At 10:38 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Kings (11) and the Vegas Golden Knights (12). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (24-35-6) has won two straight games with their 2-1 win at home over New Jersey yesterday. Vegas (36-22-8) has won eight straight games with their 4-2 victory over Buffalo on Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Kings have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a victory — and they have played 11 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a win on their home ice. Additionally, the Under is 3-1-1 in Los Angeles’ last 5 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game — and the Under is 3-1-1 in the Kings’ last 5 games when playing without a day of rest. This is a solid defensive team that has held their last five opponents to just 2.4 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Jonathan Quick had a 2.50 Goals-Against-Average with a .920 save percentage in his eight starts in February. And while the Golden Knights average 3.3 Goals-Per-Game, the Kings have played 18 of their last 28 games Under the Total against teams who score at least 3.0 Goals-Per-Game. Los Angeles goes back on the road where they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total. The Under is also 10-3-1 in the Kings’ last 14 games against fellow Western Conference opponents. Vegas’ hot streak can be traced back to their improved play under new head coach Pete DeBoer who emphasizes defensive tactics. The Golden Knights have held their last five opponents to 2.6 Goals-Per-Game which is almost a half-goal lower than their 3.0 Goals-Per-Game opponent’s scoring average for the season. Vegas has been even stingier at home where they have allowed only ten combined goals in their last six games for a 1.66 Goals-Per-Game average by these last six guests. The Under is 3-1-1 in the Golden Knights’ last 5 home games as a favorite. Marc-Andre Fleury is playing his best goaltending of the season right now after posting a 2.27 GAA along with a .913 save percentage in his ten starts in February. Vegas has played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 40% or lower. And while the Kings allow only 2.5 Goals-Per-Game, the Golden Knights have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total in the second half of the season against opponents who do not allow more than 2.5 Goals-Per-Game.

FINAL TAKE: Vegas will be looking to avenge a 5-2 loss to Los Angeles back on January 9th — and they have played 11 of their last 14 home games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by at least two goals. 25* NHL Sunday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Kings (11) and the Vegas Golden Knights (12). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:38 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Montreal Canadiens (55) and the Detroit Red Wings (56). THE SITUATION: Montreal (27-26-8) has lost four straight games after their 4-3 loss at home to Dallas in overtime on Saturday. Detroit (14-43-4) has also lost four straight games after their 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Canadiens have played 10 of their last 12 games Under the Total after losing four of their last five games. And while Montreal has allowed four goals in three straight games (and three goals in their contest four games ago), they have then played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after allowing at least three goals in four straight games. Despite these struggles on defense, goaltender Carey Price has still been playing very well as of late. In his ten starts since the All-Star break, Price has a 2.31 Goals-Against-Average with a .923 save percentage. The Canadiens are also struggling to score goals — they are averaging just 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games while manning just five combined goals in their last three contests. Now Montreal goes back on the road where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total. Additionally, the Canadiens have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total against teams with a losing record — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total as a favorite. Furthermore, Montreal has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against fellow opponents from the Atlantic Division — and the Under is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games against Eastern Conference rivals. Detroit has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against Atlantic Division foes — and the Under is 10-1-1 in their last 12 games against Eastern Conference opponents. The Red Wings are probably the worst offensive team in the league. They have been shutout three times in their last nine games while scoring only 12 combined goals over that span. They have also scored only three combined goals in their last three games and just five goals in their last four contests. Head coach Jeff Blashill has his team play very conservatively with the hopes that will keep them competitive in lower-scoring games. They are averaging only 25.8 shots per game over their last five contests which has resulted in just 1.6 Goals-Per-Game over that span. Their best scorer is Dylan Larkin but he has not scored in their last six contests. The Under is 3-0-1 in Detroit’s last 4 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. The Under is also 20-8-1 in their last 29 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. The Bruins were playing with revenge on their minds on Sunday after losing in Detroit the previous week. But the Red Wings are still getting solid goaltending from Jonathan Bernier who has a 2.52 GAA along with a .922 save percentage in his eight games (seven starts) since the All-Star break. Detroit returns home where they are scoring just 2.1 Goals-Per-Game — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total on their home ice. Additionally, the Under is 15-5-2 in the Red Wings’ last 22 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Montreal will be looking to avenge a 4-3 loss in Detroit back on January 7th — and they have played 13 of their last 18 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least four goals. 25* NHL Atlantic Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Montreal Canadiens (55) and the Detroit Red Wings (56). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (54) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (53). THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh (36-15-6) has won three of their last four games with their 5-1 win at home against Detroit on Sunday. Toronto (31-21-8) has two of their last three games as well as five of their last eight contests with their 5-2 loss at Buffalo on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PENGUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Pittsburgh is playing great defense as of late as they have not allowed more than two goals in four straight games. The Penguins have then won 4 of their last 5 games after not allowing more than two goals in at least four straight games. Goaltender Tristan Jarry should be between the pipes tonight. he has a 1.86 Goals-Against-Average in his sixteen games (fifteen starts) at home with a .938 save percentage. Jarry also enjoys a 1.50 GAA with a .957 save percentage in his three starts this month. Pittsburgh has won 10 of their last 14 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. They stay at home where they are 21-9 this season while scoring 3.5 Goals-Per-Game. The Penguins have won 11 of their last 14 games against teams with a winning record — and they have won 20 of their last 27 games as the favorite. Pittsburgh has also won 5 of their last 7 games against Eastern Conference opponents. The Maple Leafs allow 3.3 Goals-Per-Game this season with their play on the defensive end of the ice still suspect even after head coach Mike Babcock was fired. The Penguins have won 25 of their last 35 games against teams who allow at least 2.85 Goals-Per-Game. And while Pittsburgh scores 3.4 Goals-Per-Gam, Toronto has lost 8 of their last 9 games in the second half of the season agains teams who score at least 2.85 Goals-Per-Game. The Maple Leads are tired according to new head coach Sheldon Keefe — and they have lost 8 straight games when playing their fourth game in six days. Toronto is scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. They stay on the road where they have lost 8 of their last 11 road games as an underdog. They also have lost 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams from the Eastern Conference.

FINAL TAKE: The Maple Leafs are looking to avenge a 6-1 loss at Pittsburgh back on January16th — but they have lost 9 of their last 12 opportunities to avenge a same-season loss. Toronto has also lost 10 of their last 14 games against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. 10* NHL Toronto-Pittsburgh NBC Sports Network Special with the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (54) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (53). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Columbus Blue Devils (33) versus the New Jersey Devils (34). THE SITUATION: Columbus (30-18-11) has won lost four straight games with their 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Friday. New Jersey (21-26-10) has lost two of their last three games with their 5-2 loss at Carolina on Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE JACKETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Columbus had been one of the hottest teams in the NHL after going on an 18-2-5 run which included a 9-0-1 finish to that hot streak. Two of their four losses in their current downturn took place in overtime. Injuries have played a role with defenseman Seth Jones going on Injured Reserve to begin the week. But this remains a team that has bounced-back to win 20 of their last 31 road games after a loss by at least two goals. The Blue Jackets have also won 10 of their last 13 road games when playing their fourth game in seven days. Columbus needs to tighten things on defense after allowing seven goals in their last two games. The Blue Jackets have won 14 of their last 19 games after allowing at least three goals in their last two games. Columbus has still allowed only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game in its last five contests. Elvis Merzlinkins will be between the pipes for this game — he has an outstanding 2.18 Goals-Against-Average along with a .930 save percentage this season. Merzlinkins has a 1.51 GAA along with a .943 save percentage in six starts this month. The Blue Jackets have won a decisive 44 of their last 65 road games as a favorite. They have also won 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a losing record. New Jersey has lost 12 of its last 15 games after a loss by at least three goals. The Devils have also lost 4 of their last 5 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last contest. New Jersey returns home where they are just 9-20 this season while surrendering 3.5 Goals-Per-Game. The Devils have lost 17 of their last 24 games on home ice — and they have also lost an incredible 60 of their last 86 home games as the underdog. They turn to Mackenzie Blackwood in goal tonight who has a 2.79 GAA along with a .912 save percentage. Blackwood has not been as effective at home where he sees those marks rise to a 2.82 GAA along with a .902 save percentage. Furthermore, New Jersey has lost 54 of their last 72 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: The Devils have lost nine straight meetings with the Blue Jackets with their last contest being on January 18th where they lost by a 5-0 score in Columbus. New Jersey has lost 16 of their last 25 games when playing with at least double-revenge — and they have lost 5 of their last 6 games when attempting to avenge a shutout loss. The Blue Jackets have won their last 6 games in New Jersey against the Devils. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Columbus Blue Devils (33) versus the New Jersey Devils (34). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Kings (15) and the Colorado Avalanche (16). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (20-33-5) snapped a five-game losing streak on Wednesday with their 5-3 win over Calgary. Colorado (33-17-6) saw their five-game winning streak end on Thursday in their 3-2 loss at home to Washington. While a technical home game for the Avalanche, this game will be played at Falcon Stadium which is the football field for the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Kings have played 5 straight games Under the Total after a win — and they have played 9 of their last 10 road games Under the Total after a win at home over a Pacific Division rival. Additionally, Los Angeles has played a decisive 16 of their last 18 games Under the Total on the road after a win at home by at least two goals — and they have played 16 of their last 20 road games Under the Total after a win at home where they scored at least four goals. That offensive explosion was an aberration for this Kings team in what has been a disappointing season. Los Angeles is still scoring only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests — and they are scoring just 2.2 Goals-Per-Game away from home this season. They have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals. Defense has also been an issue for this team as they have allowed at least three goals in their last six games — but they have then played 7 straight games Under the Total on the road after allowing at least three goals in three straight games. The Kings go back on the road where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total — and they have played 11 of their last 13 road games Under the Total with the Total set at 6 or higher. Colorado has played 5 straight games Under the Total after a loss at home by just one goal. They have also played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after winning four of their last five contests. The Avalanche have seen lowering scoring games as of late as they are scoring just 2.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games while surrendering just 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over that span as opposed to the 3.6 Goals-Per-Game they are scoring this season along with the 2.8 Goals-Per-Game they are allowing. They are getting outstanding goaltending right now from Philipp Grubauer who has a 1.86 Goals-Against-Average along with a .939 save percentage in his six starts since the All-Star Break. This will be their sixth game in the last ten days — and they have played 17 of their last 25 games Under the Total when playing their sixth game in ten days. Colorado has also played 4 straight games Under the Total when playing with one day of rest.

FINAL TAKE: The weather should be in the 30s so the ice in the outdoor stadium should be in pretty good shape (which can be an issue for these Stadium Series contests). The Avalanche have played 5 straight games Under the Total as a favorite. Los Angeles has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total against fellow Western Conference foes. 25* NHL Stadium Series Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Kings (15) and the Colorado Avalanche (16). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (4) versus the Nashville Predators (3). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (32-15-10) has lost three straight games as well as five of their last six games after their 6-5 loss in overtime at Vegas on Thursday. Nashville (27-22-7) snapped their two-game losing streak with their 5-0 shutout victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: St. Louis blew 4-2 and 5-4 leads against the Golden Knights to lose that game in overtime. This has been a tough week for the reigning Stanley Cup champions who saw defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suffer a cardiac incident during Tuesday’s game at home against Dallas. Now after suffering two straight losses in overtime and allowing Vegas to attempt a whopping 52 shots, the Blues return home in need of a victory. St. Louis has won 8 of their last 9 games after losing at least three games in a row. St. Louis has also won 13 of their last 17 games after a game where at least four goals were scored — and they have won 22 of their last 33 games after a game where at least nine combined goals were scored. The Blues have also won 6 of their last 7 games after scoring at least five goals in their last contest. They return home where they ahem won 10 of their last 13 games — and they have won 17 of their last 24 games against teams with a losing record. Nashville has lost 7 of their last 11 games after a win on their home ice. The Predators have also lost 11 of their last 15 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game — and they have lost 7 of their last 10 games after not allowing more than one goal in their last game. Additionally, Nashville has lost 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Blues have lost the first two meetings between these Central Division rivals this season after their 3-2 loss in Nashville on November 25th. St. Louis has won 23 of their last 34 games when playing with double revenge. The Predators have also lost 11 of their last 16 meetings with the Blues in St. Louis. 10* NHL Saturday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (4) versus the Nashville Predators (3). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:38 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Montreal Canadiens (45) and the Boston Bruins (46). THE SITUATION: Montreal (27-24-7) saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Monday with their 3-2 loss at home to Arizona. Boston (39-11-12) had their six-game winning streak end on Sunday with their surprising 3-1 loss at Detroit against the Red Wings.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Canadiens have played 12 of the last 13 games Under the Total after scoring two goals or less in their last game. Now this team plays their eighth game over the last two weeks — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total when playing at least their eighth game in the last fourteen days. Furthermore, the Under is also 7-1-1 in their last 9 games against teams with a winning record. And in the last 39 road games against teams with a winning percentage in the 51-60% range, they have played 27 of these games Under the Total. Carey Price will be between the pipes tonight. The veteran has a 2.60 Goals-Against-Average with a nice .921 save percentage when playing on the road this season. Price also has a red hot 1.80 GAA in his five starts this month with a .940 save percentage. Boston has played 9 straight games Under the Total after a loss on the road — and they have also played 9 of their last 11 games on their home ice after a loss by at least two goals against an Atlantic Division rival. The Bruins return home where they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total. They will use Tuukka Rask in net tonight with his 2.07 GAA along with a .930 save percentage in his eighteen starts at home. Rask also has a 1.25 GAA with a .947 save percentage in his three February starts. He has helped Boston hold their last five opponents to just 1.4 Goals-Per-Game. The Bruins have also played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has won the last two meetings between these two teams after their 3-1 win at home back on December 1st. Montreal has played 35 of their last 53 games Under the Total when playing with at least double revenge. These two teams have played 8 of their last 10 meetings Under the Total — and they have played 6 straight encounters in Boston Under the Total. 20* NHL Montreal-Boston NBC Sports Network O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Montreal Canadiens (45) and the Boston Bruins (46). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (79) versus the Minnesota Wild (80). THE SITUATION: Dallas (27-16-4) has lost two of their last three games after their 4-1 loss at home to Buffalo on Thursday. Minnesota (21-20-6) snapped a four-game losing streak on Thursday with their 3-2 upset win against Tampa Bay where they were priced as a nice +135 dog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas should respond with a strong effort tonight. They have won 36 of their last 52 games after a loss at home by at least three goals — and this includes them winning ten of these last fourteen situations. The Stars have also won 6 straight games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Goalie Ben Bishop only allowed two goals on Tuesday before the Sabres scored two late empty netters. Bishop might be the leader of the pack for the Vezina Trophy this season with his 2.22 Goals-Against-Average along with a .929 save percentage. Bishop has a sparkling 1.51 GAA along with a .951 save percentage in four starts this month. Dallas has still won seven of their last nine games — and they are allowing just 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. They have won 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have won 11 of their last 16 road games with the total set at 5 or lower. Minnesota is just 4-5-1 in their last ten games — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a victory. The Wild have also lost 35 of their last 52 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. They stay at home where they have lost 17 of their last 25 games in the second half of the season. They will likely use Devan Dubnyk between the pipes who is struggling with a 3.35 GAA with a .892 save percentage this season — and, despite having a strong tendency in the past to play much better at home, he has just a .897 save percentage on home ice this season. Even worse, over his last three starts, Dubnyk has a 4.03 GAA with a .846 save percentage. Minnesota has lost 9 of their last 13 games against Central Division foes. And in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record, the Wild have lost 5 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has won 5 of their last 6 encounters with Minnesota — but their most recent meeting ended in a 3-2 upset victory for the Wild. The Stars have won 13 of their last 20 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss in their last meeting with their current opponent. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Central Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (79) versus the Minnesota Wild (80). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (57) versus the Winnipeg Jets (58). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (28-15-4) has lost two of their last three games after their 3-2 loss in Minnesota last night. Winnipeg (25-18-4) snapped a two-game losing streak on Tuesday with their 4-0 shutout victory over Vancouver.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have won 31 of their last 39 games after a loss on the road — and they have also won 18 of their last 21 games after a narrow loss by just one goal on the road. Additionally, the Lightning have won a decisive 44 of their last 56 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. And they have won 5 of their last 7 games when playing without a day of rest. Curtis McElhinney was between the pipes last night so it will be Andrei Vasilevskiy who will be in goal tonight for Tampa Bay. Vasilevskiy has a 2.58 Goals-Against-Average with a .916 save percentage this season — but he sees those numbers improve to a 2.32 GAA along with a .924 save percentage in his fifteen starts on the road. Furthermore, Vasilevskiy has been on fire this month with a 1.15 GAA along with a .961 save percentage with two shutouts in his six starts. The Lightning have allowed only 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. They stay on the road where they have won 5 of their last 7 games — and they have won a decisive 35 of their last 52 road games when favored. Furthermore, Tampa Bay has won 4 straight games against teams with a winning record. Winnipeg has lost 5 of their last 6 games after a win — and they have lost 10 of their last 13 games after a win by at least four goals. The Jets have also lost 6 straight games after a shutout victory. It was not all good news for Winnipeg on Tuesday as they lost defenseman Carl Dahlstrom for four to six weeks with a hand injury after he was playing in his first game back since being out for two weeks with another injury. That is a tough loss for a team that was already dealing with a depleted blue line. The Jets stay at home where they have lost 6 of their last 7 games. They have also have lost 10 of their last 14 games as an underdog including five straight home games when trying to pull the upset. Connor Hellebuyck should be tonight’s goaltender for Winnipeg — and the best time to get him is in night games. Hellebuyck has an outstanding 1.89 GAA along with a .940 save percentage in his nine starts during day games — but those numbers plummet to just a 2.79 GAA with a .910 save percentage in his thirty appearances at night. The Jets average 30.7 shots per game — but the Lightning have won 12 of their last 15 games against teams who average at least 29.5 shots per game. Winnipeg has lost 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. The metrics are not bullish on the Jets underachieving this season either with their Corsi-For Percentage and Fenwick-For Percentage ranking 22nd and 26th in the league. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, ranks 6th and 8th in the NHL in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For.

FINAL TAKE: The Lightning will be motivated to avenge a 4-3 loss at home to Winnipeg back on November 16th. Tampa Bay has won 34 of their last 55 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (57) versus the Winnipeg Jets (58). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the New Jersey Devils (27) and the Washington Capitals (28). THE SITUATION: New Jersey (17-22-7) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with their 7-4 loss at Toronto. Washington (31-11-5) has won four of their last six games with their 2-0 win at home over Carolina.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Devils have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 14 of their last 19 games Over the Total after allowing at least 6 goals in their last contest. Additionally, the Over is 5-1-1 in New Jersey’s last 7 games after a loss by at least three goals. New Jersey is allowing 3.8 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests — and they have surrendered at least three goals in five straight games. But the Devils have also scored 3.6 Goals-Per-Game over these last five games — and they have scored at least four goals in four of their last six contests. Louis Domingue will likely be between the pipes for this team tonight after getting pulled in that game against the Maple Leafs are allowing five goals in just over 30 minutes of play. Domingue has done his best work at home where he has a 1.68 Goals-Against-Average in three starts with a .934 save percentage — but he has been saddled with a 4.93 GAA with a .856 save percentage in his seven games (five starts) on the road. Regardless of who starts in net tonight for New Jersey, they have allowed their home hosts to score 3.6 Goals-Per-Game. The Devils have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total on the road. New Jersey has also played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total as an underdog. Washington has played 21 of their last 28 games Over the Total after a victory — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total after a win at home. Additionally, the Capitals have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total wen playing an opponent that allowed at least five goals in their last game. Washington is scoring a healthy 3.5 Goals-Per-Game this season. They have played 19 of their last 27 games Over the Total when playing at home — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 40% or less. With rookie Ilya Samsonov earning the shutout on Tuesday, the Braden Holtby will be in goal tonight. The veteran has underachieved this season with a 3.02 GAA along with a .899 save percentage — and he has a rough 3.34 GAA with a .868 save percentage in his three starts this month.

FINAL TAKE: The Capitals will be motivated to avenge a 5-1 loss at home to the Devils on Saturday. Washington has played 33 of their last 50 games Over the Total when avenging a loss at home by at least three goals. The Capitals have also played 23 of their last 33 games Over the Total when avenging a loss to their opponent scored at least four goals — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least five goals. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Metropolitan Division Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the New Jersey Devils (27) and the Washington Capitals (28). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Nashville Predators (60) versus the Boston Bruins (59). THE SITUATION: Nashville (19-15-7) has lost four of their last five games after their 5-4 loss in overtime at Anaheim on Sunday. Boston (24-8-11) has last three straight games as well as eleven of their last fifteen contests with their 4-1 loss at home to Edmonton on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PREDATORS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: That loss was the final straw for Nashville President of Hockey Operations and General Manager David Poile who fired head coach Peter Laviolette along with associate coach Kevin McCarthy yesterday. Look for the players to respond with a strong effort with the entire organization now being put on notice. The Predators made the Stanley Cup Finals three years ago before being ousted in the second round and then the first round of the playoffs last year. There is still time for this team to turn this season around like the St. Blues did last season after firing their head coach midseason before regrouping for their Stanley Cup championship run. But if Poile could also embrace a fire sale of the roster before the trade deadline if this group does not immediately start playing better. With an interim head coach still not named as of this writing, the onus is squarely on the veteran players. Expect a strong effort from this team tonight. As it is, the Predators have won 15 of their last 23 games after losing a game in overtime. Nashville has also won 18 of their last 27 games after losing three of their last four games. What has been frustrating for this team is that they too often play up or down to their completion. They rank 4th and 3rd in the NHL in Corsi-For Percentage and Fenwick-For Percentage measuring puck possession. They also have won 33 of their last 50 games against teams who outscore their opponents by at least +0.5 Goals-Per-Game including five of their last eight games this season against those opponents — and the Bruins are outscoring their opponents by +0.7 Goals-Per-Game. The Predators have also won 5 of their last 6 home games as an underdog. Boston had their nine-point game streak end on Saturday in that three-goal loss to Edmonton — and they have lost 12 of their last 18 games after a loss. They also have lost 7 of their last 10 games after a loss at home — and they have lost 6 of their last 9 games after losing three of their last four games. The Bruins have also lost 7 of their last 8 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Boston is averaging only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. Tuukka Rask should be between the pipes tonight — but he has been more effective at home where he owns a 2.20 Goals-Against-Average with a .926 save percentage as opposed to his 2.47 GAA and .919 save percentage on the road. The Bruins rank a middling 13th and 14th in the league in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For Percentage. They have lost 7 of their last 10 games against teams with a losing record. And while the Predators average +4.4 more shot attempts per game than their opponents, Boston has lost 6 of their last 9 games against opponents who outshoot their opponents by at least +3.0 shots per game.

