Xam’s Daily Gems:
Bruins Money Line -150
The Bruins have been dominant all year. They are currently the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and they’re the only team in the league that hasn’t lost at least 10 games. They’re 13-3-3 at home as well. The Avalanche are a really good team in their own right, but they’re only 11-8-3 on the road. They are led by a powerful offense. They have scored 170 goals this season, which is the most in the league. The key player tonight is Boston’s goalie, Jeremy Swayman. He’s starting his 4th straight game for the team. Swayman has been playing really well, with a 2.38 goals against average and is coming off a shutout of the Devils. It was his 3rd shutout of the year. He gave up 4 goals to the Avs in a game that ended 4-3 in a shootout. Colorado’s goalie, ALexandar Georgiev, is good but beatable. On the road this year, he gives up on average 3.11 goals per game. In January, he’s given up 3.18 goals per game in 7 games played. However, when he’s bad, he’s been really bad. In losses this year, he gives up 4.41 goals per game on average. This will be Colorado’s 3rd game in 4 nights, all of which are coming on the road. Boston has the rest advantage and home ice in this one. If they want to get to where they think they can go, they need to win games like this tonight.
Blues/Capitals Over 5.5 Goals -128
The Capitals have been hit or miss recently, but their defense this year has been quite suspect. In their last 11 games, they’ve given up 5 or more goals 4 times! The Blues are coming into this game rested, and should be ready to go offensively. Charlie Lindgren has been good in limited work for the Capitals this year, but St. Louis should be able to generate some offense tonight. St. Louis’s goalie, Jordan Binnington, has had his struggles on the road. He has given up 3.24 goals per game on average on the road this year. The Capitals have struggled offensively this year. They need guys like Max Pacioretty, T.J. Oshie, and Tom Wilson to step up. On the other side, the Blues need Brayden Schenn, Jordan Kyrou, and Pavel Buchnevich to step up. There are plenty of capable scorers playing in this game. With some average goalie play, we should be able to get the Over tonight.
Bulls Money Line -132
The Bulls have been scratching and clawing all year, and find themselves sitting in 9th place in the Eastern Conference. They are in this position largely due to the play of their defense. They’re only giving up 112 points per game this season. They’ve also only played once since January 13th, so they should be well rested coming into this game. They should find success on offense tonight playing against a Raptors team giving up 116 points per game this season. The Ratpros are also on the 2nd night of a back-to-back and playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. The Bulls have the better defense and the rest advantage in this game. If guys like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic can step up offensively, they should be able to play enough defense to get the win.
Thunder/Jazz Over 244 Points -112
This game features two of the best offenses in the entire league. The Thunder are scoring just under 122 points per game this season. The Jazz are averaging just under 117 points per game. They are also giving up on average 118 points per game. This will be the Thunder’s 3rd game in 4 nights, so they may not have the same energy on defense as they usually do. The Jazz are giving up about 118 points per game, so Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams should be able to produce offensively. If we can get similar production from Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson, we should be in store for a good old fashioned shootout!