +133	Top	3-2	Loss	-100	13 h 4 m	Show
At 6:30 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers. The Hangover continues for Boston and its fans. After surprisingly blowing out the Panthers in Game 1 of this series following a grueling seven games against Toronto, Boston has now thrown in two clunkers in a row. In Game 2 in Miami the Bruins were trounced 6-1, and managed just 15 shots on goal. Then on Friday night they came back to Beantown and performed only marginally better, losing 6-2 while putting only two more shots on goal than they did last Wednesday. Now it's almost a must-win situation in Game 4 back at TD Garden. We'll take the home underdog, as Boston is 25-11 in its last 36 after allowing five goals or more in its previous (and 9-3 in its last 12 after allowing six or more). Take the Bruins. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-11-24	Rangers v. Hurricanes -142	Top	3-4	Win	100	13 h 38 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the New York Rangers. The Hurricanes were really hoping to win Game 3 on Thursday night in front of the home crowd in Raleigh, but that didn't happen. Once again, the game went into overtime -- the second straight game of this series to do so -- and once again it was the Rangers who scored (it didn't take very long this time). Now with their backs against the proverbial wall, Carolina knows it has to grab Game 4 tonight. The good news is that once again they out-played their opponents, out-shooting the Rangers by a lopsided 47-25. That's 104 shots over the last two OT games so all they need to do is figure out how to beat New York's goalie, Igor Shesterkin. More good news for the home team tonight -- the 'Canes are 14-2 in their last 16 coming off a home loss to a division rival (5-0 in their last five in those situations). Take Carolina. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-10-24	Panthers v. Bruins +108	Top	6-2	Loss	-100	15 h 31 m	Show
At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers. The letdown that you might have expected from the Bruins after their grueling seven-game series against the Maple Leafs didn't come in the first game of the second round. It came in Game 2 instead. After Boston dominated Florida at home, 5-1, the Panthers returned the favor and thoroughly thrashed the Bruins on Wednesday night, 6-1, limiting the visitors to just 15 shots on goal. Tonight the series switches to the TD Garden for Games 3 and 4 and Boston knows it can ill-afford to have another let-down like it did two nights ago. That Game 2 victory was the first win for the Panthers over the Bruins in the last six tries, including the entire regular season as Boston swept Florida over the four games. The Bruins are also 11-2 in their last 13 when revenging a road loss to an opponent and they're 5-0 in their last five when those losses are to a Division rival. Take Boston. As always, good luck...Al McMordie
05-09-24	Avalanche v. Stars -125	Top	3-5	Win	100	18 h 37 m	Show
At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Colorado Avalanche. With a loss in Game 1 on Tuesday, the Dallas Stars now come into Game 2 at home knowing that is almost a must-win situation. The Avs are so good at home this season -- and in seasons past -- that for the Stars to go down 0-2 as they did in their first round series probably means they are going to be eliminated. That Tuesday night loss really stung as Dallas shockingly blew a 3-0 first period lead at home. The Stars will undoubtedly make some adjustments tonight to make another meltdown like the one they experienced in Game 1 as unlikely as possible. Their first order of business will be to increase their shot total above the 22 that they managed on Tuesday. There are at least a couple of reasons to think that the Stars will even this series tonight. Dallas is 20-9 in its last 29 games immediately after allowing four or more goals and 8-1 in its last nine (24-7 in its last 31) after a loss to a division rival. Take the Stars. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-08-24	Bruins +155 v. Panthers	Top	1-6	Loss	-100	15 h 36 m	Show
At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers. After a grueling seven-game series that ended with a victory in overtime on Saturday to advance them to the second round, the Bruins showed no signs of weariness in Game 1 of this series. In fact, you could say that Monday's dismantling of the Panthers, 5-1, was Boston's best showing so far this post-season. And it was a balanced attack as five different Bruins scored the five goals, including an empty-netter near the end by Jake DeBrusk. Not only did their offense go crazy by scoring five straight after Florida took a 1-0 lead, but Bruins' goalie Jeremy Swayman was outstanding in net, stopping 38 of 39 Panther shots. They'll look to repeat the effort in Game 2 back in South Florida while the Panthers will have to find out a way to stop the onslaught from Boston's front lines. But recent history is against them as the Panthers are 0-5 this season vs. Boston; 4-11 in their last 15 coming off a home loss to a Division rival; and 1-6 in their last seven off a division loss by more than 3 goals. Take the Bruins. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-07-24	Avalanche v. Stars -119	Top	4-3	Loss	-119	15 h 56 m	Show
