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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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11-18-21 | Lightning v. Flyers +115 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 13 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #10 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +115 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:08 ET - This is all about the line value. The Lightning are the 2x defending Stanley Cup Champs. This is the first visit for the Bolts to Philly in quite some time. You know the Flyers will be highly motivated here. Philadelphia has won 4 of last 6 home games and coming off a confidence boosting win in OT over a Flames team that has been playing solid hockey. As good as Tampa Bay has been, it is definitely hard to 3-peat and this is especially true when you have a target on your backs all the time. The Flyers will be up for this game. The Bolts are going to lose some games this season. That is most likely to occur on the road and facing a quality team. This game, as a result, checks all those boxes and indeed Tampa has lost 2 of its last 4 road games. The last time these teams met was in the bubble in August of last year and the Carter Hart, playing very well right now by the way, outplayed Andrei Vasilevskiy, the best goalie in the league, in that one. I look for more of the same here as the home ice makes the big difference here. Hart known for being tougher on home ice and the Bolts have allowed 3 goals per game when on the road this season and without Kucherov again and the loss of Cernak to injury also hurts them. 10* PHILADELPHIA +115 |
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11-17-21 | Avalanche v. Canucks +150 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 4 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #68 Wednesday 10* Top Play Vancouver Canucks Money Line +150 vs Colorado Avalanche @ 9:08 ET - The Canucks have their backs against the wall and the Avalanche have been rolling. That said, there is much more than meets the eye here. Vancouver actually is 2-0 the last 2 times they have been on home ice and coming off a loss. Also, the Canucks have only 1 regulation loss in their last 4 games played at home. The Avalanche have won just 2 of 5 road games this season and one of those wins was in the shootout. In fact, in regulation time in road games this season, Colorado has been outscored 20 to 13. I know coach Travis Green is on the the hot seat for Vancouver right now but his team is off a strong practice Tuesday and is ready to respond big after a road trip that wrapped up on Sunday. The Canucks have had a chance to regroup and hit the reset button and I expect them to start this 3-game homestand with a big upset win over an Avs team that is without Nathan MacKinnon now too. Look for the Canucks to get some revenge for last week's embarrassing 7 to 1 loss at Colorado. It is payback time here. 10* VANCOUVER +150 |
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11-16-21 | Flames v. Flyers +103 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 103 | 10 h 35 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #54 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +105 vs Calgary Flames @ 7:08 ET - The Flyers are off a loss at Dallas Saturday. Philadelphia is 5-0 this season when off a loss! The combined score of those 5 victories is 18 to 6. Look for angry Flyers team to take to the ice Tuesday in Philly and keep in mind they most definitely will not overlook the Flames. I say that because the Flyers lost at Calgary last month 4-0 in what is their biggest margin of defeat this season. Philadelphia was in the final game of a 3-game road trip to Western Canada and had won the first two at Edmonton and Vancouver and simply did not have it for the finale of the 3-game trip. That said, a little extra motivation for the hosts here and they catch the Flames off a win but that was at Ottawa. The Senators have been decimated by covid-19 issues and in fact are now having their next 3 games as a result. The Flames face a much bigger challenge here as the Flyers are mostly healthy and will prove to be a much tougher test. Also, Calgary had lost 5 of 6 games prior to the win over the Sens. Look for Philly to improve to 6-0 this season when off a loss as they get some revenge in this one and get right back into the win column. 10* PHILADELPHIA +105 |
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11-15-21 | Islanders +117 v. Lightning | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 56 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #39 Monday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +115 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:08 ET - I have tremendous respect for the two time defending champion Lightning and their goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Bolts are a fantastic team. However, there is a reason they are priced so low for this match-up. The Islanders are a much stronger team than their recent results have showed and the set-up here, TB off huge win, is a perfect one for backing the road dog. While Tampa Bay is off an OT win over Florida, the Isles are off B2B losses for just the 2nd time this season. The Islanders also are the much more rested team as tonight's game will be just their 2nd one in the past 8 days! Prior to the B2B losses, New York had won 4 of 5 and all 4 wins were by 2 or more goals and the lone loss was in the shootout. As for the Lightning, they are off huge win over a Panthers team that has been great early this season and that game was on Saturday. Prior to that the Bolts had lost 2 of 3 and this a challenging spot for them. Keep in mind, the Lightning have played 13 games this season and only 4 of them have resulted in a win in regulation time. This Tampa Bay team, as good as they still are (for sure high quality), do seem to be having a bit of a 2x Stanley Cup Champ hangover so far this season. Considering that plus the big win over the Panthers Saturday, this is an ideal spot to take a hungry dog and fade the Bolts. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS +115 |
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11-14-21 | Oilers -105 v. Blues | Top | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 8 h 17 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Sunday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers Money Line -105 @ St Louis Blues @ 7:08 ET - The knee-jerk reaction here from most will be to take the home team off a loss with Jordan Binnington between the pipes and on home ice. However, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of that. I really like this Oilers team this season and they are off a loss also. Key factor Edmonton is their loss was Friday while the Blues loss was yesterday. St Louis is in a back to back and has lost 5 of 8 games. Edmonton has yet to lose back to back games and I love the resiliency of this club. When the Oilers faced the Bruins in Boston on Thursday they fell behind 1-0 and 2-1 and 3-2 but kept battling back immediately each time in the eventual 5-3 win. Also, Mikko Koskinen is likely to be between the pipes since he did not play Friday and he is 8-1 with a 2.59 GAA and a .918 save percentage this season. He has played very well and looked very comfortable between the pipes. This will not be an easy game for the Oilers as the Blues are at home and hungry off B2B losses but I think the B2B situation here will be too much for them. That said, when you want to play strong teams like Edmonton you have to be willing to take them on the road and against quality opponents if you want to get the most manageable lines. So just like grabbing the Oilers as a dog at Boston Thursday now we get them in a pick'em price Sunday at St Louis and this is a solid value worth taking! 10* EDMONTON -105 |
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11-13-21 | Panthers v. Lightning -109 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 8 h 19 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #4 Saturday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -110 vs Florida Panthers @ 7:08 ET - The set up here perfect. The Panthers are starting to falter after losing their head coach following a red hot start to the season. Florida has now lost 3 straight games and has only 1 win that game in regulation in their last 7 games. Earlier this season the Panthers did get some playoff revenge against the Lightning with a 4-1 win at Tampa Bay. That makes this a payback spot for the Bolts and they are a rested team as they have been off since Tuesday and that was a tough 2-1 OT loss to Carolina in which goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Lightning did play very well. In fact, the Bolts have been going the opposite direction of the Panthers of late. TB had won 4 of 5 before the OT loss to the Hurricanes and all 4 of the wins were in regulation with 3 of them by a multi-goal margin. The only 2 losses the Bolts have since Oct 26t were both in OT. Ideal situation to grab the home team at a bargain price in this one! 10* TAMPA BAY -110 |
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11-12-21 | Flyers +163 v. Hurricanes | Top | 2-1 | Win | 163 | 7 h 3 m | Show |
NHL Situational Shocker - 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +160 - The Hurricanes are a fantastic hockey club but situations do not get much better than this. Carolina is off a playoff revenge win over Tampa Bay in which they scored a late goal to tie it and then won in overtime. Keep in mind this tight win was a very emotional one for the Hurricanes plus this followed a 5-2 loss at Florida so the Canes haven't exactly been dominant last two games. Both of those games were huge games for Carolina as the Panthers entered that game as the other hottest team in the league. So now, after those two huge wins the Hurricanes are in a definite flat spot and taking on a Flyers team that has only one loss in regulation in 5 road games this month. Also, the Flyers are a perfect 4-0 this season when off a loss and they enter this game off a rare shutout defeat on home ice versus Toronto on Wednesday. Look for a huge effort from the road dogs here and they should get the job done with a big upset that many would not expect. The Canes are a great team but, especially considering this situation, the Flyers - a quality team in their own right - are very undervalued here. 10* PHILADELPHIA +160 |
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11-11-21 | Oilers +133 v. Bruins | Top | 5-3 | Win | 133 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Thursday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers Money Line +130 @ Boston Bruins @ 7 ET - We are getting phenomenal line value here. The Oilers are off just their 2nd loss of the season. Edmonton will be in bounce back mode here and they are the highest scoring team in the league but coming off a game in which they were held to just 2 goals. The only reason they are an underdog in this spot is because they are on the road and facing a Bruins team that is 5-0 on home ice this season. Boston is a solid team again this season no doubt but this is a team that had only 1 regulation time win in its last 5 games prior to sneaking by Ottawa 3-2 on Tuesday. The point is that the Bruins are not some juggernaut that has been rolling through teams this season. Ullmark is getting the start for Boston in goal here and he has allowed 3 or more goals in 3 of his last 4 starts. Oilers likely to go with Koskinen in between the pipes and he is 7-1 with a 2.54 GAA on the season! With all due respect to the Bruins and Ullmark, this is just an incredible value to have the highest scoring team in the league with a hot goalie between the pipes and getting a +130 price range when coming off a loss. 10* EDMONTON +130 |
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11-10-21 | Maple Leafs v. Flyers +115 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 47 m | Show |
NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #28 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +115 vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:38 ET - This spot is offering tremendous home dog value. The Flyers have been a great team on home ice ever since Alaign Vigneault took over. Also, Toronto is coming off a 5-1 loss and that was at home! Note that the Maple Leafs have lost 3 of 4 road games and the only win was in overtime. The point is that, though Toronto is a solid team, they are a bit over-valued and certainly have struggled on the road early this season too. The Flyers are well-rested for this game and have been playing well in long stretches early this season. Philly lost their season opener on home ice but have won 3 of 4 since with the only loss to a red hot Florida team and the 3 wins coming by a combined score of 15 to 4. The point is that this game has home blowout potential and even if it is a close game I still see the hosts prevailing. 10* PHILADELPHIA +115 |
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11-09-21 | Hurricanes +111 v. Lightning | Top | 2-1 | Win | 111 | 8 h 30 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes +110 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:08 ET - Revenge game for the Hurricanes after getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Lightning last season. Also, Carolina - perhaps caught looking ahead to this game - is off their first loss of this season as they were hammered 5-2 Saturday at Florida. The Lightning are a little banged up right now and have not been as dominant as usual early this season. In fact, the Bolts have lost 3 of 5 games on home ice this season and one of their two wins was over an Arizona team that has been dreadful this season. The Hurricanes have won 9 of their 10 games this season. Yes Tampa Bay is on home ice here but the road team has actually taken 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams. Look for that trend to continue here as the Hurricanes have been the better team early this season and get some playoff revenge with a big win here. 10* CAROLINA +110 |
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11-08-21 | Panthers v. Rangers +110 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 110 | 10 h 46 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #2 Monday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line +110 vs Florida Panthers @ 7:08 ET - I know it may look funny to be see a Rangers team that has lost half its games in nearly a pick'em price range against a 10-0-1 Panthers team that has yet to lose a game in regulation this season. However, think about that for a second...there is, of course, a reason this game is priced this way. That said, I am happy to grab the home dog here. The Rangers are back from a tough trip out west which ended with 3 consecutive losses. However. New York has played a road-heavy schedule and they are going to take advantage of this opportunity on home ice. The Rangers, in fact, won their most recent game on home ice by a 4-0 count. Also, this is NY's only game between last Saturday and this coming Saturday. They are focused on making the most of it and, of course, they are facing a Florida team with a bullseye on its back as the last remaining team without a regulation loss. I look for the Panthers to absolutely suffer their first regulation defeat here. Florida is off their biggest game so far this season as they faced an equally hot Carolina team and shut them won for the 5-2 win Saturday. This is one of those situations where the Panthers could get caught still celebrating such a big win. The Rangers will surprise them here as this is a high quality team ready to respond after a tough road trip and with another road game on deck. They won't let this opportunity pass them by and the goaltending bounces back after a pair of tough games. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS Money Line +110 |
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11-06-21 | Flyers +140 v. Capitals | Top | 2-1 | Win | 140 | 8 h 43 m | Show |
Philly Special - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers +140 @ Washington Capitals @ 7:08 ET - The Flyers are really undervalued here. Yes the Capitals are on home ice but Washington has only won 5 of 10 games this season and Philly has won 5 of 9 games this season. There is just not enough that separates these two teams to justify this high price. Also, the Flyers are off a poor game against Pittsburgh. Yes they salvage a point in the standings in the OT loss thanks to a strong effort from goalie Carter Hart in regulation but, overall this team did not play well. That said, great spot to back them at a big plus money price as the road team actually has won 6 of the last 8 meetings between these nearby divisional rivals. Travel just not a big deal in games between these clubs based on their close proximity. Also, note that Philly is 3-0 this season when off a loss. The Capitals have lost back to back games and 4 of their last 6 and the road dog value is just too good to pass up here. 10* PHILADELPHIA +140 |
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11-04-21 | Flyers +110 v. Penguins | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 31 m | Show |
