Matt's Picks (8 Live)
Calgary is chasing a Western Conference playoff spot. ...
Matt's Past Picks
Minnesota has won three straight but all at home and hasn't played away since a 3-1 loss in Vancouver on March 7. This is the front of a B2B and No. 1 netminder Filip Gustavsson has played a ton of hockey so we might get No. 2 Marc-Andre Fleury tonight. The Wild are still without a couple of their top forwards to due injury as well. The Stars have earned points in their last 12 games played against the Wild. Forward Matt Duchene has 14 points (5-9—14) in his last 11 games against Minnesota.
This will go up almost surely a fair amount by puck drop. Vancouver has a really talented overall roster, but the goaltending has been awful with No. 1 Thatcher Demko only getting into 17 games this season due to injury. Supposedly he might be close to a return but also hasn't played in six weeks. Probably Kevin Lankinen, then, and he's fading fast with a heavy workload in losing five of six. In addition, top-six forwards Elias Pettersson (52 points), Filip Chytil (26 points when including time with NY) and Nils Hoglander (21 points) are all expected out. This will matter a bit more to New Jersey netminder Jacob Markstrom, who spent 2013-20 with the Canucks and shut them out early this season.
First game of a road trip and on the East Coast nonetheless for Los Angeles? Normally, this would be Pass-adena but the Lakers have looked so bad in back-to-back home games -- shockingly so Saturday in LeBron's return from injury -- that I can't imagine they take this one lightly despite the travel, below-.500 opponent, etc. Magic point guard Cole Anthony (not that he's great, but the best option they have) being ruled out again clinched this for me.
If you are ever wondering why I don't stick to 100% player props like some others on here, last night's Trae Young Under 26.5 point loss for the Hawks is why. There was NO REASON for Young to be in a blowout in the fourth quarter when dealing with an injury, but he was and landed Over on a jumper with 1:14 left and Atlanta already up 16 points. Probably the angriest I have been at a prop in 2025. Indiana's Pascal Siakam is having a really productive month in averaging about right on this number but averages 20.3 PPG on the season at home and Minnesota is again one of the NBA's top defensive teams. Our model has Siakam at 19.8 PPG tonight.
I hate to initiate some kind of Mission Impossible "Curse Protocol" by following a handful of other experts on Queens, but after watching the other two teams from this CBI today who played Sunday against two teams who haven't played for weeks ... there sure seems to be a massive disadvantage for those clubs who had all that time off. That's all this is because Cleveland State was the better team in the regular season. But so was overly rested Jacksonville in the first CBI game today vs. Incarnate Word, and JU got spanked.
CBI game from Daytona Beach so not too far from Jacksonville, but I don't exactly expect more than 50 people in the gym for a noon CBI game on a Monday. The Cardinals, who were under .500 in Southland play, beat Manhattan yesterday to advance. The Dolphins, 12-6 in ASUN play, last took the court on March 6. KenPom ranks JU about 60 spots better. Probably be some rust but there's little doubt in my mind it was the better team during the season led by first team All-ASUN pick Robert McCray V. But after like three-plus weeks, guys might have already transferred out for all I know. But we can't turn down a Monday afternoon game, can we?
Carolina is among the Stanley Cup favorites but is below .500 away and playing the second of a B2B after getting pounded by LA on Saturday -- which we cashed. We faded the Canes because a handful of top guys were out and then another one, Seth Jarvis (52 points), left early injured and didn't make it back so decent chance he's out Sunday. It's also the end of a four-game trip for Carolina.