At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Colorado Avalanche. This will be the sixth time in NHL history that these two teams have met in the playoffs -- most recently in 2020 (second round) when the Stars prevailed in seven games. Dallas cannot afford to get this series off to the same kind of start it had in Round 1 against the Knights when it lost the first two games at home. The Stars need to take advantage of the fact that Colorado is not the same team on the road (19-22 regular season) as it is at home (31-10). Then there's also the question of how well Colorado will do in Game 1 tonight off of such a long rest as the Avs haven't played in seven days. The Avs have been without winger Jonathan Drouin since April 18 (lower body injury) and he is unlikely to be available again tonight for Game 1. The Stars go from playing outside their Division in the first round to inside and they are 17-9 in their last 26 games vs. Central division opponents. Take Dallas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-04-24	Maple Leafs v. Bruins -131	Top	1-2	Win	100	18 h 2 m	Show
At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Toronto Maple Leafs. If the Leafs are going to pull off an improbable comeback and win this series after being down 3-1, they're going to have to do it without the best player -- who also happens to be the NHL goal scoring leader. Toronto's Auston Matthews has been ruled out for Game 7 tonight at Boston's TD Garden. If the Bruins lose tonight it will be two straight years that they lost in the first round, blowing a 3-1 series lead as the favorites. They may not be a Stanley Cup Finals team, but right now all the Bruins want to do is survive and move on to the second round. And they are in a good spot to do so as, despite the last two losses, they are still 10-3 in the last 13 meetings with the Leafs. The Bruins are 10-2 in their last 12 when revenging a loss vs an opponent as a road favorite and 20-9 in their last 29 revenging a loss where they scored one goal or less. Take Boston. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
05-02-24	Bruins +100 v. Maple Leafs	Top	1-2	Loss	-100	17 h 42 m	Show
At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Toronto Maple Leafs. After building up a 3-1 lead in this series, the Bruins seemed set to clinch it in Game 5 at home on Tuesday. But the Leafs showed up big time in Boston and held the Bruins to just one first period goal before forcing overtime and winning it on a Matthew Knies goal just two-and-a-half minutes into the extra period. Toronto star Auston Matthews missed Game 5 with his ongoing illness. The NHL goal-scoring leader this season (69) left Game 4 early and likely won't be able to play tonight in Game 6. For the Bruins, they usually thrive in situations coming off of sub-par offensive efforts as they are 26-9 in their last 35 games immediately following one in which they scored one goal or less. The Bruins are also 10-2 in the last 12 meetings with the Leafs and 5-0 in the last five in Toronto. Take Boston. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-30-24	Maple Leafs v. Bruins -160	Top	2-1	Loss	-160	12 h 5 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Toronto Maple Leafs. With a 3-1 series lead, the Bruins are hoping to avoid the awful fate they suffered last season when they had an historic regular season (65 wins and 135 points) only to go out in the first round of the playoffs. And while it doesn't appear that will happen in 2024, Boston is not going to take any chances and will do everything it can to end this series tonight on its home ice. Meanwhile it looks like another early exit for the Leafs who are simply snake-bit. Just when Toronto gets William Nylander back from a mysterious ailment (he played over 22 minutes in Game 4), superstar Auston Matthews comes down with an illness and is pulled before the third period of that same Game 4. It doesn't appear as though Matthews (69 goals in the regular season) will be ready tonight. But even if he is, he almost certainly won't be 100%. With their Game 4 victory, the Bruins have now won 10 of the last 11 meetings with the Leafs. Take Boston. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-27-24	Stars +104 v. Golden Knights	Top	3-2	Win	104	46 h 55 m	Show
At 10:30 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Vegas Golden Knights. Including this season, the Stars have been to the playoffs 14 times since they won their only Stanley Cup in 1999. And if they don't get busy in the next two games, it could be another early exit for them. Appearing to have all the momentum a team could have going into the post-season -- the best record in the West and just a point behind the Rangers for the Presidents Trophy -- Dallas has laid a big green egg so far, losing both Games 1 and 2 at home. But the games have been very close and if the Stars can limit their penalties tonight -- two of the four Knights' goals in Game 1 were on the power play -- then they can get right back into this series. The Stars defense has been stifling as Vegas has only managed a total of 41 shots over the two games so they need to keep pressing tonight on the road. Dallas is 7-0 in its last seven games coming off a home loss by two or more goals. Take the Stars. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. Don't miss my hoops and football winners, including my UFL Football Underdog of the Month on Saturday. I've cashed 63% in Spring football the last 3 years, including 100% this season.
