Xam’s Daily Gems:
Senators 60 Minute Money Line -125
Risk: 6.25 Units
To Win: 5 Units
(For this bet to win, the Senators must win in regulation. Bet loses even if the Senators win in OT/Shootout.)
Fading the Coyotes has been a winning strategy recently. They have lost an eye popping 14 straight games. Unfortunately for them, they’re also coming into this game having played a lot recently. This will be their 2nd straight day playing, their 3rd game in 4 nights, and 4th game in 6 days. The Senators, meanwhile, haven’t played since February 27th, so they should be fully rested coming into this game. Ottawa has disappointed this season because they haven’t shown any ability to play defense or slow down opposing offenses. They’ve given up 203 goals on the season! Fortunately for them, however, the Coyotes don’t really have the offense to take advantage. Arizona is scoring just 2.88 goals per game this season. The key to tonight’s game will be Ottawa goalie Joonas Korpisalo. Frankly, he’s been terrible this year. He’s been one of the worst goalies in the sport, statistically speaking. He’s giving up 3.41 goals per game on average this year and has produced a save percentage above .900 in just 15 of 34 starts this year. However, this is as good a spot as a goalie can ask for. At home against a terrible offensive team and with a significant rest advantage. Ottawa should be able to get their offense going tonight. Their offense hasn’t been the issue. They’re averaging 3.33 goals per game this year and about 3.43 goals per game at home. If Korpisaro can improve and give the offense a chance, Ottawa should get themselves a much-needed win.
Devils 60 Minute Money Line -180
Risk: 9 Units
To Win: 5 Units
(For this bet to win, the Devils must win in regulation. Bet loses even if the Devils win in OT/Shootout.)
The Devils are doing everything they can to stay alive in the wild card race. Simply put, tonight is a must win game for them against the Ducks. The Devils have had the same issue pop up all year. They score goals, and score a lot of them, but they give up even more goals than that. They have given up a whopping 205 goals on the year. Fortunately for them, they should be fully rested coming into this game. They haven’t played since the 27th and have only played one game since the 25th. For the Ducks, it will be their 2nd straight game after winning last night. The Ducks have given up even more goals than the Devils this year, at 211! However, they have been bad offensively this year. Even with their 6-goal outburst yesterday, they have only scored 157 goals on the year. That comes out to just 2.66 goals per game and is the 3rd fewest total goals in the Western Conference. As is almost always the case for the Devils, tonight’s game will come down to defense and goalie play. Regardless of who is in between the pipes for the Devils, they should be able to perform better than they have been recently. The Devils have the rest edge and the Ducks have been dreadful at home, posting a record of 8-20-1 at the Honda Center this season. If the Devils can play some defense tonight, they shouldn’t have any issues scoring against a porous defense and keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.
Jayson Tatum Over 41.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists -115
Risk: 5.75 Units
To Win: 5 Units
Tatum has been nothing short of remarkable this season. He’s currently in the Top 5 odds for MVP voting and has the Celtics running away with the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have won 9 straight games and have been dominant offensively, averaging just under 121 points per game this season. They’re also coming into this game fully rested. They haven’t played since the 27th and have only played one game since the 24th. In their last game against a quality defense, Tatum went for 48 total points, rebounds, and assists. In his last 10 games, he’s averaging about 43 total points, rebounds, and assists. It’s also known that the Mavericks just don’t play any defense. On the season they’re giving up 117 points per game. With two high powered offenses, it’s no surprise to see tonight’s game total so high. It’s near the top for highest totals on the board, so there should be plenty of chances for Tatum to impact the game. The biggest risk here may be the blowout potential. This will be Dallas’s 3rd game in 4 nights and 4th game in 6 nights. Given how well Dallas has played recently, Boston’s dominance at home, and the lopsided rest factor, this has the potential to be a blowout. If Dallas can keep it close, however, Tatum should be able to do whatever he wants. In his only game against Dallas earlier this year, he went for 55 total points, rebounds, and assists. That includes 39 points! He shouldn’t have any issues putting together a similar stat line tonight if his team needs him to do that in this game.