FINAL TAKE: The Bruins will be motivated to avenge a 4-3 loss at home to the Predators on December 21st — but they have lost 6 of their last 8 games when playing with revenge from a loss at home to their opponent. Boston has also lost their last 5 games in “Nashvegas” against the Predators. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Underdog of the Year with the money-line on the Nashville Predators (60) versus the Boston Bruins (59). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (49) versus the Florida Panthers (50). THE SITUATION: Dallas (20-12-4) has won two of their last three games with their 4-3 win in overtime in Tampa Bay last night. Florida (16-12-5) snapped a three-game losing streak on Monday with their 6-1 win over Ottawa.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas has won 11 of their last 15 games after a win — and they have won 5 of their last 7 games after a win on the road. The Stars have also won 9 of their last 11 games after winning two of their last three contests. Additionally, they also have played 8 of their last 10 games after a game that finished Over the Total — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after a contest where at least seven combined goals were scored. This team is 5-2-2 in December — and they are 3-1-1 under interim head coach Rick Bowness after he took over after Jim Montgomery was terminated for unprofessional conduct. It was Anton Khudobin between the pipes last night for the Stars which means that Ben Bishop will get the start tonight. Bishop has a 2.07 Goals-Against-Average this season with a .933 save percentage. In his six starts this month, Bishop has a 1.65 GAA along with a .947 save percentage. Bishop is also making his first start since Monday — and he owns a 1.88 GAA with a .937 save percentage when playing with at least three days of rest. The outstanding goaltender rotation with this team makes them very good even when playing in back-to-back days as they have won 4 of their last 5 games when playing without rest. The Stars play outstanding defense as they allow only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game — and they are giving up just 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. Dallas has won 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a losing record — and they have also won 4 straight games against Eastern Conference foes. The Stars have also won 5 of their last 6 road games as an underdog. Florida struggles against elite defensive teams as they have lost 9 of their last 11 games at home against teams who are not allowing more than 2.55 Goals-Per-Game. The Panthers have lost 6 of their last 8 games after a win by more than one goal — and they have lost 10 of their last 13 home games after scoring at least five goals in their last contest. Florida has also lost 6 of their last 9 games after a win at home. This is a team likely to be rusty tonight after getting the week off — they have lost 8 of their last 11 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has been hot this month with a 1.69 GAA and a .953 save percentage. But Bobrovsky owns a rough 3.50 GAA with an .883 save percentage in his six starts this season with at least three days between games. He owns just a 2.75 GAA with a .918 save percentage at home this year. Defense is an issue for this team as they are allowing 2.9 Goals-Per-Game at home. This is a potent scoring team that averages 3.5 Goals-Per-Game — but they are scoring just 3.0 Goals-Per-Game in their last five games. This offense-first approach does well against the lesser teams in the league but they have lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. The Panthers have also lost 18 of their last 27 games against teams with a winning percentage in the 51% to 60% range in the first half of the regular season.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has won 4 of their last 5 games on the road against this Florida team. 25* NHL Underdog of the Month with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (49) versus the Florida Panthers (50). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (34) versus the Buffalo Sabres (33). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (18-11-5) snapped a three-game losing streak on Tuesday with their 4-1 win at home over Anaheim. Buffalo (16-12-7) has lost two straight games with their 5-3 loss at Toronto on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FLYERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Philadelphia has won 4 of their last 5 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. And while the Flyers have still lost four of their last six games, they have then won 7 of their last 8 games after losing four or five of their last six contests. Those three previous losses had been on the road before they returned home on Tuesday — they are 11-2-4 in their seventeen home games this season. Philly is scoring 3.6 Goals-Per-Game at home while holding their opponents to just 2.2 Goals-Per-Game. They have won 5 of their last 6 games at home — and they have won 9 of their last 13 home games with the Total set at 6 or higher. This team is dealing with a host of injuries and they now are dealing with the emotional news of Oskar Lindblum being diagnosed with bone cancer. But the team did get forward Travis Konecny back on the ice in their victory over the Ducks on Tuesday. Goaltender Carter Hart was outstanding in that game with 41 saves. The second-year goalie has been sensational when playing at home this season where he owns a 9-1 record along with a 1.57 Goals-Against-Average and a save percentage of .944. Moving forward, the Flyers have won 6 straight games against Eastern Conference foes. Buffalo ha lost 28 of their last 38 games after a loss to an Atlantic Division rival. The Sabres have also lost 5 of their last 7 games after losing two in a row — and they have lost 23 of their last 29 road games after dropping two of their last three games. Buffalo stays on the road where they are just 6-9-4 while surrendering 3.5 Goals-Per-Game and getting outscored by -0.9 Goals-Per-Game. They have lost a decisive 40 of their last 55 games on the road — and they have lost 21 of their last 25 road games when playing their second game in five days. And while the Flyers are scoring 3.1 Goals-Per-Game this season, the Sabres have lost 25 of their last 34 road games against teams who are scoring at least 2.85 Goals-Per-Game. They counter with Linus Ullmark between the pipes tonight — but while the veteran has a solid 2.55 GAA along with a .923 save percentage in nine starts at home, those numbers plummet to a 3.19 GAA along with a .905 save percentage in eleven starts on the road. Buffalo has lost 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: This is the first meeting between these two teams this season. The deeper analytics like this Philadelphia team with their Corsi-For Percentage and Fenwick-For Percentage ranking them 6th and 8th in the NHL respectively. Buffalo ranks just 17th and 19th in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For. With the money-line price below my -150 price threshold, let’s attack. 25* NHL Game of the Month with the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (34) versus the Buffalo Sabres (33). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (25) versus the Chicago Blackhawks (26). THE SITUATION: Colorado (21-9-3) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on Monday with their 5-2 loss in St. Louis. Chicago (13-15-6) snapped their four-game losing streak on Sunday with their 5-3 victory over Minnesota.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AVALANCHE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Colorado has bounced-back to win 3 of their last 4 games after a loss on the road by at least two goals. The Avalanche have also won 7 of their last 9 games after allowing at least four goals — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five goals in their last contest. This Colorado team stays on the road where they are 11-7 with an average winning margin of +0.6 Goals-Per-Game. They have won 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have also won 10 of their last 15 road games with the Total set at 6 or higher. The Avalanche opened as a money-line favorite above my -150 price threshold — but that number has dropped before that ceiling with the announcement that Phillip Grubauer will get tonight off with backup Pavel Francouz getting the start between the pipes tonight. Francouz has been outstanding as a backup this season with a 2.26 Goals-Against-Average along with a .932 save percentage in twelve starts and fourteen games. He also has been quite good on the road where he owns a 1.91 GAA along with a .946 save percentage in five starts and six overall appearances. He will be supported by a team that has won 19 of their last 26 games as the favorite. Chicago has struggled with their defense as they are allowing 4.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Goalie Corey Crawford has just a 2.81 GAA in his nine starts at home with a .911 save percentage. The Blackhawks are just 8-10 at home this season — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 games at home. Chicago has also lost 25 of their last 36 home games as an underdog. Furthermore, the Blackhawks have lost 23 of their last 30 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Additionally, the Blackhawks have lost 7 of their last 8 games against Western Conference opponents. Chicago does look to get Duncan Keith back tonight but this is not a good active roster at this point that he is rejoining. The Blackhawks are 28th in the league in both Corsi-For Percentage and Fenwick-For Percentage that measures puck possession deeper analytics.

FINAL TAKE: Chicago has lost the first two meetings between these two teams this season with a 5-2 loss a home on November 29th followed up by a 7-3 loss in Colorado on November 30th. The Blackhawks have lost 10 of their last 12 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals. They also have lost 9 of their last 13 games when playing with double-revenge. 25* NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Game of the Month with the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (25) versus the Chicago Blackhawks (26). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the New York Rangers (63) and the Los Angeles Kings (64). THE SITUATION: New York (15-11-3) has won two of their last three games with their 5-0 shutout victory over Vegas on Sunday. Los Angeles (11-18-2) has lost four games in a row after their 4-3 loss in Calgary on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Rangers have played 6 straight games Under the Total after a victory — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. This team is playing much better on defense as of late as they have allowed just 1.6 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Now this team stays on the road where they have played 4 straight games Under the Total. They also have played 5 straight games Under the Total against teams with a losing record. Furthermore, New York has played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after scoring at least four goals in their last game — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last contest. Los Angeles’ loss to the Flames came on the heels of a 2-1 loss at Edmonton on Friday. The Kings ave played 6 straight games at home Under the Total after losing two straight games to Pacific Division rivals. Los Angeles has also played 28 of their last 38 games Under the Total after losing two straight games by just one goal. Now the Kings return home where the Under is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games on their home ice. Los Angeles is scoring only 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Additionally, the Under is 6-0-1 in the Kings’ last 7 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Los Angeles has played 8 straight games Under the Total against teams from the Eastern Conference — and New York has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total against Western Conference foes. 25* NHL Non-Conference Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the New York Rangers (63) and the Los Angeles Kings (64). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on Arizona Coyotes (26) versus the Anaheim Ducks (25). THE SITUATION: Arizona (14-8-3) has lost two of their last three games after their 4-3 loss to Edmonton on Sunday. Anaheim (11-11-3) snapped their three-game losing streak on Monday with their 3-0 shutout win at home over the New York Islanders.

REASONS TO TAKE THE COYOTES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Ducks have been overachieving relative to their deeper analytics. Anaheim ranks 28th in the NHL in Corsi-For Percentage and 30th in the league in Fenwick-For Percentage which are metrics analyzing puck possession and control. This is a good opportunity to fade the Ducks at a price that is not above my -150 price threshold. Anaheim has lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win — and they have lost 9 of their last 13 games after a shutout victory. The Ducks have also lost 5 of their last 6 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game — and they have lost 6 of their last 8 games when playing with one day of rest. Now this team goes back on the road where they are just 4-8 this season with an average losing margin of -0.8 Goals-Per-Game due to them scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game in those contests. John Gibson will be between the pipes tonight — and although he has a 2.51 Goals-Against-Average with a .924 save percentage at home, those numbers rise to a 3.27 GAA with a .899 save percentage in nine starts on the road. Anaheim has lost 20 of their last 28 road games as an underdog. Arizona has remarkably consistent this season as they enjoyed a 7-4-1 record in October before entering this contest with a 7-4-2 mark so far in November. The Coyotes have bounced-back to win 7 of their last 10 games after a loss — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games after a loss on their home ice. Additionally, Arizona has won 5 of their last 6 games after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored — and they have won 6 of their last 7 games after a game at went Over the Total. Furthermore, the Coyotes have won 4 of their last 5 games when playing with two days of rest. It’s Antti Raanta’s turn in the time-share for this team between Darcy Kemper and him. Raanta has a 2.62 GAA with a .926 save percentage but he has been sensational at home where he has a 2.00 GAA along with a .942 save percentage in three starts. Raanta also sports a 1.69 GAA with a .930 save percentage in his seven career games against Anaheim. Arizona stays at home where they are 6-6 this season despite outscoring their opponents by +0.7 Goals-Per-Game. The Coyotes have won 5 of their last 8 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Arizona has also won 5 of their last 7 games against teams from the Pacific Division — and the Ducks have lost 4 of their last 5 games against Pacific Division rivals.

FINAL TAKE: The Coyotes will be looking to avenge a 2-1 loss on the road at Anaheim back on October 3rd — and they have won 10 of their last 12 opportunities to avenge a same-season loss. 25* NHL Pacific Division Game of the Month with the money-line on Arizona Coyotes (26) versus the Anaheim Ducks (25). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (28) versus the New Jersey Devils (27). THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh (11-7-4) has lost two straight games as well as four of their last five contests with their 4-3 loss in overtime at New York against the Islanders last night. New Jersey (7-9-4) saw their two-game winning streak snapped last night with their 5-1 loss to Boston on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PENGUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Pittsburgh has won 4 of their last 5 games after playing a game that went into overtime. This Penguins team is banged up right now with Sidney Crosby, Nick Bjugstad, Kris Letang, and Justin Schultz all out for this team with injuries. But Pittsburgh did get back Patric Hornqvist back into the mix last night after he was out with an injury. The Pens need to tighten up on defense after allowing nine combined goals over their last two games — and they have won 15 of their last 22 games after allowing at least four goals in two straight games. With Matt Murray in goal last night, it will be backup Tristan Jarry between the pipes for this team tonight. Jarry has done a great job keeping himself sharp for his limited opportunities to play for this team. He has a 1.98 Goals-Against Average with a .938 save percentage in five games (four starts) this season — and he has a 1.01 GAA with a .964 save percentage in his two starts at home this year. Pittsburgh is scoring 3.2 Goals-Per-Game at home this season while outscoring their opponents by +1.0 net Goals-Per-Game. The Penguins have won a decisive 38 of their last 53 home games when priced as a favorite in the -110 to -150 range. They also have won 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage at 40% or less. New Jersey has lost 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by at least three goals — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five goals in their last contest. Furthermore, the Devils have lost 8 of their last 11 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last contest. This is a team that has only won five times in regulation this season. The rank 29th and 27th in the advanced metrics of Corsi-For and Fenwick-For percentages — as compared to the middle of the pack Pens who rank 15th and 14th in the league in those respective metrics. New Jersey has lost 19 of their last 24 games after winning two of their last three games. This team has also lost a decisive 40 of their last 51 games against teams with a winning record. Now they go back on the road where they are only scoring 1.9 Goals-Per-Game while being outscored by -1.5 Goals-Per-Game. The Devils have lost 39 of their last 54 games away from home. New Jersey will counter with Mackenzie Blackmon in goal tonight — he has a rough 3.28 GAA with a save percentage of .899 in six road starts. The Devils have lost 10 of their last 12 games when playing with two days of rest.

FINAL TAKE: Pittsburgh will have the extra motivation to avenge a 2-1 loss at New Jersey in the last meeting between these two teams back on November 15th. The Penguins have won 4 straight games when avenging a loss where they scored only one goal — and they have won 21 of their last 24 games when playing with revenge from a loss of just one goal to their opponent. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (28) versus the New Jersey Devils (27). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (21) versus the Arizona Coyotes (22). THE SITUATION: Toronto (9-10-4) has lost six straight games after their 4-2 loss in Las Vegas to the Golden Knights on Tuesday. Arizona (13-7-2) has won two straight games as well as four of their last five contests with their 3-0 win over Los Angeles on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAPLE LEAFS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Head coach Mike Babcock was fired yesterday with this Toronto team with Stanley Cup aspirations reeling out of control. Management needed to make a move — and the proverbial old saying that you can’t fire the players applies in this spot. The writing was probably on the wall last year when President Brendan Shanahan hired the analytics wonder boy, Kyle Dubas, to be his general manager. Babcock is more of an old school coach — and it is always a bit icy when the head coach was not the selection of the general manager. Dubas’ top choice was presumably assistant coach Sheldon Keefe who has worked for Dubas in the minor leagues where they both had success culminating with the Toronto Marlies. The players understood this dynamic — so their lack of effort over the last few weeks helped seal the fate of Babcock who can be hard on his players. Expect this Maple Leafs team to step up with one of their best efforts of the season to validate Dubas’ decision to sack a Stanley Cup-winning coach. I am not sure about the construction of this roster to make a deep playoff run — but this is still a very good team. Toronto ranks 5th in the NFL in Corsi-For percentage which measures puck possession which indicates they should be seeing better results. Injuries have not helped — but captain John Tavares is back in the mix. The Maple Leafs have lost eight of their eleven games decided by one goal. But even without the team having the extra motivation to prove themselves after the griping to their agents that got back to Toronto management got Babcock removed, this team was likely to respond with a strong effort tonight. The Maple Leafs have won 9 of their last 14 games after a loss by at least three goals. Toronto has also won 15 of their last 21 games after losing five or six of their last seven games. And while they surrendered three goals in the third period on Tuesday to Vegas, they have then won 20 of their last 28 road games after allowing at least two goals in the third period in their last game. Lack of focus and discipline on defense has been the biggest issue for this team — they have allowed at least five goals in five straight games. But Toronto has then won 16 of their last 25 games after allowing at least four goals in three straight contests. And while they have lost their last three games by multiple goals, they have then won 5 of their last 6 road games after losing at least two in a row by two or more goals. Arizona has shut out their last two opponents — but they have then lost 52 of their last 71 games after not allowing more than two goals in two straight games. The Coyotes are getting outstanding goaltending from Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta — they lead the NHL in on-ice save percentage of .913. Unfortunately for Arizona, that is a fickle metric that is susceptible to regression — it suggests to me that this team that missed the playoffs last year is overachieving. As it is, the Coyotes have lost 16 of their last 25 games after a win at home by at least two goals. Arizona has also lost 30 of their last 47 games at home in the first half of the regular season. And in their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage at 40% or worse. The analytics also suggest this Coyotes team is overachieving — they rank 23rd in the league in Corsi-For Percentage and 25th in the NHL in Fenwick-For Percentage.

FINAL TAKE: As if the Maple Leafs needed even more motivation, this is a homecoming game for their superstar, Auston Matthews, who grew up in nearby Scottsdale. Look for one of the best efforts of the season from Toronto which should translate into a victory over an upstart Coyotes team. 25* NHL Underdog of the Month with the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (21) versus the Arizona Coyotes (22). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (58) versus the Vancouver Canucks (57). THE SITUATION: Dallas (11-8-1-1) has won three straight games as well as seven of their last eight contests with their 5-4 win in Edmonton on Saturday. Vancouver (10-7-3-1) has lost two straight games as well as six of their last seven games with their 5-4 loss to Colorado on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MONEY-LINE ON THE STARS: After starting the season with a rough 1-7-1 mark, the Western Conference finalist has since gone 10-1-1 over their last eleven games. Dallas’ winning streak has come from a surge in their offense as they defensive-minded team has scored 3.6 goals-per-game over their last five games. The Stars have then won 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. Dallas has also won 6 of their last 7 games after winning four of their last five games. The Stars have also won 8 of their last 9 home games after allowing at least four goals in their last game. Now they return home for the first time since November 5th after playing their last four games on the road. Dallas is allowing just 2.1 Goals-Per-Game on their home with goalie Ben Bishop sporting a 1.73 Goals-Against-Average with a .941 save percentage in seven starts at home. The Stars have won 5 of their last 6 games at home — and they have won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Vancouver has lost 22 of their last 31 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. The Canucks have also lost 9 of their last 12 games after a game where both teams scored at least four goals — and they have lost 16 of their last 25 games after playing at home in a game where both teams scored at last three goals. Goalie Jakob Markstrom has a .914 save percentage this season but he has lost his last three starts where he has allowed nine goals over that span with a save percentage of just .901. Now Vancouver goes back on the road where they have lost 37 of their last 54 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. The Canucks have also lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Vancouver will be looking to avenge 4-2 loss at home to Dallas last Thursday — but they have lost 18 of their last 24 opportunities to avenge a loss at home by two or more goals. The Canucks have also lost 7 of their last 10 games played in Dallas against the Stars. 25* NHL Western Conference Game of the Month is with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (58) versus the Vancouver Canucks (57). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Islanders (29) versus the Ottawa Senators (30). THE SITUATION: New York (6-3-0) has won five straight games as well as ten of their last eleven contests with their 4-2 loss at home to Arizona last night. Ottawa (2-6-1) snapped a four-game losing streak on Wednesday with their 5-2 win over Detroit.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ISLANDERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: New York is scoring 3.2 Goals-Per-Game during their five-game winning streak while allowing only 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over that span. They should build off their momentum from last night as they have won 20 of their last 28 games after a loss — and they have won 8 straight games after allowing two goals or less in their last contest. Furthermore, the Islanders have won a decisive 24 of their last 28 games when playing with no days of rest. Head coach Ken Hitchcock is rotating his two goaltenders in almost a complete 50-50 timeshare between Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Griess. It is Griess who gets the start tonight who is 3-1-0 this season with a 2.21 Goals-Against-Average and a .930 save percentage. New York has won 7 of their last 10 games on the road — and they have won 5 of their last 6 road games against teams with a losing record at home. The Islanders have also won 6 straight games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. Ottawa beat a hapless Red Wings team that has lost six straight games — but they have lost 8 of their last 9 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. The Senators have also lost 24 of their last 33 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. Ottawa stays at home where they have lost 5 of their last 7 games — and they have lost 7 of their last 8 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. The Senators have also lost 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% overall. Ottawa has been a mess with their Power Play this season where they have converted just once in their twenty-seven opportunities this season. That is not a good sign for a team that is scoring only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests.

FINAL TAKE: The Islanders have won their last four meetings with the Senators with Ottawa losing one of those games in overtime. Look for New York to take care of business on the road in this very winnable game for them — they are a team that struggled a bit more against the elite competition of the league last season. 5* NHL Eastern Conference Game of the Month with the money-line on the New York Islanders (29) versus the Ottawa Senators (30). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Anaheim Ducks (32) versus the Calgary Flames (31). THE SITUATION: Anaheim (6-2-0) has won their last two games with their 4-2 win over Carolina on Friday. Calgary (4-4-1) looks to rebound from their 4-1 loss in Los Angeles against the Kings.

THE SITUATION: The Ducks are playing good hockey so far this season — and they have won 6 of their last 8 games after a victory. Anaheim has also won 7 of their last 9 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. The Ducks have proven themselves very tough to beat in the Honda Center where they have won 7 straight games. Anaheim is 4-0-0 at home this season where they are scoring 3.5 Goals-Per-Game while holding their guests to just 1.5 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie John Gibson boasts a sparkling .961 save percentage in his first three starts at home this season and he looks to be between the pipes tonight. This is the Ducks’ third straight game at home — and they have won 11 of their last 13 games after winning their last two games at home. Calgary has lost 7 of their last 8 games after a loss by at least three goals. The Flames have also lost 6 of their last 8 games when playing without rest. It will likely be Cam Talbot in goal tonight for Calgary’s first-stringer David Rittich. Talbot has just a .893 save percentage in his two previous games this season — and this will be just his second start of the year. The Flames are just 1-4-0 on the road this year in large measure because they are allowing 4.0 Goals-Per-Game in those five contests. Calgary has lost 13 of their last 18 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their four meetings last year with the home team winning all four contests. Look for that trend to continue tonight with the Ducks continuing their hot streak at home. 25* NFL Pacific Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the Anaheim Ducks (32) versus the Calgary Flames (31). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Edmonton Oilers (36) versus the Philadelphia Flyers (35). THE SITUATION: Edmonton (5-1-0) lost its first game of the year on Monday with their 3-1 loss at Chicago. Philadelphia (2-1-1) has lost their last two games after their 3-1 loss in Calgary last night.

REASONS TO TAKE THE OILERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Edmonton is catching the Flyers on a tough road trip right now with this being their third game in a row on the road with this game being played on the second of back-to-back nights. Philadelphia has lost 10 of their last 13 games after losing two straight games on the road. Additionally, the Flyers have lost 6 straight games on the road — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. Philadelphia has also lost 6 straight games when playing without a day of rest. The Flyers have only scored three combined goals over their last two games. Furthermore, Philadelphia has lost 17 of their last 22 games after a game where no more than four combined goals were scored. The Flyers have also lost 4 straight games against Western Conference opponents — and they have lost their last 4 games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Edmonton had won their first five games of the season in come-from-behind fashion. Now after playing their last four games on the road, the Oilers return home for the first time since October 5th. Edmonton has won 5 straight home games after being on the road for at least seven days. The Oilers have also won 10 of their last 11 games after playing at least four straight games on the road. And in their last 10 games as the favorite, Edmonton has won 7 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: The Oilers have playoff aspirations this season under new general manager Ken Holland who came over from Detroit along with first-year head coach Dave Tippett. Led by Connor McDavid, this Edmonton team has one of the best young players in the league. Look for the Oilers to overwhelm a road-weary Flyers team. 25* NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Game of the Month with the money-line on the Edmonton Oilers (36) versus the Philadelphia Flyers (35). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (33) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (34). THE SITUATION: Dallas (1-5-1) has lost three straight games with their 4-0 loss at Buffalo on Monday. Columbus (2-3-0) has won two of their last three contests with their 3-2 win at Carolina on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Under is 4-1-1 in the Stars’ last 6 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and they have played 19 of their last 27 road games Under the Total after failing to score more than a goal in their last game. Additionally, Dallas has played 17 of their last 23 games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals — and they have played 12 of their last 15 games on the road Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals. This team is scoring only 1.9 Goals-Per-Game this season after reaching the Western Conference Semifinals last year. The Stars stay on the road where the Under is 31-13-8 in their last 52 games — and they have also played 5 of their last 6 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage below 40% at home. Furthermore, Dallas has played 23 of their last 27 road games Under the Total with the Total set at 5.5. Columbus has played 19 of 24 games Under the Total at home after a win on the road — and the Under is a decisive 32-15-4 in their last 51 games after a victory. Additionally, the Blue Jackets have played 18 of their last 26 road games Under the Total after a narrow win by just one goal — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. Now Columbus returns home where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total — and they have also played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. The Blue Jackets are scoring just 2.2 Goals-Per-Game this season with that number dropping to just 2.0 Goals-Per-Game when playing at home.