Rivalry Rout - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +110 @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:08 ET - The Flyers are the healthier team, hotter team, and are on the road here against a bitter rival so the result is a nice line for us! We can get Philly as an underdog and they are facing a Pittsburgh team that has lost 3 straight games by a combined score of 13 to 3. Not only that, the Penguins are going to have their hands full with a Flyers team that has revenge for a 7-3 home loss in the last meeting between these teams. Sidney Crosby is doubtful for this game (Covid) and this Flyers team is playing with confidence right now having won 5 of last 7 games and off a shutout win over Coyotes. Carter Hart is likely to be in goal tonight and he has been sharp recently and I expect more of the same tonight. He was rock solid when he last started again the Penguins in a 2-1 win and I expect another strong effort here! 10* PHILADELPHIA +110 |
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11-03-21 | Hurricanes v. Blackhawks +132 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 21 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line +130 vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 8:38 ET - Tough spot for the Hurricanes. Yes, Carolina is a great team and 8-0 this season but the only other team without a loss in regulation this season is Florida. Up next for the Hurricanes is a match-up with the Panthers at Florida on Saturday. This is clearly a lookahead spot for the Canes. Yes, Carolina is undefeated this season but Chicago is in revenge mode after a 6-3 loss at Carolina Friday. They have been a different team since then as Marc Andre-Fleury was not in goal for that game but has been back between the pipes for the last two and he allowed just one goal in each game! Not only is Fleury back in top form, they got Patrick Kane back for their last game and he delivered a hat trick in the big 5-1 win for Chicago. The Blackhawks are a home dog with a hot goalie and a rejuvenated attitude and they catch the Hurricanes in a lookahead. This home dog too good to pass up on in this spot as I look for Kane and Fleury to again lead the way. 10* CHICAGO +130 |
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11-01-21 | Senators v. Blackhawks -135 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 7 h 9 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #64 Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line -135 vs Ottawa Senators @ 8:08 ET - Chicago is winless in 9 games this season and yet a moderately priced -135 favorite in this one. Confused? Don't be! The odds makers know what they are doing and in typical contrarian fashion to public perception of course I am siding with the odds makers and fading the masses as I will lay the -135 price with the winless Blackhawks. Couple keys here. Murray could be back between the pipes for Ottawa here but the Senators netminder was dealing with an upper body injury and could be rusty here after not playing in more than a week. As for the Blackhawks, Marc-Andre Fleury - after a rough few starts to begin the season - was absolutely fantastic at St Louis on Saturday in a 1-0 loss. Fleury appears to be back and ready to stake his claim as the #1 netminder in Chicago. Speaking of being "back", star Patrick Kane has been cleared from covid protocols and is expected back for this game tonight. He has missed the last four games. The combination of all these factors as well as home ice should lead to a solid victory for the hosts in this one. Lay the price! 10* CHICAGO -135 |
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10-30-21 | Panthers v. Bruins -126 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 8 h 57 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Saturday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line -125 vs Florida Panthers @ 7:08 ET - Florida is 8-0 on the season so it may seem contrarian to be fading them but that is what my contrarian crusher plays are all about. First off, Panthers certainly deserve a lot of credit for their 8-0 start to the season but they are now in their toughest situation of the young season by far. They are it the 2nd of back to back road games, they just had their head coach resign, they are playing their 3rd game in 4 days, they barely survived with an OT win at Detroit last night, and they are facing a Bruins team they just beat Wednesday but that it is 2-0 at home. Yes, Boston has definitely faced a tough early season schedule and will enjoy again being on home ice and I look for them to get revenge after scoring first at Florida Wednesday but then seeing thing slowly unravel from there onward. The Bruins are still a very strong team and this is particularly true when at home and particularly true when off a loss. Boston will be fired up for revenge here and they catch the Panthers in a very tough scheduling spot and will take advantage. This is the ideal spot for the Panthers, going through a lot of recent turmoil with former head coach Joel Quenneville, to see their unbeaten season come to an end. The Bruins are favored here over 8-0 Florida with good reason! Lay it! 10* BOSTON -125 |
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10-28-21 | Flyers +123 v. Canucks | Top | 2-1 | Win | 123 | 10 h 4 m | Show |
NHL Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +123 @ Vancouver Canucks @ 10:08 ET - Back to back spot for Flyers but last night's game was just their 2nd game in 7 days! In other words, Philadelphia's skating legs should be just fine here and, on that note, they certainly have been skating very well since an opening night loss to the Canucks in the shootout. That ruined the Flyers home opener and now they get their shot at revenge. Martin Jones is likely to be between the pipes since Carter Hart was last night but Jones should fare just fine here. He allowed 3 goals (but on 40 shots!) in a win over the Bruins in his lone start this season. He got great scoring support there and that should be the case again for Jones here as the Flyers are scoring an average of 4.6 goals per game and look like a rejuvenated team early this season. Their only other loss this season was to Florida and the Panthers are still undefeated on the season! That said, Philly is a strong early season team as you can see and they get some revenge at Vancouver tonight. The Canucks only other two wins were against the Blackhawks and the Kraken. Those two hockey clubs have combined for just 2 wins in 14 games this season! Vancouver has been held to 2 or less goals in 4 of 7 games this season and I look for the high-scoring Flyers to prove to be too much and get their revenge here. 10* PHILADELPHIA +123 |
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10-27-21 | Bruins +120 v. Panthers | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 40 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #73 Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line +120 @ Florida Panthers @ 7:08 ET - The Panthers are coached by Joel Quenneville and he led the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup title in June of 2010 when they eliminated the Flyers in 6 games. What does that have to do with this play? Well the 2010 season is the key one in the allegations and possible cover-up involving a Blackhawks employee and multiple players and Quenneville is now being called to meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in New York on Thursday. So this is a major distraction as the Panthers are at home in Florida tonight taking on a very strong Bruins team than their head coach is in New York on Thursday and then the team is in Detroit on Friday. That said, even though the Panthers are undefeated this season, I love the Bruins in this spot. Boston has only played 4 games so far this season so that is the part of the reason they are further down in the standings. Even though it is early in the season there is no doubt that the Bruins are well aware of the Panthers 6-0 start and the fact that Florida is currently 6 points in front of them in the Atlantic Division even though Boston has lost only 1 game (3-1 thus far). I like the fact that the Panthers could be distracted here and the Bruins come in as the much more rested team and also a very focused team that is motivated by this chance to give Florida the first blemish on their sparkling record early this season. The Bruins have had great success at Florida in recent seasons and I look for that to continue here. 10* BOSTON +120 |
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10-26-21 | Flames v. Devils -113 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -113 | 11 h 3 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #60 Tuesday 10* Top Play New Jersey Devils Money Line -113 vs Calgary Flames @ 7:08 ET - Tough spot for the Flames as it is their first back to back situation this season. Also, Calgary used #1 goalie Markstrom last night so the back-up Vladar is likely to go tonight. Though the Devils have been dealt some goalie injury issues, they saw young rookie Nico Daws step up with a great performance in his first start. That game was on Saturday and improved New Jersey to 3-1 this season plus they come into this game with extra rest and on home ice while the Flames are playing this game with no rest. Vladar likely to start in goal for Calgary here and he has a 3.31 GAA in his 6 career NHL starts. Look for home ice and the rest edge and the goalie edge to lead to a big win for the Devils in this one. 10* NEW JERSEY -113Â |
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10-21-21 | Avalanche +105 v. Panthers | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 14 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line +105 @ Florida Panthers @ 7:08 ET - Landeskog back tonight from two game suspension. The only game he played the Avalanche won 4-2 in their season opener. Since then they have gone 0-2 and MacKinnon missed one of those losses and was not himself in the loss Tuesday in Washington after flying cross country Monday night after being cleared from covid protocols. I know goalie Kuemper has struggled early this season but I know what he is capable of too. That said, and with Landeskog and MacKinnon and Rantanen finally together again on the top line for this one, I look for a big road win from a hungry Avalanche team in this one. They are off back to back losses and they catch Florida off a big divisional win at Tampa Bay and, of course, the Lightning are the B2B defending Stanley Cup champs too. This set up is ideal for this play and the Avs get it done on the road to get back on track. 10* COLORADO +105 |
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10-20-21 | Bruins v. Flyers +121 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 121 | 10 h 37 m | Show |
TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +120 vs Boston Bruins @ 7:38 ET - The Bruins have played just one game and got a win. They have yet to face adversity early this season. The Flyers got plenty of that in their season-opening loss to the Canucks which was likely the best thing that could have happened to them. Philadelphia rallied to force a shutout as they were down 4-2 but tied it at 4 late and forced the shootout. They ultimately lost 5-4 but then bounced back with a big win over Seattle Monday and looked great at both ends of the ice in that one. The Bruins gave the Flyers trouble last season but Philly did win 2 of the last 3 meetings and I like the roster changes this Philly team made coming into this season. They are built much better now to do battle with high quality teams like Boston and also defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen should make his Flyers debut tonight. The additions Philadelphia has made will result in them being a much tougher team to face this season and Boston finds that out tonight. This Flyers team has more resiliency and veteran support guys and they will be a tough hard-fighting home dog in this match-up tonight. Great line value on home ice and Bruins went from being a -125 favorite to a -140 favorite and I am grabbing the value on the other side of the move. 10* PHILADELPHIA +120 |
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10-19-21 | Stars +115 v. Penguins | Top | 2-1 | Win | 115 | 10 h 58 m | Show |
Non-Conf Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line +115 @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that each team has played 3 games and the Penguins have yet to lose in regulation while the Stars have yet to win in regulation. Still, I love Dallas in this spot. The Stars have faced a tough early season schedule and they are a solid team and they are catching the Penguins at the right time for an upset. Yes Pittsburgh has opened the season surprisingly hot but this is a team without Malkin until December and, more importantly, without Crosby until at least this weekend! Dallas is off a loss at Ottawa but they outshot the Senators in that game. Also, the Stars outscored the Sens 2-1 in 5 on 5 action in that game. The other loss Dallas had was at Boston and the Bruins are one of the best teams in the league! I feel we are getting exceptional line value here and I will not pass up on it. Hungry road team off a loss battling it out with a Penguins team still dealing with injuries and a little bit over-valued right now. Fade Pittsburgh as their fortunate start to the season comes to an end in convincing fashion Tuesday evening. 10* DALLAS +115 |
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10-18-21 | Seattle Kraken v. Flyers -130 | 1-6 | Win | 100 | 9 h 52 m | Show | |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NHL Monday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line -130 vs Seattle Kraken @ 7:08 ET - The Flyers fell short in the shootout in their lone game so far this NHL season. The Kraken have already played 3 games. I feel this works in Philadelphia's advantage here and I love fading the line move. Philly is the more rested team and this line has gone from the -160 range to the -130 range and the Flyers on home ice are offering excellent line value as a result. Since Alain Vigneault took over as head coach Philly has a very strong home ice record and goalie Carter Hart is known for being very successful on home ice too. Hart and the Flyers should bounce back here after dropping their season opener at home to the Canucks. The Kraken have another game at New Jersey tomorrow night and their early season busy schedule catches up with them here as this is part of a stretch of 4 games in 6 nights for Seattle. The money line on this one is a bargain price. 8* PHILADELPHIA -130 |
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10-16-21 | Islanders +122 v. Panthers | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +120 @ Florida Panthers @ 6:05 ET - Islanders will respond off an embarrassing season-opening loss to a good Carolina team. I know the Panthers did open their season with a win but it took OT to do it and they knocked off a Penguins team that is hurting early this season and missing some key personnel. I think Florida could regress some this season and I still really like the Isles. That said, from a situational standpoint and value standpoint, this is a great spot to back a road dog. High quality team that rarely ever allows so many goals in a game. The road team responds here and gets back on track by producing their typical stingy game on defense. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS +120 |
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10-15-21 | Canucks v. Flyers -145 | 5-4 | Loss | -145 | 11 h 46 m | Show | |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #82 Friday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line -145 vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:08 ET - The Flyers at home offer solid line value here. Canucks are off a shootout loss in Game One of their season. Vancouver had to rally to tie the game at 2 and then went on to lose in OT. The Canucks are a quality team but they are on the East Coast for this one and Philadelphia is going to be rocking for its season opener on home ice. Flyers are 37-18-8 on home ice the past two seasons combined. Vancouver is 24-35-3 in road games the past two seasons combined. With their loss to the Oilers, the Canucks have now lost 39 of last 63 road games and the Flyers are well worth the moderate price here. 8* PHILADELPHIA -145 |
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10-14-21 | Islanders +115 v. Hurricanes | Top | 3-6 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 18 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #67 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +115 @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:08 ET - The Hurricanes deserve respect and I certainly do respect this team. However, getting the Islanders at plus money against anyone is a huge value. Also, their team has a little less turnover than the Hurricanes did coming into this season. I know Frederik Andersen performed well in goal for the Maple Leafs last season but historically he has been a bit inconsistent. Yes, the Islanders are without #1 goalie Semyon Varlamov right now but Ilya Sorokin is a rock solid #2 netminder for them and, unlike Andersen, he is use to the teammates in front of him too. Keep in mind, there could be a bit of an adjustment period early on for Andersen in Carolina. The Hurricanes are a solid team but I love the stingy Islanders on the road getting plus money. The defensive-minded hockey club frustrates their opponents and wears them down and I expect that to be the case again in this season opener for these two clubs. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS +115 |
