Matt's Picks (6 Live)
Calgary is playing much better of late but Dustin Wolf is 3-8-0 away with a 4.05 GAA. And he has been confirmed in net. The Kings are rested and healthy. Regulation is fine. L.A.'s Anze Kopitar has scored 10 power-play goals vs. Calgary, tied for his highest total against any one opponent. He also leads the Kings with seven points over the last two seasons in head-to-head matchups with the "I will be the Flame" -- great 80s hair band song by Cheap Trick.
Will just do a half here because maybe Habs rookie goalie Jacob Fowler is the real deal. He got me Thursday in Pittsburgh, but I mean against Igor Shesterkin? And it's the front end of a B2B. The Rangers are not playing well but it hasn't been Shesterkin's fault as the former Vezina winner has been quite good. The books can't tell what to make of Fowler, either, as the totals are all over the place.
The books keep pricing Edmonton like it is last year(s). I'm not saying they won't win. When you have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, you can always win. But there is no way they should be favored in Toronto. I have been to a Maple Leafs game (back then the fans smoked like chimneys). Just a different vibe, really, really cool. I will go to a Leafs-Habs game in Montreal before I leave this earth. It's just so different up there how they care. Cannot wait for the Olympic hockey tournament (I'll be playing Canada +140 with a splash on Sweden longshot), if, you know, they actually build the arena.
There is absolutely no way I am signing off today with that awful Creighton loss. I'm getting that back. I don't consider a chase honestly and I know this is high, but I'll match it. I'm actually going 4 units off-site. I just don't think about spreads when I believe a team will win, sorry. It does not matter to me. I'll definitely be more surprised if this loses than Creighton did. The Spiders are 6-0 at home this season, equaling their win total at Robins Center from all of last year.
So I'll just be honest here. All of our other books have Toulouse getting the +, but BetRivers is an outlier. And that's something I always like to do. I get it, it's a marketing ploy to be different. And as you can see, it's a bit juiced so it may not be there much longer. But I also think a gift. I have no interest without the +. Sometimes you have to pick at near 6 a.m. to get the right numbers with the Andy Griffith Show in the background. I don't much like that show but it sure seems to be on a lot at 6 a.m. ET. I usually just waited for to end so I could see Jeannie next.
Again, I don't really care what other people do but was about to post this and I see Thomas Casale is on the Jays. That definitely makes me feel better as there is no better college hoops capper in the country. So I just doomed you bro. But now I'm gonna up the wager -- and can blame him if goes south like I do Buckets for the Friday Bunda loss:) I make my own choices. Go big or go home. Also, my wife is really getting expensive Xmas tastes that are way above my paygrade. What's a Prada? I'm happy with a Slim Jim.
Fulham and Burnley. Am I the only one getting John Grisham "the Firm" vibes? Next on Fulham and Burnley ... Rizzoli & Isles crossover (kill me). If Burnley has any shot of avoiding relegation, and it doesn't have a great one priced -1000 to be sent to the showers (or the Championship), it must get 3 points here. And I don't even care. One is fine. And frankly I like the visiting Cottagers' nickname so much (why are American teams so lame in that regard? Cougars? Meh) that now I don't want them to lose. #drawpays
I'm gonna take a shot here. Again, the NBA lines are so backward right now that I want to take any reasonable ones. Anthony Edwards is iffy for Minny. If he sits, then I believe this for sure cashes. It may anyways with Steph Curry back for the Dubs, although Draymond Green being out is not ideal. I always enjoy seeing him and Rudy Gobert just ready to rumble. I don't know why but rumble has been in my vocab of late. Half-unit that certainly goes to full if Ant out. But obviously we won't get -120.
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.