FINAL TAKE: Columbus has played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage no higher than 40% — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams from the Western Conference. Expect a lower scoring game between these two teams that are struggling to score goals. 10* NHL Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (33) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (34). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Tampa Bay Lightning (17) and the Montreal Canadiens (18). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (2-2-1) has lost three of their last four games with their 4-2 loss at Ottawa on Saturday. Montreal (2-1-1) come off a 6-3 victory over St. Louis on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Lightning have started slow this defense their play on the defensive end of the ice being a disappointment. Tampa Bay is allowing 3.4 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Andre Vasilevskiy has struggled with a 3.04 Goals-Against-Average along with a .903 save percentage — and the reigning Vezina Trophy winner sees his save percentage drop to a .875 mark in his first two games on the road. The Lightning have played 4 of their last 5 games on the road Over the Total — and they have played 9 of their last 12 road games Over the Total when a road favorite. This is Tampa Bay’s fifth straight game away from home — and they have played 13 of their last 14 games Over the Total after playing their last four games on the road. The Lightning are scoring a healthy 4.0 Goals-Per-Game this season. They also have played 6 straight games Over the Total when priced as a favorite in the -100 to -150 price range. Montreal has seen the Over go 14-5-2 in their last 21 games against an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last game. It has also been a slow start for goalie Carey Price who has a 3.38 GAA along with a .901 save percentage so far this season. The Canadiens are allowing a rough 4.28 Goals-Per-Game this season — but they are also scoring 4.28 Goals-Per-Game thus year. Montreal has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and the Over is 9-1-1 in their last 11 games when playing with two days of rest. Furthermore, the Over is 3-0-1 in the Canadiens’ last 4 games against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: Montreal has played 4 straight games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total at home as an underdog priced in the +100 to +150 price range. 25* NHL Atlantic Division Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Tampa Bay Lightning (17) and the Montreal Canadiens (18). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (15) and the Vegas Golden Knights (16). THE SITUATION: Boston (2-0-0) has won their first two games this season after their 1-0 win in Arizona against the Coyotes on Saturday. Vegas (2-0-0) comes off a 5-1 victory at San Jose on Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bruins have played 6 straight games Under the Total after a victory. Boston has also played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after not allowing more than two goals this season. The Bruins are already playing defense at a championship level after losing in the Stanley to St. Louis last June. Boston has allowed only one goal this season after opening the season with a 2-1 win at Dallas. The Bruins stay on the road where they have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total. Boston has also played 4 straight games Under the Total as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Additionally, the Bruins have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after failing to score more than two goals in two straight games. Vegas has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a win. The Golden Knights have also played 8 of their last 9 home games Under the Total after a win by at least three goals — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after a win by at least three goals against a fellow Pacific Division rival. Vegas opened their season with a 4-1 win at home against the Sharks as they avenged their playoff series loss to that San Jose team. The Golden Knights have then played 10 of their last 12 home games Under the Total after being unbeaten in their last two games. Vegas has also played 10 of their last 12 home games Under the Total after scoring at least four goals in two straight games. The Golden Knight have played 8 of their last 9 home games Under the Total — and the Under is 8-3-1 in their last 12 home games when priced as the favorite in the -110 to -150 range.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played four previous times in history in the first two years of the Vegas franchise — and those games all finished Under the Total with no more than five combined goals scored. Expect another lower-scoring game. 25* NHL Non-Conference Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (15) and the Vegas Golden Knights (16). Best of luck for us —  Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (13) and the Boston Bruins (14). THE SITUATION: Boston (64-32-9) forced a climactic seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday with their 5-1 victory over St. Louis (60-38-9). The Bruins return home to TD Garden for the decisive final game of this series and the 2018-19 NHL season.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Boston got outstanding play once again from goalie Tuukka Rask who stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced while keeping his team competitive in the first period when the Blues enjoyed two Power Play chances. Rask entered this series with a 1.84 Goals-Against-Average along with a .942 save percentage in this postseason — and while some regression was expected, he still sports a strong .924 save percentage in the first six games of this series while allowing only 13 goals in those contests. This is Rask’s sixth career Game Seven start in the playoffs along with his second Game Seven in the Stanley Cup Finals — so the moment should not be too big for him. Rask is being helped by outstanding play from the Bruins’ top two defensive pairings who have thwarted 17 of the 18 Power Play chances St. Louis has had in this series. Expect continued outstanding defensive play from this Bruins team that has played 29 of their last 47 games Under the Total when playing just their second game in five days. Boston snapped a two-game losing streak to win Game Six — and they have played 20 of their last 30 games Under the Total after losing two of their last three contests. And while the Bruins scored five goals on Sunday (with one being an empty netter), they have then played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total when playing at home after finding the back of the net at least five times in their last game. St. Louis has played 27 of their last 43 games Under the Total after a loss — and they have played 12 of their last 19 games Under the Total after failing to score more than one goal in their last game. The Bruins entered the third period with just a one-goal lead before exploding for four goals to force this seventh game. The Blues have played a decisive 32 of their last 52 games on the road Under the Total after allowing at least two goals in the third period in their last game. Goalie Jordan Binnington surrendered four goals in Game Six — but he still has a nice .925 save percentage by allowing only seven goals in the last three games of this series even after Sunday. Binnington has been consistently outstanding when attempting to lead his team after a loss this season. In his nine starts after a Blues lost in this postseason, Binnington has responded with a 1.86 GAA along with a .941 save percentage while allowing just sixteen goals in those nine contests. This playoff success continued his strong play after losses in the regular season where Binnington posted a .935 save percentage while surrounding only 10 goals in the six games he started after a loss. Wednesday’s Game Seven will be St. Louis’ fifth game in the last fourteen days — and they have played 14 of their last 18 road games Under the Total when playing no more than five games in the last fourteen days. Additionally, the Blues have played 6 of their last 9 playoff games Under the Total when the series is tied — and they have played 14 of their last 21 playoff games Under the Total when facing elimination.

FINAL TAKE: St. Louis has played 7 of their last 11 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by at least four goals. With this being a Game Seven in the Stanley Cup Finals, the referees will be a bit more conservative in calling penalties as they will be reticent to have their calls play a critical role — this is especially true after the controversial no-call on a Blues’ trip in the third period of Game Five of this series that played a significant role in St. Louis winning that game. And don’t forget the controversy the league offices felt with San Jose’s three-goal comeback in Game Seven of their series with Vegas stemming from a controversial five-minute major penalty called in that game. Lastly, seventh games tend to see both teams play a bit more cautiously as they hope to not put their opponent on the Power Play. While three of the games in this series have gone Over the Total, two of those final scores came from late empty net goals (which are rarer than they have appeared in this series). Outside the third period on Sunday and the first periods of the first three games of this series, this has been a very low scoring series. Look for this final game to follow those trends. 25* NHL Playoffs Game Seven A-List O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (13) and the Boston Bruins (14). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (11) versus the St. Louis Blues (12). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (60-37-9) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Thursday with their 2-1 victory on the road in Boston. The Bruins (63-32-9) look to stave off elimination and force a climactic Game Seven back on the home ice.

REASONS TO TAKE BOSTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Bruins’ loss on Thursday was as frustrating setback as it gets in the NHL. Boston outshot St. Louis by a decisive 39 to 21 margin. They controlled the momentum in the third period and they looked close to tying the game at 1-1 before they were absolutely robbed by a no-call from the officials. The Blues’ Tyler Boak clearly tripped Noel Acciari (who would not return to the game) — but rather than putting the Bruins on the Power Play, the referees kept their whistles silent which gave St. Louis a de-facto 5-4 advantage which they took advantage of with David Perron scoring their second goal just after the midway point of the third period. Boston did finally score a goal but the two-goal deficit was simply too much to overcome. The result was infuriating because we had a big play on the Bruins. After two days of decompressing from that loss, the level-headed side play is to take Boston on the road as a money-line underdog. The Blues would be mistaken to think this series is over simply because they won Game Five under very challenging circumstances on the road. They face the risk of letting their guard down with their 3-2 series lead amidst the talk regarding which of their played will win the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff Most Valuable Player. Don’t underestimate the pressure this St. Louis team will face as they attempt to hoist the Stanley Cup as champions on their home ice in front of the rabid fan base that has never seen a Stanley Cup winner. The Blues are just 6-6 at home in these playoffs — and they have lost 4 of their last 6 home games with the Total set at 5 or less. St. Louis has also lost 11 of their last 17 sixth games in a playoff series. If Boston outshoots St. Louis by close to 18 shots again tonight, they should win this game. They have won 11 of their last 15 games after losing two in a row — and they have won 17 of their last 25 games on the road after losing their last two games. Additionally, the Bruins have won 12 of their last 15 games after losing three of the last four contests. Boston has still yet to see their top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak scored a goal at even strength in this series (although there were excruciatingly close on Thursday). Expect this cold streak to end tonight with the Bruins facing elimination. Boston has won 11 of their last 13 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game — and they have won 17 of their last 22 games following a contest where no more than three combined goals were scored. The extra day of rest should help this veteran team be ready to go tonight — and they have won 27 of their last 36 games when playing with two days of rest. If there was a silver lining from Game Five, it was that Zdeno Chara was able to play more than 16 minutes despite suffering from the broken jaw he received in the fourth game of this series. Boston has won 4 straight games when trailing in these playoffs — and they also won 4 of their last 6 playoff games when facing elimination. Remember, they were in exactly this spot in the opening round of the playoffs against Toronto before they won Game Six on the road before returning home to Boston to win Game Seven.

FINAL TALE: The Bruins have won 11 of their last 15 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they scored only one goal. Look for Boston to play one of their best games of this postseason tonight as they force a final seventh game of the season. 25* NHL Sunday Night Special Feature with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (11) versus the St. Louis Blues (12). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (11) and the St. Louis Blues (12). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (60-37-9) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Thursday with their 2-1 victory on the road in Boston. The Bruins (63-32-9) look to stave off elimination and force a climactic Game Seven back on the home ice while the Blues look to win their first Stanley Cup championship in the history of the franchise.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: St. Louis has only allowed three combined goals in their last two games. The Blues have played 18 of their last 25 games Under the Total after a game where no more than four combined goals were scored — and they have also played 33 of their last 52 games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Under the Total. Additionally, St. Louis has played 21 of their last 31 home games Under the Total when playing with two days of rest. Boston has played 30 of their last 47 games Under the Total after a loss at home. The Bruins have also played 7 straight games Under the Total after failing to score more than two goals in two straight games — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after not scoring more than one goal in their last contest. Boston’s top forward group has been completely shut down by the Blues as the line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak have not scored a goal when playing at even strength in this series. The Bruins are also not getting much from their Power Play after failing to score on any of their three opportunities with a man advantage on Thursday. Boston is now a dismal 1 of 16 on the Power Play in this series. But goalie Tuukka Rask is keeping his team in these games. The Bruins are allowing only 2.1 Goals-Per-Game in these playoffs. Boston has also played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total after losing two games in a row.

FINAL TAKE: Both goaltenders are playing with confidence right now. Rask has a .917 save percentage in this series — and he has stopped 114 of the last 124 shots he has faced in the last four games of this series for a .919 save percentage. Jordan Binnington has a .908 save percentage in this series which includes him getting pulled in Game Three of this series after allowing five goals. Since that game, Binnington has stopped 59 of 62 shots for a superb .957 save percentage. 10* NHL Sunday Night Discounted Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (11) and the St. Louis Blues (12). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the St. Louis Blues (9). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (59-37-9) evened this series at 2-2 on Monday with their 4-2 victory over the Bruins. Boston (63-31-9) returns home to host the fifth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The biggest question entering Game Five regards the status of Boston’s captain, Zdeno Chara, who took a puck to the face that broke his jaw. Without any evidence, I suspect Chara will play. If Chara chooses to have his jaw wired shut, while he will experience pain, the bigger issues will be if with some difficulty breathing along with an inability to communicate with his voice on the ice. On the other hand, Chara may decide to delay wiring his jaw shut and rely on playing with a protective mask/cage over his face. Chara would not be the first NHLer to play with this malady although the three-day turnaround is likely unprecedented — but, then again, these are the Stanley Cup Finals. But, even if Chara does choose to play in Game Five, I still feel strongly that the Bruins win this game. Either way, the remaining Boston players are going to be inspired one way or the other by having to make up for his absence or follow his lead with him playing in pain. Chara remains a good player at 42-years old — but he has been surpassed by Charlie McAvoy as the team’s best defenseman. If Chara cannot play, John Moore would be elevated to the top defensive pairing with McAvoy with the Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo remaining together as their second blue-line pairing. The Bruins are likely getting some depth back on defense as well with Matt Grzelcyk skating again in practice and perhaps ready to return after being out since taking a brutal hit from Oskar Sundqvist in Game Two. Boston has depth on their blue line so a potential loss of Chara is not as devastating as some pundits have suggested. The Bruins should respond with an inspired effort as they bounced-back to win 15 of their last 23 games after a loss on the road. And while the Blues have won two of the last three games in this series, Boston has won 20 of their last 31 games after losing two of their last three games. Boston has been very good at home all season where they are 36-13-2 this season. The Bruins have won 17 of their last 24 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Boston has also won 25 of their last 33 home games against teams from the Western Conference. Additionally, the Bruins have won 18 of their last 25 games after playing their last two games on the road. The extra day of rest will help this veteran team as well — and they have won 27 of their last 35 games when playing with two days of rest. St. Louis is 8-3 on the road this postseason but they were only 21-13-7 on the road during the regular season. This Blues team demands respect given their 30-10-5 record to close out the regular season which was tops in the NHL. But the deeper metrics from the playoffs are not bullish on this St. Louis team entering this series. Their Expected Goal Share entering this series in the playoffs has been only 49.7% which is 10th best of the sixteen playoffs teams. They enjoyed a 57.8% Expected Goal Share mark after January during their big regular season run. Their Expected Goals Scored per 60 minutes is 2.71 in the playoffs and exactly the same as their Expected Goals Allowed per 60 minutes in the playoffs. Both those marks call for regression from their 2.71 Goals Scored per 60 minutes in these playoffs along with the 2.45 Goals Allowed per 60 minutes this postseason. Boston has the edge in goal with Tuukka Rask as the former Vezina Trophy winner entered this series has a 1.84 Goals-Against-Average along with a .942 save percentage in these playoffs. While Rask has been outstanding, much of the credit should go to the strong and consistent play from the Bruins’ blue line. Rask’s save percentage in five-on-five play entering this series in the playoffs has been .946 — and that is not much higher than his expected save percentage of .930 in five-on-five in these playoffs entering this series. Rask also has a significant edge given his playoff experience — he had a 2.21 GAA with a .932 save percentage in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals where he started all six games — and he has a solid .919 save percentage in the first four games of this series after stopping 113 of the 123 shots he has faced. St. Louis’ rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington, has been good in the playoffs — but his .914 save percentage entering this series was a few notches below that of Rask’s. Binnington has been up and down in this series as he has stopped 90 of the 102 shots he has faced for a disappointing .882 save percentage.

FINAL TAKE: Binnington was pulled in Game Three — the last time this series was tied — after he allowed five goals on the nineteen shots he faced in that game. The Blues were crushed by a 7-2 score in that contest. Look for this veteran Bruins team making their third Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 2013 to do what it takes to win this fifth game of this series. Lastly, the money-line is hovering between the -150 and -155 price line in most spots. With enough -150s (or lower) out there with less than 24 hours before the puck drops, I am committing to this strong play. Even if the money-line price rises tomorrow, I still recommend this strong play despite my -150 threshold. If we start taking too many heavy favorites, we are going to get burned. However, except for Game Two, this series is going as expected (and I suspected this would be even at 2-2). If this was the middle of February, I would still feel comfortable with the price since about half the lines are not higher than my -150 threshold — and I love the situation. 25* National Hockey League Game of the Year with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the St. Louis Blues (9). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the mag between the St. Louis Blues (9) and the Boston Bruins (10). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (59-37-9) evened this series at 2-2 on Monday with their 4-2 victory over the Bruins. Boston (63-31-9) returns home to host the fifth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The last two games of this series have finished Over the Total — but the Blues have then played 12 of their last 16 road games Under the Total after playing at least two straight Overs. St. Louis has also played 20 of their last 30 road games Under the Total when playing with two days of rest. The Blues are playing lock-down defense against the Bruins’ top offensive threats. The Boston top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak have not scored a goal tonight when playing at even strength in this series. And after thwarting all three of the Bruins’ Power Play chances in Game Four of this series, St. Louis has not allowed a goal in 12 of the 13 Power Play opportunities Boston has had in this series. The Blues tend to play in lower scoring games away from home as they allow only 2.5 Goals-Per-Game on the road — and in their last four road games in the playoffs, they have allowed only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game. Additionally, St. Louis has played 4 of their last 5 fifth games in a playoff series Under the Total. The Bruins have played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after playing at least two straight Overs. Boston has also played 17 of their last 26 games Under the Total after allowing at least four goals in their last game (even when considering that one of those goals was scored on an empty net). The Bruins entered the third period in a 2-2 deadlock before allowing two goals in the final 20 minutes of play. Boston has then played 17 of their last 26 games Under the Total after allowing at least two goals in the third period. It will be a game-time decision as to whether or not defensemen Zdano Chara and Matt Grzelcyk will take the ice tonight. Grzelcyk is in the concussion protocol after taking a big hit in the second game of this series. Chara had his jaw broken on Monday. Both players skated this morning with Chara wearing a protective mask. I think they are going to play tonight — but even if one or both of them do not, the Bruins still have a depth on their blue line along led by their best defender in Charlie McAvoy. There is precedent in the playoffs for a player with a broken jaw to take the ice as Derek Stepan as he only missed one game (on just one day of rest) in the 2014 playoffs when he was playing for the New York Rangers. Boston is allowing only 2.1 Goals-Per-Game in the postseason.

FINAL TAKE: The Bruins have played 14 of their last 20 games Under the Total when avenging a loss by at least two goals. 10* NHL Thursday Night Discounted Deal with Under the Total in the mag between the St. Louis Blues (9) and the Boston Bruins (10). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (7) and the St. Louis Blues (8). THE SITUATION: Boston (63-30-9) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Saturday with their 7-2 victory on the road against the Blues. St. Louis looks to even this series at 2-2 on their home ice before traveling to Boston for Game Five on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blues should play a more disciplined defensive game after falling behind by a 4-0 score early in the second period when Boston scored on a Power Play that was carried over from the first period. St. Louis has played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last game. The Blues have also played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals. Goalie Jordan Binnington allowed five goals in that game before being pulled — but he has been very reliable when attempting to bounce-back from a loss. In his six starts after a loss in the regular season, Binnington stopped 141 of the 151 shots he faced for a .935 save percentage. In his eight starts in the playoffs this postseason after a loss, Binnington has stopped 194 of the 207 shots he has faced for a .935 save percentage along with 1.84 Goals-Against-Average. The Blues stay at home where they have played 40 of their last 64 home games Under the Total with the number set at 5.5. St. Louis has also played 6 of their last 8 home games Under the Total when a money-line favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range. And in their last 10 home games against teams with a winning record on the road, the Blues have played 7 of these games Under the Total. Boston has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after scoring at least six goals in their last contest. The Bruins have held their last five opponents to just 1.6 Goals-Per-Game after their goaltender, Tuukka Rask, stopped 27 of the 29 shots he faced. Rask has a nice .919 save percentage in this series. Moving forward, Boston has played 4 straight games Under the Total when playing with one day of rest — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total against an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last game. The Bruins stay on the road where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total — and they have played 16 of their last 21 road games Under the Total with the number set at 5.5.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when leading in a playoff series — and St. Louis has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when trailing in a playoff series. After Game Three was a high-scoring affair, expect the fourth game of this series to be lower-scoring. The last two games have seen plenty of scoring in the first period. Expect the play in the first period of this game to be very cautious. 25* NHL Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (7) and the St. Louis Blues (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (8) versus the Boston Bruins (7). THE SITUATION: Boston (63-30-9) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Saturday with their 7-2 victory on the road against the Blues. St. Louis looks to even this series at 2-2 on their home ice before traveling to Boston for Game Five on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: St. Louis should respond with a strong effort tonight after suffering that embarrassing loss at home in front of their home fans in their first opportunity to host a game in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1970. The Blues have bounced-back to win 7 of their last 10 games after a loss by at least three goals. St. Louis has also won 14 of their last 22 games after a loss at home. Additionally, the Blues have won 7 of their last 10 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game — and they have won 11 of their last 14 games after playing a game where at least nine combined goals were scored. St. Louis has responded to losses in this postseason by playing very well as they bounce-back from that setback. The Blues have won 6 of their 8 playoff games after a loss while winning their last four contests after a defeat. Goaltender Jordan Binnington has stopped 194 of the 207 shots he has faced in those eight playoff games after a loss for a .935 save percentage along with 1.84 Goals-Against-Average. St. Louis is also getting two important pieces back in Vince Dunn and Oskar Sundqvist who did not play on Saturday. Dunn has not played in this series after getting hit in the face with a puck in the third game of the Western Conference Finals which has left the Blues without one of their top four defensemen. Sundqvist was suspended for Game Three of this series for an illegal hit — so St. Louis was without their co-leader in the +/- in these playoffs along with one of their key players on their Power Play Kill Unit. Boston scored all four times in their four Power Play opportunities on Saturday — so the Blues will be very happy to have Sundqvist back tonight. St. Louis has won 7 of their last 9 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. The Blues have won 19 of their last 27 games at home — and they have also won 6 of their last 8 home games when priced as a favorite in the -110 to -150 range. St. Louis also needs to get back to playing disciplined hockey after getting burned by the Bruins’ Power Play on Saturday. The Blues entered the Stanley Cup Finals averaging just 6.32 Penalty Infraction Minutes per game in the postseason which was the lowest for all teams in the playoffs. Boston achieved its primary goal of taking back home-ice advantage in this series. But the Bruins have also lost 8 of their last 13 games when playing their fifth game in thirteen days. Boston’s top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak finally got on the board with Bergeron and Pastrnak scoring goals while registering the first two points in this series for that top forward group. But both of those goals were on the Power Play which continues a disturbing trend that has seen this top line score only one goal at Even Strength since the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. While the Bruins are 7-2 on the road in this postseason, they were just 20-15-6 on the road during the regular season.