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10-13-21 | Rangers +115 v. Capitals | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 31 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line +115 @ Washington Capitals @ 7:35 ET - The Rangers finished 5th in the divisional standings last year while the Capitals were 2nd in the same division. That is why it might seem surprising to see Washington as such a slight home favorite here in this season opener. However, this Capitals team is getting a little long in the tooth and the Rangers, on the other hand, are trending the right direction. Also, lets not forget the Tom Wilson / Artemi Panarin incident that happened late last season. That is part of the reason the Rangers got Ryan Reaves as an enforcer this season. Reaves is listed as probable for tonight's game. Also, Ryan Strome is probable for the Rangers as well. New York will be ready to go and get some revenge against this Capitals team. Washington's injury news is not as good either. Nicklas Backstrom is currently out and Alex Ovechkin is questionable with a lower body injury. This one sets up well for the road team to get it done. Like I said with my intro, this game is priced very low for a reason so grab that small dog on the road and look for them notch the mild upset in this one. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS +115 |
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07-07-21 | Canadiens +199 v. Lightning | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 21 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Wednesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Lightning have nothing to worry about, right? They are back on home ice, had won the first 3 games of the series, and they have the championship pedigree. While certainly Tampa Bay could finish this series off tonight, I feel there is a ton of value with the big road dog in this one. The Lightning had 5 power play opportunities compared to just 1 for the Canadiens in Game 4 and the Habs still got the win. Montreal killed off all 5 power plays and their penalty kill has been the best of all playoff teams in this post-season and is a big part of the reason they are still standing. I also like the fact that the Canadiens outshot the Lightning 43 to 23 in the most recent game at TB but lost the game. The Habs are a confident bunch as a result of that huge effort here. They know they can win here and should have won that game. Prior to this series the Canadiens were on a red hot run on enemy ice. Don't be surprised if they get the shocking upset win here and force a Game 6 back in Canada. Carey Price was huge in goal in Game 4 and certainly capable of helping the Canadiens steal a game on the road here. 10* MONTREAL |
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07-05-21 | Lightning v. Canadiens +142 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 142 | 11 h 52 m | Show |
Contrarian Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Monday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +140 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Canadiens can rise up and win a game here. They should have won Game 2. Of course blowing that game despite a 43-23 edge in shots on goal is why they are on the brink of elimination now. The Habs have outshot TB by 25 shots on goal the past two games combined. However, that does not change the fact that it is the Lightning that are still winning the games. I see that changing tonight as professional pride kicks in at its highest level for this proud, resilient home dog. Remember they were left for dead when they were down 3 to 1 in the opening round series with the Maple Leafs. Montreal then won 3 straight and never looked back as they got on a major roll. I am not saying they win this series of course, I am just saying they win at least one game and avoid the sweep and that "must win" happens tonight as Montreal staves off elimination with another very valiant effort like they had in Game 2 that, this time, also translates to victory on the scoreboard. 10* MONTREAL +140 |
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07-02-21 | Lightning v. Canadiens +119 | Top | 6-3 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
Playoff Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Friday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +120 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - Montreal dominated Game 2 and outshot the Lightning by a margin of 20 shots on goal. The Canadiens, however, still lost the game. Suffice to say it was a brutally bad beat for Montreal and I expect another determined effort from the Habs here. Being on home ice is certainly a big plus. Also, Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy has been superb between the pipes but when he does slip up it has tended to be on the road. His home numbers were much better than his road stats this season. The Canadiens will be absolutely relentless here as they fight hard to get back into the series in what is, for all intents and purposes, a must win game. They did not look in Game 1 but they looked the better team in Game 2 even though they lost. That is saying a lot about how well the Habs are capable of playing against this solid Tampa Bay team and I expect to see their best again tonight and, this time, it translates to a win. The Bolts power play has been great in the playoffs but the Canadiens penalty kill has ranked #1 throughout the post-season! Carey Price in goal for the home team comes up huge in this one too he has allowed more than 2 goals just once in 8 starts on home ice in this post-season. 10* MONTREAL |
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06-30-21 | Canadiens +180 v. Lightning | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 19 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #81 Wednesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +180 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Canadiens got blitzed in a Game 1 loss. They struggled to get many scoring chances, especially in the first period and a half of the game. At the same time, they allowed the Lightning far too many chances, especially from the slot area and TB made them pay. There was traffic in front of Montreal's fantastic goalie, Carey Price, and that made it a very difficult game for him. The loss certainly can not be blamed on him. Overall though, Montreal will make adjustments. After losing 5-1 in Game 1 Montreal would have been expected to be an even bigger dog here in Game 2. Of course the reason they are not is that the odds makers know the same things that the sharps do about this one. That is that the Habs have a great shot at the upset win here. Montreal has been playing the "us against the world underdog mentality" very well and they have been a resilient bunch ever since down 3-1 in the opening series versus Toronto. Ever since then, the Canadiens have won 11 of 14 games and they are 3-0 the last 3 times they have entered a game off a loss. As impressive as Tampa Bay has been, this is a team that is just 1-4 ATS the last five times when off a game in which they allowed 1 goal or got a shutout win. Too much big dog value to pass up on here as the road dog will make adjustments and will also come out with a lot of fire for this one - ready both mentally and physically. 10* MONTREAL +180 |
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06-28-21 | Canadiens +177 v. Lightning | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 43 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Monday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +175 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - Just too much value to pass up on in my opinion here. The Canadiens have had plenty of doubters in each series and yet they continue to defy logic and get the upset wins. I am not saying they will win this series and win it all. But I do sense an upset in Game One. The way Carey Price is playing, the Habs are a tough to beat right now. That does not mean the Lightning also are not a tough team to beat with Andrei Vasilevskiy between the pipes. I am just saying that the value here is in going against the defending Stanley Cup Champs as the element of surprise is at its biggest in Game One of a series and there is just something special about this Canadiens team this season that has them winning many match-ups in which they appear outclassed in terms of the way the teams match up. Having Price in the crease is a big key in that regard. I fully realize just how good this Tampa Bay team is but Montreal just beat a very good Vegas team to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Lightning are laying a -200 price here against a team that has won 11 of 13 games. Tampa Bay is off a hard-fought 7-game series against the Islanders and the Canadiens have an extra day of rest and have won 4 of 5 while the Lightning were just 3-3 last 6 prior to beating the Isles in Game Seven. 10* MONTREAL +175 |
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06-25-21 | Islanders +146 v. Lightning | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Friday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +145 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Bolts are on a 13-0 run in the post-season when coming off a playoff loss. In typical contrarian fashion, I will take the Isles here as I fade that stat! Certainly it is not without good reasoning though. First off, we have excellent underdog line value with the Islanders available at +145. They could have packed it in after an 8-0 loss in Game 5 at Tampa Bay and then getting down 2-0 in Game 6. A loss there and we would not even be talking about this game! The fact is that New York rallied to tie the game and then won it in OT and now here we find ourselves getting to enjoy a Game 7. Ironically, the last time the Lightning played a Game 7 was in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals and that was also on home ice and Tampa Bay lost the game to the Capitals. Washington's coach at the time was, you guessed it, Barry Trotz! The Isles current head coach ended up taking the Caps to a Stanley Cup win over Vegas and he has his sites set on another Stanley Cup run with these Islanders! To do it he has to do the same thing he did in 2018 and that is win a Game 7 at Tampa Bay. I expect him to do just that as the Bolts are also currently dealing with an injury to the player who is leading the post-season for most points (goals and assists combined) and Nikita Kucherov is a critical player for TB. If he even plays tonight I do not expect him to be 100%. Underdog value is off the charts in this one. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS |
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06-24-21 | Golden Knights v. Canadiens +131 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 131 | 12 h 11 m | Show |
Contrarian Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #22 Thursday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +130 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - The odds makers appease the markets when they make the lines to draw equal action. That being said, it is truly the only reason the Golden Knights are a moderately priced favorite here. In my typical contrarian mindset, I am fading market perception here. The masses are still believes in Vegas but the Golden Knights internal issues started up again with the goalie change that always seems to lead to bad things for Vegas come playoff times. Now you have a team that has lost 3 of last 4 games as a -150 range favorite and it is simply not justified. The only win that the Golden Knights have in the last 4 games very easily could have been a loss as that was the game most questioned in terms of officiating and the Golden Knights scored late to tie it and then they won in OT. That said, this series could very easily be over already with Montreal advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. Though that is not the case yet it will be after tonight in my opinion. Carey Price has been stellar between the pipes for the Habs and Vegas has scored an average of only 1.5 goals per game in regulation time of the last 4 games in this series. The Canadiens simply continue to be an "unliked" team by the betting markets but they have now won 10 of 12 games. That said, I will gladly take them as a home underdog in this one. 10* MONTREAL +130 |
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06-23-21 | Lightning v. Islanders +132 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 132 | 12 h 33 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Islanders +130 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Islanders did not just lose Game 5, they got thoroughly embarrassed. This is a hard-nosed, resilient team with a strong head coach. The Isles will respond tonight on home ice in Game 6. They had a 3-0 lead in the eventual 3-2 win in Game 4 here and, after the Game 5 shellacking, the Islanders will refuse to be ushered out of the post-season by virtue of a loss in their own barn. I expect New York to play a fantastic game tonight and dominate. New York is 10-4 last 14 times when at home and off a loss. The Islanders are 3-1 in the post-season when off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. Tampa's Vasilevskiy had a 1.75 GAA at home this season but a 2.63 GAA on the road this year. The Bolts are a great team but the home dog is no slouch and responds with professional pride after Tampa Bay poured it on against them in Monday's game and this has ignited a fire in the Isles. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS +130 |
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06-22-21 | Canadiens +209 v. Golden Knights | Top | 4-1 | Win | 209 | 15 h 53 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #81 Tuesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - You will see a very determined effort from the Canadiens here after they felt a bit "cheated", if you will, by the officiating in Game 4 of this series. Montreal deserved much better and could very easily be up 3-1 in this series as they also held an edge in shots on goal in the eventual OT loss on Sunday. The Golden Knights have totaled only 5 goals in regulation time of the last 3 games and are severely over-valued here. After how well Fleury had been playing I still feel it will be a mistake that Lehner was in goal in Game 4. No matter who starts Game 5 the "head games" have begun with Vegas and threaten to damage the mentality of both of these netminders now going forward. There are no such questions for Montreal where Carey Price has been fantastic between the pipes. Also, you are going to see a huge effort from an angry Habs team that will be determined to get back the lead in this series as it is tied 2-2 now but should not be. The road team has split the games in this series, home ice is way over-valued, and I am taking a shot with the big dog in Game 5 just like I successfully did in Game 2 here. Look for another upset here. 10* MONTREAL +210 |
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06-21-21 | Islanders +167 v. Lightning | Top | 0-8 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 27 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #71 Monday NHL 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +165 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - This one is all about the line value. The Islanders were up 3-0 in Game 4 and then hung on for the 3-2 win. Now the Lightning are back on home ice in a 2-2 series and so the markets will be backing them. However, just because a team is off a loss it certainly does not make it automatic that they bounce back with a win in the next game. Keep in mind, the Lightning won 2 straight in this series - Games 2 and 3 - and the Canadiens won those same 2 games in their series with the Golden Knights. That said, getting +165 with a team that has proven to be just as tough as the team they are facing is a value so strong that I will not pass up on getting involved here. Note that the road team in Tampa Bay playoff games, was on a 6-2 run prior to the Bolts losing at New York on Saturday. Also the Islanders, prior to losing game two of this series at Tampa Bay, had won 3 straight road games in the post-season and 4 of their last 5. Scrappy, defensive-minded, a hard team to play against, well-coached...all those things characterize the Islanders. Yes, the defending champion Lightning are a great team of course but this Isles team the real deal with a head coach that won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals just a few years ago. Upset alert. 10* New York Islanders Money Line +165 |
