Matt's Picks (1 Live)
You know I get it. Colorado is truly excellent. And the Wild did play Saturday. But goaltender Jesper Wallstedt didn't. He is one reason why I probably play Sweden at fairly long odds to win Olympic gold in a few months. The 23-year-old is 10-1-2 with a 1.96 GAA and a .936 save percentage. This might lose but still the right play. Winning and being right aren't always congruous.
I had not planned to play this, but the Flyers have ruled out No. 1 goalie Dan "Darth" Vladar. The former Calgary No. 2 has been excellent this year and stole the starting job from today's starter in Samuel Ersson (3.05 GAA). Which sounds a lot like Ershon and makes me think of the criminally underrated "The Other Guys." Truly love that movie. I also now want a glacier water with cucumber because it accents the water in such a way ... lol. In addition, Philly is without center Christian Dvorak (23 points, plus-8). Yeah, this got interesting real fast, although the Rangers for some reason are really struggling at home. Otherwise this should be probably -180.
Look, I am a very careful bettor because I play a lot. So I am fine paying this somewhat outrageous amount simply to avoid the stress and gastrointestinal discomfort that overtime/shootout would provide. I'm actually not kidding. I feel physically ill in OT (or extra innings) with stress because know I will lose. Sure feels that way. Do I think the Ducks win outright here with Dallas in the second of a B2B? Of course I think a great chance, I only play for draws in soccer. Perhaps tie no bet at -115 or I have to say Ducks +140 in regulation is not terrible. I want protection. Even at 82 cents.
Do I think the Hurricanes are the better club right now? Yep, but I also say if you get the two-time champs +1 at home that you have to. Almost think the Cats will be offended being home dogs. But I'm slumping a bit across the board at the moment. Sometimes a built-in holiday day off or two isn't the worst thing to just reset. I'm not saying that I'm the Short Circuit robot -- Johnny 5 -- declaring "Malfunction! Need input!" but let's just say El DeBarge is from my hometown. "Who's Johnny?" How did a movie with El DeBarge, a lovable robot, Steve Guttenberg and Ally Sheedy not win an Oscar!?
Do you remember the 80s? I'm sure many of you not even born, but back then you earned bank to buy something, for some reason, that had Vuarnet on it (or Girbaud). It was just French cool. I have no idea what's cool now, but I expect to have some Vuarnet money with this. Are the Sharks the cash cow they were earlier in the year? No, but we are all over this. San Jose is 24-10 ATS and "Après la pluie, le beau temps." I hope that means I desire a grilled cheese with pickles inside. It does metaphorically ... and now that's happening in next 24 hours. "Florida Man dies after having forgotten to check his cheese is 4 years past date."
Can't deny that I've been in a bit of an NHL malaise for about 10 days, but boy did we get a gift in the Blackhawks' last game when they blew a 2-0 third-period lead and lost 3-2 in Toronto for a third straight defeat. I'll have to fade Chicago almost daily as long as Connor Bedard is out (two total goals in two games without) as it's not a great offensive team even with the former No. 1 overall pick. Montreal runs super hot and cold, so we have to hope for the former. The Habs won 3-2 in Chicago on Oct. 11 and a similar score/push would not surprise here, but maybe we get lucky. I think regulation is fine.
For -160 this is a pretty reasonable price simply as Nashville really has turned its season around and has the major carrot inching one game of reaching .500 for the first time since before Halloween. Better health has certainly helped, and Juuse Saros 6. Saros 5-1-0 with a 2.53 GAA and a .920 save percentage this month. Carolina is certainly the better team but has played three straight past regulation and that's all we care about. The Canes also could be looking ahead a bit to Friday's trip to Florida in the first meeting with the champs since the Panthers beat Carolina in the 2025 East Finals.
I don't know why, yet again, I can't get +1 on Sharks games on here but that's what I'd recommend simply for OT insurance. But this isn't too bad as I'm not really sure why the Flames are favored even if playing better of late. They are still well below .500 away and the Sharks well above at home. It's San Jose's first home game in nearly two months and it stole wins in Toronto and Pittsburgh to conclude a long road trip. One of Calgary's top forwards in Mikael Baklund (16 points, +1) is iffy. The Flames have won the past seven in the series, but that just means SJ is due.
I'm not sure why I am not being offered -1 with the moneyline having dipped this low. I've gotten it before on prices near -240. But I'll play Leafs -1 priced -150 (it's there). Regulation works too. The Hawks put superstar Connor Bedard on IR Monday and he's everything. Top young blueliner Artyom Levshunov will sit for disciplinary reasons. So yeah I'll do two units at -1 as I struggle to see a Toronto home loss barring Spencer Knight standing on his head for the visitors. Chicago is struggling anyways, especially away at 1-5 in the past six on the road. Good injury news for the Leafs with top goalie Joseph Woll activated off IR. He is 2-0 this month with a 1.20 GAA.
There appears to be a bit of a bug going around the Kings' locker room as they will be without two centers in Quinton Byfield (19 points, +5) and Phillip Danault (five points, +3). The Kings are slumping offensively anyways with three total goals in a two-game skid that both included overtime. It is Stars backup Casey DeSmith, but he has better numbers (2.23 GAA, .920 SV) than No. 1 Jake Oettinger does. Dallas is also getting a bit heathier on the blueline. It has gotten points in their last seven games played vs. Los Angeles at American Airlines Center (6-0-1).
Extremely fair price on the Jets after reigning Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck returned from injury over the weekend and dominated in a win over Washington. Third different city since Thursday for Ottawa, which is down three injured regulars in forwards in Lars Eller and Shane Pinto and blueliner Thomas Chabot. The Jets swept this series last season pretty easily.
Can't say I love this as the Devils have some injuries, but the Canucks got significantly worse when they traded All-Star defenseman Quinn Hughes to Minnesota. I don't get that at all but maybe wasn't gonna re-up. Almost feels like a punt year now. Whatever is Canadian for punt (rouge?). Where did Hughes want to go? New Jersey to play with his brothers. Alas, Jack is still out. Maybe the best remining player the Nucks have in Elias Pettersson will not play due to injury. This should at worst push but so should Kings have on Saturday. It's the NHL ...
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.