FINAL TAKE: St. Louis closed out the regular season going on a 30-15-5 in their last fifty games which was the best record in the NHL over that span. Look for the Blues to even this series at 2-2 with their roster back at full strength. 10* NHL Monday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (8) versus the Boston Bruins (7). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (5) and the St. Louis Blues (6). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (58-36-9) evened this series at 1-1 on Wednesday with their 3-2 victory in overtime over Boston (62-30-9). The Blues return home to the Enterprise Center to host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The first period of Game Two saw both teams score goals before that game became a defensive slugfest for the next two periods. The Blues limited the Bruins to just 23 shots in that game which included an extra 3:21 minutes of overtime. St. Louis has only allowed 1.6 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. The Under is 14-6-2 in their last 22 games when playing an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last game. The Under is also a decisive 44-21-4 in their last 69 games when playing with two days of rest — and this includes them playing twenty of their last twenty-nine games at home Under the Total when playing with two days of rest. The Blues have won four of their last five games — and they have played 24 of their last 35 home games Under the Total after winning four of their last five games. Additionally, St. Louis has played 7 of their last 9 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 6 of their last 8 home games Under the Total as a home favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range. The Blues have also played 5 of their last 7 playoff games Under the Total when a playoff series is tied. Boston has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after losing their previous game in overtime. Furthermore, the Bruins have played 30 of their last 46 games Under the Total after a loss at home. Boston has also played 26 of their last 38 games Under the Total after scoring two goals or less in their last game. The Bruins have also held their last five opponents to only 1.6 Goals-Per-Game. They now go back on the road where they have played 5 straight games Under the Total. Boston has played 4 straight games Under the Total in the playoffs as an underdog. And in their last 14 games when playing with two days of rest, the Under is 9-4-1.

FINAL TAKE: With the series tied at 1-1, expect another low scoring game between these two teams. With the Total set at just 5, the oddsmakers are daring bettors to take the Over. Don’t take the bait. 25* NHL NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (5) and the St. Louis Blues (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (5) versus the St. Louis Blues (6). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (58-36-9) evened this series at 1-1 on Wednesday with their 3-2 victory in overtime over Boston (62-30-9). The Blues return home to the Enterprise Center to host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Boston had been on an eight-game winning streak before taking the loss on Wednesday in a game where they were pretty much outplayed. St. Louis outshot the Bruins by a 37 to 23 margin. Perhaps this Boston team was overconfident after shaking off the rust from a 2-0 deficit in the opening game of this series to win that game by a 4-2 score. Look for the Bruins to be razor sharp tonight in this critical third game of this series. Boston has won 45 of their last 63 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Their top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak has yet to register a point in this series while being burdened by a minus-7 net rating —but they are probably the best forward line in the NHL so I do not expect their slump to last much longer. The Bruins have also yet to score on the Power Play in this series in their five chances after entering this series with 34% success rate in their fifty Power Play chances which was the best mark in these playoffs. Boston has been very good on the road this postseason with four straight victories and a 6-2 overall mark away from home. The Bruins have won 4 straight road games when priced in the +110 to +150 price range — and they have also won 16 of their last 21 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Boston has also won 5 of their last 6 playoff games as an underdog. The extra day off should help this veteran team — and Bergeron looks to be injured so the extra day of rest should really help him. The Bruins have won 26 of their last 34 games when playing with two days of rest. St. Louis has not been dominant at home in this postseason as they have lost 5 of their 10 playoff games at home. The Blues will also be without a key piece in Oscar Sundqvist who was suspended for his hit on Matt Grzelcyk. While Sundqvist plays on their fourth line, he is tied for the team lead in the playoffs with his +/- rating. He also plays on their Power Play Kill Unit which has successfully thwarted their last eighteen opponent Power Plays.

FINAL TAKE: With St. Louis not possessing a strong home-ice advantage in these playoffs, the Bruins offer great value as a small money-line underdog. 10* NHL Saturday Night Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (5) versus the St. Louis Blues (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (3) and the Boston Bruins (4). THE SITUATION: Boston (69-29-9) won the opening game of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday with their 4-2 victory over St. Louis (57-36-9). The Bruins host the second game of this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blues took a 2-0 lead in this game as they were able to successfully take advantage of the rust that Boston endured after not playing for eleven days after sweeping Carolina in four games. St. Louis either started playing safe or they were concerned about the speed of the Bruins’ forwards — but, either way, their defensemen offered too much space which gave too much room for the Boston offensive players to maneuver at will. St. Louis thrives when playing physical — look for head coach Craig Berube to get his team back to engaging in this style of play tonight which should include playing tighter against the Bruins’ forwards. The Blues allowed two goals in the third period on Monday — and they have played 31 of their last 50 games Under the Total on the road after surrendering at least two goals in the third period of their last game. St. Louis has also played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a loss on the road by at least two goals. Rookie goalie Jordan Binnington did not play bad — he was peppered with 37 shots in Game One while he stopped 34 of them (with the last Boston goat being an empty-netter). Binnington has been outstanding when he is between the pipes after a Blues loss. In the regular season, Binnington stopped 141 of the 151 shots he faces in six games following a St. Louis loss for a sparkling .395 save percentage. And after the Blues’ seven losses in this postseason, Binnington has stopped 194 of the 207 shots he has faced for a .937 save percentage. As it is, St. Louis has allowed only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they can take stock in the fact they stopped four of the five Power Play chances by the Bruins. The Blues may also see the return of one of their top-four defensemen in Vince Dunn who has missed the last four games with a facial injury after getting struck by a puck. Dunn has taken part in the team’s last three practices with the last two without the need of a protective visor. But St. Louis may have bigger problems on the offensive end of the ice after they generated only 12 shots in the final two periods of Game One. The Blues have seen the Under go 26-11-2 in their last 39 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and the Under is 20-8-3 in their last 31 games against teams that did not allow more than two goals in their last game. This team scores only 2.8 Goals-Per-Game when playing away from home. Additionally, the Under is 34-13-3 in St. Louis’ last 50 road games as a big underdog priced in the +151 to +200 range. The Blues have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when trailing in a playoff series. Boston has played 15 of their last 22 games after a win at home where they scored at least four goals. The Bruins have also played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing with one day of rest — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after winning at least six games in a row. Goalie Tuukka Rask showed the outstanding form in the second half of that game that he has displayed this postseason as he entered this series with a 1.84 Goals-Against-Average along with a .942 save percentage. Boston has allowed only 1.9 Goals-Per-Game in the playoffs — and they have given up just 1.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games.

FINAL TAKE: St. Louis has played 18 of their last 25 games Under the Total when avenging a loss by at least two goals — and they have also played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss on the road by at least two goals. 25* NHL NBC-Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (3) and the Boston Bruins (4). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (1) and the Boston Bruins (2). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (57-35-9) reached the Stanley Cup Finals by defeating San Jose in six games with their 5-1 victory at home last Tuesday. Boston (61-29-9) has won seven games in a row after they completed their four-game sweep of Carolina that they concluded on the road back on May 16th by a 4-0 score. The Bruins host the first two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Boston is getting outstanding goaltending from a former Vezina Trophy winner in Tuukka Rask who has a 1.84 Goals-Against-Average along with a .942 save percentage in these playoffs. Over his last seven games, Rask has a 1.29 GAA along with a .961 save percentage. Boston has allowed only five combined goals over their last five games while never allowing more than two goals over that span. Rask has two shutouts in these last five games. The Bruins have then played 9 of their last 14 games Under the Total after not allowing more than two goals in four straight games. Boston looks to get their veteran leader Zdeno Chara back tonight after he missed the last game of the series with the Hurricanes with an injury. He will help a Bruins’ Power Play Kill Unit that has been 86.3% effective in the postseason. Moving forward, Boston has played 20 of their last 28 home games Under the Total after winning at least five games in a row — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after winning at least six straight games in a row. Furthermore, the Under is 3-1-1 in the Bruins’ last 5 games in the Stanley Cup Finals. Boston has also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams that scored at least five goals in their last game. St. Louis has seen the Under go 20-7-3 in their last 30 games against an opponent that did not allow more than two goals in their last game. The Blues have won three straight games as well as four of their last five contests. They preceded their Game Six victory over the Sharks with a 5-0 shutout win against them in Game Five of that series. St. Louis has played 14 of their last 17 road games Under the Total after winning two straight games by at least two goals — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after winning two straight games by at least three goals. The Blues have only allowed two combined goals over their last three games — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after allowing one goal or less in three straight games. They are also getting outstanding goaltending with Jordan Binnington owning a 2.31 GAA along with a .914 save percentage in these playoffs. Binnington also owns a 0.67 GAA with a .974 save percentage over his last three starts. He has been helped by a blue-line that has not allowed a goal in 11 of their last 13 Power Play Kills (84.6%). St. Louis has played 24 of their last 34 road games Under the Total after winning four of their last five games. And while the Blues’ have played only five games over the last fourteen days, they have then played12 of their last 15 road games Under the Total when playing just their fifth game in fourteen days.

FINAL TAKE: St. Louis has played 15 of their last 23 opening games to a new series Under the Total. The Bruins have seen the Under go 15-6-5 in their last 26 playoff games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. Expect a lower-scoring game tonight with both teams dealing with the rust of six and eleven days off since last taking the ice against hostile competition. 25* NHL Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (1) and the Boston Bruins (2). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (2) versus the St. Louis Blues (1) in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals. THE SITUATION: St. Louis (57-35-9) reached the Stanley Cup Finals last Tuesday with their 5-1 win in San Jose in the sixth game of that series. Boston (61-29-9) has won seven straight games after sweeping Carolina in four games with their 4-0 victory on the road back on May 16th. The Bruins host the first two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE BOSTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Boston risks being rusty with eleven days off since last being on the ice against a hostile opponent — but the extended time off will also help this veteran team that is playing in their third Stanley Cup Finals over the last nine seasons. The Bruins have won 23 of their last 31 games after a straight-up win — and they have won 11 of their last 13 games after a victory on the road where they scored at least four goals. Boston has also won 21 of their last 27 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 20 of their last 27 games after a game where no more than four combined goals were scored. The Bruins have home-ice advantage where they are 35-12-2 this season. They have won 4 of their last 5 home games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range — and they have also won 13 of their last 15 home games against Western Conference opponents. Boston has an edge in goal with Tuukka Rask as the former Vezina Trophy winner in Tuukka Rask who has a 1.84 Goals-Against-Average along with a .942 save percentage in these playoffs. Over his last seven games, Rask has a 1.29 GAA along with a .961 save percentage. We should expect some regression for Rask since his high level of play is likely unsustainable. But much of his success can be attributed to the outstanding play from the suffocating Bruins defense. Task’s save percentage in five-on-five play in the playoffs has been .946 — and that is not much higher than his expected save percentage of .930 in five-on-five in these playoffs. Rask also has a significant edge given his playoff experience — he had a 2.21 GAA with a .932 save percentage in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals where he started all six games. St. Louis’ rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington, has been good in the playoffs — but his .914 save percentage is a few notches below that of Rask’s. The Blues had the best record in the regular season after January 3rd so it should not be a surprise that they reached the Stanley Cup Finals. But they needed seven games to defeat a solid but unspectacular Dallas team while then facing a San Jose team that appears to have been the beneficiary of good fortune (and officiating) to reach the Western Conference Finals before being exposed by the Blues who outscored them by a 10-1 margin in the last two games of that series. The deeper metrics are not bullish on this St. Louis team. Their Expected Goal Share in the playoffs has been only 49.7% which is 10th best of the sixteen playoffs teams. They enjoyed a 57.8% Expected Goal Share mark after January during their big regular season run. Their Expected Goals Scored per 60 minutes is 2.71 in the playoffs and exactly the same as their Expected Goals Allowed per 60 minutes in the playoffs. Both those marks call for regression from their 2.71 Goals Scored per 60 minutes in these playoffs along with the 2.45 Goals Allowed per 60 minutes this postseason. St. Louis will also still be without one of their top four defensemen in Vince Dunn who will be missing his fourth straight game after being struck in the face by a snapshot.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has owned the best Power Play in the postseason by scoring 17 times in their fifty chances for a strong 34% success rate. With the edge with the best line in hockey of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Patrnak, the Bruins should seize the opening game in what should still be a competitive series. 10* NHL Monday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (2) versus the St. Louis Blues (1). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the San Jose Sharks (25) and the St. Louis Blues (26). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (56-35-9) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Sunday with their 5-0 victory over San Jose (56-36-7). The Blues return home tonight as they attempt to close out this series to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Sharks are big money-line underdogs given the injury status of Erik Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, and Joe Pavelski. Reports this afternoon indicate Karlsson and Hertl did not make the trip to St. Louis with Pavelski still being a game-time decision (and, hence, I am comfortable making my call on this game with that updated information).

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: San Jose has scored only one goal in the last two games since their controversial hand pass helped Karlsson score the winning goal in overtime in the third game of this series. The Sharks were still in a close game on Sunday midway through the second period before Hertl took a big hit that was not called for a penalty. Instead, Hertl was unable to return for the third period and joined both Pavelski and Karlsson in suffering game-ending injuries. Don’t read much into the final score where the Sharks allowed five goals as San Jose committed 32 minutes of penalties in the final 20 minutes of that game that was likely lost. The Sharks will be without at least two important pieces on offense with Karlsson and Hertl out. San Jose can only grind out a low-scoring game tonight. But don’t count them out — goaltender Martin Jones owns a sensational .943 save percentage in the four elimination games he has played this season which includes two overtime periods as he has stopped the 149 of the 158 shots he has faced which is a pretty large sample size. The Sharks have played 18 of their last 25 games Under the Total when facing elimination in a playoff series. San Jose has also played 14 of their last 20 sixth games of a playoff series Under the Total. Additionally, the Sharks have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a loss at home by at least three goals. They have also played 21 of their last 29 road games Under the Total after failing to score more than one goal in two straight games. The Under is also 3-1-1 in San Jose’s last five games on the road. St. Louis has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a shutout victory — and they have played 6 of their last 8 Under the Total after allowing no more than one goal in two straight games. Additionally, not only have the Blues played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a shutout win on the road but they have played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a win on the road by at least two goals — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a win on the road by at least three goals. Much of St. Louis’ success has come from not giving the Sharks’ too many chances with a man-advantage. The Blues have committed only 12 minor penalties in this series — and that has helped them allow only two Power Play goals in this series. The Under is 18-6-2 in St. Louis’ last 26 home games when a favorite priced in the -151 to -200 range — and the Under is 4-0-1 in their last 5 playoff games priced in the -151 to -200 range.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total when avenging a loss by at least four goals. The Sharks can win this game — but they need to focus most of their energies on stopping the Blues’ from scoring and make this a tight game in the third period where their experience gives them an edge. 25* NHL Tuesday Night O/U Special Feature with Under the Total in the game between the San Jose Sharks (25) and the St. Louis Blues (26). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (22) versus the St. Louis Blues (21). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (55-35-9) evened this series at 2-2 on Friday with their 2-1 win on their home ice over San Jose (56-35-7). The Sharks return home to the SAP Center to host the fifth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE SAN JOSE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Sharks should respond with a strong effort after their slow start on Friday ultimately cost them that game. San Jose fell behind by a 2-0 score in the first period and could never score the tying goal despite outshooting the Blues by a 30 to 22 margin while applying furious pressure on them late in the third period. The Sharks have won 19 of their last 25 games after failing to score more than one goal in their last game — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last contest. San Jose has also won 19 of their last 27 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. They return home where they are 32-14-3 this season. The Sharks have won 9 of their last 12 home games when favored — and they have won 6 of their last 8 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. This San Jose team should be very focused to redeem themselves from their 4-2 loss to St. Louis in their last game at home. The Sharks are 7-3 on home ice in these playoffs while outscoring their visitors by a 39 to 20 goal differential. San Jose has won both their previous Game Fives in the first two playoff series this postseason against Vegas and Colorado. The Sharks have won 9 of their last 11 home games with the Total set at 5.5. And in their last 6 playoff games when the series was tied, San Jose has won 5 of these games. St. Louis has lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win this postseason. Their rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington, was outstanding on Friday as he stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced. But Binnington has an unspectacular 2.58 Goals-Against-Average with a .908 save percentage in seventeen starts in these playoffs. The Blues have lost 16 of their last 23 games in the playoffs when priced as an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range. This franchise has also lost 10 of their last 14 games in the Western Conference Finals.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has won 7 of their last 10 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they only scored one goal. They are hosting a Blues team that has lost 4 of their last 5 games played in the SAP Center against the Sharks. 25* NHL Third Round NBC-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (22) versus the St. Louis Blues (21). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (18) versus the San Jose Sharks (17). THE SITUATION: San Jose (56-34-7) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Wednesday with their 5-4 win in overtime. St. Louis (54-35-9) hosts the fourth game of this series tonight looking to make this a three-game series going back to San Jose for that Sunday afternoon clash.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: St. Louis has to bounce-back emotionally from the bad non-call in overtime with the Sharks’ Eric Karlsson being the beneficiary of an illegal hand pass that set up his game-winning goal at the 5:23 mark in overtime. I like the way head coach Craig Berube has responded which encourages me that the Blues will be completely focused on the task at hand tonight. This St. Louis team has been very tough when responding to adversity — particularly their goaltender, Jordan Binnington. The Blues were a perfect 6-0 after a loss with Binnington between the pipes during the regular where he posted a .935 save percentage in those contests. Binnington then stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced in the second game of this series as the Blues’ rebounded from an opening 6-3 loss in Game One to upset the Sharks in San Jose in Game Two by a 4-2 score (in a game in which they dominated). St. Louis has won 4 of their last 6 games in these playoffs bouncing-back from a loss with Binnington posting a .932 save percentage in those games. The Blues have won 6 of their last 8 games after a loss by just one goal at home. St. Louis has also won 11 of their last 17 games after a game where both teams scored at least four goals. Additionally, the Blues have won 28 of their last 40 games when playing with just one day of rest — and they do have the younger legs in this series. St. Louis has found the back of the net at least three times in their last three games — and they have won 16 of their last 24 games after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. The Blues have won 17 of their last 24 games on their home ice — and they have won 7 of their last 9 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Despite their win on Wednesday, San Jose is just 23-21-4 on the road this season. They have lost four of their seven road games in these playoffs while being outscored by a 25 to 17 margin. The Sharks have also lost 7 of their last 10 games on the road. San Jose has not responded well after winning in this postseason as they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win — and they have lost 10 of their last 16 games after a win on the road where they scored at least four goals. Defense remains an issue for this team as they have allowed 3.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they give up 3.4 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road. The Sharks have lost 5 of their last 7 games in the playoffs as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has lost their last 5 games when leading in a playoff series. Look for the Blues to even this series at 2-2 tonight. 25* NHL Western Conference Game of the Year with the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (18) versus the San Jose Sharks (17). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (15) and the Carolina Hurricanes (16). THE SITUATION: Boston (60-29-9) took a commanding 3-0 lead in this series on Tuesday with their 2-1 victory on the road at Carolina (54-35-7). The Hurricanes look to stave off elimination tonight as they host Game Four tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Carolina has scored only five goals in the first three games of this series. Much of this can be blamed on their struggling Power Play as the Hurricanes have failed to score in eleven straight opportunities with the man-advantage in this series. Overall, Carolina has scored only 5 Power Play goals in their 50 opportunities for a 10% success rate in this postseason. But the Hurricanes are also facing a red hot goaltender in Tuukka Rask. The Bruins have won six straight games with Rask sporting a 1.50 Goals-Against-Average over that span while stopping 196 of the 205 shots he has faced in those six games for a sensational .956 save percentage. Carolina came out on fire on Tuesday as they peppered Rask with 20 shots. But after Rask stopped every one of those shot attempts, this Hurricanes team look frustrated as they fell behind then by a 2-0 score before narrowing that game to a one-goal deficit before finally losing that game. Carolina probably took from that game that they cannot expect to win high scoring games with this Bruins team — so they will likely be looking to eke out a low-scoring game. The Hurricanes have played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a loss by just one goal on their home ice. Carolina has also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after losing three straight games — and they have played 13 of their last 17 home games Under the Total after losing at least three in a row. And while this is the Hurricanes’ fifth game in the last fourteen days, they have then played 13 of their last 17 home games Under the Total when playing no more than their fifth game in the last fourteen days. Carolina will likely stick with Curtis McElhinney between the pipes after he stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced on Tuesday. The Hurricanes are allowing only 2.5 Goals-Per-Game when playing at home. Boston is allowing only 2.1 Goals-Per-Game in the playoffs — and they have given up just 1.6 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. The Bruins have played 6 of their last 8 road games Under the Total after a narrow win by just one goal. Boston has also played 25 of their last 37 games Under the Total after scoring no more than two goals in their last game. And while the Bruins have won six straight games in a row, they have then played 5 straight games Under the Total after winning at least six games in a row. Boston has played 4 straight games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 30 of their last 47 games Under the Total when playing at least two straight games away from home. The Bruins have also played 15 of their last 23 road games Under the Total with the number set at 5.5. And in their last 26 games in the playoffs when favored priced in the -110 to -150 price range, the Under is 15-6-5.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina has played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by at least one goal. The Hurricanes have also played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss at home. Expect another lower-scoring game. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (15) and the Carolina Hurricanes (16). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the San Jose Sharks (13) and the St. Louis Blues (14). THE SITUATION:  St. Louis (54-34-9) evened this series at 1-1 on Monday with their 4-2 victory in San Jose (55-34-7) over the Sharks. The Blues return home to host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: St. Louis has played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a win on the road by at least two goals. The Under is also 19-7-3 in the Blues’ last 29 games against an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last contest. Now St. Louis returns home where the Under is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games — and they have played 5 of their last 6 home games Under the Total when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. This team has also played 4 of the last 5 playoff games Under the Total when the series is tied. The Blues do have some issues with their offense. Their star scorer, Vladimir Tarasenko, has scored only one goal in his last eight games. Tarasenko’s scoring slump has correlated with St. Louis struggling to score goals when on the Power Play. Over their last eight games, the Blues have scored only once in their last twenty-eight Power Play chances which includes them not scoring in their Power Play chances in this series. San Jose is also struggling to score with the man advantage as of late — they have scored only two Power Play goals in their last fifteen opportunities for a 13.3% success rate in their last five games. The Sharks are not getting much scoring after their top-two forward lines. San Jose has played 16 of their last 25 games Under the Total after a loss at home by at least two goals — and this includes them playing six of those last nine situations Under the Total. Now the Sharks go back on the road where the Under is 3-1-1 in their last 5 road games against teams with a winning record at home. The Under is also 3-1-1 in San Jose’s last 5 playoff games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Under is 6-2-3 in the last 11 meetings between these two teams — and this includes the Under going 2-0-2 in the last four games when played in St. Louis. 20* NHL San Jose-St. Louis NBC Sports Network O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the San Jose Sharks (13) and the St. Louis Blues (14). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (12) versus the Boston Bruins (11). THE SITUATION: Boston (59-29-9) took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday with their 6-2 win over Carolina (54-34-7). This series moves to Charlotte with the Hurricanes hosting the third and fourth games.