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06-19-21 | Lightning v. Islanders +116 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 116 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
Semi-Finals Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #52 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Islanders are in a must win spot here after dropping Game 3 on home ice. Yes, in theory, anything is possible but coming back from a 3-1 deficit with 2 of the final 3 games at Tampa Bay would be an incredible challenge. That said, I am expecting New York to play their best game of the series tonight. I also feel strongly that they would have won Game 3 were it not for a back-breaking momentum-shifting goal very late in the 2nd period immediately after a TB penalty had been killed off. It did not go in the books as a power play goal but, for all intents and purposes, it was. That proved to be too much for the Isles to bounce back from but this is a resilient group and very well-coached. I expect a big bounce back here. The Islanders have now lost back to back games and are 5-1 the last 6 times when entering a home game on a losing streak of 2 or more games. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS +115 |
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06-17-21 | Lightning v. Islanders +120 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 48 m | Show |
Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #32 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +120 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Islanders got blasted in Game 2 after winning Game 1 and they will now respond on home ice. The Isles were fantastic on home ice this season. Tampa Bay has a fantastic goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy but he is not as strong on the road as he has at home. That has been a recurring theme throughout the year for him and I expect the Islanders to take Game 3 as a home dog. They are so strong on home ice and can frustrate the Bolts just like they did in Game 1 of this series. Similar to the Canadiens upset win over the Golden Knights last night after getting blasted in the prior game, look for a defensive-minded team to get the early lead here an then grind out a win. That is Islanders hockey to a T and they are very well-coached and should come up with a big response here after Tuesday's ugly loss. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS +120 |
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06-16-21 | Canadiens +230 v. Golden Knights | Top | 3-2 | Win | 230 | 12 h 35 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Wednesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +230 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - I have a ton of respect for the Golden Knights but this play is all about the value. People do not realize this Canadiens team is quite strong and they are not hanging their heads after that Game 1 loss. The fact it was a 4-1 final gives us some extra value here as there are plenty of non-believers when it comes to Montreal and this money line is being held high as result. The Vezina trophy is awarded each year to the top goalie in the league. In 2020 Connor Hellebuyck won it. What does that have to do with this play? He plays for Winnipeg and it is that Jets team that Montreal just swept out of the playoffs in the 2nd round. Note that in the 1st round the Habs rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to upset the heavily favored Leafs. Toronto was getting much better goaltending this season too plus loaded with star power and the Canadiens still managed to win games despite being outshot. Why? A guy by the name of Carey Price is between the pipes for Montreal and he is fully capable of stealing games. Price also has a Vezina trophy win on his resume and is one of the best netminders in the game. So too is Marc-Andre Fleury of Vegas but the Canadiens did have some quality chances but the puck luck - bounces of the puck if you will - did tend to favor the Golden Knights in Game 1. I expect a very hungry Habs team to come out with a much stronger full 60 minutes here as they tapered after a strong first period in Game 1. Perhaps the week long layoff caught up with the Canadiens but they will be better tonight. I am sure of that and feel it will lead to a big upset win. The Habs had won 7 straight games overall before the Game 1 loss and were also 6-1 on the road in this post-season prior to Monday's loss. Bounce back time here. 10* MONTREAL +230 |
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06-13-21 | Islanders +170 v. Lightning | Top | 2-1 | Win | 170 | 6 h 19 m | Show |
NBC Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #81 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +170 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 3:05 ET - These are two very strong teams. Very well-coached too. Jon Cooper let the Bolts to the Stanley Cup Championship over the Stars last season. It was only a couple years before that the Islanders coach, Barry Trotz, was head man of the Capitals and led them to the Stanley Cup Championship over the Golden Knights. That said, I feel the -200 price on TB is offering us tremendous underdog line value on the other side that is too good to pass up on! The Islanders are a tough team to play against and this will be the first meeting since the Lightning knocked them out of the post-season last year. That series was played in the bubble and I remember it well as the Islanders were handed a very tough situation with coming off a grueling 7-game series win over the Flyers that including 3 OT wins and then having to face the Lightning on short rest. The Isles got blasted in Game 1 and could never recover. They were just worn out and beat up. This situation this year is entirely different and this should be a fantastic series with a Game 1 upset setting the tone. New York is rested and ready this year and now, about that home ice, note that the Islanders have won 4 of 6 road games in this post-season. Also, the Lightning are coming off a series against the Hurricanes in which the home team won only 1 of 5 games! Prior to a win over the Canes in TB in Game 4, the Lightning had lost 3 of last 5 games on home ice. Considering all of the above, this is incredible underdog line value here. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS +170 |
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06-10-21 | Avalanche +120 v. Golden Knights | Top | 3-6 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
West Div P/O Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Thursday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line +120 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - 2-0 going to 3rd period on your home ice and you lose the game. That is the situation the Avalanche just had in Game 5 of this series to sink into a 3-2 hole. Some turnovers were the key in the game but overall Colorado looked very strong in that one and never should have lost it. They worked so hard all season to get home ice and all is not yet lost. With a win in Game 6 at Vegas, the Avs can send this series back to Colorado for a winner takes all Game 7. In other words, the Avalanche know there is still much to play for and they know they should not be down 3-2 in this series. The Avs have now lost 3 straight games and this team has not lost 4 straight games all season long. Ironically the only time the Avalanche suffered a 3rd straight loss in the regular season it was at the hands of the Golden Knights and Colorado responded with a 3-0 shutout loss in their very next game. I am expecting a similar response here. You will see the Avalanche play their best game of the post-season tonight and, while the public will be lining up on Vegas to close this out on home ice, in typical contrarian fashion I am betting big on the road dog to get it done here. 10* COLORADO +120 |
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06-09-21 | Bruins -131 v. Islanders | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -131 | 9 h 60 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line -130 @ New York Islanders @ 7:35 ET - The Bruins were on the wrong end of a 5-4 final Monday despite dominating play statistically for the 4th time in the last 6 games between these two clubs. In the last 4 games in this series, the road team has taken 3 of them and I see that trend continuing here. The Bruins are a sizable money line favorite on the road here for a reason! Don't let the line fool you. Yes the Islanders were great on home ice this season but the Bruins had won 5 of the last 6 meetings between these two clubs before losing the last 2 games. The road team trend continues here. 10* BOSTON |
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06-08-21 | Golden Knights v. Avalanche -139 | 3-2 | Loss | -139 | 10 h 29 m | Show | |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #36 Tuesday 8* Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - The home team is a perfect 4-0 in this series and I do not see that trend ending here. In terms of shots on goal, the Golden Knights have dominated 3 straight games. The Avalanche know that can not continue. They must get back to the domination they showed on home ice in Game One of this series. I expect the best effort of the post-season from the Avalanche in this game. They know that the way they have been playing is unacceptable and this team is too good to fail to bounce back on their home ice. In fact, a change of venue is what can absolutely spark a slumping team and I expect a huge response from the Avs here. Colorado went 7-2 this season when on home ice off a loss. Also, when off 2 or more consecutive losses, the Avalanche went 3-1 this season. If they lose tonight it would be just the 2nd time this year that they have lost 3 straight games. I just do not see that happening! The Avs went 2-0 this season when on home ice and off 2 or more consecutive losses. That record improves to 3-0 here. 8* COLORADO |
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06-08-21 | Lightning v. Hurricanes +107 | 2-0 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 11 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #34 Tuesday 8* Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (+) vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 6:35 ET - The Hurricanes blew a 4-2 lead in losing at Tampa Bay in Game 4 and I expect them to make up for that in a big way here. The Lightning have been lethal on the power play the last 2 games and the Canes can not keep giving Tampa Bay those chances. Note that not including power play goals, Carolina has outscored the Bolts 6 to 3 the last 2 games. That said, I like my chances on a huge response from the Hurricanes here as it also worth noting that Andrei Vasilevskiy did not have as strong of numbers on the road as he did on home ice this season. It was a very sizable disparity and I expect the Canes to get to the top netminder early and often in this must win game. 8* CAROLINA |
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06-06-21 | Avalanche +101 v. Golden Knights | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 22 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Sunday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line +100 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:35 ET - The Avalanche outshot the Golden Knights by a huge margin in Game 1 and got a dominating win. In Game 2 they were outshot by a big margin but got away with it. So the same thing happened in Game 3 and, this time, the Avs paid for it. They surely will be much hungrier here after letting Vegas get back into this series with a 3-2 win in Game 3 that was earned via a 43 to 20 edge in shots on goal. Colorado must be much better here and they know it and caught an earful from their coach about it. I fully expect the Avalanche to be firing on all cylinders in this one as a result. The Avs are the better overall team in my opinion but truly have not "flexed their muscles" since Game One of this series. Great line value since this game is at Vegas and I will grab the Avalanche as they are known for responding very well off losses. 10* COLORADO |
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06-05-21 | Hurricanes +144 v. Lightning | Top | 4-6 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 31 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Saturday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Money Line +145 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 4:05 ET - The Hurricanes offer tremendous value here. The road team has won all 3 games so far in this series and the final game of the regular season so the traveler is 4-0 L4 between these teams. Also, the Canes could get Vincent Trochek back for this one. Additionally, Carolina got a boost with the goalie change. The Hurricanes were outshot by the Lightning in Game 3 but Peter Mrazek came up big with a strong start. Carolina did outshoot the Bolts by a combined 106 to 72 shots on goal in the 3 meetings prior to the Game 3 win in this one. That said, it is ironic that the team that has been outshot has won each of the last 4 meetings. The Hurricanes win the shots on goal battle and the game here in my opinion as they have often looked like the better team this season plus they got a boost with Mrazek back between the pipes. So difficult for teams to repeat and that is what the Lightning are trying to do this season but I feel strongly they will struggle to get past the Canes and Game 3 was a sign of things to come. 10* CAROLINA +145 |
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06-04-21 | Canadiens v. Jets -110 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line -110 vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET -Â The Jets will be without Mark Scheifele due to suspension and also Paul Stastny (undisclosed) is a bit of an unknown. However, Winnipeg still has a guy by the name of Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes and I just do not see he and the Jets being denied in Game Two. After losing Game One on home ice, falling behind 2-0 early, look for Winnipeg to come out refocused and ready to bounce back here. There is the classic rest versus rust factor that appeared to plague the Jets in Game One. They had swept the Oilers in the first round while the Canadiens went the full seven games against the Maple Leafs. As it turns out, Montreal was able to maintain their rhythm in Game One while the Jets indeed showed a rust factor from being off for more than a week. The point is that this will not be repeated in Game Two and we also have excellent line value here with the much lower money line on the Jets because of the personnel situation. I will grab the value here as Montreal has won 4 straight games now after never winning more than 3 in a row in the regular season. The streak ends here as the Canadiens had been 0-3 this season when entering a game on a winning streak of 3 games. 10* WINNIPEG -110 |
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06-03-21 | Bruins -137 v. Islanders | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 46 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Thursday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line -135 @ New York Islanders @ 7:35 ET - I have plenty of respect for both of these hockey clubs but, in my opinion, the Bruins are a sizable road favorite here with good reason. In spite of the Islanders having a great season on home ice, Boston is in a bounce back spot here after the OT loss in Game 2 and I fully expect a big response here. The Bruins had won 4 straight before the overtime loss at home and note that the 4 victories came by a combined score of 15 to 5. That is an average winning margin of 2.5 goals per game and I look for another big win here for the road team. Boston has outshot the Islanders by a count of 193 to 127 in the last 5 games. That is an average margin edge of 13 shots on goal per game. The Isles have not won the shots on goal battle in any of those games. The Bruins wrapped up the regular season 8-2 the last 10 times they entered a game off a loss. Then, in the post-season, they also responded off their only loss. Look for them to do the same here. 10* BOSTON |
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06-02-21 | Canadiens v. Jets -136 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -136 | 10 h 37 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #82 Wednesday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line -135 vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - The Canadiens won the most recent meeting between these teams but that was preceded by the Jets winning 6 of 8 match-ups and now they have a huge rest edge in this one. From a situational standpoint, Winnipeg is set up extremely well here plus they get this game on home ice. Courtesy of their 4-0 sweep over Edmonton in the first round, the Jets enter this game with a little over a week of rest. Montreal is certainly at the opposite end of the spectrum as they just faced a grueling 7-game series with the Maple Leafs in which the Habs had to rally from a 3-1 deficit which included winning games 5 and 7 at Toronto! Including action of Monday May 24th, this will be Montreal's 6th game in 9 days while it will be just the 2nd for Winnipeg since that same day, Monday May 24th. Also, in the regular season, the Canadiens went 0-3 when they entered a game on a 3-game winning streak. This one set up perfectly to be all Jets. 10* WINNIPEG |
