Xam’s Daily Gems:
Texans/Ravens Over 43.5 Points -115
The Ravens have been one of the best teams in the league offensively at home. At home this year, they scored 25 or more points 7 times. This includes the last game of the year when they were resting starters! They’ve also had dominant games on the road against really good defenses. They scored 33 points on the road in San Francisco and 28 points on the road in Cleveland. Coming off a bye week, they should have some plays in store for Lamar Jackson and company. The Texans have also picked it up offensively in recent weeks. The Texans walloped the Browns last week 45-14, and scored 31 offensive points against a very good defense. The X-Factor in this game will be the cold and wind. It’s expected to be rather windy, which could impact each team’s ability to effectively throw the ball. However, both teams are capable of running it and both teams have playmakers that can catch short passes and go the distance. The Ravens are used to playing in this weather as well. If the Texans can continue their recent offensive success, we should be able to get enough points to go over the total here.
Stars Money Line -144
The Stars are currently 4th in the Western Conference, and have gotten to this point in the season on the strength of their offense. Coming into the day, they have 161 goals on the year, which is good for 3rd in the Western Conference. They’ve also been good away from the H-E-B Center, sporting a 12-5-3 record on the road. The Stars should be pretty well rested as they’ve only played once since January 16th. The Devils, meanwhile, played last night in Columbus and tonight will be playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. The key tonight will be Dallas’s goalie, Scott Wedgewood. He hasn’t been particularly good in January, giving up almost 3.50 goals per game on average in January. However, on the year, he’s giving up just over 3 goals per game on average. If he can get back to his yearly averages and give his offense a chance, guys like Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski, and Jason Robertson should be able to do enough to get the win for the Stars.
Raptors +7.5 -110
With the trade of Pascal Siakam, the Raptors have indicated that they’re in rebuild mode. However, they have played tough since they traded him and still have capable scorers. Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Gary Trent Jr. have all stepped up for the team over the course of the year. In the two games since they traded Siakam, they’ve scored a total of 231 points. There issues have come on defense this year, as they are giving up 116 points per game on average. The Knicks are averaging about 115 points per game this year. However, they haven’t scored more than 113 points in any of their last 4 games. For both teams, it’ll be their 3rd game in 4 nights. For Toronto, the key for them will be their defense. It’ll be their first road game since the Siakam trade, and the Knicks will be pumped up in front of their home crowd tonight. If Toronto can play some defense tonight, they should be able to score enough to cover this number.
Scottie Barnes Over 1.5 Made 3s -122
Barnes loves shooting from beyond the arc. He has 52 attempts from deep in his last 10 games. He’s hitting over 36% of his 3s on the road this year, which means he’s not scared of the bright lights or opposing fans. This is also a game that can turn into a shootout. The total of this game would suggest it’ll be a high scoring game, and with the Raptors coming in as underdogs, they’ll need their playmakers to hit shots to have a chance in this game. Barnes should have plenty of opportunities to make two 3s tonight.
Jordan Love Over 245.5 Passing Yards -110
Perhaps no player this weekend is coming into their game with more confidence than Jordan Love. He’s coming off a dominant performance against a quality defense last week in Dallas. The Packers are coming into this game as near double-digit underdogs, so Love may be forced to throw the ball early and often. The X-Factor tonight very well may be the weather. It’s expected to rain throughout the game. However, the Packers have plenty of weapons who can take a short pass and make a play after the catch. Love has the arm to make throws even when the conditions aren’t perfect. Also, the game script may force Love to throw the ball more than he and the Packers would like. Green Bay has a terrible defense and the 49ers coming off a bye should be able to put points on the board. That’ll put pressure on Love and the Packers to keep up. Bookmakers are also expecting a high scoring game. It’s the highest total of the weekend for any of the games as of this writing. This may indicate they don’t think the weather will be as big of a factor.