REASONS TO TAKE CAROLINA WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Hurricanes should play much better returning to their home ice where they have won all 5 of their last playoff games this season. For the year, Carolina is 29-13-4 when playing at home — and they have won 21 of their last 27 games at home. The Hurricanes have also won 5 straight home games against teams with a winning record on the road. And in their last 11 home games with the Total set at 5.5, Carolina has won 10 of these contests. Despite being outscored by an 11-4 margin in the first two games of this series, this remains a very good team that led the entire NHL in the regular season in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For that measures puck possession numbers. The Hurricanes should respond with a very strong effort tonight as they have won 5 of their last 7 games after a loss by at least three goals. Carolina has also won 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five goals in their last contest. Additionally, the Hurricanes have won 23 of their last 28 games when favored — and they have won 17 of their last 21 games when favored in the playoffs. Boston won the opening game of this series by a 5-2 score — but they have then lost 4 of their last 6 games after winning two straight games by at least three goals. And while the Bruins have scored at least three goals in five straight games, they have then lost 6 of their last 9 games after scoring at least three goals in two straight contests. Now Boston goes back on the road where they are 24-17-6 this season — but they have lost 12 of their last 17 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. The Bruins have also lost 5 straight third games in a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour has not announced if he will continue with Petr Mrazek between the pipes or tap Craig McElhinney to play in goal tonight. This decision does not impact my thoughts on this game since both goaltenders platooned this season — and McElhinney played well to help the Hurricanes close out their series with Winnipeg after Mrazek suffered an injury. Carolina has won 12 of their last 17 games when avenging a loss by at least three goals — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games when playing with revenge from a loss on the road by three or more goals. The Hurricanes have also won 5 of their last 7 games when avenging a loss of at least four goals — and they have won 4 straight games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least four goals on the road. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Game of the Year with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (12) versus the Boston Bruins (11). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (7) and the San Jose Sharks (8). THE SITUATION: San Jose (55-33-7) won the opening game of this series on Saturday with their 6-3 victory over St. Louis (53-34-9). The Sharks host the second game of this series Monday night.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: San Jose has been an offensive juggernaut on their home ice. They are scoring 3.7 Goals-Per-Game at home and they are back at full strength with their leading scorer, Joe Pavelski, back on the ice after he missed the first six games of last round’s series with Colorado. Most of those games’ Totals were set at 6 despite Pavelski still recovering from the head injury he suffered in the third period of their Game Seven with Vegas in the opening round of the playoffs — so grabbing a 5.5 is a nice opportunity for this situation. The Sharks have played 21 of their last 30 games Over the Total after a win at home — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game. This is San Jose’s third straight game at home after they disposed of the Avalanche in seven games — and they have played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total after winning their last two games at home. Furthermore, the Sharks have played 11 of their last 13 home games Over the Total. Additionally, San Jose has played 6 of their last 8 playoff games Over the Total when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. And in their last 4 games in the Western Conference Finals, the Sharks have played all 4 of these games Over the Total. St. Louis has played 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total after a game where at least eight combined goals were scored. The Blues stay on the road where the Over is 3-0-1 in their last 4 games. And in their last 4 playoff games as an underdog, the Over is 3-0-1.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose is going to score their share of goals on home ice at the SAP Center. With the Blues needing to win this game to avoid an undesirable 0-2 deficit when they return to St. Louis to play Games Three and Four, look for them to be very aggressive in trying to score goals. 25* NHL Western Conference Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (7) and the San Jose Sharks (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (5) and the Boston Bruins (6). THE SITUATION: Boston (58-29-9) won the first game of this series on Thursday with their 5-2 victory over Carolina (54-33-7). The Bruins host the second game of this series this afternoon.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Boston entered the third period of that game trailing by a 2-1 score before scoring three times to win that game easily. The Bruins have scored at least three goals in four straight games — and they have totaled 16 goals scored in those four contests. They should keep it up this afternoon as they are scoring 3.4 Goals-Per-Game on their home ice. This team is getting it down with their Power Play after scoring twice with a man-advantage in Game One of this series. Boston has scored 12 Power Play goals in these playoffs in their 40 opportunities with the man-advantage for a 30% success rate that is tops of all teams in the playoffs. The Bruins have won four straight games after winning their six-game series at Columbus by a 3-0 score. Boston has played 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total after winning two straight games by at least two goals — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after winning their last two games by at least three goals. The Bruins have also played 15 of their last 24 games Over the Total after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. And in their last 5 playoff games when favored in the -151 to -200 price range, the Over is 4-0-1. Carolina has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after scoring two goals or less in their last game — and the Over is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games after a loss by at least three goals. The Hurricanes have also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total when playing with two days of rest. Carolina should get their offense cranking in this important game for them to steal since they do not want to return to Charlotte with a 2-0 deficit. They are scoring 3.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. However, they are also allowing 2.9 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road. The Hurricanes have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 6 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. Additionally, Carolina has played 5 of their last 7 playoff games Over the Total as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: The Hurricanes have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by at least three goals. Furthermore, the Over is 7-1-1 in the last 9 meetings between these two teams — and this includes four straight Overs when playing in Boston. 25* NHL Third Round NBC-TV Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (5) and the Boston Bruins (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis (3) and the San Jose Sharks (4). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (53-33-9) reached the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday with their 2-1 win in double-overtime at home against Dallas in the seventh game of that series. San Jose (54-33-7) joined them in this series on Wednesday with their 3-2 victory over Colorado in the seventh game of that series. The Sharks host the first two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blues have played 16 of their last 23 games Under the Total after not allowing more than one goal in their last game — and the Under is also 3-1-2 in their last 6 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. The Under is also 25-10-2 in St. Louis’ last 37 games after scoring no more than two goals in their last game. The Blues averaged 2.98 Goals-Per-Game during the regular season but they have seen that number drop to 2.62 Goals-Per-Game in their thirteen playoff games. This scoring decline can be attributed to their impotent Power Play as they managed only two goals in their 22 Power Play chances for a rough 9.1% success rate in their seven-game series with the Stars. Now the Blues open this series back on the road where they have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. St. Louis’ goalie, Jordan Binnington, and their blue line have been playing outstanding as of late as they have allowed only two combined goals over their last two games (which includes the second overtime on Tuesday). The Blues have played 6 straight road games Under the Total after not allowing more than one goal in their last two games. Over their last five games, St. Louis is allowing only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game. San Jose has been playing outstanding defense as well as they have allowed only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. Their top defensive pair of Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic limited the Avalanche’s powerful top-line led by Nathan MacKinnon to just 14 combined points in that seven-game series. The Under is 19-6-3 in St. Louis’ last 28 games against an opponent that did not allow more than two goals in their last game. The Under is also 3-1-1 in the Sharks’ last 5 games against Central Divison foes. San Jose is also struggling with their Power Play as scored only twice in their 20 Power Play chances against Colorado last round. The Sharks are scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has won the last two meetings between these two teams — and St. Louis has played 12 of their last 14 games Under the Total when playing with double-revenge. 10* NHL St. Louis-San Jose NBC Sports Network O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis (3) and the San Jose Sharks (4). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (1) and the Boston Bruins (2). THE SITUATION: Carolina (54-32-7) returns to the ice for the first time since May 3rd when they completed their four-game sweep over the New York Islanders with their 5-2 victory at home. Boston (57-29-9) closed out Columbus in six games on Monday with their 3-0 victory on the road again the Blue Jackets. The Bruins host the first two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Hurricanes have played 9 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a win by at least four goals over a fellow Metropolitan Division rival. Carolina has also played 23 of their last 35 games Under the Total on the road after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored. And while the Hurricanes have won six straight games, they have then played 18 of their last 26 games Under the Total after winning five or six of their last seven games. It remains unclear who will be between the pipes tonight for Carolina with goalie Petr Mrazek missing the last few games because of an injury. The Hurricanes platooned their goaltenders during the regular season — and Craig McElhinney played well to close out that series with the Islanders. He stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced in their Game Four win. Carolina has allowed only 1.6 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they have not allowed more than two goals in four straight games. The Hurricanes have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. This Carolina team may be a bit rusty on the offensive end of the ice since they have not played since last Friday. The Under is 46-22-3 in the Hurricanes’ last 71 games when playing with at least three days between games. Boston has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a victory. They are allowing just 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they limit their visitors to just 2.4 Goals-Per-Game this season. The Bruins have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total on their home ice. The Under is also 15-6-5 in Boston’s last 26 games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. The team will be without their star young defenseman, Charlie McAvoy, who was suspended for this game after an illegal check in his last game against the Blue Jackets. Rookie Connor Clifton will take his place on the blue line in what remains a deep group of defensemen for the Bruins.

FINAL TAKE: Boston won the last game between these two teams back on March 5th with the Bruins winning that game by a 4-3 score. The Hurricanes have played 14 of their last 18 games Under the Total on the road when avenging a loss by just one goal. Carolina has also played 16 of their last 23 games Under the Total when playing with revenge where they allowed at least four goals. 20* NHL Carolina-Boston NBC Sports Network O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (1) and the Boston Bruins (2). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (27) and the San Jose Sharks (28). THE SITUATION: Colorado (45-34-14) forced a climactic seventh game in this series on Monday with their 4-3 victory in overtime at home against San Jose (53-33-7). The Sharks host Game Seven in their SAP Center.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Avalanche have played 16 of their last 23 games Under the Total after a win at home — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a win at home by just one goal. Colorado has also played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a win at home where they scored at least four goals — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a game at home where both teams scored at least three goals. The Under is also 11-3-2 overall in the Avalanche’s last 16 games after a victory — and the Under is 13-4-2 in Colorado’s last 19 games when playing with one day of rest. The Avalanche’s offense has slowed down in this series as they have scored just 2.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contest as compared to their 3.2 Goals-Per-Game scoring average for the season. Now Colorado goes back on the road where the Under is 9-3-1 in their last 13 games — and the Under is 11-4-1 in their last 16 road games as an underdog. Additionally, the Avalanche have played 6 of their last 9 road games Under the Total with the number set at 5.5. Colorado has also played 14 of their last 23 games Under the Total when facing elimination in a playoff series. San Jose has played 17 of their last 24 games Under the Total when facing elimination in a playoff series. The Sharks offense has also slowed down as this series has moved forward as they are scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games as opposed to their 3.5 Goals-Per-Game scoring average for the season. San Jose has also played 5 of their last 8 games Under the Total bouncing back from an overtime loss.

FINAL TAKE: Two of the last three games in this series have seen just three combined goals scored. Look for this to be another lower scoring game. 25* NHL Second Round Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (27) and the San Jose Sharks (28). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Wednesday we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (28) versus the Colorado Avalanche (27). THE SITUATION: Colorado (45-34-14) forced a climactic seventh game in this series on Monday with their 4-3 victory in overtime at home against San Jose (53-33-7). The Sharks host Game Seven in their SAP Center.

REASONS TO TAKE SAN JOSE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Sharks return home where they have won 5 of their 7 playoff games in this postseason for a dominant 30-13-3 mark overall this season. San Jose has won 4 straight home games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range — and they have also won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Furthermore, the Sharks have won 7 of their last 8 home games with the Total set at 5.5. This is a battle-tested team that has already won one Game Seven in these playoffs with their overtime victory against Vegas last round where they rallied from a 3-0 third-period deficit. San Jose has won seven of their eleven Game Sevens in their franchise history. Their roster has also combined to play 55 Game Sevens which gives them a significant experience edge over this Avalanche team. Goalie Martin Jones raised his level of play when the Sharks were trailing 3-1 against the Golden Knights last round as he stepped up to post a .946 save percentage by stopping 122 of the 129 shots he faced in Games Five, Six, and Seven. San Jose has also won 3 straight games when facing elimination in the playoffs. Colorado has lost 14 of their last 20 games after a win at home by just one goal — and they have lost 17 of their last 23 games after winning their last game in overtime. The Avalanche have also lost 22 of their last 34 games after scoring at least four goals in their last contest. Colorado’s players have participated in just twenty combined Game Sevens in their career — and the Avalanche have lost six of their ten Game Sevens in their franchise history. Now Colorado must play on the road where they are just 20-19-8 this season. The Avalanche have lost a decisive 43 of their last 62 games on the road with the Total set at 5.5 — and they have lost 35 of their last 51 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. Colorado has lost 13 of their last 16 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range — and they have lost 6 of their last 8 playoff games when priced as an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: The SAP Center has been a house of horrors for the Avalanche as of late as they have lost 20 of their last 24 games played there against the Sharks. San Jose has also won 17 of their last 26 games when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 10* NHL Colorado-San Jose NBC Sports Network Special with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (28) versus the Colorado Avalanche (27). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (23) and the St. Louis Blues (24). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (52-33-9) forced a climactic seventh game of this series on Sunday with their 4-1 win on the road at Dallas (50-37-7). This series returns to St. Louis tonight with the Blues hosting Game Seven.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Stars should tighten things up on defense after surrendering four goals on Sunday. They are still giving up only 2.3 Goals-Per-Game in the playoffs. Dallas has played 15 of their last 21 games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a loss at home by at least three goals. Furthermore, the Stars have played 22 of their last 33 games Under the Total on the road after a loss at home — and they have played 14 of their last 18 road games Under the Total after a loss at home by at least two goals. Dallas has also played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total on the road after conceding at least four goals in their last game. The Stars goalie, Ben Bishop, left Game Six after taking a slap shot in his collarbone. He will be good to go to play tonight and should bounce-back after surrendering four goals on Sunday. Bishop entered Game Six with a 2.13 Goals-Against-Average and a .936 save percentage in the playoffs. Bishop has been the best goaltender in the NHL this season as he carried Dallas in the second half of the season with a 1.15 GAA along with a .962 save percentage. Bishop also has Game Seven experience as he has pitched two shutouts in his previous two Game Seven opportunities in his career. He has helped the Stars be sensational when playing undermanned in these playoffs. Dallas has successfully thwarted 33 of the 35 Power Play they have faced in this postseason for a .942 Power Play Kill rate. He will need to be outstanding tonight since the Stars score only 2.3 Goals-Per-Game when on the road. The Under is 17-6-5 in Dallas’ last 28 games on the road. The Under is also 11-3-3 in the Stars’ last 17 games as an underdog priced in the +110 +150 price range. St. Louis has played 10 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a win on the road by at least two goals. The Blues have also played 15 of their last 22 games Under the Total after not allowing more than one goal in their last game — and the Under is 18-7-3 in their last 28 games when facing an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last contest. Their rookie goaltender, Jordan Bennington, stepped up on Sunday by stopping 22 of the 23 shots he faced. Bennington was spectacular in the second half of the season with a 1.90 GAA with a .928 save percentage in twenty-three regular season starts after the All-Star Break. St. Louis has played 5 of their last 6 home games Under the Total as a home favorite. The Blues have also played 13 of their last 20 playoff games Under the Total when facing elimination.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by at least two goals — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals. The Under is also 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two teams when playing in St. Louis. 25* NHL Central Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (23) and the St. Louis Blues (24). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (16) versus the San Jose Sharks (15). THE SITUATION: San Jose (53-32-7) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Saturday with their 2-1 win over Colorado (44-34-14). This series returns to Denver with the Avalanche hosting Game Six.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AVALANCHE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Colorado has won 4 of their last 5 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 12 of their last 15 games when playing with just one day of rest. The Avalanche will likely get more from their star, Nathan MacKinnon, who did not register a point on Saturday. MacKinnon has three goals with two assists in this series. They are getting outstanding goaltending from Philip Grubauer who has a 2.16 Goals-Against-Average in this series. They return home where they have 9 of their last 10 games. Colorado has also won 3 straight playoff games when trailing in the series. San Jose has lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road. They also have lost 4 of their last 5 playoff games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. And in their last 23 Game Sixes in a playoff series, the Sharks have lost 17 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Look for the Avalanche to force a climactic seventh game of this series. 20* NHL San Jose-Colorado NBC Sports Network Special with the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (16) versus the San Jose Sharks (15). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (14) versus the Boston Bruins (13). THE SITUATION: Boston (56-29-9) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Saturday with their 4-3 victory over Columbus (53-34-4). The Blue Jackets host the sixth game of this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE COLUMBUS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Blue Jackets should not be counted out just yet in this series — this team has only lost four times since March 24th. Columbus has won 21 of their last 33 games after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored. The Blue Jackets have also won 7 of their last 10 games when playing with one day of rest. Columbus is doing a good job of pressuring the Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask. They have peppered Rask with 40, 34, and 41 shots in each of the last three games — and they have won 5 of their last 7 games after generating at least 33 shots on net in three straight games. Columbus returns home where they have won 8 of their last 10 games. The Blue Jackets need to get their Power Play going as they have not scored in their last six opportunities over the last two games. Columbus scored five Power Play goals in their ten opportunities in their opening round series with Tampa Bay while converting in three of their seven Power Plays in Games Two and Three of this series. The Blue Jackets have won 7 of their last 9 games when favored. Boston has lost 7 of their last 10 games in the playoffs as an underdog. The Bruins have also lost 6 of their last 8 games when leading in a playoff series — and they have lost 11 of their last 13 road games when attempting to close out a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Look for Columbus to extend this to a climactic final game in this series. 25* NHL Second Round Eastern Conference Playoff Game of the year with the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (14) versus the Boston Bruins (13). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (5) and the Dallas Stars (6). THE SITUATION: Dallas (50-36-7) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Friday with their 2-1 victory at St. Louis (51-33-9). The Stars return home to attempt to close out this series on their home ice.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Blues will be playing with desperation this afternoon with their season hanging in the balance. St. Louis averages 3.0 Goals-Per-Game this season but they have managed only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. The Blues need to get their Power Play going as they have only scored twice in their sixteen opportunities with the man advantage against the Stars in this series. They should be scoring more than that 12.3% clip considering that they scored five goals in their nineteen chances on the Power Play in their opening round series against Winnipeg for a 26.3% clip. St. Louis has seen a regression in their rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington, in these playoffs. After posting a 1.90 Goals-Against-Average with a .928 save percentage in his last twenty-three regular season starts after the All-Star Break, Binnington has 2.73 GAA along with a .908 save percentage in these playoffs. The Blues have played 10 of their last 16 games Over the Total after playing their last two games against a Central Division rival. The Over is also 7-3-1 in their last 11 road games against teams with a winning record at home. St. Louis has also played 4 straight games Over the Total with the number set at 5 or less. Dallas has played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after playing their last three games against divisional foes — and they have played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total after winning two straight games against Central Division opponents. The Stars have found their offense as they have scored 3.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Dallas has played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total at home with the Total set at 5 or less. And the Over is 8-2-3 in the Stars’ last 13 games when favored in the -110 t0 -150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: This is been a higher scoring series with only Game Five seeing less than five combined goals scored and three of these contests seeing at least six combined goals were scored. 25* NHL Second Round NBC-TV Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (5) and the Dallas Stars (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (4) and the Colorado Avalanche (3). THE SITUATION: Colorado (44-33-14) evened this series at 2-2 on Thursday with their 3-0 shutout win at home over the Sharks. San Jose (52-32-7) returns home to host the fifth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SHARKS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: San Jose should respond with a strong effort back on their home ice. The Sharks have won a decisive 38 of their last 56 games after a loss by at least three goals — and this includes them winning twelve of their last sixteen games after losing their last game by at least three goals. San Jose has also won 4 of their last 5 games after a loss on the road where they were shutout. The Sharks have also won 7 of their last 8 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game. San Jose returns home to the SAP Center where they are 28-13-3 this season. The Sharks have won 6 of their last 8 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. San Jose has also won 5 of their last 6 home games as a favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range — and they have won 7 of their last 8 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Colorado has lost 9 of their last 13 games after generating a shutout victory — and they have lost 6 of their last 9 games after earning a shutout win on their home ice. Furthermore, the Avalanche have lost 14 of their last 23 games after a win by at least three goals — and they have lost 14 of their last 23 games after playing their last two games at home. Now Colorado goes back on the road where they are just 19-18-8 this season. The Avalanche has lost 36 of their last 53 road games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games on their home ice. Colorado has also lost 12 of their last 15 games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Additionally, the Avalanche have lost 11 of their last 13 games in the Western Conference Semifinals.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has won 12 of their last 16 games when avenging a loss by at least three goals. The Sharks have also won 5 of their last 6 games when avenging a shutout loss to their opponent. Colorado did win the second game of this series on the Shark Tank — but they are still just 3-16-5 in their last twenty-four trips to the SAP Center to play San Jose. 25* NHL Second Round Bailout Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (4) and the Colorado Avalanche (3). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Islanders (79) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (80). THE SITUATION: Carolina (53-32-7) took a commanding 3-0 lead in this series on Wednesday with their 5-2 victory at home over New York (52-30-7). The Hurricanes look to close out this series at home in their PNC Arena tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ISLANDERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: This has been a much closer series than the 3-0 lead the Hurricanes currently enjoy suggests. New York lost Game One in overtime after the first 60 minutes were scoreless before losing Game Two by a 2-1 score. The Islanders were trailing 3-2 on Wednesday when they pulled their goal out of desperation which allowed for Carolina to score two late empty netters. The Islanders allowed the fewest goals in the NHL in the regular season — but they were just 21st in the league in goals scored. The problem with living on the edge eking out low-scoring games is that a team can suddenly drop three in a row. However, the plus side of being a stout defensive team is that those fundamentals should put them in a position to win most of their games. Head coach Barry Trotz has overseen a number of comebacks in a playoff series during his tenure in the league — he can point most recently to his Washington Capitals rallying from a 0-2 deficit to Columbus last year in the opening round of the playoffs when they lost their first two games at home. Certainly, an 0-3 deficit makes the situation even direr — but this Islanders team should continue to play very hard for Trotz. New York has won 12 of their last 17 games after a loss on the road. The Islanders have also won 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by at least three goals — and they have won 8 of their last 11 games after a loss by at least three goals on the road. New York has also won an incredible 16 of their last 18 games after not scoring more than two goals in two straight games. The defensive identity of this team under Trotz does keep them competitive on the road. They are allowing only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. The Islanders have won 5 of their last 6 games on the road. New York is also a dangerous underdog at all times. The Islanders have won 5 of their last 6 games as an underdog — and they have won 9 of their last 13 road games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Carolina has won five games in a row after rallying from their 3-2 deficit to the Capitals in the opening round of the playoffs — but they have then lost 3 straight games when trying to extend a winning streak to six games. The Hurricanes led the NHL in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For analytics that measure net differential in shot attempts. But this Carolina team is not a high-scoring team either — they ranked 16th in the NHL in goals scored despite their strong possession numbers. This Hurricanes got a great performance from goalie Curtis McElhinney on Wednesday as he stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced. Petr Mrazek has been declared out for tonight’s game so McElhinney will be called on again by head coach Rod Brind’Amour. McElhinney was in a regular platoon during the regular season with Mrazek — but his 2.67 Goals-Against-Average along with a .910 save percentage after the All-Star Break left much to be desired. This remains a team that lacks deep playoff experience — so they may have to learn the old lesson that winning the fourth game in a playoff series is usually the hardest. The Islanders have lost 5 of their last 7 home games where they were hosting the Hurricanes.

FINAL TAKE: New York has won 9 of their last 13 road games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals — and they have won 8 of their last 9 road games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least two goals. The underdog has won 20 of the last 27 meetings between these two teams which makes the Islanders a very intriguing proposition tonight. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Underdog of the Year with the money-line on the New York Islanders (79) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (80). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (78) versus the San Jose Sharks (77). THE SITUATION: San Jose (52-31-17) won the third game of this series on Tuesday with their 4-2 victory over Colorado (43-33-14) to take a 2-1 lead in this series. The Avalanche host Game Four of this series before things move back to San Jose.

REASONS TO TAKE COLORADO WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Avalanche head coach Jerad Bednar was not happy with his team’s effort or the decisions regarding the puck on Tuesday. Perhaps they were a bit overconfident after seizing home-ice advantage with their upset victory in San Jose on Sunday. Bednar can take some confidence in their improved play in the third period when they rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie the game. Unfortunately for Colorado, they then allowed the Sharks to immediately take the lead again. That final goal was a late empty netter so that final score was not indicative as to how close this game was. Look for the Avalanche to respond with one of their best efforts in the postseason. They have won 11 of their last 13 games when playing with one day of rest. Colorado has been tough at home as of late having won 8 of their last 9 home games. The Avalanche have scored 34 goals over those last nine games for a robust 3.78 Goals-Per-Game average — and they have allowed just 19 goals (even after the four goals the Sharks scored) 2.11 Goals-Allowed mark over those last nine home games. Colorado has also won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. San Jose has lost 9 of their last 15 games after a victory on the road where they scored at least four goals. While this team is playing better defense as of late, they are still surrendering 3.5 Goals-Per-Game when playing away from home. The Sharks have also lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road. Goalie Martin Jones had a troubling 3.14 Goals-Against-Average during the regular season on the road with a .894 save percentage. Furthermore, San Jose has lost 5 of their last 7 playoff games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. This team will remain without Joe Pavelski and his 38 regular season goals as he is still not ready to play after taking that big hit in Game Seven of their series with Vegas.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado has won 14 of their last 21 games when looking to avenge a loss at home by at least two goals. Look for the Avalanche to even this series at 2-2. 25* NHL Second Round Western Conference Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (78) versus the San Jose Sharks (77). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:38 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (74) versus the St. Louis Blues (73). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (51-31-9) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Monday with their 4-3 victory over Dallas (48-36-7). The Stars stay at home for Game Four trying to even this series at 2-2.