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06-01-21 | Lightning v. Hurricanes -109 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #72 Tuesday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Money Line -110 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - The Hurricanes did outshoot the Lightning in the Game 1 loss. It was a game that truly could have gone either way. It is so tough to repeat as champions in any sport and the NHL is no exception. That said, I know the Bolts are only into the 2nd round of this post-season but the point is that it is a tough climb ahead of them and I certainly don't see them blowing right past Carolina. On home ice, look for the Hurricanes to respond in a big way after the Game One loss. Carolina had won the most recent regular season meeting between these teams. Also, prior to Sunday's loss, the Canes had won 3 of the last 4 meetings when on their home ice. In fact, prior to the final regular season meeting between these teams (a Carolina win) the home team had won 5 of the last 6 meetings. The Hurricanes have outshot Tampa Bay in 4 of the last 5 meetings. The Canes have averaged an edge of 11 shots on goal in those 4 meetings in which they had the edge. Look for the Hurricanes to have the edge over the Lightning in this one again and, this time, it will translate to a win. 10* CAROLINA |
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05-29-21 | Maple Leafs v. Canadiens +166 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 166 | 9 h 34 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Saturday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +165 vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - Tremendous underdog line value here. The shots on goal have been almost exactly equal in the last 3 games combined. Price has proven he can be just as good as Campbell between the pipes. The Canadiens also have the home ice edge here. When you add all those factors up, as well as a big move toward the Maple Leafs money line in this one, you definitely have a big value edge in favor of the home dog in this match-up. This series is 3-2. In the regular season the Leafs had 17 road wins and the Habs had 13 home wins. Toronto is also without Tavares right now. That said, given the above stats showing very little disparity between these teams, there is just tremendous underdog line value in this spot that I will not pass up. The fact the Canadiens really got to Campbell in the most recent game is another key here. 10* MONTREAL |
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05-28-21 | Wild +155 v. Golden Knights | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 14 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Friday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line +160 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - Momentum, goaltending situation concrete, and value. Those are the keys here. Minnesota has rallied back from a 3 to 1 deficit in the series to force Game 7. The Wild are set in goal with Cam Talbot. They win with them or they lose with him. As for Vegas, who knows? This is what happens when you go with a 2-goalie system during the regular season. Now Marc-Andre Fleury has allowed 6 goals on just 37 shots the last two games and some are calling for Robin Lehner to get the Game 7 start. This is not a knock on Fleury but just the point that now the Golden Knights option in goal or a guy who has lost 2 straight or a cold guy coming in who has not played in over two weeks and who had an .859 save percentage in the month of May! As for the value I mentioned above, it is simply hard to argue against it. Yes we take some risk in grabbing a big dog but to me the risk is much bigger with laying a big price here! The road team has won 7 of the last 10 meetings between these teams! So you have home ice being over-valued here and, as good as Vegas was in the regular season, the fact is that the Wild have continued to be a troublesome match-up for them all year long. Look for it to continue for one more night as all the pressure is on the Golden Knights to advance and avoid a monumental first round collapse. The road team has no pressure here and could play much better as a result. This series was not even supposed to go more than 5 or 6 games. To the Wild, the pressure is off and they will make the most of this opportunity. 10* MINNESOTA |
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05-26-21 | Penguins v. Islanders -108 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #10 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line -110 vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 6:35 ET - The Islanders are riding a hot goalie in Ilya Sorokin. He is 3-0 in his 3 starts in this series. The Penguins are a strong team no doubt but I give the goalie edge to the Isles no matter who they have in goal here. Tristan Jarry made an egregious error in OT of the critical game five that has now swung all momentum the way of the Islanders in this one. I look for them to finish off the Penguins tonight. Yes Pittsburgh had strong edge in shots on goal but goalies are a key in the playoffs and we have seen that trend play out in numerous series including this one thus far. Even if Semyeon Varlamov got the call here it would still favor the Isles. The Pens Jarry could be in trouble after his slip-up in Game 5 as that kind of mistake impacts a goaltenders mentality in his very next game too. As for the other Pens goalie, Casey DeSmith, he has been trying to recover from an injury. Momentum and strength of goalie play are huge factors in this one and I like the home ice value. Keep in mind the Penguins only won about half their road games in the regular season while the Isles won 75% of their games on home ice. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS |
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05-24-21 | Islanders +124 v. Penguins | Top | 3-2 | Win | 124 | 8 h 11 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #73 Monday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +125 @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Tristan Jarry has now allowed 4 goals in 3 of 4 games in this series. If Casey DeSmith is able to go it would be his first action in awhile and he could be rusty. That said, I do feel that the Islanders have the goalie edge here and goaltending is so critical in the playoffs. We have seen this be a key in numerous series already this post-season and it will very likely be a continuing pattern. That said, I do expect the Islanders to go with Ilya Sorokin again tonight. He is 2-0 so far in the series and allowed only 1 goal in the win over Jarry and the Penguins on Saturday. That was the only win in the series by more than a 1-goal margin and I like the underdog value with the Isles again in this one. Pittsburgh has been unable to create separation from the Islanders throughout this series. In my strong opinion, the Pens were only better than the Isles in the Game Two win and this series could easily be 3-1 Islanders already. That is why I am rolling with the road dog here in Game Five. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS Money Line +125 |
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05-22-21 | Canadiens +166 v. Maple Leafs | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 22 m | Show | |
CNBC Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #55 Saturday 8* Montreal Canadiens Money Line +165 @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - This play is all about the value. The Canadiens are a solid hockey club. They have a goalie, Carey Price, that is one of the best in the game. Montreal also outhit the Maple Leafs by a 2 to 1 ratio (55 to 27) in the Game One victory. The Habs knocked the Penguins out of the playoffs last season in the bubble here in Toronto. They also then gave the Flyers all they could handle before bowing out against a Flyers team that was very tough last season. That said, the Canadiens are a confident bunch here with a fantastic goalie and this team is fully capable of upsetting a Maple Leafs club with a history of playoff failures. The loss of Tavares to injury is a big blow to Toronto as well as it goes without saying that he is one of their best players. I love the fact that the markets have jumped all over the Maple Leafs here under the notion that this is a must win game and they can not afford to go down 2-0 on home ice, etc. I understand that thought process but completely disagree with it. The line on Toronto has jumped from a -160 to as high as a -190 in this one and I love the value on the other side of the move. Dogs win close games with great regularity in the post-season especially when they have a solid goalie. Look for another tight win for the road dog in this one. 8* MONTREAL +165 |
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05-22-21 | Penguins v. Islanders -110 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 6 h 58 m | Show |
East Div Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #54 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 3:05 ET - The Islanders are off back to back losses and, since Feb 1st, have gone 7-2 when they enter a game off 2 or more consecutive losses. The Isles are well-coached and are a very good team and they will be ready to bounce back on home ice here. Yes the Penguins stole Game 3 on the road but now in Game 4 I look for the Islanders to bear down. Lets not forget Pittsburgh had nearly as many losses as wins on the road during the regular season and the Isles won 21 of 28 home games in the regular season. One could argue based on the above that the Islanders have 78% and 75% chances of winning this game while the Penguins are only more in the range of a "coin flip" in this game. I love the home ice value as a result here and will gladly grab the "pick 'em" pricing on a host that should be priced higher in my opinion. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS -110 |
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05-21-21 | Jets +152 v. Oilers | Top | 1-0 | Win | 152 | 11 h 25 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #45 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line +150 @ Edmonton Oilers @ 9:05 ET - There is a rather simplistic theory in sports with playoff series that many employ but, in truth, the theory just does not "hold water" so to speak. The theory is that if a team is off a loss they must bounce back in the very next game. Of course sometimes this does happen but it is certainly not a "catch all" that works perfectly. For evidence of that we can look at the current post-season and note that the Penguins are off B2B wins over the Islanders, the Bruins are off B2B wins over the Capitals, the Hurricanes are up 2-0 on the Predators, the Lightning had gone up 2-0 on the Panthers before upset loss last night, Colorado is up 2-0 on St Louis, and Vegas has now won 2 straight over the Wild. The other two series that just started and have had just one game apiece include the Canadiens upsetting the Maple Leafs last night as well as this one, the Jets upsetting the Oilers Wednesday night. So the point is that there are 8 series going, and of the 6 that have played multiple games all 6 have seen a team win 2 in a row. Now, just because Winnipeg won at Edmonton in Game 1 the Oilers are supposed to get revenge tonight. I don't see it that way. What I see is we have one of the best goalies in the game, Connor Hellebuyck, against - no disrespect intended - a tandem of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen that strikes fear in no one. That is not to say they are bad goalies but they certainly are not elite. Just like Game One I expect Edmonton to ousthoot Winnipeg but just like Game One I expect Hellebuyck to be the difference maker! That said, incredible line value with here with the Jets in the +150 range! 10* WINNIPEG |
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05-21-21 | Capitals +149 v. Bruins | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 17 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Friday 8* Washington Capitals Money Line +150 @ Boston Bruins @ 6:35 ET - This series has been so tight that the line value here is with the Capitals in a big way. All 3 games have gone to OT and the way the Caps lost Game 3 in double OT on a misplay behind their own net has Alex Ovechkin and Company extra fired up about a huge response in Game 4. Washington is a perfect 4-0 the last 4 times they have entered a game off 2 or more consecutive losses. They have not had a 3-game losing streak since mid-February and I look for a huge bounce back here after they gave up the tying goal on a questionable power play awarded the Bruins in the latter half of the 3rd period Wednesday. Keep in mind this also followed Boston having to score the tying goal with less than 3 minutes left in their other comeback win, Monday, in this series. The luck of the Bruins runs out tonight and, this time, the Capitals again have the lead in 3rd period but close it out! 8* WASHINGTON |
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05-20-21 | Penguins v. Islanders -115 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 59 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #36 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line -115 vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The fact the Islanders got a win at Pittsburgh in Game 1 was huge. Even though they lost Game 2, they still sit in the drivers seat right now in this series. Why is that? These are two of the best home teams in the league. Pittsburgh won 22 of 28 home games and the Isles won 21 of 28 home games. That said, the value is with the home team in this match up as the Penguins barely won half their road games. I love backing the Islanders off a loss and on their home ice and fading a team that has often struggled in road games this season. The Isles went 9-3 this season when they were on home ice and coming off a loss. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS -115 |
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05-19-21 | Capitals +153 v. Bruins | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 28 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Wednesday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 6:35 ET - This play is all about the value. Yes the Capitals have some injury issues and this includes at the goalie position but the last time I checked (sarcasm of course) no team in the NHL won more road games in the regular season than Washington! The point is that this is far too much value to be given to the Caps in this situation. They are a +155 DOG even though they have more road wins than Boston has home wins this season! Washington had won 2 straight over the Bruins before a tight 4-3 loss Monday. Also, the Capitals did win 2 of the 4 regular season games at Boston this season and that included a blowout 8-1 win! I am certainly not expecting that type of game here but I am expecting another close game where no one can argue with me that we do not have the better value having the road dog. I expect this game to be a close one but I expect the Capitals to find a way. Note that Boston had won just 6 of 12 prior to the win in Game 2 of this series. The Bruins have not managed back to back wins in the past two weeks. The Capitals are a perfect 5-0 the last 5 times they were on the road and coming off a loss! 10* WASHINGTON +155 |
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05-18-21 | Lightning -110 v. Panthers | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 9 h 2 m | Show |
CNBC Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -110 @ Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - This line has made a major move this morning and it is because Florida is starting Chris Driedger between the pipes for this one. I know the Panthers netminder shutout the Lightning the last time he faced them but, prior to that, he allowed 3 goals on 19 shots in a start against the Bolts. Also, the one before that when he faced Tampa Bay, Driedger allowed 4 goals. I know the Panthers are hoping for a spark with starting Driedger here after Sergei Bobrovsky allowed 5 goals in the Game 1 loss but, honestly, Bobrovsky was not the problem in Game 1. The problem for Florida is just at that Tampa is the better team overall and loaded with a history of playoff winning while the Panthers are always getting bounced early in the post-season when they even do make a playoff appearance. So, while I do respect Florida, this is a very tough match-up for them and I feel we have great line value here as the Bolts have gone from a -130 fave to nearly a pick'em now in this match-up. Keep in mind, prior to shutting out TB the last time he faced them (which will actually motivate the Bolts even more here), Driedger allowed 8 goals on just 54 shots over his last 3 appearances. That is a lousy save percentage of only .852 over those 3 appearances for Driedger. More of the same here. 10* TAMPA BAY |
