Ice picks: Saturday's best NHL bets

By COVERS.com STAFF | November 20, 2009 | 28 comments
send to a friend print version rss feeds AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Pittsburgh Penguins at Atlanta Thrashers (+110, 6.0)

There could be firewagon hockey in Philips Arena.

The Thrashers are second in the league in scoring, averaging 3.61 goals per game. They have no one in the top 10 in scoring but five skaters with at least 15 points.

Atlanta's offense also has gotten a boost from the recent return of playmaker Ilya Kovalchuk, who was out nearly three weeks with a foot injury.

Kovalchuk has registered a point in all four games since his return, totaling four goals and seven assists. Atlanta is 3-1 with 18 goals in that span.

Making things easier for the Thrashers could be a banged-up blue line for the Penguins. Defensemen Kristopher Letang, Alex Goligoski, Jay McKee and Brooks Orpik - all of whom average at least 15 minutes per game - are out with injuries.

Pittsburgh also boasts Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who are finding their form again after early-season injuries.

Pick: Over 6.0

Washington Capitals at Toronto Maple Leafs (+118, 6.0)

Washington's Alexander Ovechkin has picked up right where he left off.

After missing more than two weeks with what was believed to be a shoulder injury, Ovechkin returned with a goal in Tuesday's 4-2 road win over the New York Rangers. That gave him 10 goals in his last nine games.

"I waited for this day a long time, two weeks, so I’m happy to come back," Ovechkin told The New York Times.

Despite missing six games, Ovechkin still is tied for the NHL lead with 15 goals. The Capitals didn't seem to miss their superstar, going 4-2 and averaging 3.8 goals in his absence to maintain their spot as the NHL's top-scoring team.

The Maple Leafs have lost five in a row, allowing an average of 4.4 goals during the slide. When the teams met on October 3, Ovechkin had a goal and two assists in a 6-4 home win.

Pick: Capitals -128

28 comments
comment Post A Comment
jgmjgm
jgmjgm says:
11/20/09 10:47PM

Saturday’s B2B Games: (teams in Caps)

FLORIDA @ NY Rangers

DETROIT @ MONTREAL

WASHINGTON @ Toronto

BUFFALO @ Ottawa

NY ISLANDERS @ St. Louis

PHILADELPHIA @ Phoenix

SAN JOSE @ Anaheim

3-in-4-Days: (teams in Caps)

Philadelphia @ PHOENIX

New Jersey @ DALLAS

parlaybob
parlaybob says:
11/20/09 11:08PM

profile image

send a private message View Space | Friends | Playbook

parlaybob says:

11/20/09 07:04PM

POWERS13, PARLAYLADY SAYS; THAT "SHE" CAN "WALK" BETTER & "FASTER" THAN "YOU" AFTER 7:00pm AT NIGHT!!! HA! HA! ha! ha! PARLAYBOB

parlaybob
parlaybob says:
11/20/09 11:09PM

POWERS, YOU HAVE A GOOD NIGHT & I'M BRINGING THAT "GIFT" THAT YOU GAVE ME TO GIVE TO DREWSKI TO WASHINGTON. IT'S ALREADY IN THE SUITCASE SO I DON'T FORGET TO GIVE IT TO HIM, BUD. PARLAY

jgmjgm
jgmjgm says:
11/20/09 11:42PM

Well Minny had to go score with a minute left to win that one 3-2 and kill the OT play.

But the Avs got out to a quick start (2-0) on the Nucks as I expected, but that parlay's already dead.

Back to the drawing board...

The_sports_babe
The_sports_babe says:
11/20/09 11:50PM

Friday night -1.5units/Caps

No plays for me on Sat... +5.65u/season

... bol...TSB...

luckylogan
luckylogan says:
11/21/09 11:14AM

Caps at -115 at Toronto is a steal!!

ginder123
ginder123 says:
11/21/09 01:35PM

YTD NHL: 14-9, +4.85 units

Detroit/Montreal - Under 5.5 (EV) (1 unit)

Pittsburgh/Atlanta - Over 6.5 (EV) (1 unit)

Washington Capitals Regulation (+135) (2 units)

Washington Capitals -1.5 (+200) (1 unit)

Chicago Blackhawks Regulation (+105 (1 unit)

brijon24
brijon24 says:
11/21/09 01:38PM

Caps can't lose again tonight... right? That line still seems iffy to me. Nevertheless, I'm thinking a nice, healthy play on Washington