04-27-24	Bruins +101 v. Maple Leafs	Top	3-1	Win	101	43 h 14 m	Show
At 8:00 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins took Game 3 in Toronto on Wednesday and another win tonight for the visitors would put the Leafs one loss away from yet another disappointing first round playoff exit. Unfortunately for Toronto the biggest story is the continued absence of one of its best players in F William Nylander. It is now being reported on social media that the 27-year-old has been suffering from continued migraines that have team doctors evaluating him for a concussion. No matter how you slice this "undisclosed" situation, it is both bizarre and untimely for the Leafs. Boston has its share of injuries as well, but none to a player with the impact that Nylander has. Unlike the first two games, the Bruins had the upper hand offensively in the 4-2 Game 3 victory, out-shooting the Leafs 34-30. Boston has now won nine of the last 10 meetings, including each of the last four here at Scotiabank Arena. Take the Bruins. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. Don't miss my hoops and football winners, including my UFL Football Underdog of the Month on Saturday. I've cashed 63% in Spring football the last 3 years, including 100% this season.
04-24-24	Bruins +100 v. Maple Leafs	Top	4-2	Win	100	15 h 46 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Toronto Maple Leafs. After getting routed in Game 1 of this first round Eastern Conference series, 5-1, the Maple Leafs needed to come up big in Game 2 and they did. Despite having two leads in the game (1-0 and 2-1) the Bruins could not close it out and now the series heads to Toronto all knotted up at 1-1. But despite their disappointment on Monday night there are reasons to like the visitors tonight. First, the Bruins have won each of the last three meetings with the Leafs here in Toronto by a combined score of 13-6, so Boston seems to like it just fine up here. Second is the case of Toronto star C William Nylander's mystery injury. Although the 27-year-old Swede played in all 82 regular season games for the Leafs, his production fell way off in the last three weeks and now he's missed the first two playoff games with an unnamed ailment. It's safe to say that even if Nylander is able to play tonight (that isn't likely however), he will be nowhere near 100%. The Bruins are 8-1 in the last nine meetings. Take Boston. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-22-24	Maple Leafs v. Bruins -134	Top	3-2	Loss	-134	15 h 11 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Toronto Maple Leafs. It seems every year in which the Maple Leafs have a winning season and register 100 points or more, the hockey experts say it's finally time for them to return to glory. But the fact is that no team lately has been as successful in the regular season while laying as big an egg in the post-season. Toronto has made the playoffs in each of the past eight seasons, yet only advanced past the first round once during that time. Despite featuring the most prolific goal-scorer in the game currently (Auston Matthews - 69 this season), the Leafs can't get out of their own way after mid-April. The Leafs have a goaltending problem right now, and it appears to be a big one. They've tried all three of their netminders recently -- Woll, Samsonov, and Jones -- but none has been able to perform consistently. It was Samsonov in Game 1 and the Bruins scored four times on just 23 shots against the 27-year-old. The Leafs have now lost eight straight games to the Bruins. Take Boston. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-20-24	Maple Leafs v. Bruins -120	Top	1-5	Win	100	20 h 25 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The NHL Playoffs are here and, for a while, it looked like all roads in the Eastern Conference would once again go through Boston. After all, as recently as March 22, the Bruins were the top team in the East and as of Monday -- although they had since dropped below the Rangers -- they were still sitting atop the Atlantic division. But two straight losses by Boston to end the season enabled the Panthers to win the division, so Boston must now play a very tough Maple Leafs club. But there are at least a couple of reasons to like the Bruins tonight and in this series. First and foremost is that Boston has dominated Toronto of late. In fact that Bruins have not lost a game to the Leafs since November 2022 -- a string of seven straight victories which includes all four meetings this season. Second, Toronto heads into the post-season as one of the most injured teams in the league and such names as Nylander, Domi, and McMann are likely not going to be playing tonight. Take the Bruins. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-15-24	Predators v. Penguins -123	Top	2-4	Win	100	14 h 49 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Nashville Predators. The Pens had a huge game on Saturday night here at home against the Bruins. Unfortunately for them, Boston was just too much and Pittsburgh never managed a lead in the game which finished with the visitors leaving town with a 6-4 victory. The Pens are home again tonight playing another playoff-bound team in the Predators. And the Penguins have dominated this series recently, taking five of the last seven meetings going back to December of 2019. The Predators come into this contest having won two straight games however those two were against the Blackhawks (23-52-5) and Blue Jackets (26-43-12), so they certainly will be getting a much tougher test tonight in the Steel City. They defeated Columbus at home, in Nashville, on Saturday, 6-4. But the Preds are 15-20 in their last 35 games off a home win by two goals or more. Take Pittsburgh. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-14-24	Avalanche +100 v. Golden Knights	Top	3-4	Loss	-100	11 h 11 m	Show
At 3:35 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vegas Golden Knights. For most of the regular season, the Colorado Avalanche have enjoyed the biggest home ice advantage in the NHL. But lately, some of that home cooking has gone bad. After losing to the Jets last night in Denver, the Avs are now just 2-4 in their last six games here at Ball Arena. It hasn't helped its cause that Colorado was without star winger Mikko Rantanen for a few games as he went through concussion protocol. Rantanen should be back to full strength this afternoon for this critical match-up with the Knights in Vegas. This has become one of the best rivalries in the West and with both teams still trying to improve their positions today's clash should have the feel of a playoff game. These two have alternated wins and losses over their last four meetings with the last three being shutouts (two by the Avs and one by the Knights). The Knights blew out the Wild, 7-2, in their last game but they are just 2-5 in their last seven after scoring six goals or more in their previous. Take the Avs. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-13-24	Bruins -123 v. Penguins	Top	6-4	Win	100	13 h 27 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the bouncing ping-pong ball world that is the Eastern Conference Wild Card chase, the Penguins had a huge overtime win here at home over the Red Wings on Thursday night. That victory has vaulted the Pens back into the final WC position with three teams -- the Caps, Red Wings, and Flyers -- all one point behind them. Pittsburgh has only three games left but those are all against contending teams, starting tonight with the Bruins. Going into Saturday, Boston is barely holding on to a lead in the Atlantic -- just one point ahead of the Panthers, who are playing today at home against the Sabres. The Bruins have dominated this series, taking four of the last five meetings going back to November of 2022. They trounced the Pens in the last meeting a little more than a month ago, 5-1, and Pittsburgh is 5-11 in its last 16 games revenging a blowout loss by more than 3 goals to an opponent. Take the Bruins. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-11-24	Capitals v. Sabres -129	Top	2-4	Win	100	7 h 26 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Buffalo Sabres over the Washington Capitals. The Caps broke out of their six-game slump in a big way, beating the Red Wings in Detroit on Tuesday night and leap-frogging back into a Wild Card spot in the process. But if they're going to win games consistently, the Caps are going to have to do something more than they have been -- shoot the puck. Washington's shot production over the last two weeks has been abysmal. Over their last seven games, the Caps have managed more than 26 shots on just one occasion. With the exception of their April 4 loss to the Penguins (31 shots), the Caps have only averaged a measly 21.8 shots per game. That scant offensive production won't get you many wins in the NHL and the Caps desperately need another win tonight to stay in the Eastern Conference Playoff picture. The Sabres were eliminated from playoff contention, but this is their final home game of the season, so I don't expect a lackluster effort. They have taken three of the last five meetings with the Caps, including a 6-2 thrashing in the last meeting on April 2. The Caps are also 8-14 in their last 22 revenging a blowout loss of four goals or more. Take Buffalo. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-07-24	Stars v. Avalanche -116	Top	7-4	Loss	-116	14 h 44 m	Show