REASONS TO TAKE DALLAS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Stars should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have won 13 of their last 17 games after a loss on their home ice — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games after a loss at home by just one goal. Head coach Jim Montgomery will be making an adjustment in this game by moving rookie Rope Hintz on to the Jamie Benn-Alexander Radulov line while moving Tyler Seguin to the Mats Zuccarello-Jason Dickinson line with the goal being Seguing will make that second line a little more potent. Dallas’ tough-checking defensive structure makes them a difficult opponent — there is a reason they defeated Nashville last round in six games. The Stars have won 4 of their last 5 home games when favored. They also have won 7 of their last 10 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. St. Louis has now won four straight games on the road in the playoffs after winning three games in Winnipeg in their opening round series — but that is a difficult streak to maintain. The Blues have still lost 15 of their last 21 playoff games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. St. Louis has won their two games in this series by just one goal. They have only scored once in their nine Power Play chances after peppering the Jets for five Power Play goals in their nineteen opportunities for a 26.3% success rate. This remains a franchise that entered this series having lost 23 of their last 38 games in the Western Conference Semifinals — and they have dropped their last three Game Fours of a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: St. Louis has lost 4 of their last 5 trips to Dallas to play the Stars. Look for Dallas to even this series at 2-2. 25* NHL Central Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (74) versus the St. Louis Blues (73). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the San Jose Sharks (69) and the Colorado Avalanche (70). THE SITUATION: Colorado (43-32-14) evened this series at 1-1 on Sunday with their 4-3 victory over San Jose (51-31-7). This series moves to Denver where the Avalanche will host Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Under is 10-3-1 in Colorado’s last 14 games after a win. The Under is also 11-3-1 in their last 15 games when playing with one day of rest. The Avalanche return home where they are allowing only 2.8 Goals-Per-Game this season. Over their last five games, they are giving up only 2.6 Goals-Per-Game — and they have not allowed more than three goals in five of their last six games. Additionally, Colorado has played 4 of their last 5 games at home Under the Total as the favorite. San Jose has seen at least seven combined goals scored in their last three games — but they have then played 8 of their last 13 games Under the Total after playing three straight games where at least seven combined goals were scored. The Sharks have also played 26 of their last 44 games Under the Total after losing a game on their home ice. San Jose goes on the road again for the first time since Game Six of their opening round series with Vegas. The Sharks have played 21 of their last 35 games Under the Total after playing three straight games at home. San Jose has also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when playing on the road. Over their last five games, the Sharks have improved their play on defense as they are allowing just 2.6 Goals-Per-Game.

FINAL TAKE: Game Three saw only three combined goals scored over the first 50 minutes of play before four combined goals were scored over those final ten minutes. Expect this to be the lowest scoring game of the series (so far). 10* NHL San Jose-Colorado NBC Sports Network O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the San Jose Sharks (69) and the Colorado Avalanche (70). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (67) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (68). THE SITUATION: Columbus (52-32-4) evened this series at 1-1 on Saturday with their 3-2 victory in overtime versus Boston (54-28-9). The series moves to Columbus for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MONEY-LINE ON THE BRUINS: Boston should respond with a strong effort tonight after losing home-ice advantage on Saturday. The Bruins have won 13 of their last 17 games after suffering a loss by just one goal. Boston has also won 43 of their last 60 games after scoring two goals or less in their last contest. Remember that this Bruins team was 22-7-4 in their last thirty-three games of the regular season after overcoming injuries to start the season. Their 107 points in the regular season were tied for the second most in the NHL (with Calgary and Tampa Bay now eliminated from the playoffs). The extra day off since Saturday should help their veterans retool for this contest — Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron have yet to register points in this series. Head coach Bruce Cassidy certainly used the extra day to tinker with his team’s Power Play that has only scored once in eight chances so far in this series. The Bruins have won 24 of their last 31 games when playing with two days of rest. Boston has also won 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have won 12 of their last 16 road games against teams with a winning record at home. They should continue to get goaltending from Tuukka Rask who has a strong 2.24 Goals-Against-Average in these playoffs. The Bruins have also won 4 of their last 5 games as the underdog. Columbus has lost 4 straight games in the playoffs when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. They also have lost 8 of their last 12 playoff games on home ice in their franchise history. The Blue Jackets are seeing great production from their Power Play as they have scored seven times in eighteen opportunities with the man advantage in these playoffs. However, that 38.9% success rate on the Power Play is simply not sustainable. This is just Columbus’ third game over the last fourteen days. Not only have the Blue Jackets lost 5 of their last 6 games when playing no more than their third game in ten days but they have also lost 9 of their last 12 home games when playing no more than their fifth game in the last fourteen days. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky played much better in the second half of the season for Columbus — but he still ended the regular season with an unappealing 2.73 Goals-Against-Average at home along with a .907 save percentage. This Blue Jackets franchise has lost 3 straight playoff games when the series is tied — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 third games of a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has won 16 of their last 25 games when playing with revenge. The first two games of this series have seen three combined overtime periods played in addition to the 120 minutes of regulation. While the value in this close series is with the underdog tonight, I like the Bruins to bounce-back to earn the win to retake home ice advantage. 25* NHL Underdog of the Month with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (67) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (68). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:38 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (53) and the San Jose Sharks (54). THE SITUATION: San Jose (51-30-7) won the opening game of this series on Friday with their 5-2 victory over Colorado (42-32-14). The Sharks host Game Two of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: San Jose has played 13 of their last 18 home games Over the Total after a win by at least two goals. The Sharks have also played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after allowing no more than two goals in their last game. San Jose is scoring 3.7 Goals-Per-Game on their home ice this season — and they have generated ten goals over their last two games. The Sharks have then played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after scoring at least five goals in two straight games. But this San Jose team is also allowing 2.9 Goals-Per-Game at home this season with their tendency to have their offensive-minded defensemen, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, play aggressively up the ice. In the playoffs, the Sharks are allowing 3.4 Goals-Per-Game. The Sharks stay at home where they have played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total — and they have played 8 straight home games Over the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. San Jose has also played 5 straight games Over the Total in the playoffs as the favorite. Colorado has played 31 of their last 51 games Over the Total after a loss on the road. The Avalanche had won four straight games in their series with Calgary before dropping Game One of this series — and they have played 13 of their last 20 games Over the Total after winning three of their last four games. This is Colorado’s fifth game over the last fourteen days — and they have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total when playing no more than five games in the last fourteen days.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado has lost their last five meetings with the Sharks — and they have played 37 of their last 57 games Over the Total when playing with at least double-revenge. The Over is also 9-1-1 in the last 11 meetings between these two teams in San Jose. 25* NHL Western Conference Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (53) and the San Jose Sharks (54). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (43) versus the Boston Bruins (44). THE SITUATION: Boston (54-27-9) seized a 1-0 lead in this series on Thursday with their 3-2 win overtime over Columbus (51-32-4). The Bruins host Game Two of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE JACKETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Columbus had been on a six-game winning streak before losing in Boston on Thursday. They looked rusty after having eight days off from their opening round sweep of Tampa Bay. They entered the third period trailing by a 1-0 score before taking a 2-1 lead in a thirteen-second span where they scored twice — but the Bruins scored again to force overtime where they eventually won that coin flip of a game. The Blue Jackets have won 18 of their last 25 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. The Blue Jackets are still scoring 4.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they average 3.1 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road. This Columbus team absolutely dominated the President’s Trophy winners in the Lightning. After falling behind by a 3-0 margin in the first period of the opening game of that series, they then outscored Tampa Bay by a whopping 19 to 5 margin. This is a team that only lost once since March 24th as the roster moves this team made at the trade deadline proved to be the right mix for John Tortorella. Remember that this team took a 2-0 lead over Washington in the opening round of last year’s playoffs before losing four straight to the eventual Stanley Cup champions. This is a talented team. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was outstanding in Game One to keep them in that game as he stopped 34 of the 37 shots he faced. Bobrovsky enjoyed a 2.20 Goals-Against-Average along with a .924 save percentage after the All-Star Break to close out the regular season. And while Columbus has allowed six goals over their last two games, the Blue Jackets have won 10 of their last 12 on the road after allowing at least two goals in their last game. Columbus has won 7 of their last 8 games on the road. They are also dangerous underdogs as they have won 5 of their last 6 games as an underdog — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games in the playoffs as a money-line underdog. Boston may be without center David Krejci in this game after he was hit hard by Rick Nash in Game One — he is a game-time decision tonight. Krejci had moved up to the Bruins’ top-line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak which allowed head coach Bruce Cassidy to drop center Patrice Bergeron to the second-line. While Bergeron will likely go back to form what be the best line in the NHL, it leaves the Bruins thin after those top three forwards — and that is what triggered Cassidy’s recent move. Boston had scored at least three goals in three straight games — but they have lost 11 of their last 17 games after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. Boston has still lost 4 of their last 5 games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 games when leading in a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Look for the Blue Jackets to even this series at 1-1 before this series returns to Columbus for Games Three and Four. Remember that the Bruins lost twice at home in their opening round series against Toronto. 25* NHL NBC-TV Game of the Month with the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (43) versus the Boston Bruins (44). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Columbus Blue Jackets (43) and the Boston Bruins (44). THE SITUATION: Boston (54-27-9) seized a 1-0 lead in this series on Thursday with their 3-2 win overtime over Columbus (51-32-4). The Bruins host Game Two of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Columbus had been on a six-game winning streak before losing in Boston on Thursday. They looked rusty after having eight days off from their opening-round sweep of Tampa Bay. They entered the third period trailing by a 1-0 score before taking a 2-1 lead in a thirteen second span where they scored twice — but the Bruins scored again to force overtime where they eventually won that coin flip of a game. The Blue Jackets are still scoring 4.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they average 3.1 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road. This Columbus team absolutely dominated the President’s Trophy winners in the Lightning. After falling behind by a 3-0 margin in the first period of the opening game of that series, they then outscored Tampa Bay by a whopping 19 to 5 margin. They have only lost twice since March 24th — and they have played 16 of their last 20 road games Over the Total after winning at least eight games of their last ten games. The Blue Jackets have also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total in the playoffs as a money-line underdog priced at +110 to +150 price range. And in their last 10 playoff games when trailing in the series, Columbus has played 8 of these games Over the Total. Boston has played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total when leading in a playoff series. They also have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total against a team that did not score more than two goals in their last game. They have now won three straight games after rallying from a 3-2 series deficit last round against Toronto. The Bruins have played 19 of their last 30 games Over the Total after winning two straight games. Boston has not allowed more than two goals in four straight games — and they have played 27 of their last 45 games Over the Total after not allowing more than two goals in their last two games. The Bruins are scoring 3.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they are averaging 3.4 Goals-Per-Game on their home ice.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total. Expect another high scoring game tonight. 10* NHL Saturday Night Discounted Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Columbus Blue Jackets (43) and the Boston Bruins (44). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (41) and the St. Louis Blues (42). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (50-30-9) won the opening game of this series on Thursday with their 3-2 victory over Dallas (47-35-9). The Blues host Game Two of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: St. Louis has played 11 of their last 15 games Over the Total after a win over a fellow Central Division rival — and they have also played six straight games at home Over the Total after a victory over a divisional foe. Furthermore, the Blues have played 16 of their last 24 games Over the Total after a win on their home ice. Additionally, St. Louis has played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a narrow victory by just one goal. The Blues have played three straight games that concluded with 3-2 scores which makes taking the Over seem like a safe investment with a Push being the worst case scenario. St. Louis has played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after winning at least two straight games by just one goal. The Blues score 3.2 Goals-Per-Game on home ice this season — but they are also allowing 3.0 Goals-Per-Game at home. In defeating Winnipeg in six games last round, St, Louis converted on 5 of their 19 Power Play opportunities which translated into an impressive 26.3% success rate. Dallas has seen at least five combined goals scored in four of their last five games. While the Stars have been an Under machine for much of the season, they have quietly players 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total in the month of April. Dallas has also played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total on the road with the Total set at 5. Over their last five games, the Stars are scoring 3.2 Goals-Per-Game. When playing on the road, Dallas allows 2.6 Goals-Per-Game. Additionally, the Over is 7-2-7 in the Stars’ last 16 playoff games as a money-line underfoot priced in the +110 to +150 range. The Over is also 3-0-4 in the Stars’ last 7 games in the Western Conference Playoff Semifinals.

FINAL TAKE: With the Total set at 5, the worst case scenario is likely another 3-2 final score — but I do think both teams find the back of the net three times (or perhaps this game ends with a 4-2 score). 25* NHL NBC-TV Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (41) and the St. Louis Blues (42). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (5) and the San Jose Sharks (6). THE SITUATION: Colorado (42-31-14) takes the ice again after winning four straight games to dispatch of Calgary in five games with their 5-1 win on the road last Friday. San Jose (50-30-7) has won three straight games after surviving their seven-game series with Vegas on Sunday with their 5-4 victory in overtime. The Sharks host the first two games of this seven-game series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Sharks rallied from being down 3-1 in that series with the Golden Knights to eke out the last two games in that series in overtime. San Jose has played 10 of their last 16 games Under the Total after going to overtime in their last two contests — and they have also played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after winning their last two games by just one goal against a Pacific Division rival. The Sharks have also played 71 of their last 111 games Under the Total after a game where both teams scored at least four goals. Remember, that Game Seven was looking like another shutout in that series for goalie Marc-Andre Fleury before that controversial call on Vegas when Joe Pavelski was double-hit and fell to the ice where his head started bleeding. Replays strongly suggest that the second hit from Paul Stastny was an inadvertent bump — but the five-minute major that was called on the Golden Knights resulted in a five-minute power play where the Sharks scored four times with the man-advantage to jumpstart their offense. Perhaps the most important development during that series was the improved play of goalie Martin Jones. After allowing 13 goals on 80 shots for a rough .838 save percentage in the first four games of that series, he stopped 122 of the next 129 shots he faced for a sparkling .946 save percentage in those three elimination games which included over two full periods of overtime hockey. San Jose was converting on only 4 of their 29 (13.8%) of their Power Play chances in that series before that miraculous five-minute Power Play on Sunday. But the ripple effect from that game will be felt tonight with Pavelski being declared out for Game One as he recovers from that head injury. Not only will the Sharks miss his 38 goals in the regular season, but head coach Peter DeBoer moved him to the second-line help provide his team more depth. Colorado has seen the Under go 10-2-1 in their last 13 games after a win — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after winning three games in a row. The Avalanche has also scored at least three goals in four straight games — but they have then played 13 of their last 17 games Under the Total after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. Colorado has a dynamic first line of forwards led by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. But what the Sharks got better at in their series with Vegas was contain their elite line of Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Statsny which they checked with the defensive pairing of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Brent Burns — and DeBoer has final choice regarding what players to put on the ice as the home team so he can ensure that top pair will combat MacKinnon and company. After losing by a 5-0 score in Game Four, the Sharks allowed only seven goals in the remaining three games in that series which went around 220 minutes of ice time when accounting for overtimes. What was underappreciated about the Avalanche in the first round was their strong defensive play against the Flames as they allowed only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game in those five games while not allowing more than two goals in those last four games. They stay on the road where the Under is 8-1-1 in their last 10 games — and the Under is also 3-0-1 in Colorado’s last 4 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on home ice.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams last played on April 6th where San Jose won at home by a 5-2 margin. The Avalanche have played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total when avenging a loss by at least three goals. 25* NHL Bailout Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (5) and the San Jose Sharks (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (7) and the New York Islanders (8). THE SITUATION: Carolina (50-32-7) has won four of their last five games after defeating the Capitals in Washington on Wednesday with their 4-3 win in overtime in the climactic seventh game of that series. New York (52-27-7) has won their last six games after completing their seven-game sweep of the Penguins with their 3-1 win in Pittsburgh back on April 16th. The Islanders host this game in the Barclays Center to begin this seven-game series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Hurricanes have played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total after winning four of their last five games. Carolina has also won 8 of their last 13 games Under the Total after scoring at least four goals against a Metropolitan Division rival in their last game. Furthermore, the Hurricanes have played 16 of their last 24 road games Under the Total after playing a game on the road — and they have played 19 of their last 28 games Under the Total after a game on the road where both teams scored at least three goals. Carolina is getting outstanding goaltending from Petr Mrazek who had a 1.83 Goals-Against-Average with a .938 save percentage after the All-Star Break during the regular season. The Hurricanes held the Capitals to just 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over the last five games in that series. Carolina has also played 22 of their last 34 games Under the Total when playing Metropolitan Division rivals. And while the Hurricanes have played three straight Overs, they have then played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total. New York has only allowed one goal in each of their last three games. Goalie Robin Lehner enjoys a 2.05 Goals-Against-Average with a .929 save percentage when playing at home this season. Over their last five games, the Islanders allowed only 1.2 Goals-Per-Game. Moving forward, the Under is 34-16-2 in New York’s last 52 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. But the Isles will likely be rusty in their offensive execution after not being in a real game in ten days. They return home where they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total. New York has also played 11 of their last 13 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The Islanders led the NHL by allowing only 196 goals this season — and the Hurricanes were not far behind as they finished tied for sixth in fewest goals allowed. While I suspect some of the games in this series to finish Over the Total, look for both these teams to be cautious in this opener. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (7) and the New York Islanders (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:38 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (5) and the St. Louis Blues (6). THE SITUATION: Dallas (47-34-7) won the last three games of their opening round series to defeat Nashville in six games with their 2-1 victory in overtime on Monday. St. Louis (49-30-9) won their last two games in their series with Winnipeg to also dispatch of them in six games with their 3-2 victory last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Under is 31-13-7 in the Stars’ last 51 games after a victory — and they have played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a win over a Central Division rival. Dallas has also played 12 of their last 15 games Under the Total after a narrow win by just one goal — and the Under is 19-5-6 in their last 30 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. The Stars were the second best defensive team in the NHL during the regular season where they allowed just 2.44 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Ben Bishop enjoyed a 1.15 Goals-Against-Average with a .962 save percentage in his fifteen regular season starts after the All-Star Break. Dallas allowed only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. But this team also scores only 2.3 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road with only their top forward line being a reliable source of goals. The Under is 17-6-4 in the Stars’ last 27 games on the road — and the Under is 13-4-4 in their last 21 road games against teams with a winning record at home. The Under is also 10-2-2 in Dallas’ last 14 games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. St. Louis has played 16 of their last 19 games Under the Total after winning two straight games. They are led by a red hot goaltender that spearheaded their strong second half of the season in rookie Jordan Bennington who enjoyed a 1.90 GAA with a .928 save percentage in the twenty-three regular season starts after the All-Star Break. The Blues have played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 9 home games Under the Total when priced as a favorite in the -151 to -200 price range. The Under is also 20-8-2 in St. Louis’  last 30 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas was a perfect 15 of 15 with their Power Play kills in the opening round of the playoffs — and the Blues were solid by allowing only three goals in fourteen Power Plays for the Jets. These two teams have played 5 of their last 6 meetings Under the Total. Expect this opening game to continue this low-scoring tempo. 25* NHL Central Division Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (5) and the St. Louis Blues (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total run in the game between the Columbus Blue Jackets (3) and the Boston Bruins (4). THE SITUATION: Columbus (51-31-4) takes the ice with this first time since April 16th after they completed an improbable 4-0 sweep over Tampa Bay that concluded with a 7-3 victory back on April 16th. Boston (53-27-9) pulled out a seven-game series on Tuesday when they defeated Toronto by a 5-1 score. The Bruins host the opening two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blue Jackets will likely be a bit rusty having not played in twelve days. Their head coach, John Tortorella, is a veteran who has led a previous team to a Stanley Cup championship and he will likely continue to rely on his team playing very physical to set the tone on defense. As it is, the Under is 25-11-4 in Columbus’ last 40 games after a victory — and they have played 12 of their last 17 games after a win at home by a test four goals. Additionally, the Under is 6-2-2 in the Blue Jackets’ last 10 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total against a team that did not allow more than two goals in their last contest. The team is getting great goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky who stopped 109 of his 117 shots against the Lightning for a stellar .936 save percentage in that series. Columbus is the hottest team in the NHL right now as they have only lost once since March 24th — and the play of their goaltender has played a big role in their surge. Since the All-Star Break, Bobrovsky has a 2.20 Goals-Against-Average along with a .924 save percentage. The Blue Jackets have allowed only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. Now they go on the road where they have played 12 of their last 15 games Under the Total. The Under is also 7-1-1 in their last 9 road games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Boston has played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game — and they have also played 7 straight home games Under the Total after scoring five or more goals in their last contest. Furthermore, the Bruins have played 8 of their last 9 home games Under the Total after a win over an Atlantic Division rival. Boston will be happy to grind out a heavy-hitting lower scoring game with the Blue Jackets — they finished tied for third in the regular season by allowing only 2.59 Goals-Per-Game. Their goalie, Tuukka Rask, stopped 32 of the 33 shots he faced against the Maple Leafs to lead his team to that Game Seven victory. Rask entered these playoffs with a career 2.25 GAA along with a .924 save percentage in 65 games. Additionally, the Under is 13-4-5 in Boston’s last 22 games in the playoffs as a favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: Columbus’ only loss since Match 24th was a 6-2 loss at home to the Bruins back on April 2nd as a -140 money-line favorite. The Blue Jackets have played 23 of their last 35 games Under the Total when looking to avenge an upset loss — and they have also played 12 of their last 15 games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals. Boston has won the last two meetings between these two teams — and Columbus has played 14 of their last 20 games Under the Total when motivated by double-revenge. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Total of the Month with Columbus Blue Jackets (3) and the Boston Bruins (4). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:38 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (24) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (23). THE SITUATION: Carolina (49-32-7) forced a climactic Game Seven on Monday with their 5-2 victory at home against the Capitals (51-29-8). This series returns to Washington for the final game tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAPITALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Washington should respond with a strong effort after being outplayed on Monday. The Capitals have won 35 of their last 52 games after a loss by at least three goals. Washington has also won 29 of their last 43 games after a loss on the road — and they have won 8 of their last 10 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. And while the Capitals have lost three of their last four games in this series after winning the first two games at home, they have then won 22 of their last 27 games after losing three of their last four games. Even without the injured T.J. Oshie, the reigning Stanley Cup champions have too much star power for the Hurricanes. This team will also be playing in its twelfth playoff Game Seven in the Alex Ovechkin era — so they have a significant experience advantage over this Hurricanes team that entered this series with just 342 combined games of playoff experience (as compared to the 1282 combined playoff games of experience for the Capitals). Washington is very tough at home where they have won 40 of their last 58 games with the Total sent at 5.5. The Capitals have also won 7 of their last 8 home games when priced as the favorite in the -110 to -150 price range. Carolina has lost 10 of their last 12 road games off a victory of at least three goals. This Hurricanes team remains undermanned with Andrei Svechnikov still out after suffering a concussion at the hands of an Ovechkin's fist — and Micheal Ferland also remains out with an upper-body injury. Carolina has lost 6 of their last 8 games on the road — and they have lost 9 of their last 13 road games with the Total set at 5.5. The Hurricanes have also lost 38 of their last 52 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. Furthermore, the Hurricanes have lost 13 of their last 16 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range — and they have lost 6 straight playoff games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Washington has won 28 of their last 40 games when avenging a loss on the road to their opponent. With their playoff experience, a significant edge at goalie between Braden Holtby versus Petr Mrazek and the best two players on the ice in Ovechkin and (albeit an underachieving) Evgeny Kuznetsov, the Capitals have too many advantages for this upstart Carolina team. 20* NHL Carolina-Washington NBC Sports Network Special with the money-line on the Washington Capitals (24) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (23). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Vegas Golden Knights (11) and the San Jose Sharks (12). THE SITUATION: San Jose (49-30-7) forced a climactic seventh game in this series on Sunday with their 2-1 double-overtime victory over Vegas (46-35-7). The Sharks host Game Seven.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Vegas has played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total after losing a game in overtime. They once again got great goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury who stopped 27 of the 29 shots he saw. Fleury’s has won three Game Sevens on the road with his time with Pittsburgh — and he produced a sterling 1.00 Goals-Against-Average with a .959 save percentage in these three games. The Golden Knights have seen the Under go 5-2-1 in their last 8 games in the playoffs as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Vegas has also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when attempting to close out a series. San Jose has played 17 of their last 23 games when facing elimination in a playoff series. This Sharks team is a perfect 35-0 this season when they do not allow more than two goals — so it will likely be the strategy of head coach Peter DeBoer to have his team play conservatively. Goalie Martin Jones has been up-and-down in this series — but he certainly seems to have found his form as of late. He stopped 58 of the 59 shots he faced on Sunday — and he has a .967 save percentage in his last two games. Jones has been beaten at the start of new periods throughout this series — so it seems that he can get settled in, then he plays at his best. San Jose has allowed only three goals over the last two games that includes an extra period and a half from Sunday’s overtime game.