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05-18-21 | Flames v. Canucks +116 | 2-4 | Win | 116 | 5 h 27 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Tuesday 8* Vancouver Canucks Money Line (+115) vs Calgary Flames @ 4:05 ET - This is a "meaningless" regular season match-up as these teams are eliminated from playoff contention but still playing out the remainder of their rescheduled games after the Canucks had the long late-season delay due to covid-related issues in the BC province. If there was any doubt whether Vancouver cared about these games however, they put that to rest with how they rallied from a 5-1 third period deficit to force OT in the eventual 6-5 loss to Calgary Sunday. That said, I expect another strong effort from the Canucks here as they know they can still escape the basement of the division by winning these final two games against the Flames. After Holtby got the start over the weekend I do expect Demko to be between the pipes for Vancouver in this one. He has been the better netminder this season and gives them a solid shot at the win here. No matter the goalies that end up in the crease for either side in this one, I look for some extra hunger from the Canucks to key a home dog win here. 8* VANCOUVER +115 |
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05-16-21 | Lightning -115 v. Panthers | Top | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 9 h 4 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Sunday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -115 @ Florida Panthers @ 7:30 ET - The Lightning got a lot of good news on the injury front entering this one. A bunch of players now listed as probable for Tampa Bay and that includes Kucherov and Stamkos. That is part of the reason you can throw Florida's dominance of the last two regular season games out the window. It is playoff time and I have plenty of respect for the Panthers but feel strongly that the defending Stanley Cup Champion Bolts are going to come out strong and make a statement in Game 1 of this series. The playoffs are an entirely different animal than regular season hockey and, at least in the opener of this one, I look for the Lightning to prevail. There is a reason that lower-seeded Tampa Bay is favored on the road at Florida in this one. Do not be fooled by the line here. The Lightning are justified in being the favorites in this one after being road dogs in the last two meetings of the regular season at Florida. 10* TAMPA BAY |
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05-15-21 | Bruins v. Capitals +118 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 118 | 9 h 31 m | Show |
National TV Blowout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #48 Saturday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line +118 vs Boston Bruins @ 7:15 ET - I have tremendous respect for both of these teams and feel both are built very well for playoff hockey. However, that said, I do feel we are getting tremendous line value here with the Caps as a home dog. One interesting item of note is that, since we are expecting tight defensive-minded playoff hockey, I did notice something about recent match-ups between these teams. There have been no shutouts in any of the last 9 meetings between these teams but 5 times a team has been held to just a single goal. 4 of the 5 times that team was Boston and they were on the wrong end of a loss to Washington. The Capitals beat the Bruins by a combined score of 14-4 in those 4 games. Now, certainly I am not expecting a blowout win here but I am just saying that the Capitals do know how to stifle the Bruins and actually have outshot them in 5 of the last 6 meetings. Look for the Caps to find a way on home ice in this one and I am grabbing the underdog in this one! 10* WASHINGTON +118 |
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05-14-21 | Maple Leafs v. Jets +139 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 139 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #44 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line +140 vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8:05 ET - The Maple Leafs and Jets are both set in terms of playoff positioning. That said, this is a rather meaningless game and it is simply hard to justify Toronto being such a pricey road favorite. The Leafs have lost 5 of last 8 road games and face a Jets team that had been struggling but now has won 2 of last 3 games that Connor Hellebuyck has started and he is expected to get the call here. Winnipeg has won those two games by a combined 9-0 score. This is a tune up game for the post-season but the Jets might prove to be the more motivated team. The Maple Leafs have won 4 of the last 5 meetings and are the top team in the division. The Jets want to prove they can turn the tables on Toronto and beat them heading into the post-season and wrapping up the regular season with a winner on home ice. Too much underdog value here to pass up. 10* WINNIPEG +140 |
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05-10-21 | Oilers v. Canadiens +101 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
THE Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Monday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - Montreal still needs one more win to clinch a playoff spot. Edmonton not only has already clinched a playoff spot, they are locked into the #2 spot in the division. That said, the Canadiens are the much more motivated team here and have already won 5 of 7 meetings between these teams this season. I know the Oilers are a high-quality team that is dangerous in the offensive zone but I just can not foresee them bringing a huge effort here. As for the Habs, they want to lock in their playoff spot now and leave nothing to chance. Though Montreal has lost 3 straight games, those were all on the road and including two at division-leader Toronto. Now the Canadiens are back home where they have won 3 straight games. Also, Edmonton has lost its last two visits here by a combined score of 7 to 2 and they have been outshot by a combined 64 to 40 in those two games. 10* MONTREAL |
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05-08-21 | Hurricanes v. Predators +107 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 107 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #70 Saturday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 8:05 ET - The Hurricanes have now locked up the #1 spot in the division. The Predators can clinch a playoff spot with a win tonight. With the Preds having won 16 of 26 on home ice and the Hurricanes having won 16 of 26 on enemy ice this season, one could argue that this line should be a pick'em under normal circumstances. That said, there is huge value here because these are not normal circumstances and yet Nashville, even after some early line movement this morning, are still a small dog here. I will grab the value with the highly motivated home dog here. Of course the Hurricanes have been hot and want to keep winning heading into the post-season, but I just do not see the Canes as being able to match the intensity of the Preds in this one as they look to punch their ticket to the post-season. 10* NASHVILLE |
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05-07-21 | Flyers +166 v. Capitals | Top | 4-2 | Win | 166 | 8 h 0 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #33 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +165 @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Blackhawks, Canucks, and Devils all won yesterday. What in the world does that have to do with this play? A helluva lot actually! All 3 of those teams will NOT be going to the playoffs but they are playing loose and relaxed hockey as a result. I know Vancouver is still mathematically alive but, trust me, they know the handwriting is on the wall and they are not going to make it. They are on the verge of elimination. So the point is that all 3 of those aforementioned teams were on the road and they were facing playoff-bound hosts that were all favored by at least -200 and one was above the -300 mark! The point is that a lot of underdog value was there with those 3 upsets and that was on a card with 6 games yesterday. So looking for the big dogs can pay off big late in the season like this. For Friday, this is another such situation. Washington is a nearly 2 to 1 favorite and is playoff bound and they are hosting a Philly team that will not be going to the playoffs. The Flyers will play loose and relaxed. Philadelphia has a long history of rivalry with the Capitals and would love nothing more than to spoil their hopes of winning the division. The Caps are off a very emotional 2-game set with the Rangers that featured the Tom Wilson incident in the first game which spilled into all-out brawls in the 2nd game of the set. That could leave Washington a little spent here while the Flyers are well rested and have been off since Tuesday and are in bounce back mode off an ugly loss. Washington has lost 4 of last 6 on home ice. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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05-05-21 | Capitals v. Rangers +125 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 35 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line +125 vs Washington Capitals @ 7 ET - The Rangers are incensed that Tom Wilson was not suspended for the fracas in the Monday game that led to a brawl on the ice and left New York without Artemi Panarin for the rest of the season. Granted the Rangers are eliminated from the playoffs and there are only 3 games left for New York but none of this is sitting well with this team. Not only is this a big time revenge game for the Rangers after what happened on Monday, it is also their final home game of the season. I am banking on the Rangers being ready to go in a huge way. Yes Panarin is a key loss for New York but the Rangers are going to be extremely motivated to win this game! Also, the Capitals are expected to be without Kuznetsov plus Ovechkin has been downgraded to doubtful for this game. Oshie, Shultz, Samsonov also are all listed as questionable for this one. Yes the Caps are going hard for 1st place in the division but, especially after what happened Monday, you know the Rangers are going hard here in hopes of playing the role of spoiler. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS +125 |
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05-04-21 | Penguins v. Flyers +149 | Top | 7-3 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #64 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +150 @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Fully understand the Flyers being a +150 dog again today but it is simply not justified. Especially this is true because Casey DeSmith left yesterday's game with an injury. That forced Tristan Jarry, today's starting goalie, into action for the Penguins. Pittsburgh is simply over-priced here. Jarry has some ugly numbers against the Flyers this season and, though Philadelphia is eliminated from post-season contention, they have already shown what they can do when motivated. Philly is always motivated when facing Crosby, Malkin, and the in-state division rival Penguins. They will bring another strong effort on home ice and have their better goalie, Brian Elliott, instead of Alex Lyon, between the pipes for this one. This is simply too much home dog value to pass up on. The markets will be all over the Penguins in this one but the goalie situation, confidence factor after yesterday's game, home ice edge, hungry dog mentality and line value all add up to a great spot to back the Flyers again. 10* PHILADELPHIA +150 |
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05-03-21 | Penguins v. Flyers +150 | 2-7 | Win | 150 | 9 h 1 m | Show | |
8* PHILADELPHIA +150 - The Flyers season is now officially over as they have been eliminated from the playoff race. However, guess which long-time rival just took over first place in the division? Of course it is the in-state rival Penguins and Philadelphia always tends to be up for their rivals no matter the circumstances. In other words, look for a very strong effort from the Flyers here. They have won 5 of last 8 meetings between these teams and that includes 3 in a row when they are the host. That trend plays well to the home dog value here because Pittsburgh has been fantastic at home this season but only mediocre on the road. The odds makers knew the entire situation before posting this line and yet the markets are pounding the Penguins like it is "free money" in this one. In this rivalry, anything can happen and this situation is ideal with Flyers off some disappointing losses and the Penguins off huge wins over the Capitals that allowed them to leapfrog them for first place. 8* PHILADELPHIA +150 |
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05-03-21 | Capitals -106 v. Rangers | Top | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 42 m | Show |
WASHINGTON -105 - The Capitals could have Ovechkin back on the ice tonight but, either way, I do like the Caps a lot in this spot. For all intents and purposes, after back to back ugly losses to the Islanders, the Rangers season is over. They are not yet mathematically eliminated but the Rangers would have to win all 4 remaining games and have the Bruins not earn a single point from any of their 6 remaining games. That is not happening and the Rangers are going to struggle to pull it all together for this game. For Washington, there is no shortage of motivation as they are now in 2nd place in the division but only 2 points behind the Penguins and they have a game in hand on Pittsburgh. Also, the Caps have Ovechkin back on the ice and skating again in practices so they know his return is imminent which is also a big boost to the club. Washington is 3-1 this season when entering a game off exactly 2 consecutive losses. In other words, only once this season did the Capitals have a losing streak reach 3 or more games. Off back to back losses entering this game, look for the Caps to improve to 4-1 on the season when in this situation. 10* WASHINGTON |
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05-01-21 | Rangers +121 v. Islanders | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 7 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #9 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The odds are getting slimmer for the Rangers to make the post-season but they most definitely are not going to quit fighting until they are officially eliminated from contention. Also, this is a rivalry game for them and they are fired up after losing the last two meetings with the Islanders by a combined score of 10 to 1. This includes a 4-0 shutout loss Thursday and note that the Rangers are 7-2 the last 9 times they have entered a game off a loss. The Islanders got that big W over the Rangers Thursday but this was preceded by 3 straight losses and defeats in 6 of their last 9 games overall. Back in the first half of March the Islanders were really dominating games and winning big. However, since then, the Islanders have played 22 games and only won 5 of them in regulation. That is not a mistake...is very real...the Isles have just 5 wins prior to the final horn of regulation in 22 games! I know a win is a win as they saying goes but those are some striking numbers! I am grabbing the road dog for immediate revenge off the shutout loss. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS |
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04-30-21 | Jets +102 v. Canadiens | Top | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
North Div Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Jets have lost 5 straight games but they still hold the edge in this match-up. Cary Price has been out with a concussion and so Jake Allen has been shouldering the load for the Canadiens. It has not gone so well as the Habs enter this game losers in 9 of their last 13 games. Also, Allen is 3-8 in home starts for Montreal this season! Overall the Canadiens have won just 10 of 23 home games this season. Winnipeg has won 16 of 25 road games as they have been better as travelers. The Jets have won 7 of last 9 meetings with the Habs and that includes 6 of the 8 meetings this season. Connor Hellebuyck has had a couple rough starts recently but he is still a great goalie and coming off a game in which he allowed only 2 goals. He also has allowed a total of only 2 goals in his last 2 starts against the Canadiens and both of those were this month and both were at Montreal. More of the same here and the Jets series dominance continues! 10* WINNIPEG +102 |
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04-28-21 | Blues +133 v. Wild | Top | 4-3 | Win | 133 | 9 h 5 m | Show |