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars. The team with arguably the best home ice advantage in the NHL gets to play four of its remaining five games at home, beginning with this one as the Stars come to Denver for the final time this regular season. The Avs are a sparkling 29-8 here and that includes a dominating 5-1 victory back on February 27 in the last meeting of these two clubs. These remaining home games -- plus one on the road in Vegas -- gives the Avs a decent shot at catching the Stars and defending their Central Division title. More bad news for the Stars: Veteran center Tyler Seguin missed the prior game with an upper body injury and he is likely to be absent again tonight in Colorado. The Avs have dominated this series lately, winning six of the last seven meetings going back to November of 2022 and they're 4-0 in the last four. The Stars are 4-11 in their last 15 revenging a same-season loss while the Avs are 12-2 in their last 14 games immediately following a blowout loss by three goals or more. Take Colorado. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-05-24	Avalanche v. Oilers -120	Top	2-6	Win	100	15 h 37 m	Show
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Colorado Avalanche. With two straight losses on the road, it's looking more and more like the Oilers will have to settle for second place -- at best -- in the Pacific Division. The Oilers come back home -- where five of their final eight games will be played -- to face the Avalanche tonight for the first of two meetings (Edmonton ends its season in Colorado on April 18). The Oilers need to take advantage of tonight's meeting, as Colorado has the biggest home ice bias in the league. While the Avs are a stellar 29-8 at home in Denver, they are just 18-20 when playing on the road this season. One thing's for sure -- when these two teams play, you almost always get a nail-biter as the last five meetings going back to June 2022 have gone to overtime. The Avalanche took the last meeting just about three weeks ago (March 16), 3-2 and the Oilers are 31-10 in their last 41 games when revenging a same-season loss vs. an opponent. Take Edmonton. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-03-24	Oilers +110 v. Stars	Top	0-5	Loss	-100	16 h 38 m	Show
At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Dallas Stars. The Dallas Stars are heading into the final two weeks of the regular season the way a team wants to. Dallas is in first place in its Division, has already locked up a post-season spot, and has won seven straight coming into tonight. But a closer look at those seven wins shows that the Stars likely benefited from a soft schedule. That's because five of those seven victories came against the Penguins, Sharks, Kraken, and Coyotes (twice) -- all teams with losing records. And one of the two victories came at the expense of the Kings -- a winning team on the season but one with real issues right now. Dallas' last win may have come with a price as recently acquired (from Calgary) All Star Defenseman Chris Tanev left the game after an illegal check and he will be out of action tonight and possibly longer with an upper body injury. The Oilers won the last meeting of these two in Dallas, 4-3 in OT and the Stars are just 3-11 in their last 14 games revenging a same season loss vs an opponent. Take Edmonton. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
04-02-24	Bruins v. Predators +107	Top	3-0	Loss	-100	13 h 13 m	Show
