Xam’s Daily Gems:
Rangers Money Line -166
The Rangers are currently the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference, and this is largely because of their defense. They’ve given up just 135 goals this season, which is 2.87 goals per game. Their issue has been scoring goals. They’ve only scored 152 goals on the year. However, they have been dominant at home, posting a 15-6 record so far this season. The Rangers should be fully rested coming into this game, as they’ve only played one game since the 21st. The Golden Knights are a solid team, but they’ve been average on the road, going just 10-9-4 this season away from T-Mobile Arena. The key tonight will likely come down to which Igor Shesterkin shows up for the Rangers. He’s giving up less than 3 goals per game on average at home this year. If he keeps up his success at home, guys like Panarin, Zibanejad, and Kreider should be able to do enough offensively to get it done tonight for the Rangers.
Avalanche Money Line -150
The Avalanche are one of the best teams in the league. They are sitting at 3rd in the Western Conference and are currently the odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup. This is mainly because their offense has been fantastic all year. They’ve scored a whopping 185 goals this year, which is the most in the entire league. It’ll be a good test tonight, as the Kings have given up the 2nd fewest goals in the Western Conference. The Avs are 19-5 at home this year. The Kings are 14-5-3 on the road, but that feels unsustainable. They’re under .500 at home, so their win-loss splits seem like they’re due for some correction. The Avs should be fully rested coming into this game, as they’ve only played one time since the 20th. Meanwhile for the Kings, this will be their 4th game since the 20th. As long as Colorado brings their defense tonight, guys like Nathan Mackinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar should be able to do enough to produce offensively in front of the home crowd and get the job done.
Spurs Money Line -146
The Spurs are currently the worst team in the Western Conference, but the Trail Blazers are the 2nd worst team in the conference! Both teams have really struggled defensively this year. The Spurs are giving up 122 points per game on average while the Trail Blazers are giving up 117 points per game on average. However, the Trail Blazers aren’t the type of team that can capitalize on San Antonio’s defensive struggles. They’re only scoring 108 points per game this year on average. The Spurs should be more rested tonight as they’ve played one less game since the 20th than the Blazers have and Portland has been traveling more on their road trip. Getting Victor Wembanyama back will be big for San Antonio’s defense tonight. The odds-on favorite for the Rookie of the Year award leads the league in blocks and is averaging almost 11 rebounds per game at home. The key tonight will be the defense the Spurs bring to the table. If they can contain guys like Malcolm Brogdon and Anfernee Simons, the Spurs should be able to get one tonight in front of the home fans.