PHI @ TOR
So the TML return to the quiet confines of the ACC where they sport a painful 1-4 record, after rolling on the road and pushing their away record to 6-1. This team is an enigma, wrapped inside a mystery, etc., etc. You can reverse the home/away fortunes of the Flyers almost exactly. So is this going to be one awful game, or what?
I am leaning for the dog 'PHI' (heading out on a 6g road trip) to take down the Leafs who shrivel at home and are unlikely to continue this win streak which is so unusual for this team. The Flyers take off tonight?
- Last 10 in this matchup: PHI 9-1-0-0 vs. TOR 1-8-0-1
- PHI 5-0 @ TOR
- PHI 7-3 on Mondays
- TOR after a win are 3-7
- PHI Road PP 12.5%, #21 vs. TOR Home PK: 71%, #28
- TOR Home O #29 vs. PHI Road D #18

--- PHI is 1-8 in last 9 otr

--- PHI is 5-16 in past 16g
LA @ STL
Do you think STL is looking forward to tonight's game? They were 1-3 versus the Kings last year. Then they got spanked 4-0 in the playoffs in a series everyone expected them to win, despite the season's record. I'm not yet sold on who to pick, and if I did it will be low risk. But I might do a sizeable u4.5 play here since LA still can't consistently score, and we have good goaltending in this matchup - Halak is back. And with STL giving up major tallies recently, this could not be better news. And you know they will be more committed to strong D vs. LA.
But at the same time, the Kings swarmed the Wings, and would have won if not for Howard. Will Halak be rusty? STL's PP is still great (#1 in PPG/g), but their PK has been woeful. They NEED to stay out of the box tonight, even though the Kings have been royally horrible on the PP @10%. They were too strong vs. the Wings to take lightly...
- UNDER in 8/11 in STL/LA games
- UNDER in 8/11 in STL
- STL #1 in SAA, LA #2
- STL O #4 vs. LA D #22
- STL Home 0 #2 vs. LA Road D #17
- STL Home PP #2 vs. LA Road PK #22
- LA Road PP #23 vs. STL Home PK #19
- STL #1 PPG/g

--- LA 5-0 in last 5 vs. STL

--- LA 12-6 in last 18 otr
CAR @ NYI
Man another long road trip we're looking at here. This is the 5th of a 6g stretch otr for CAR, and they face a slumping NYI team. But at the same time, the @home and therefore more rested NYI team is desperate for a home win after this four game slide. And they have been playing pretty tough opponents or big goalies (Miller).
I am going to avoid picking a winner right now, and maybe even tonight. But I like these scoring plays. The numbers saw back and forth, but even with the Isles not scoring well at home, they have both the potential and are up against a road-weary team and an inconsistent (though better) Cam Ward to have a bit of a breakout here.
On the other foot, the Isles are short a couple D to injury, and CAR Road O looks good vs. NYI Home D. We might wait until tomorrow vs. the NJD to be more sure of a CAR loss. That might also be an argument though, for CAR coming out hard tonight to win...so I do lean that way when you include a look at some of the numbers below.
- CAR 1-4 SU in last 5 vs. NYI
- CAR 7-3 SU otr vs. NY
- OVER 4/5 in NY/CAR games
- OVER in 6/8 when in NY
- CAR overall O #13 vs. NYI overall D #25
- NYI overall O #9 vs. CAR overall D #21
- CAR road O #11 vs. NYI home D #19

--- NYI home O #29 vs. CAR road D #13
As always, BOL my friends...