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Boston Bruins. After looking like they were primed for the post-season by winning six games in a row between March 13 and 26, the Predators embarked on a quick, two-game road trip that they probably wish they hadn't had to play. Nashville lost back-to-back in Arizona and Colorado, allowing a whopping 15 goals in the process after allowing only nine total goals during the six-game win streak. Now the Preds have to regroup as they host one of the East's best teams in the Bruins tonight at Bridgestone Arena. Boston has lost three of its last five games with only a narrow victory in Washington last time out (3-2 in a shootout) preventing it from being 1-4 over that span. The Bruins have some untimely injuries right now and their remaining schedule is one of the toughest in the league. They won the last meeting between these two teams, 3-2, back at the start of the season on their home ice. However the Predators are 14-4 in their last 18 games revenging a same season loss vs an opponent. Take Nashville. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
03-28-24	Rangers v. Avalanche -154	Top	3-2	Loss	-154	20 h 50 m	Show
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the New York Rangers. For the better part of the latter half of the NHL season, the Avalanche, Jets, and Stars have been going back and forth atop the Central Division. A recent nine-game win streak had the Avs on top recently, but Colorado lost its last game against the Canadiens on Tuesday and has dropped back to second place for the time being. The good news is that six of the Avs' remaining 10 games will be played here in Denver. And no team in the league has a bigger home ice advantage than Colorado, which is 28-7 in 35 games here coming into tonight. The Rangers won their last game,Tuesday, at home vs. the Flyers, but they needed overtime to do it and only managed a total of 27 shots on goal the entire game while allowing five goals to a team they should have dominated. The Avs have won four of the last six meetings but this is a revenge game as New York won the last meeting at Madison Square Garden in February. And the Avs are 9-2 in their last 11 revenging a road loss vs. an opponent. Take Colorado. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
03-26-24	Red Wings +101 v. Capitals	Top	3-4	Loss	-100	9 h 14 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Red Wings over the Washington Capitals. The Wings and Caps are locked in a tight battle for a wild card berth, with Washington currently 1 point ahead. The Capitals will look to win their 3rd straight game after winning home games vs. Carolina (7-6) and Winnipeg (3-0). Unfortunately, the Capitals are a soft 23-31 at home off a win, and 21-29 off back to back wins. The road team has won six of the previous nine in this series, and we'll take Detroit to win this critical matchup. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
03-24-24	Panthers -160 v. Flyers	Top	4-1	Win	100	12 h 6 m	Show
At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Philadelphia Flyers. After a rough and tumble game in Manhattan last night, the Panthers travel south to Philadelphia and an arena that won't be any friendlier for them. Although Florida lost its fourth straight last night -- this time to the Rangers -- it played New York pretty much even for most of the contest which had the intensity of a playoff game in the last two periods. For the Flyers, they come into tonight off a huge victory here at Wells Fargo Center yesterday against the first place Bruins, 3-2, and they can ill-afford a letdown after that one as Philly tries to hold on to its third-place position in the Metropolitan Division with just 11 games to go. The Flyers have won the last four meetings with the Panthers including both this season (played in South Florida). The Panthers could get several players back tonight including three from injury (Forsling, Barkov, Gadjovich) and D Kulikov whose two-game suspension expires. Florida is 8-4 in its last 12 games revenging a home loss vs. an opponent. Take the Panthers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
03-16-24	Sabres v. Red Wings +112	Top	1-4	Win	112	4 h 47 m	Show
At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Red Wings over the Buffalo Sabres. These teams met just four days ago in Buffalo, and the Sabres smashed the Red Wings, 7-3. Detroit followed that loss up with another loss -- at home vs. Arizona -- for its 7th straight defeat. The Wings are now on the outside looking in at the Playoff picture, so they'll need to get back into the win column if they want to try to qualify for the Playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. The Sabres are a poor 9-22 off a win, and 0-6 after back to back blowout wins by 3+ goals. Take Detroit.