AGranite
AGranite says:
11/21/09 01:58PM

jgmjgm:

FLA is on its 3rd in 4 days as well at NYR

jgmjgm
jgmjgm says:
11/21/09 02:43PM

Thanks... I missed that one last night.

rangersmets
rangersmets says:
11/21/09 02:48PM

No way I'm picking sides in the Wash-Tor game. But definitely taking the Over! Two really mediocre and slow-footed defences here (aside from Green and Kaberle) and two average at best goalies in Toskala and Varlemov. I see goals galore in this one as the Leafs are plenty capable of lighting up this Caps teams that is getting beat up by injuries to Knuble, Gordon, Laing and Alex Semin is expected to miss this game too. I can seriously see this being a 6-4 type of game. The Caps played a close, tough game vs. the Habs last night and the Leafs lost a crazy 6-5 affair in Raleigh on Thursday. It could go either way, but there WILL be goals in this one.

PickNSix
PickNSix says:
11/21/09 03:03PM

PLAYS OF THE DAY

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS ML

CALGARY FLAMES ML

powers13
powers13 says:
11/21/09 03:44PM

huge nite last nite lost everything in in hockey except isles game 1 and 4 lost paraly too.......won bowling green and im winning oho state in college ..football ...football is not my game ....but im 4 wins and 1 lost so far ......

only play and its big plat 1,700 on chicago tonite.......possibly detroit.....

hung the phuck over......

tonite my neighborsw 50th party .......

big two team teaser for sunday cinccy minus 2.5 with jacksonville minus 1.5........

lucky logan pleasew give me two picks of 7 point teaser for .n.f.l morning games .......the 2 more 7 poinmt teaser fopr 2.000 pm games thanks.....no spell checks today...hung to the tits..........

jgmjgm
jgmjgm says:
11/21/09 04:03PM

Powers...

Calgary Dinos 36 @ St. Mary's Huskies 14 End of 3rd Q

Looks like the Dinos are cruising into the Vanier Cup. That should fix your head.

Who did you say you were playing in the CFL West Final (CAL @ SK)?

LeeK3
LeeK3 says:
11/21/09 04:48PM

I'm still bittter about that late goal by the Wild last night. Went 0-3 for minus 4 units on the ice, taking me to minus 2.6 units in hockey for the week. Sure I got some back on Boise State, but I still lost last night.

On to today there are WAY too many games and I see that Hockey Night in Canada will be in full effect with games in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Edmonton. I like all the rested home teams against the back to back traveling team but just too many to choose from, so instead of system plays, I'm sticking to what I like. I had to up it to five plays today and hopefully I'll at least win 3 of them.

I'll try and keep my thoughts brief today, but sometimes that's hard for me to do.

In Nashville today the Preds have won 4 in a row and 8of their last 10. The home team is 10-1 in the last 11 meetings in this Series. I'm taking Nashville just because they are so hot these last 3 weeks and Rinne has been stellar recently giving up 2, 3, 0 and 1 in his last 4 games.

I gotta go with the red-hot Black Hawks, the only team hotter than the Predators. The Hawks have won five in a row and 8 of their last 11. Huet started in all five of these recent Hawks wins and he is slated to start tonight. Hopefully they don't swtich goalies on me like the Caps did last night (still bitter about that too).

My other two plays are OVERS. The Over in Thrashers/Pens looks too easy. The total once again is set at 6. On the year the Thrash are 10-4 to the Over, with 4 pushes. They've gone Over 6 in 9 of their 12. Meanwhile since Malkin came back for the Pens, the Pengs have gone OVER in 3 straight. I'll take my chances at 6 (-135) tonight.

And the last play is a 2-team parlay on the Capitals ML to the Isles +1.5 PL. The Isles just beat Mason and the Blues 5-2 last month, and the Islanders are still playing winnable games every night out. Since October 24th in the past 14 games for the Islanders, they've either won the game or lost by 1 goal in 13 of those 14 (one loss was 3-0). Sticking to my guns and playing them +1.5 again. Last night the Flyers killed the parlay, so let's hope the Capitals can beat the 2nd worst team in the league in the league with Toskala going for the Leafs. Good luck to everyone and enjoy your hockey, football and then UFC fights later tonight.