FINAL TAKE: Vegas has played 16 of their last 25 games Under the Total when avenging a loss at home. Expect this to be a cautious game from both teams — much like Game Six. 10* NHL Tuesday Late Show O/U Bailout with Under the Total in the game between the Vegas Golden Knights (11) and the San Jose Sharks (12). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (9). THE SITUATION: Boston (52-27-9) extended this series to a climactic seventh game on Sunday with their 4-2 victory in Toronto against the Maple Leafs (52-27-9). The Bruins return home to host Game Seven.

REASONS TO TAKE BOSTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Bruins should build off their momentum from winning Game Six. Boston has won 9 of their last 11 games for a victory where they scored at least four goals. The Bruins have also won 12 of their last 16 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last game. Now this team returns home where they are 30-11-3 this season. Boston has won 20 of their last 28 home games against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have won 10 of their last 14 home games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. The Bruins have also won 12 of their last 17 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Boston has a big edge in playoff experience going into tonight. Zdeno Chara is playing in his thirteenth Game Seven in a playoff series while veterans Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Krejci will be playing their 11th, 10th, and 8th seventh game in a playoff series. The Bruins are also the better defensive team as the 128 goals they allowed during the regular season on 5-on-5 situations was the second lowest in the NHL. Furthermore, Boston has been getting more production from their Power Play in this series as they have scored 7 times in their 16 Power Play chances (43.8%). Toronto has scored just 3 times in their 14 opportunities with a man advantage (21.4%). The Maple Leafs have had two opportunities on their home ice to either take a commanding 3-1 lead or to close the series out — but they failed in both instances. They are getting outplayed in this series — they have allowed 3.4 Goals-Per-Game in the last five games while scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over that span. Toronto has lost 4 of their last 6 games after losing at home to an Atlantic Division rival. The Maple Leafs have also lost 4 of their last 5 games after scoring two goals or less in their last contest. Additionally, Toronto has lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road. And in their last 11 playoff games as an underdog, the Leafs have lost 8 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto has lost Game Sevens in Boston both last year and 2013. Mental toughness has been an issue for this team all season — and it simply does not appear they have resolved that concern after blowing their best opportunity to win this series at home on Sunday. 25* NHL Atlantic Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (9). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:38 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Nashville Predators (85) and the Dallas Stars (86). THE SITUATION: Dallas (46-34-7) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Saturday with their victory at Nashville (49-32-6). The Stars have the opportunity to close out this series tonight back on their home ice.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Dallas is getting it done with their defense as they ave allowed only eleven goals in the first five games of this series. The Stars not only play a cautious style of play but they are also getting outstanding goaltending from Ben Bishop. The veteran had a 1.98 Goals-Against-Average during the regular season with a .934 save percentage — and those numbers improved to a 1.90 GAA with a .937 save percentage when playing at home. The Under is 30-14-7 in Dallas’ last 51 games after a win — and they have played 14 of their last 17 road games Under the Total after a win. Furthermore, the Stars have played 8 straight games Under the Total after a win on the road where they scored at least four goals. Additionally, Dallas has played 19 of their last 25 games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total — and they have played 5 straight games Over the Total after a game on the road where both teams scored at least three goals. Now the Stars return home where the Under is 9-3-1 in their last 13 games — and the Under is 13-3-1 in their last 17 home games when priced as a favorite in the -110 to -150 range. Nashville has played 27 of their last 40 games Under the Total after a loss to a Central Division rival — and they have also played ten of their last fifteen games Under the Total after a loss at home to a divisional rival. Furthermore, the Under is 22-7-5 in the Predators’ last 34 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 15 of their last 20 games against opponents who scored at least five goals in their last contest. This team has to tighten things up on defense after allowing ten goals in their last two games. Nashville has played 14 of their last 21 games Under the Total after allowing at least five goals in two straight games. Now this team goes on the road where the Under is 8-1-1 in their last 10 games — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Additionally, the Preds have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total when trailing in a playoff series — and they have played 10 of their last 16 games Under the Total when facing elimination.

FINAL TAKE: Nashville has played 7 straight games Under the Total when playing on the road where are attempting to avenge two straight losses by at least two goals. 25* NHL First Round CNBC-TV Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Nashville Predators (85) and the Dallas Stars (86). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (90) versus the Washington Capitals (89). THE SITUATION: Washington (51-28-8) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Saturday with their 6-0 shutout victory over the Hurricanes (48-32-7). This series returns to Carolina for Game Six.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Carolina should respond with a strong effort as they have won 4 of the last 5 games after a loss by at least three goals. The Hurricanes have also won 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. This Carolina team was tops in the NHL during the regular season in both Corsi-For percentage and Fenwick-For percentage which measures puck possession. Those sound fundamentals help explain why the Hurricanes had the third most points in the NHL with a 31-12-2 record since December 31st. Now Carolina returns home where they have won 18 of their last 24 games — and they have won 8 of their last 10 home games when priced as a -110 to -150 favorite. The Hurricanes have also won 9 of their last 10 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Washington has lost 5 of their last 7 games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Carolina has also lost 14 of their last 20 playoff games when priced in that +110 to +150 price range. While the reigning Stanley Cup champions stepped on home ice on Saturday, this may be the game they miss T.J. Oshie and his 25 goals in the regular season after he suffered an upper body in Game Four which will keep him out of the playoffs indefinitely.

FINAL TAKE: The Hurricanes have won 11 of their last 15 games when avenging a loss by at least three goals — and this includes them winning six of these last seven situations. 20* NHL Monday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (90) versus the Washington Capitals (89). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs (63) and the Boston Celtics (64). THE SITUATION: Boston (51-26-9) evened this series at 2-2 on Wednesday with their 6-4 victory over Toronto (48-30-6). The Bruins return home with the opportunity to move within one game of clinching this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Boston has played 8 of their last 10 games at home Under the Total after a victory over an Atlantic Division rival. The Bruins have also played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 6 straight games after scoring at least five goals when they are playing on their home ice. Furthermore, Boston has played 36 of their last 54 games Under the Total after allowing at least four goals in their last game. While it was a high scoring game in Toronto on Wednesday, look for the Bruins defense and goaltender Tuukka Rask to play better tonight. Rask had a 2.32 Goals-Against-Average at home during the regular season with a .913 save percentage. Rask entered this postseason with a 2.25 GAA along with a .924 save percentage in 65 games in the playoffs which includes a Stanley Cup championship run. Boston has played 6 of their last 8 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. The Bruins have also seen the Under go 12-4-5 in their last 21 games in the playoffs when favored and priced in the -110 to -150 price range. Toronto needs to play better with their Power Play Kill Unit as they have allowed Boston to score in 5 of their 11 (45.5%) Power Play chances. The Maple Leafs were just 17th in killing Power Plays during the regular season — but they should get closer to that 79.9% mark as this series moves on. Toronto has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. The Maple Leafs have also played 5 of their last 6 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. And the Under is 5-2-1 in Toronto’ last 8 games as an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: The Maple Leafs have played 10 of their last 13 games on the road when motivated by revenge — and they have played 16 of their last 23 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals. These two teams have played 4 of their last 5 meetings Under the Total. With this game being played in Boston, expect the Bruins’ to win the battle of styles which will result in a slower and more physical game. 25* NHL Atlantic Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs (63) and the Boston Celtics (64). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (58) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (57). THE SITUATION: Vegas (46-33-7) seized a commanding 3-1 lead in this series on Tuesday with their 5-0 shutout victory over the Sharks (47-30-7). This series returns to San Jose tonight for Game Five with the Sharks looking to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE SAN JOSE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Vegas has been dominant over their last three games as they have outscored the Sharks by a 16-6 margin. They have won all three of these games by at least two goals. But the Golden Knights have then lost 6 of their last 8 games after winning their last two games at home by at least two goals. Vegas has also lost 6 of their last 8 games after scoring at least four goals in two straight games. Now the Golden Knights go back on the road where they are just 20-21-2 this season while allowing 3.2 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was not as effective on the road during the regular season where he had a 2.64 Goals-Against-Average along with a .908 save percentage as compared to his 2.40 GAA and .917 save percentage when playing at home. Vegas has lost 5 of their last 6 games on the road. The Golden Knights have also lost 10 of their last 12 road games when priced and an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range. Furthermore, the Golden Knights have lost 11 of their last 18 games when playing on the road with the Total set at 6. San Jose was undermanned on Tuesday with Joe Thornton suspended and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic still injured from taking a puck to the body early in Game Two. Getting Thornton back not only re-establishes the center on their third-line back while allowing Joe Pavelski to return to right wing on the top line but it also sees the heart and soul leader of this squad back on the ice. Vlasic’s return is even more critical because it allows head coach Peter DeBoer to become flexible with his defensive pairings. The Vegas “second” line of Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Paul Stastny has been destroying the Sharks and both their goaltenders. Back on home ice, DeBoer gets the final choice to place his best pure defender in Vlasic on the ice to counter that outstanding line with the option of pairing him with either Erik Karlsson or Brent Burns. That, of course, frees up the third defenseman to anchor the second defensive pairing which can play more aggressively. The soft underbelly of this Vegas team is last year’s top line of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith have regressed so significantly from last year that they are playing closer to what the original projections of what that line would be for an expansion team. San Jose remains a very good team who took the Golden Knights to six games in last year’s playoffs before acquiring Karlsson in the offseason. The Sharks have won 37 of their last 55 games after a loss by at least three goals — and this includes them winning thirteen of their last fourteen games when playing at home after a loss by at least three goals. Back home in San Jose, the Sharks are 26-12-3 this season where they are scoring 3.6 Goals-Per-Game and outscoring their guests by +0.7 Goals-Per-Game. San Jose has won 10 of their last 14 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Martin Jones will get the start between the pipes again tonight after being pulled in two of the last three games. While Jones has a history of inconsistent play during the regular season, he did enter this postseason with a .926 career save percentage in 42 playoff games which included a run to the Stanley Cup Finals three years ago.

FINAL TAKE: The Sharks have won 8 of their last 9 games when looking to avenge an upset loss to their opponent. San Jose has also won 5 of their last 6 games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least four goals to their opponent. And in their last 16 opportunities to snap a losing streak of at least three games to their opponent, the Sharks have won 11 of those contests. 25* NHL Pacific Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (58) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (57). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Calgary Flames (49) and the Colorado Avalanche (50). THE SITUATION: Colorado (40-31-4) seized a 2-1 lead in this series on Monday with their 6-2 victory over Calgary (51-27-7). They host Game Four of this series tonight before the Flames return home to host Game Five.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Avalanche have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a victory — and they have played 7 straight home games Under the Total after scoring at least six goals in their last contest. Colorado has also played 11 of their last 15 home games Under the Total after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored. And in their last 10 games against an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last game, the game finished Under the Total 7 times. Colorado will be undermanned at the forward position tonight with Derick Brassard out with an illness. Head coach Jared Bednar has limited options to replace Brassard with no additional forwards available on his roster. Despite their scoring output on Monday, the Avalanche are scoring only 2.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. They have played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total as a favorite — and they have also played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total against Western Conference opponents. Calgary has played 11 of their last 15 road games Under the Total after a game where at least eight combined goals were scored. The Flames have also played 30 of their last 43 games Under the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last game — and this includes them playing thirteen of their last eighteen games Under the Total after allowing at least five goals. Calgary stays on the road where they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total — and they have played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home.

FINAL TAKE: The Flames were the favorite in their last games against the Avalanche in this series. Calgary has then played 19 of their last 28 road games when looking to avenge two straight upset losses to their opponent. 10* NHL Wednesday Late Show O/U Bailout with Under the Total in the game between the Calgary Flames (49) and the Colorado Avalanche (50). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (48) versus the Nashville Predators (47). THE SITUATION: Dallas (44-34-7) looks to bounce-back from a 3-2 loss at home to Nashville (49-30-6) on Monday. The Predators are up 2-1 in this series with the prospects of getting to host Game Five of this series back in Nashville.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas should respond with a strong effort in this game after dropping the last two games in this series. The Stars have won 45 of their last 65 home games after a loss — and they have also won 20 of their last 26 home games after a loss to a Central Division rival. Dallas has also won 6 of their last 8 home games after a loss by a single goal. The Stars won Game One of this series by a 3-2 score before losing Game Two in overtime by a 2-1 margin. Dallas has then won 8 of their last 10 games after losing two straight games by just one goal. Furthermore, not only have the Stars won 10 of their last 14 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 14 of the last 19 games after scoring two goals or less in their last two games. There is no question that this team wants to put more pressure on the Predators’ goalie Pekka Rinne — but peppering with 42 shots like they did on Monday should eventually reap more goals. Dallas has only converted once in their thirteen Power Play chances in this series — and they were a solid Power Play team during the regular season where they ranked 11th in the NHL by converting on 21% of their chances with a man-advantage. Rookie head coach Jim Montgomery abandoned the Stars’ run-and-gun philosophy over the last few seasons for a more defensive approach that is likely better suited for playoff hockey. This team is second in the NHL by allowing 2.44 Goals-Per-Game. Don’t be surprised if they get an outstanding effort from goalie Ben Bishop after he gave up three goals on Monday. Bishop had a 1.98 Goals-Against-Average during the regular season with a .934 save percentage and seven shutouts. When playing at home, Bishop improved those numbers to a 1.90 GAA with a .937 save percentage. Bishop is also battle-tested in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 2.09 GAA along with a .927 save percentage in 36 playoff games entering this series. Dallas was also tough at home with a 24-14-3 mark this season — and they have won 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. The Stars have also won 8 of their last 11 games against Central Division foes. There is no question that Rinne was outstanding on Monday — but he struggled on the road in the playoffs at times last year which played a large role in his middling 3.07 GAA along with a .904 save percentage in last year’s playoffs. Rinne had a 2.42 GAA with a .918 save percentage during the regular season — but he saw his GAA rise to a 2.72 mark with his save percentage drop to a .915 mark when on the road. The Predators were just 22-15-4 on the road this year as compared to their 25-14-2 mark at home during the regular season. They have a questionable bottom six group of forwards. And there were simply awful on the Power Play this season ranking last with a mere 12.9% conversion rate. Too many slap shots with their players trying to be heroes explain much of the reason for their poor success on the Power Play. Their star defensemen are also beginning to regress or underachieve. Nashville has lost 3 of their last 4 games after winning two straight games against Central Division rivals. And in their last 18 games after a victory over a Central Division foe, the Predators have lost 12 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas plays lower scoring games more often than not — but look for them to expose the shaky Rinne tonight and even this series at 2-2. 25* NHL First Round Central Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (48) versus the Nashville Predators (47). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (45) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (46). THE SITUATION: Toronto (48-29-6) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Monday with their 3-2 victory over Boston (50-26-9). The Maple Leafs host Game Four before this series goes back to Boston for Game Five.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Toronto is doing a great job of containing the Bruins’ top-line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak who were held without a point on Monday. Head coach Mike Babcock will be able to continue to choose his forward group last of John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and Zach Hyman with the home advantage of last option. The Maple Leafs have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total on their home ice — and the Under is also 9-1-1 in their last 11 home games as an underdog priced in the -110 to -150 price range. The Toronto offense will continue to be impacted by the suspension of center Nazeem Kardic who anchors their third line — he will be out the rest of this series. The Maple Leafs are scoring only 2.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. Toronto has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. The Maple Leafs have also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams from the Atlantic Division. Boston has played 11 of their last 16 games Under the Total against Atlantic Division foes. They have also played 23 of their last 33 games Under the Total after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Forward depth ager their top-line is an issue for this team — so when that top group is not scoring, they can get into low scoring games. The Bruins are scoring only 2.6 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Look for head coach Bruce Cassidy to want his team to get back to the physical bruising play that elevated to win Game Two of this series. Getting back defenseman John Moore with his 38 games of playoff experience will also help their defensive efforts after he missed Monday’s contest with an upper-body injury. The Under is 29-14-2 in Boston’s last 45 games against teams with a winning record. The Under is also 26-10-1 in the Bruins’ last 37 road games against teams with a winning record at home.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have now played 4 straight Unders — and the last 5 meetings between these two teams in Toronto has finished Under the Total. Expect another lower scoring game. 10* NHL Boston-Toronto NBC Sports Network O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (45) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (46). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (37) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (38). THE SITUATION: Columbus (50-31-4) seized a 3-0 lead in this series on Sunday with their 3-1 victory over the Lightning (62-19-14) in Game Three of this series. The Blue Jackets hope to sweep this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay played their best game in this series on Sunday but still could not overcome this Columbus team. The Lightning were undermanned in that game with their top defenseman, Victor Hedman, out with an upper-body injury and Nikita Kucherov serving a one-game suspension. While Hedman will again miss this game, Kucherov does return to the ice tonight. This team is facing plenty of adversity for this game — and I expect them to respond with a very strong effort. Tampa Bay has still won 40 of their last 55 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Going on the road may be a small blessing in disguise for this team as they can avoid all distractions and focus all of their energies on the business at hand. The Lightning are 30-10-2 on the road this season — and they have won an incredible 41 of their last 58 games away from home. Tampa Bay has also won 44 of their last 55 games against fellow Eastern Conference opponents. And in their last 51 road games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range, the Lightning have won 36 of these games. Tampa Bay needs to generate Power Play opportunities after failing to secure the man-advantage even once on Sunday. The Lightning led the NHL by converting in 28.2% of their Power Play opportunities in the regular season. They have yet to convert a Power Play in their five chances in this series. These few chances are also allowing the Blue Jackets to roll four lines and flex their muscles with their strong depth. Columbus has scored eight goals in their last two games in this series — but they have lost 8 of their last 11 home games after scoring at least three goals in two straight games. The Blue Jackets have also lost 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. And in the last 8 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range, the Blue Jackets have lost 6 of these games. Winning three games in this series is the first time in franchise history that Columbus has accomplished that feat. They have lost 16 of their last 24 games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

FINAL TAKE: There is only one President’s Trophy team to lose the first three games in the first round of the playoffs. That was Vancouver in 2014 — and they extended that playoff series to five games by winning Game Four. Winning the final fourth game is usually the hardest thing accomplish in the Stanley Cup Playoffs — and I suspect the Blue Jackets to feel the pressure tonight. 25* NHL First Round Eastern Conference Playoffs Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (37) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (38). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (32) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (31). THE SITUATION: Washington (50-26-8) seized a 2-0 lead in this series on Saturday with their 4-3 win in overtime against the Hurricanes. This series goes to Carolina (46-31-7) for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Carolina should respond with a strong effort tonight in this must-win situation. The Hurricanes have won 11 of their last 16 games after a loss to a fellow Metropolitan Division rivals — and this includes them winning five of their last six games after a loss by just one goal to a divisional foe. This is a good Carolina team that generated the third most points in the NHL since December 31st by compiling a 31-12-2 record in the regular season. The Hurricanes play sound fundamental hockey who routinely controls puck possession — they led the NHL in both Corsi-For and Fenwick-For metrics this season that measure net shot differentials. Returning home should help in what should be an electric environment for the franchise’s first home game in the playoffs in ten seasons. Carolina needs to feed off the crowd and score first in this game after falling behind in both games played in Washington. Home ice advantage will also help head coach Rod Brind’Amour make the last change to help his top forward line featuring rising star Sebastian Aho have a better chance to succeed. The Aho line has been bottlenecked by the Capitals’ Evgeny Kuznetsov along with Washington’s defensive pairing of Dimitry Orlov and Matt Niskanen. The Hurricanes have won 4 of their last 5 games on their home ice. Washington has now won six straight playoff games after winning four straight games against Vegas to lift the Stanley Cup last June. But the Capitals have lost 6 of their last 9 games after a win against a divisional rival where they scored at least four goals. Washington has also lost 6 of their last 9 games after winning at home by just one goal. Furthermore, the Capitals have lost 10 of their last 15 games after a home game where both teams scored at least three goals. And in their last 19 playoff games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range, Washington has lost 13 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: The Capitals entered this series with a massive advantage in playoff experience over this Carolina team. Two games later, that edge has been mitigated somewhat. Washington was a middle-of-the-pack possession team that was also last in the NHL by winning just 45.7% of their face-offs. The defending champions are vulnerable — look for the Hurricanes to make this a series tonight. 25* NHL First Round Metropolitan Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (32) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (31). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the San Jose Sharks (27) and the Vegas Golden Knights (28). THE SITUATION: Vegas (44-33-7) evened this series at 1-1 on Friday with their 5-3 victory over the Sharks (47-28-7) in San Jose. This series moves to Las Vegas for Games Three and Four of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: San Jose surrendered three quick goals to the Golden Knights in the first 6:39 minutes of the first period which prompted head coach Peter DeBoer to give the hook to goaltender Martin Jones. Jones will be back between the pipes tonight and I do expect him to play better. The Under is 4-1-1 in the Sharks’ last 6 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game — and they have also played 22 of their last 33 games Under the Total on the road after allowing at least five goals. Furthermore, San Jose has played 11 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a loss to a Pacific Division rival — and they have also played 16 of their last 24 games Under the Total after a loss at home by at least two goals. Additionally, the Under is 8-3-1 in the Sharks’ last 12 games when playing with one day of rest. And while San Jose has played three straight Overs, they have then played 14 of their last 23 games Under the Total after playing at least three straight Overs. Vegas has played 7 of their last 8 home games Under the Total after a win by at least two goals against a Pacific Division rival — and they have also played 8 of their last 9 home games Under the Total after a win on the road where both teams scored at least three goals. The Golden Knights were very fortunate on offense on Friday with two of their goals being scored shorthanded with the Sharks on the Power Play. The Under is 5-2-1 in Vegas’ last 8 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. Now the Golden Knights return home where they have played 5 straight games Under the Total as the favorite — and the Under is also 8-2-1 in Vegas’ last 11 home games as a favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: With the first two games of this series seven and eight combined goals, the Total has been moved to 6.5. Expect this to be the lowest scoring game so far in this series. 10* NHL Sunday Late Show O/U Bailout with Under the Total in the game between the San Jose Sharks (27) and the Vegas Golden Knights (28). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (23) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (24). THE SITUATION: Columbus (49-31-4) seized a 2-0 lead in this series on Friday with their 5-1 victory over the Lightning (62-18-14) in Tampa Bay. This series moves to Columbus for the next two games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay finds themselves in a must-win situation just two games after earning the President’s Trophy for having the best record during the regular season in the NHL. And this team will be undermanned with Nikita Kucherov suspended for a boarding hit in Game Two and their Norris Trophy defenseman Victor Hedman a game-time decision with an upper-body injury. This team is facing plenty of adversity for this game — and I expect them to respond with a very strong effort. The Lightning have won 8 straight games after losing at home by at least three goals. Tampa Bay has also won 40 of their last 54 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Going on the road may be a small blessing in disguise for this team as they can avoid all distractions and focus all of their energies on the business at hand. The Lightning were 30-9-2 on the road this season — and they have won an incredible 41 of their last 57 games away from home. Tampa Bay has also won 44 of their last 54 games against fellow Eastern Conference opponents. And in their last 54 games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range, the Lightning have won 44 of these games. Columbus underachieved during the regular season but have played very well without the pressure of high expectations. That now changes with their 2-0 lead in the series with the next two games at home. The Blue Jackets play at home for the first time since April 2nd — and they have lost 10 of their last 13 home games after being on the road for at least seven days. Columbus has also lost 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. And in the last 7 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range, the Blue Jackets have lost 6 of these games. Columbus has also lost 16 of their last 23 games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

