Matt's Picks (5 Live)
I would crush Under 6.5 if offered, but I'd also crush a grape Kool-Aid right now. Oddly sounds refreshing. I don't think I've had KA in 30 years, not sure why it's in my dome. But you better believe it's in my Amazon cart right now. Along with Laffy Taffy. Pretty sure I will need to see the dentist. The Kraken can't score as it is and one of their top forwards, Jared McCann, is in doubt. I often like to back teams ahead of a long road trip because that final game at home takes on a bit more significance and that's where the Mammoth are. Not playing great otherwise. Probably pushes but therein is the beauty of -1.
I am kinda putzing along in college hoops. One step forward, 1.5 back. Honestly feels like the lines are just gross -- similar to NBA. Perhaps I am just getting particular, but I also don't really take college basketball too seriously until full conference play starts. This is not a conference game but the number seems a bit off to me short of a "Let's Go Peay" injury that I'm not aware of. I don't see anything but not a lot of Austin Peay beat writers out there. Probably should be a pick'em,. So we'll take the can't be beaten on a 3-point buzzer-beater number.
You know, I don't really tail others. I like to form my own opinions. Then I may go look after. But in soccer, I do check on in on the excellent Martin Green and Buckets, and boy did Buckets go strong on this one. I had been looking at it. RB Leipzig is the way better side but I am practically allergic to road teams. But Buckets talked me into so now it's on him. FC Union Berlin has lost three straight. Only a draw likely beats us, but half because an away club.
Tuesday's Oilers OT loss hurt. They were rolling entering and facing basically some Sabres roadkill in the second of a B2B for Buffalo on the road. I watched (do we say watched or streamed these days?) that on ESPN+. You could see the Edmonton players getting outworked, taking for granted first two periods. Then third, they just went "Kirk: Energize." That's the fun team I like to back, flying around the rink and scoring at will. Alas, Edmonton blew an epic rally and lost in OT. Sadly, goaltending matters. That's hockey folks. But I'm going right back at -1 with the visitors in the second of a B2B.
Outlier number as our other books have either 21.5 or 22.5, so I'll be truly irked if Trey Murphy scores 20 and I could have played the U22.5, which I did think about first. But with Zion Williamson out yet again (sad but not surprising), Murphy is the main dude and averaging 27.3 PPG in four games this month -- scoring at least 21 in each. Portland ranks 25th in scoring defense.
Anytime I can say "Vaqueros" I will take it, and I definitely now want a taco. But then I probably want a taco five if not six of every seven days. Soft tacos are unimpeachable in my opinion. Put salsa in there, though, and we rumble. A light slate tonight and I think this is the best bet of the bunch, although certainly won't be going crazy. KenPom ranks the home side a handful of spots higher. UTRGV does have one of the best-named players in sports, and I like this dude's parents: Always Wright, a junior guard from Mexico. His brother is named Never (that would be great). Sister Occasionally. I'll keep going. The Vaqueros are 2-0 at home this year after 12-4 last.
Purely a goalie play as it's the NHL debut of Montreal's Jacob Fowler in net. The 21-year-old is likely the team's future in net and has been good in the AHL, but facing future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, etc., is a whole different level. Habs forward Jake Evans (4G, 4A) is out. Pittsburgh's Tristan Jarry is 4-0-1 with a 2.47 GAA and .915 save percentage over his last six appearances. He's 3-0-0 at home this year.
That Tampa Bay is favored at NJ is a little strange to me without Andrei Vasilevskiy. Plus, future Hall of Fame blueliner Victor Hedman is iffy tonight. Not a fan of backup goalie Jonas Johansson (he has been good of late, I have to admit), but that might be because the first love of my life would play the Jonas Brothers non-stop. I'm not saying that's why it ended, but I'm not saying that's not why. She's now like the Queen of Belgium, so I guess upgraded. Poor King. New Jersey is definitely not the same without Jack Hughes and had lost five straight until Tuesday's 4-3 win at Ottawa. Feels like a "get-right" win to me and I expect a mini-run now.
I expect this to go up a bit. Texas State has lost three straight but is 6-0 at home. It already handled another SWAC team in San Marcos, beating Texas Southern by 10 earlier in the season. Southern is 1-5 away as it travels around cashing checks and has a quick turnaround after getting routed at Texas on Monday. TXST has won eight straight games over SWAC opponents and has been off a week to prepare. The Bobcats' DJ Hall looks for a third straight double-double, which no player at the school has accomplished since 2012.
A rare total play Wednesday as Chicago isn't scoring much of late with just six goals in the past four games. But netminder Spencer Knight has a 2.43 home GAA. The Rangers are among the worst offensive team in the NHL at 2.65 goals per game. Netminder Igor Shesterkin has allowed three or fewer goals in seven straight overall and has been better on the road with a 2.29 GAA. The Rangers' past five overall have all landed Under this total. It's the only 6.5 on our board and juiced, so it may flip soon.