West Div Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Wednesday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line +135 @ Minnesota Wild @ 7:05 ET - The Blues are off a dominating win over Colorado Monday. They won the game 4 to 1 and completely stifled and frustrated the Avalanche as even down 4 to 1 and putting all their efforts into trying to get offense going to get back in the game, the Avs struggled badly. Colorado could hardly even get the puck into the offensive zone and then when they did they could not sustain any pressure and the Blues would quickly get the puck out of the zone. It was a like a clinic on how to stop a potent offense and I fully expect St Louis to carry that momentum right into this game. I expected Binnington to get the start in goal and he has been solid. The Blues enter this game with 5 wins in their last 8 games. I know the Wild have won 7 straight games but Minnesota has played Arizona 3 times, San Jose 3 times, and Los Angeles 1 time. Those teams are all below St Louis in the standings. Conversely, the Blues have beaten Vegas once, Colorado twice, and Minnesota twice for the 5 wins during their 5-3 run. All of those teams have clinched a playoff berth. So yes the Wild are a good team and particularly when at home but there is a reason the odds makers opened this game up with Minny as a very small fave. Of course the public jumped all over the Wild on home ice and now all the line value is with the Blues. They have the goalie edge in this match-up no matter who is in goal as, against, all of Minnesota's wins came against weaker teams. This Blues team still has a lot to play for and they have proven that with their recent play on the ice. Also, St Louis has been better on the road than at home this season. The Blues have won 3 of last 4 meetings between these teams and their 3 victories came by a combined score of 16 to 4. Road rout likely here which will surprise everyone but not me. Look for the Wild to be flat after too many days off between games and also after having now clinched a playoff spot. 10* ST LOUIS |
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04-27-21 | Flyers -132 v. Devils | Top | 4-6 | Loss | -132 | 9 h 30 m | Show |
Perfect Ten Play - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - I am happy to put this 10-0 streak to the test. Playing against the Devils each of their last 10 games would have netted you a perfect 10-0 run at the betting window. Indeed New Jersey has lost 10 straight games and the Devils have lost 14 of 15 and 16 of 18. Sure they should have beaten the Flyers but that late rally for Philly that featured two late goals from their captain to tie it which led to an eventual shootout win is huge for momentum. Yes the Flyers are highly unlikely to make the playoffs but they still have 4 more games (including this one) that are against these struggling Devils. Until they are mathematically eliminated I feel you will not see any quit from Philly. Also, we get line value here since the Flyers are on the road but here is what is funny about that. Philadelphia is better on the road than at home this season and the Devils are worse at home than on the road this season. Yet home ice is always priced into the line and in this case it favors us because New Jersey has won just 4 of 24 home games this season. You read that right, the Devils have won just 16.7% of their home games on the year. I do not often lay prices but great price on this one here and is a very fair price especially considering all of the above factors. Look for the 10-0 run against New Jersey to make it 11 straight! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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04-25-21 | Bruins -104 v. Penguins | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -104 | 7 h 59 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #59 Sunday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (-) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 3:05 ET - There is a reason this game is priced at a pick'em even though the Penguins are on home ice and have been fantastic there this season while the Bruins have not been as strong on the road. For one thing, it is a back to back for Pittsburgh. For another thing, Boston is now getting much healthier. Bergeron is the only concern but at least Coyle is back now if Bergeron misses again. However, I expect him to play. Either way, I like the value with the road team here. Their goalie situation also has stabilized with good health now. 10* BOSTON |
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04-24-21 | Avalanche v. Blues +147 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 147 | 7 h 40 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Saturday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line +145 vs Colorado Avalanche @ 3:05 ET - I am aware that Grubauer might be back in goal for the Avalanche soon after being on the covid list. However, even if he played today, it would be his first game in nearly two weeks and he likely would be rusty. That means we are likely to see Dubnyk in goal here. I know he has won his first two starts for Colorado but this is still a guy who has twice as many losses as wins on the season and he is facing a determined an hungry Blues team here. St Louis won the first meeting of the season but has since lost 5 straight games versus the Avalanche. That said, the Blues want this game badly! Colorado could again be without Donskoi and Rantanen for this game for covid reasons. The Avalanche have been outshot by a combined 61 to 57 in the last two meetings and both games were very tight. This time the Blues get over the hump and I like the home dog value here. Binnington is 40-14-9 in home starts for St Louis the last 3 seasons combined and this game is critical for the Blues as they continue to battle for the #4 spot in the standings and the corresponding playoff spot that goes along with it. 10* ST LOUIS |
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04-22-21 | Flyers +153 v. Rangers | 3-2 | Win | 153 | 9 h 8 m | Show | |
8* PHILADELPHIA +153 - The Flyers are 8-1 this season when they enter a game off exactly 2 consecutive losses. That is precisely why Philadelphia has only had 1 losing streak go more than 2 games this entire season. Philly has had 3 days off after a brutally tough 1-0 OT loss to the Islanders in a game in which they lost in the final seconds of overtime. The Flyers were the better team for much of that game. They have since had 3 days off while the Rangers enter this one after getting throttled 6-1 by the rival Islanders on Tuesday. The Rangers had won 4 straight games but all the victories came against the Devils. Against teams not named the Devils, New York has lost 6 of its last 10 games. This team is truly overvalued in this spot because the Flyers are viewing the remainder of the season as a character test so to speak and they truly fought hard against the Islanders on Sunday and deserved better than an OT loss. Way too much value with the big road dog. 8* PHILADELPHIA +153 |
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04-22-21 | Maple Leafs v. Jets +118 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 17 m | Show |
10* WINNIPEG +118 - Great home dog spot here. The Maple Leafs were riding an amazing red hot beginning to a season with goalie Jack Campbell practically being automatic his first 10+ starts this season. However, he has cooled off and David Rittich has struggled some too and, just like that, the Leafs have now lost 5 straight games. One of the teams that gave Campbell a lot of trouble recently was Winnipeg and the Jets as a home dog are a must play in this spot in my opinion. Winnipeg is getting healthier with a couple players coming back and having Connor Hellebuyck in net is a big edge for the Jets in this one. Winnipeg is well-rested and off a home loss to Edmonton on Saturday. The Jets are 14-3 this season when off a loss! Look for Toronto to lose 6 straight as they are feeling the heat from this host who has their sights set on overtaking them for the top spot in the North Division. 10* WINNIPEG +118 |
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04-20-21 | Rangers +118 v. Islanders | Top | 1-6 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 20 m | Show |
Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* New York Rangers Money Line (+118) @ New York Islanders @ 7:00 ET - The Islanders continue to lead a charmed life and are off a 1-0 OT win at Philadelphia. There is nothing charmed about the way the Rangers have been winning games! The Rangers have won 4 straight games and 8 of their last 11. The most recent loss was to the Islanders and was, of course, in OT! The game just prior to that, the Rangers beat the Isles 4-1. In fact, the Rangers have had many blowout wins and only 1 OT win over the past 5 weeks which has seen them make a big push for a playoff spot. The Islanders last 8 wins have included only 2 wins in regulation. The Islanders have won 8 of 13 games but that means they were only good enough to beat a team in regulation 2 times the last 13. I respect this Islanders team and they are a very good defensive-minded team but, really, the Rangers have been more impressive of late and that shows up again on Tuesday. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS +118 |
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04-19-21 | Hurricanes v. Lightning -115 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 5 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - NHL Rotation #36 Monday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-115) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - My honest opinion right now is that if these teams met in a 7-game series the Hurricanes would ultimately prevail. Carolina is a very hungry team and, of course, the Lightning just won the Stanley Cup and it is so difficult to repeat. However, for this regular season game, there are huge edges for the Bolts in my opinion. Tampa Bay sees Carolina ahead of them at the top of the standings but only by 2 points. The Lightning are on home ice where Andrei Vasilevskiy just suffered his first home loss of the season. That's right, the TB netminder is a superb 14-1 with a 1.67 GAA and .941 save percentage on home ice this season. So Vasilevskiy wants a bounce back and he and his Bolts teammates also looking for some revenge after a 4-3 loss 3 weeks ago in which the Lightning were outplayed. That game was the 5th time in the last 6 meetings that the home team has prevailed and I look for that trend to continue. I realize Carolina is a very good team. Like I said, at the present time I would take them in a series over Tampa. However, for this particular game, the situational value is off the charts with the Lightning and we get a very low price because, yes, the Canes are a very good team. But tonight it is the Bolts and Vasilevskiy getting some payback. 10* TAMPA BAY -115 |
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04-16-21 | Islanders +110 v. Bruins | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 19 m | Show |
ISLANDERS - Yesterday the Bruins embarrassed the Islanders 4 to 1 as they totally dominated the game. Rask was back between the pipes for Boston and even though Varlamov played well in the crease for New York, the Islanders were outplayed by the Bruins all over the ice. That means payback time in this back to back situation and the goalie situation favors the road dog. Boston's Halak is still out so that means, since Rask played last night, it is likely to be Swayman in goal for the Bruins in this one. He has played well but is still unproven but certainly he has been a better option than Vladar of late. However, Swayman still would be making just the 5th start of his NHL career. As for the Isles, they have a much more experienced option in Ilya Sorokin and he is a fantastic 11-3-1 this season. Also, when he is on he is really on strong. Sorokin has a fantastic 1.50 GAA in those 11 victories. The Isles are a strong-minded well-coached team that will come back hard after a game that played out ugly like yesterday's did. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS |
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04-16-21 | Flames v. Canadiens -130 | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 31 m | Show | |
CANADIENS - Montreal seeks revenge for a 4-1 home loss to Calgary Wednesday. That upset win for the Flames not a huge surprise as the Canadiens were caught flat emotionally after their big 4-2 win over Toronto Monday. What is a surprise is that Calgary has won 4 straight over the Habs. That streak ends here as the Canadiens get some payback on home ice. I know the Flames have won 3 straight but they have NOT won 4 straight games all season long and this 3-game run was preceded by a stretch that saw Calgary lose 8 of 9 games. 8* MONTREAL |
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04-15-21 | Jets +151 v. Maple Leafs | 5-2 | Win | 151 | 11 h 50 m | Show | |
Money Line Shocker - NHL Rotation #45 Thursday 8* Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - This is a big 1-2 battle in the North Division and the Jets can move to within 3 points of the Maple Leafs for a top spot with a win here. Too much value on Winnipeg to pass up this spot in my opinion. Yes it is a back to back for the Jets but they used their back-up goalie last night so they would have their #1 goalie Connor Hellebuyck for this one. He is one of the best netminders in the game without a doubt. As for Toronto, Jack Campbell has been fantastic this season and had an incredible 11-0 start to the year but the streak is over and he has cooled off in his last two starts. Campbell has allowed 8 goals in his last two starts. In match-ups between the Jets and Leafs, the road team actually has taken 6 of the last 8. Home ice can be over-rated at times and Toronto has not looked too great in recent games. Yes I know they want to bounce back after consecutive losses but they face a very tough netminder here and, overall, a Jets team hell bent on closing the gap at the top of the standings. Winnipeg has won 4 of its last 5 games and the Jets have scored an average of 4 goals per game in those victories. The Jets road record is every bit as good as the Maple Leafs home record this season and yet we get the road dog in a +150 price range here. I'll take it! 8* WINNIPEG |
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04-12-21 | Maple Leafs -145 v. Canadiens | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -145 | 6 h 36 m | Show |
Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #3 Monday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Jack Campbell is the confirmed starter for the Maple Leafs and he can't wait to get on the ice and redeem himself. Even though he improved to 11-0 with a win over Ottawa it was a rare rough outing for him. He wants to bounce back here and is 7-0 with a 1.54 GAA and a .945 save percentage in his road starts this season. Toronto is on track to finish with the top spot in the North Division and the Canadiens a likely number four spot. The Leafs have dominated this series thus far this year and do not want to give Montreal any hopes of a first round upset either should these teams meet which appears likely at this point. With Carey Price only practicing as he works on conditioning after his injury, the Habs netminder tonight is likely to be Jake Allen. He has won just 1 of his 7 home decisions this season and has a 3.12 GAA at home. Allen enters this start having allowed 11 goals in his last 3 games. With Montreal having lost 3 straight and the Maple Leafs having won 6 straight and 9 of their last 10, look for this one to be a road rout. 10* TORONTO |
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04-11-21 | Rangers v. Islanders -126 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 8 h 21 m | Show |
10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line -125 vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders lost 4 to 1 to the Rangers Friday but the game was much closer than that score would indicate. Look for payback here as the Islanders are 6-1 the last 7 times they were off a loss and playing on home ice. They get their payback at home here where they have been so strong all season long. The Rangers have been playing better of late but this is still a tough ask to expect them to win back to back games against such a strong home team. Lets not forget that the Rangers had lost 7 of 11 road games prior to the win here on Long Island Friday. It is payback time. The Isles are 17-2-2 at home this season and also these teams have been in a pattern of alternating wins and losses for 7 straight meetings! Look for that to continue here. 10* NY ISLANDERS money line -125 |
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04-10-21 | Jets v. Canadiens -122 | Top | 5-0 | Loss | -122 | 9 h 2 m | Show |
Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #52 Saturday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - The Canadiens have impressed me a lot of late. Montreal was in a very tough spot versus Winnipeg Thursday as it was the 2nd game of a back to back and goalie Carey Price is out with an injury so Jake Allen was also playing his 2nd straight game between the pipes without a day of rest in between. The Habs put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell short versus the Jets despite outshooting them by a substantial margin. I feel strongly that we will see some carry over from that game right into this game. The Canadiens are currently in the 4th spot in the standings but have 3 games in hand compared to the Jets who are 8 points in front of them. The Habs are hungry for points here to close the gap because, keep in mind, there are some teams not too far behind Montreal, in particular Vancouver, that could put a run together. The Canucks, dealing with covid issues presently, are certainly getting plenty of rest for their skating legs and ready to make a push. That said, this is the 2nd game of a 6-game homestand for the Canadiens and they know they need to the most of it. Dropping the first was somewhat expected as was a tough back to back but the fact is Allen has been playing very well in goal and Montreal is off back to back losses but only once this season (out of 4 prior occurrences) have the Canadiens had a losing streak longer than 2 games. Winnipeg, when on the road and off 2 or more consecutive wins, has lost 3 of 4 this season. Look for these trends to continue Saturday. 10* MONTREAL |
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04-10-21 | Bruins v. Flyers +108 | 2-3 | Win | 108 | 4 h 29 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - NHL Rotation #50 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 2:05 ET - Jeremy Swayman has played very well between the pipes for the Bruins but is still just a 22-year old netminder making only his 3rd NHL start here. This will also be the first time a team is getting a second shot at him and that means they have seen some of his tendencies in live game action. In other words do you go glove side or blocker side or do you go top shelf or five hole...of course these decisions as a shooter depend on what a goalie gives you and how he reacts in certain situations. The Flyers should fare better than they did in Tuesday's 4-2 loss when they outshot the Bruins 42 to 26 but fell short on the scoreboard. Philadelphia is chasing Boston for the #4 (and final playoff spot) in the division. Picking up two points here is key as they also take two away from Boston. On deck for Philly tomorrow is a game against Buffalo which is worth noting as the Sabres are one of the worst teams in the league. The Flyers approach this weekend as a critical juncture in their season prior to Monday's trade deadline. They know they have an opportunity to do quite a bit with picking up 4 points in this weekend's games. Even though Philly is off a loss to the Islanders, they absolutely outplayed the Isles as the game went on and deserved the full two points rather than the single point they earned in the shootout loss. There has been no quit in this Flyers team and Claude Giroux continues to lead by example and Sean Courterier continues his stellar play. Also, Philly is 7-2 this season when they enter game off 2 or more losses. Once again they snap a losing streak at just 2 games as they continue to show great resolve. 8* PHILADELPHIA |
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04-09-21 | Penguins v. Devils +160 | 6-4 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 5 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - NHL Rotation #36 Friday 8* New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Devils faced a struggling Sabres team yesterday but the fact they still banded together for the 6-3 win after trading away Palmieri and Zajac says a lot about this New Jersey team. They are not going to lay down and they would love to play the role of spoiler in the division. The Devils have already taken 2 of 3 from the Penguins this season and they are catching Pittsburgh at the perfect time for another upset. The Pens are off a huge 5-2 win against the Rangers at New York last night. The Penguins used Jarry between the pipes last night which means now he either goes again in the 2nd game of a back to back or the Pens turn to DeSmith. Neither situation is palatable as back to backs are always tough on a netminder and, after DeSmith had been so hot for so long, he is now struggling badly. He has allowed 10 goals on 41 shots in his last two appearances! Too much home dog situational value to pass up on here. 8* NEW JERSEY |
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04-09-21 | Rangers +125 v. Islanders | Top | 4-1 | Win | 125 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #31 Friday 10* Top Play New York Rangers +125 @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders got outplayed by the Flyers last night but got a fortunate win in the shootout. They won't be so fortunate here as they face a Rangers team angry off a 5-2 loss at home last night versus Pittsburgh. The Rangers are 5-1 the last 6 times they have entered a game off a loss and they also have a revenge from a 2-0 loss in their most recent meeting with the Islanders. The Islanders have been held to 2 or less goals in regulation time of 4 of their last 5 games and their recent lack of punch on offense catches up with them here. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS +125 |
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04-08-21 | Flyers +155 v. Islanders | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 22 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - NHL Rotation #21 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+155) @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - This is simply way too much underdog line value available to a team that is still fighting hard to stay alive in the playoff chase. Philadelphia just outshot Boston 42 to 26 but came out on the wrong end of a 4 to 2 final. The Flyers also won the first three meetings with the Islanders this season. Each of their last two losses to the Isles have come after regulation and Philly actually outshot them by a combined 69 to 44 in those two losses. The Islanders enter this game on a 3-game winning streak but have been held to 2 or less goals in regulation time of 3 or their last 4 games. Also, I know the Islanders just acquired Palmieri and Zajac from the Devils but it is going to take a little time for those guys to get acclimated on Long Island. Look for an upset here as there is no quit in this Flyers team and they get revenge against the Islanders for the recent tight losses to them. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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04-07-21 | Canadiens +138 v. Maple Leafs | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 38 m | Show |
Perfection Play - NHL Rotation #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - The Maple Leafs are on a 4-game winning streak but have gone 0-3 this season when they enter a season on a 4-game win streak. In other words, Toronto just hasn't been able to get that elusive 5-game win streak this season and this will be their 4th crack at it tonight. I don't see this trend ending either. The road team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these rivals. Jake Allen will get the start in goal for the Habs because Carey Price is out with a lower body injury. Allen has a solid .922 save percentage on the season and he has been particularly strong on the road. Just one regulation loss in 7 decisions away from home for Allen. He has a stellar 1.84 GAA on enemy ice this season. Toronto has only 4 wins in their last 9 home games and 3 of the 4 wins came after regulation! This Maple Leafs team has been far from dominant on home ice and I expect this trend to continue here as the Canadiens come into this game riding high with confidence. That's because they rallied for a key 3-2 OT win versus Edmonton Monday and that is the Habs 4th win in 5 games. Getting 2 third period goals to tie that one up is a huge boost for the Canadiens and they are likely to build on that surge tonight as the road team wins for the 4th straight time in meetings between these teams. 10* MONTREAL |
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04-06-21 | Bruins v. Flyers +115 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #58 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - There is no quit in this Flyers team. They were already being written off by many but with a regulation win tonight (won last night's game in OT) Philadelphia would move just 1 point behind Boston for the final playoff spot in the division. Considering that plus the fact there is still 5 weeks of hockey left, it could be quite a memorable ride in the East Division. The Flyers will have Carter Hart in goal for this one. He looked like the Hart of old in his most recent start but Philly started Brian Elliott last night since it was on the road and first of a back to back. Keep in mind, Hart dominated on home ice last season and, again, his start against the Islanders Saturday, a shootout loss, sure looked like he is back "in the zone" again after Philadelphia had given him some time off to work through everything. As for the Bruins, they have a mess at the goaltending position. Tuukka Rask has been out with an injury. Jaroslav Halak, unless was a false positive (unlikely) has entered covid-19 protocol. That is why the #3 goalie Daniel Vladar started last night and Callum Booth was called up from Providence to be the back-up. With all the issues at the goalie spot, plus the fact the Bruins have lost 13 of 22 games, the Flyers are offering plenty of value as a dog on their home ice here. 10* PHILADELPHIAÂ |
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04-05-21 | Flyers +152 v. Bruins | Top | 3-2 | Win | 152 | 8 h 28 m | Show |
Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #41 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+155) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - This one is all about the line value with taking a big dog against a team that is still not 100% healthy and that has had trouble building win streaks of late. The Bruins are off a big 7-5 win versus the Penguins Saturday. That is very significant here because we are in early April now and note that since a 5-game winning streak that wrapped up for Boston on February 12th, they have only managed to win consecutive games one single time! Indeed, the Bruins from February 13th onward have gone 1-8 when off a win! 8 losses, 1 win! Now I certainly know the Flyers have been quite inconsistent of late but they are still a very talented team capable of bringing it on any night. That said, Philly offers all kinds of line value here because they absolutely should bring it in this one! The Flyers have lost all their games against Boston this season thus far and that includes an embarrassing 7-3 loss in the outdoor game in late February in the most recent meeting. The Flyers enter this game off back to back losses after a tough shootout loss to the Islanders on Saturday but they are 6-2 this season when entering a game off back to back losses. Based on all of the above you can see why I love the value of the big dog in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA +155 |
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04-04-21 | Capitals v. Devils +146 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 3 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - NHL Rotation #28 Sunday 10* Top Play New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 3:05 ET - The Devils lost in overtime Friday and I had them right here and am coming right back with them again as they are desperate to get off the schneid versus the Capitals. New Jersey is getting their last chance to get a win over Washington this season and that is today on Sunday. I look for the hungry Devils to make the most of it and possibly catch the Capitals looking ahead to bigger games up ahead as they face the Islanders Tuesday and the Bruins Thursday of this coming week. Keep in mind the Caps just got blitzed 8 to 4 by the Isles and New York is coached by their former coach, Barry Trotz. That said this is a good spot to back the Devils off back to back losses as they had blown a 4-1 lead against Boston to lose that game in the shootout and then lost to the Capitals in overtime Friday. Prior to these two tight losses, New Jersey had won 5 of 8. I just do not see the Devils being denied here in their quest to finally emerge victorious over the Caps this season. The home team will prove to be the much hungrier and much more focused team in this one. 10* NEW JERSEYÂ |
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04-03-21 | Blackhawks v. Predators -117 | Top | 0-3 | Win | 100 | 6 h 49 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - NHL Rotation #6 Saturday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (-) vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 3:05 ET - The Predators are a perfect 4-0 against the Blackhawks this season. I know Nashville has some injury issues but that is also what is helping to keep this line a little on the low side even though the Preds are on home ice. I am happy to grab the line value here as the Predators are ready to respond off a loss. Nashville had won 8 of 9 prior to their home loss to Dallas Thursday. Chicago, in my opinion, has a chance to be a quality team very soon but I just do not see it this season. The Blackhawks came into the season not expected to do much and they lived up to those expectations with a very slow start. Then they suddenly caught fire like teams do sometimes but then reality set in again and the Hawks have been losing on the regular once again. Chicago enters this game having lost 9 of 13 games and they have lost 5 of their last 6 road games. More of the same expected here. 10* NASHVILLE |
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04-03-21 | Penguins +106 v. Bruins | 5-7 | Loss | -100 | 4 h 13 m | Show | |
Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #1 Saturday 8* Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 1:05 ET - I successfully used Pittsburgh in Thursday's game and will do the same again here. As mentioned in Thursday's write-up, the Penguins had lost each of their last 10 visits to Boston yet the game was priced at very nearly a pick'em. Long-time followers knew where I am going with this one! The fact is the Penguins came into that game on a hot streak and desperate to end their losing streak in games at Boston. They got the job done then and I expect they will again here as they are battling for a top spot in the division. Pittsburgh has the hottest goalie in the league right now with Casey DeSmith on a phenomenal run over his last 11 appearances. As for the Bruins, they have been without Tuukka Rask and this has stressed their goaltending situation. Whether it is Jaroslav Halak or Dan Vladar in goal for this one, the Bruins netminder will be facing a Penguins club that has won 5 straight games and 12 of 15. Boston, on the other hand, had lost 11 of 18 games before rallying for a win versus New Jersey Tuesday and then losing 4-1 to the Pens Thursday. The Bruins last 3 wins have come against the Sabres (who had lost 18 straight) and the Devils (fortunate win for Boston). Give me the road dog playing the much better hockey of late and the club that also has the goaltending edge. 8* PITTSBURGH |
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04-02-21 | Maple Leafs v. Jets +128 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 33 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - NHL Rotation #62 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8:05 ET - This will be the 8th meeting since January of 2020 and no team has won back to back games in this series since then. That said, and with the Maple Leafs winning Wednesday, I like the Jets here! Toronto is 0 for 9 on the power play in the last 3 meetings between these teams and that is eventually going to catch up with them. Winnipeg is 3 for 8 on the power play in the last two games and they get back to work here seeking revenge after Wednesday's loss. The rest of this is from Wednesday's write-up because I did lose with this play Wednesday but all of these factors are why I still like the Jets in the rematch today on Friday. From Wednesday's write-up: "I like the home underdog in this one. It is hard to argue that the Leafs should be such a pricey favorite on the road in this one when you consider the Jets record is every bit as good as Toronto's plus these teams have split the first four meetings this season. I know Jack Campbell has played surprisingly well between the pipes for the Maple Leafs of late but he certainly does not have the long-term success factor that Connor Hellebuyck has. Also, Hellebuyck is 4-0 with a .966 save percentage and has allowed an average of just 1 goal per game his last 4 starts. I know Campbell has been great this season - albeit in limited action thus far - but he lost 12 of 18 road decisions last season. As for the season before that, Campbell lost 9 of 14 road decisions. In fact in his career, prior to this season, Campbell lost 24 of 36 decisions away from home. That is 2 out of every 3 decisions resulting in a loss on the road. He is a solid netminder playing well right now but Hellebuyck is playing even better and home ice matters and we get an underdog line here as well. A lot of positive factors in our favor and the Leafs are one point in front of the Jets in the standings. Great set up here. Also, the Maple Leafs have lost 7 of their last 11 games. The Jets, on the other hand, have won 4 of last 5 and those were on the road plus they have won 7 of last 10 on home ice." 10* WINNIPEG |
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