NASHVILLE -135 vs Columbus, to win 1 unit.

Chicago -140 vs EDMONTON, to win 1 unit.

OVER 6 (-135) Penguins vs THRASHERS, to win 1 unit.

OVER 6 (-135) Capitals vs MAPLE LEAFS, to win 1 unit.

2-team, Wash -130 vs TORONTO, Isles +1.5 (-210) vs ST LOUIS, 1 unit wins 1.61

rangersmets
rangersmets says:
11/21/09 05:24PM

Oh for Christsakes I knew things were going too smoothly here today. Frenchneckerman, go back and crawl back under your crusty sheets and your collection of 1970's Hustler magazines. The Palmer sisters are waiting.

Compasaurus
Compasaurus says:
11/21/09 05:40PM

JGM just got back from Richardson Stadium after watching Queen's sneak away with a win... hell of a game.. hopefully a repeat against the Dinos.

Plays tonight:

- OVER 6 in the PENS/THRASHERS as posted above

- PL play for the CAPS... Maybe the over as well.. 6-3 CAPS

- TB on the PL

- NASHVILLE ML

BOL

jgmjgm
jgmjgm says:
11/21/09 05:52PM

Compasaurus - Yes it was a great game. Congrats! It was too close coming down the stretch though. The Queens D looked good, but they better be worried that the Dinos rushed for 426 yards this afternoon!

I watched that game on TSN while streaming the Dinos and Huskies.

Should be a great Vanier Cup. The only problem is it's going to be Queens & Calgary in Laval. That will kill attendance.

The_sports_babe
The_sports_babe says:
11/21/09 07:03PM

My book currently has the Atl-Pitt o/u @ 6.5u-1.20.....opened @6 -1.30 over

Lay .6u to make .5u on the under

+5.65u/season.....bol..TSB...

Compasaurus
Compasaurus says:
11/21/09 08:41PM

DDH have 3 of the same picks.. Preds, Caps, and Lightning... got greedy and went with the PL for both the Caps and Lightning.. hoping for the best.

BOL

powers13
powers13 says:
11/21/09 09:23PM

4 game parlayu still in play......detroit ...caps ......hawsk ....and sanjose...... dont like the odds of 4 road teasmw inning ....but we will see....

3 team teaser in footbal 7points .... teas minus 20.5 .....stanford even...and orego plus 1..........

got my behind handed to me at half time in college football....lost wisconsin over 24 points ...went under......23 ....lost pen state over under of 2 4 i took under it went over..... and rutgers over under 22 i went over ...it went under.....instead of playing penn stae at minu3 at half and my eyes lite up about pounding pen state .....but no i was to hung over to go with that play as weel as wisconsin at half time and i usually play the line not totals ..ibasically took my winning from my 2 game teaser wiith bowling green and ohio stste and gave it back........ i dropped the ball again on oregonstate and wsu line at half time was14 and i said no ..what happened oregon state won by 21 .......... phuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk...................... no i dont feel so good about my big play on the hawks................... phuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

powers13
powers13 says:
11/21/09 09:24PM

its time to line up the muff diving girls for tonight..................

The_sports_babe
The_sports_babe says:
11/21/09 11:05PM

I went back and forth between the Ranger game and Caps game and Ove does not look like he is ready to resume playing Ove type of hockey yet. Not even close.

bol...TSB...

jgmjgm
jgmjgm says:
11/21/09 11:43PM

TSB - you are right about the Caps but I don't think it is all on Ovechkin. Theodore had something "personal" going on that required him to be away from the team for a while. Semin, Knuble, and Laing are all out plus a few others.

I think if you can catch the Caps on a day, like the last two, where you only have one strong line to match against your shutdown fore-checking line; get their 2nd and 3rd string goalies in net, and have them B2B on the road... well sometimes even a blind squirrel will find that acorn. It also helps to run into a hot Price and Monster.

Nice hit on the PIT/ATL under.

The_sports_babe
The_sports_babe says:
11/22/09 12:09AM

Jgm..... my observation was only focused on Ove and his lack of fluent mobility, but I agee with you jgm that the Caps look completly out of sink right now..

+.5 u Sat night...+6.15u's/season.....bol...TSB...[ no plays sunday ]

More Comments:  1 2  

Post A Comment

Add your response:

Click here to login.
Advertisement