03-14-24	Panthers v. Hurricanes -116	Top	0-4	Win	100	13 h 24 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Florida Panthers. As usual, there were a ton of trades last week when the NHL deal deadline hit on Friday, but none bigger than the one that the Hurricanes pulled off. Penguins star Jake Guentzel who had been in a Pittsburgh uniform since he came into the league as a 22-year-old (and was thought by some to be the heir-apparent to Sydney Crosby), was dealt to Carolina for a package of prospects and a 2024 conditional draft pick. In 50 games with the Pens this season, the 29-year-old center had 20 goals and 32 assists and he is likely to have a leading role with his new club going forward. Guentzel has had plenty of success vs. the Panthers in his career with 17 points (7G, 10A) in 17 games against them. Carolina won the last meeting between these two right here at PNC Arena on February 22, and we'll take Carolina tonight, as it's 9-0 its last nine off a home loss to a division foe. Take the Hurricanes. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
03-04-24	Panthers v. Rangers +107	Top	4-2	Loss	-100	12 h 36 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Florida Panthers. In what could be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers welcome the Panthers to the Big Apple for the first time in over a year. Both of these teams could be in buying mode at the upcoming trade deadline in an effort to add what little they need to make themselves better for the playoff push. The Panthers come in riding a four-game win streak, but three of those were at home against teams with losing records (Washington, Buffalo, Montreal) so they take a leap in class tonight against the 40-17-4 Rangers. The Rangers have taken four of the last five meetings with the Panthers although Florida got the better of New York in the last meeting this past December in Miami, 4-3. The Rangers are 10-1 in their last 11 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
02-29-24	Golden Knights v. Bruins -152	Top	4-5	Win	100	11 h 12 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Vegas Golden Knights. Boston has not won a game in regulation in any of its last nine games, dating back to its 4-0 win over Vancouver on February 8 (which was our NHL Game of the Month). The Bruins are 2-7 overall in its last night games, but I like Boston to get back into the win column tonight, and snap its 3-game losing streak. Boston is a solid 23-11 (+9.9 net games) off 3+ road losses, and it's also 101-77 (+12.3 net games) off 3+ losses (regardless of venue). The Bruins suffered a 2-1 loss in overtime last month at Vegas. However, the Bruins are 23-5 when playing with revenge from a road loss. Take Boston. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
02-22-24	Rangers v. Devils -107	Top	5-1	Loss	-107	12 h 46 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the New York Rangers. With less than 8 weeks remaining in the regular season, the Devils sit 4 points behind Detroit for the 2nd wild card berth in the Eastern conference, so each game is critical for their playoff hopes. The Devils were embarrassed on Tuesday night, as Washington blew them out, 6-2. But New Jersey is a solid 15-9 after giving up 4+ goals this season (and 6-2 after surrendering 6+ goals). The Devils are 11-6 their last 17 off a loss, while the Rangers have lost 6 of their last 9 road games. Take New Jersey. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
02-20-24	Stars +130 v. Rangers	Top	1-3	Loss	-100	8 h 32 m	Show
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the New York Rangers. The Rangers won their 7th straight game, with a comeback, 6-5 win over the rival Islanders, on Sunday. Today, they'll welcome the Stars to Madison Square Garden. And Dallas will be looking to bounce back from losses to Edmonton and Boston -- both by 4-3 scores, settled after regulation. We'll take Dallas in the underdog role tonight, as it is 50-24 (+15.7 net games) after allowing 3+ goals in back to back games. And it's a stellar 23-8 on the road off a loss (and 9-1 on the road off back-to-back losses). Meanwhile, the Rangers are 4-9 after scoring more than 4 goals in their previous game. Take Dallas. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
02-17-24	Oilers +105 v. Stars	Top	4-3	Win	105	7 h 19 m	Show
At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Dallas Stars. Prior to the All Star weekend, the Oilers were on a record-setting pace. Between December 21 and January 27, Edmonton went 16-0-0 and that 16-game win streak had the Oilers tied for second all-time in the NHL (with the 2016-2017 Blue Jackets), one win shy of the Penguins historic mark of 17 in a row in 1993. But then the break came and most teams in the league had close to 10 days off and the Oilers were no exception. When they came back on February 6, they proceeded to lose in Vegas, 3-1. In fact, Edmonton has gone 2-3 since the break, alternating wins and losses up to this afternoon's game in Dallas. The Stars come in having won three in a row and seven of their last eight. But five of those seven came against teams with non-winning records (Nashville, Montreal, Buffalo, Washington, Anaheim). Dallas won the only meeting of the season back in early November in Edmonton and the Oilers are 6-3 in their last nine revenging a home loss vs. an opponent. Take Edmonton. As always, good luck...Al McMordie