FINAL TAKE: Tampa Bay has won 6 of their last 7 games in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. They need to amp up their intensity for playoff hockey which they should do now down 0-2 in this series. The loss of Kucherov and, potentially, Hedman, hurts — but they remain a deep and talented team. 20* NHL Tampa Bay-Columbus NBC Sports Network Special with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (23) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (24). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (66) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (65). THE SITUATION: Toronto (47-28-6) took the opening game of this series on Thursday with their 4-1 victory over the Bruins. Boston (49-25-9) looks to even this series at 1-1 before the Maple Leafs host the third and fourth games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Toronto certainly boasts one of the best rosters in the NHL on paper — but consistency has been an issue for head coach Mike Babcock’s team. The Maple Leafs have lost 6 straight games after a win — and they have lost 20 of their last 30 games on the road after a loss by at least two goals. Toronto has also lost 7 straight games when facing an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last contest. The Maple Leafs limped into the postseason with just a 4-7-3 mark in their last fourteen games. While they have a dynamic group of scorers, their defense remains a question after finishing 12th in the league by allowing 3.04 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Frederick Andersen was outstanding between the pipes on Thursday by stopping 37 of the 38 shots he faced. But AndersonThis team lacks the players to successfully engage in the physical style of play that often characterizes success in the playoffs. Mental toughness is also a concern with this team. Toronto has lost 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. The Maple Leafs have also lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road. Furthermore, Toronto has lost 7 of their last 10 games in the playoffs as an underdog — and they have lost 7 of their last 10 games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Boston has won 40 of their last 57 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last 57 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. After overcoming injuries to begin the season, the Bruins closed out the regular season on a 22-7-4 hot streak. They were 29-9-3 at home this season — and they have won a decisive 51 of their last 72 games on home ice. This is Boston’s third game in a row at home — and they have won 22 of their last 26 home games after playing their last two games at home. And in their last 13 home games against teams with a winning record on the road, the Bruins have won 9 of these home games. They still have one of the best goaltenders in the NHL in Tuukka Rask who has entered this series with a 2.25 Goals-Against-Average along with a .924 save percentage in 65 career playoff games.

FINAL TAKE: The Bruins should bounce-back with a strong effort as they have won 5 of their last 7 games when avenging a loss of at least two goals — and they have won 7 of their last 10 games when avenging a loss that was by at least three goals. Boston defeated the Leafs in seven games in the opening round of last year’s playoffs — so this looks destined to be another long series. 25* NHL First Round Playoff NBC-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (66) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (65). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:38 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (56) versus the St. Louis Blues (55). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (46-28-9) won the opening game of this series on Wednesday with their 2-1 victory. Winnipeg (47-31-5) hosts the second game of this series as they look to even things at 1-1 before traveling to St. Louis for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Winnipeg should bounce-back with a strong effort as they have won 14 of their last 16 home games after a loss by one goal. The Jets have also won 21 of their last 28 games after a loss to a fellow Central Division rival. Winnipeg has also won 9 of their last 13 games when avenging a loss by just one goal. The Jets did take their foot off the accelerator in the second half of the regular season as they went just 13-14-3 in their last thirty-one regular season games. Winnipeg has lost six of their last eight games — but they have then won 6 straight games after losing six or seven of their last eight contests. Furthermore, the Jets have won 15 of their last 20 games in the month of April going back to last season where they reached the Western Conference Finals. Winnipeg remains a dominant 25-13-4 on home ice this season — and they have won 28 of their last 36 home games with the Total set at 5.5. St. Louis may be due for a letdown after seizing home-ice advantage in this series. The Blues have then lost 4 of their last 6 games after a win by just one goal against a fellow Central Division rival. Their comeback from a 1-0 deficit in the third period was out of character for this team when considering that they were just 2-23-6 this season when trailing after two periods. Rookie Jordan Bennington has been spectacular between the pipes for this team this season — but he remains untested in the playoffs even after Wednesday’s success. St. Louis has lost 5 of their last 7 road games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. The Blues have also lost 4 of their last 5 playoff games as an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: Even after Wednesday’s victory, St. Louis has lost 11 of their last 15 games against the Jets. Look for Winnipeg to even this series at 1-1. 25* NHL CNBC-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (56) versus the St. Louis Blues (55). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:38 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (53) versus the New York Islanders (54). THE SITUATION: New York (49-27-7) won the opening game of this series on Wednesday with their 4-3 victory in overtime. Pittsburgh (44-26-12) looks to even this series tonight before returning home to host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PENGUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Pittsburgh has bounced-back to win 7 of their last 11 games after a loss on the road by just one goal. Losing the first game of a new series in hostile territory in the playoffs is nothing new for this veteran team as they have now lost seven of their last nine games on the road to begin a new playoff series in the Sidney Crosby-Evgeny Malkin era. This team will be very happy to return to Pittsburgh with this series tied. The Penguins have lost two straight games after closing out the regular season with a 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers. Pittsburgh has then won 24 of their last 33 games after allowing at least four straight goals in their last two games — and they have also won 30 of their last 44 games after losing two straight contests. The Pens have been tough road warriors this season as they are 21-12-8 when playing on the road. Goalie Matt Murray has been more effective away from home this season where he has a 2.27 Goals-Against-Average with a .931 save percentage as compared to his 3.13 GAA and .906 save percentage when playing at home. Pittsburgh has won 16 of their last 21 games in the playoffs when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. New York is happy to escape Game One with a victory — but head coach Barry Trotz has to be concerned that the game was played at an up-tempo pace preferred by the Penguins. The 44 shots that Pittsburgh put on goalie Robin Lehner were the most that any team has peppered the Islanders with since October 4th early in the season. New York closed out their regular season with a 3-0 win over Washington — but they have then lost 8 of their last 10 home games after scoring at least three goals in two straight games. The Islanders have also lost 4 of their last 5 home games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Moving forward, New York is a franchise that has lost 6 of their last 7 games when leading in a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: The Penguins have won 14 of their last 17 games when playing with revenge from a loss by just one goal. 10* NHL Friday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (53) versus the New York Islanders (54). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (13) and the Washington Capitals (14). THE SITUATION: Carolina (46-29-5) enters their first postseason in a decade on a three-game winning streak after their 4-3 win in Philadelphia last Saturday. Washington (48-26-7) begins their defense of their Stanley Cup championship having lost two of three with their 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders. Washington hosts the opening two games of this seven-game series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Hurricanes have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a victory. Carolina is going to be a tough out for the Capitals because they do such a good job of controlling possession of the puck. The Hurricanes lead the NHL in both Corsi-For-Percentage and Fenwick-For-Percentage which measures their net differential in shot attempts versus their opponents. First-year head coach, Rob Brind'Amour, has overseen a style of play that emphasizes speed and constant pressure to keep the puck bottled up on their offensive end of the ice. This approach has helped Carolina to surrender only 28.6 shots per game which is the 3rd lowest in the NHL. This approach has done wonders for journeyman goaltender Petr Mrazek who has responded with an outstanding 1.83 Goals-Against-Average with a .938 save percentage since the All-Star Break. Over his last thirteen games, Mrazek enjoys a 1.68 GAA along with a .944 save percentage with two shutouts. Mrazek flashed plenty of potential when playing for the Red Wings. He has a career 1.98 GAA in 11 games (10 starts) in the playoffs along with a .927 save percentage which includes three shutouts. The Hurricanes have played 5 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Furthermore, Carolina has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total — and the Under is 46-21-3 in their last 70 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Washington has played 6 straight home games after scoring one goal or less in their last game. The Capitals have also played 11 of their last 12 games Under the Total where no more than three combined goals were scored — and the Under is 23-9-2 in their last 34 games after scoring two goals or less in their last game. Washington enters the playoffs with a cold Power Play that has converted on only 3 of their last 25 opportunities (12.1%). But the Caps have a hot goalie right now with Braden Holtby boasting a .947 save percentage over his last five starts. Holtby will be a confident goaltender after finally leading his team to hoist the Cup last year. Holtby had a 2.16 GAA in last year’s playoffs with a .922 save percentage and two shutouts. In his career 82 playoff starts, Holtby has an outstanding .929 save percentage. The Under is 9-2-1 in Washington’s last 12 home games against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 7 straight home games Under the Total as the favorite. The Caps have also played 5 straight games Under the Total against fellow Metropolitan Division opponents.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina will be looking to avenge a 3-2 loss at home to the Capitals back on March 28th in the last meeting between these two teams. The Hurricanes have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total when avenging a one-goal loss to their opponent. And in the last 5 encounters between these two teams in Washington, the Under is 4-0-1. 25* NHL USA-TV Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (13) and the Washington Capitals (14). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Vegas Golden Knights (009) and the San Jose Sharks (010). THE SITUATION: Vegas (43-25-5) has lost two straight games as well as seven of their last eight contests after closing out the regular season with a 5-2 loss in Los Angeles to the Kings on Saturday. San Jose (46-27-6) won their last two games of the regular season after they defeated Colorado on Saturday by a 5-2 score.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Golden Knights have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury played in those final two games of the regular season after getting a bunch of time off in March with the birth of his child coinciding with Vegas being pretty much locked-in to the third seed in the Pacific Division standings. Fleury's first game back was a 4-1 loss at home to Arizona last Thursday — but the Golden Knights have then played 11 of their last 14 games on the road Under the Total after allowing at least four goals in two straight games. Fleury needed to knock some rust off after taking time off — but I expect the veteran to be ready to go after being simply outstanding in his last two playoff experiences. In Vegas’ victory over the Sharks in six games in last year’s Western Conference Semifinals, Fleury had a 2.14 Goals-Against-Average with a .935 save percentage with two shutouts. The Golden Knights have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing with at least three days of rest. Furthermore, the Under is 20-9-2 in Vegas’ last 31 road games as an underdog — and the Under is 5-1-1 in their last 7 games as an underdog in the playoffs. San Jose has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game. The Sharks scored 3.52 Goals-Per-Game during the regular season which was tied for third best in the league. But playoff hockey might see their offense take a step back. For starters, it remains unclear if this team has a consistently reliable top-line. Second, the health of their offensive-minded defenseman, Erik Karlsson, remains an issue as he returns to the ice after a nasty groin injury. Another concern for the Sharks is the play of their goaltender, Martin Jones, who had a 2.94 Goals-Against-Average with a .896 save percentage during the regular season. Jones has a career .926 save percentage in 42 games in the playoffs so he is more than capable and experienced. San Jose may choose to play a bit more cautiously to help build his confidence with the clean slate of the playoffs. San Jose has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when favored. The Under is also 3-1-1 in the last 5 games for the Sharks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

FINAL TAKE: The last two games played in San Jose in last year’s Western Conference Semifinals saw each team register a shutout win. The biggest problem the Sharks had last year in that series was being too loose with the puck which played right into the Knights’ transition game from forcing turnovers — after blanking them in the opening game of that series by a 7-0 score, Vegas scored four and five goals in their next two victories in that series before then winning by a 6-0 score in the first meeting between these two teams in the regular season back in November. Head coach Peter DeBoer cannot let his team surrender another barrage of goals to this Knights team. Expect this opening game to be a hard-hitting and tightly played affair which makes the Under very enticing with the Total set at 6. 25* NHL 1st Round Pacific Division Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Vegas Golden Knights (009) and the San Jose Sharks (010). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (21) and the Vancouver Canucks (22). THE SITUATION: Dallas (41-31-5) has won three straight games with their 3-2 win over Edmonton on Tuesday. Vancouver (33-35-2) snapped a three-game losing streak on Thursday with their 3-2 win over Los Angeles in a shootout.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Under is a decisive 23-3-4 in the Stars’ last 30 games after a victory — and the Under is also 20-4-5 in their last 29 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. Dallas is allowing only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. They will turn to Anton Khudobin in between the pipes tonight with Ben Bishop nursing a lower-body injury. Khudobin has a strong .923 save percentage on the road this season — and he enjoys a 2.14 Goals-Against-Average with a .937 save percentage in five starts (seven games) this month. He will need to be good tonight since the Stars score only 2.3 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road. The Under is 19-6-5 in Dallas’ last 30 games on the road — and they have played 20 of their last 22 games Under the Total on the road with the Total set at 5.5. Furthermore, the Under is 7-1-2 in the Stars’ last 10 road games as a favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range. The Under is also 18-6-3 in Dallas’ last 27 games against fellow Western Conference foes. Vancouver has played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a victory. The Canucks have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after allowing no more than two goals in their last game. Jacob Markstrom will be in goal tonight — he has a solid 2.68 GAA along with a .918 save percentage since the All-Star Break. Vancouver stays at home where they have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total. The Canucks have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total at home as an underdog. Additionally, Vancouver has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against fellow Western Conference foes.

FINAL TAKE: Expect a lower scoring game between these two teams. 25* NHL Bailout Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (21) and the Vancouver Canucks (22). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Vancouver Canucks (63) and the Dallas Stars (64). THE SITUATION: Vancouver (29-32-5) has lost three of their last four games after their 3-2 loss in overtime to New Jersey on Friday. Dallas (37-29-5) saw their two-game snapped on Friday with their 2-1 loss at home to Vegas.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Canucks have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after scoring two goals or less in their last game. Vancouver is scoring only 2.6 Goals-Per-Game in their last five games. They go on the road where they are scoring just 2.5 Goals-Per-Game. The Canucks have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 6 road games Under the Total as an underdog priced in the +151 to +200 price range. They will turn to Jakob Markstrom between the pipes tonight who has a 2.48 Goals-Against-Average along with a .925 save percentage since the All-Star break. Vancouver has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total against Western Conference opponents — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. Dallas has seen the Under go 17-4-6 in their last 27 games after allowing two goals or less in their last game. The Stars are allowing just 1.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Anton Khudobin will be in goal tonight after Ben Bishop suffered a lower-body injury. Khudobin has a 2.33 GAA on home ice this season with a .931 save percentage. But this Dallas team is scoring just 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. The Stars return home where they are scoring just 2.8 Goals-Per-Game — but they are holding their opponents to only 2.3 Goals-Per-Game. The Under is 18-7-1 in Dallas’ last 26 games on their home ice — and they have also played 6 of their last 8 home games Under the Total as a money-line favorite priced at -201 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: Vancouver will be looking to avenge a 2-1 loss at home to the Stars back on December 1st. The Canucks have played 15 of their last 19 games Under the Total when avenging a loss that was by just one goal. The Under is also 18-8-3 in the last 29 games between these two teams. 10* NHL Sunday Night Discounted Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Vancouver Canucks (63) and the Dallas Stars (64). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (60) versus the Colorado Avalanche (59). THE SITUATION: Dallas (34-27-5) has won three straight games after their 1-0 win over New York Rangers on Tuesday. Colorado (29-26-11) snapped a two-game losing streak with their 4-3 win in overtime over Detroit.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas has won 6 of their last 8 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. This team has surrendered only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Getting goalie Ben Bishop healthy and back on the ice has been a jolt of adrenaline for this team that would make the Western Conference playoffs if they started today. Bishop has a red hot 1.43 Goals-Against-Average in his seven starts since the All-Star Break with a .956 save percentage. Bishop has been outstanding when playing at home all season where he enjoys a 2.06 GAA with a .933 save percentage in 22 starts. The Stars stay at home where they are 20-10-2 this season while scoring 2.9 Goals-Per-Game while allowing only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game. Dallas has won 6 of their last 8 games at home — and they have also won 9 of their last 12 home games against teams with a losing record. Colorado finds themselves on the outside-looking-in the Western Conference playoffs as they are 2 points behind Minnesota for the eighth and final slot. But the Avalanche have lost 11 of their last 14 games after a win — and they have lost 9 of their last 13 games after a victory at home. Furthermore, Colorado has lost 18 of their last 27 games after scoring at least four goals in their last game — and they have lost 7 of their last 9 games after scoring at least four goals on home ice. Now they go back on the road where they are 15-14-5 this season. But they have lost 46 of their last 68 road games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Most recently, the Avalanche have lost 19 of their last 26 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Goalie Sergei Varlamov struggles on the road where he has a 2.99 GAA with a .909 save percentage in 22 starts. Colorado has also lost 12 of their last 17 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has lost the first two meetings between these teams this season with the last meeting being back on December 15th in Colorado where the Avalanche won by a 6-4 score. The Stars have won 13 of their last 19 games when playing with revenge — and they have also won 5 of their last 6 opportunities to host Colorado on home ice. I am surprised this situation is priced below -150 — so, let’s attack. 25* NHL Central Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (60) versus the Colorado Avalanche (59). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (45) and the Anaheim Ducks (46). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (34-25-5) has lost four of their last six games with their 4-1 loss to Dallas on Saturday. Anaheim (26-32-7) has won their last two games after they upset Arizona on the road by a 3-1 score last night.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blues have played 6 straight games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total on the road after losing two straight games. Furthermore, the Under is 7-3-3 in St. Louis’ last 13 games when playing with at least three days of rest. And the Under is 36-17-2 in their last 55 games after a game where they did not score more than two goals. The Blues’ offense has slumped without Brayden Schenn in the lineup as they have only scored nine goals over their last six games while netting only three goals in their last two contests. This team does hope to get Schenn back onto the ice tonight — but thus remains a team that has seen the Under go 18-8-2 in their last 28 games on the road. St. Louis has also played 8 of their last 10 road games Under the Total when favored in the -151 to -200 price range. It remains unclear which goaltender interim head coach Craig Berube will choose between the Jordan Pennington and Jake Allen. After allowing nine goals in their last two games, the Blues’ blue-line needs to play better. Either goalie should play well tonight. Pennington has a 1.68 Goals-Against-Average with a .933 save percentage in 21 games (19 starts) in his red-hot rookie season while the veteran Allen enjoys a 2.37 GAA with a .921 save percentage when playing on the road. St. Louis has played 21 of their last 30 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage in the 25% to 40% range. The Under is 47-16-2 in Anaheim’s last 65 games after a win — and this includes them playing thirteen of their last fifteen home games Under the Total after a win on the road by at least two goals. The Under is also 40-18-1 in the Ducks’ last 59 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. This has been a nightmare season for this Anaheim team — but don’t blame goalie John Gibson who has a 2.72 GAA at home with a .914 save percentage despite disappointing play from their blue line. In his two stars so far this month, the star goalie has a 1.53 GAA with a .949 save percentage. Gibson will be between the pipes tonight after getting last night off — and the Under is 18-6-2 in the Ducks’ last 26 games when playing without a day of rest. They are still only scoring 1.5 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and their 144 combined goals this season is the lowest number in the NHL. They return home where they have played 11 of their last 14 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 15 of the last 21 games Under the Total as a home underdog. Furthermore, Anaheim has played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total against fellow Western Conference opponents.

FINAL TAKE: The Ducks will be looking to avenge a 5-1 loss at home to the Blues back on January 23rd — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total when looking to avenge a loss at home to their opponents. 25* NHL Western Conference Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (45) and the Anaheim Ducks (46). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (79) and the St. Louis Blues (80). THE SITUATION: Dallas (32-27-5) has won two of their last three games after their 4-3 win in Los Angeles against the Kings on Thursday. St. Louis (34-24-5) has lost two of their last three games with their 5-2 loss at Carolina yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Under is 17-6-4 in the Stars’ last 27 games after a victory. Dallas has also played 15 of their last 19 games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total. Despite their four goals against the hapless Kings, the Stars are scoring just 2.1 Goals-Per-Game over their last seven contests. They stay on the road where the Under us 21-7-5 in their last 33 games — and the Under is 8-1-3 in their last 12 road games against teams with a winning record on their home ice. Furthermore, Dallas played 17 of their last 18 road games Under the Total with the number set at 5.5. The Under is also 13-4-4 in the Stars’ last 21 road games as an underdog — and the Under is 6-0-1 in their last 7 games when priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Ben Bishop should be between the pipes tonight. He has been outstanding since returning from an injury as he owns a 1.81 Goals-Against-Average with a .947 save percentage in his five starts since the All-Star Break. St. Louis has played 5 straight games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last game. The Under is also 35-17-2 in the Blues’ last 54 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Furthermore, St. Louis has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when playing without a day of rest. The Blues are scoring only 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. But they return home where they have won seven straight contests while giving up just 11 goals in those games. St. Louis will turn to their rookie phenom, Jordan Binnington, in goal tonight. Binnington is 15-2 this season with a 1.61 GAA along with a .936 save percentage in 19 games which includes 17 starts. Additionally, the Under is 12-4-1 in the Blues’ last 17 home games as a favorite priced in the -151 to -200 range.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 4 of their last 5 meetings Under the Total. Expect another lower scoring game between these two teams. 25* NHL Central Division Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (79) and the St. Louis Blues (80). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (16) versus the Nashville Predators (15). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (33-23-5) has lost two of their last three games after their 2-1 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. Nashville (37-23-4) has won three of their last four contests with their 3-2 win in overtime over Edmonton yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Predators look due for a letdown tonight as they travel to St. Louis to play this game. They have lost 5 of their last 6 games after winning a game in overtime in their last game. Nashville has also lost 4 of their last 5 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last game. Furthermore, the Predators have lost 5 of their last 7 games when playing without a day of rest — and they have also lost 8 of their last 10 games when playing their third game in four days. With Pekka Rinne playing last night, it will likely be backup Juuse Saros between the pipes tonight. Saros has struggled this month with a 3.24 Goals-Against-Average in four starts with a .904 save percentage. He has also allowed five goals in his last two starts against the Blues. Nashville did make two nice trades yesterday as they acquired Wayne Simmonds and Mikael Granlund at the trade deadline — but only Simmonds look like he will take the ice tonight. The Preds remain a team that is last in the NHL with a Power Play that is converting only 12.3% of the time. And in their last 15 road games with the Total set at 5.5, Nashville has lost 10 of these games. St. Louis has completely turned their season around — and they have still won 11 of their last 13 games in the month of February despite their recent woes. The Blues have won 8 of their last 11 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 8 of their last 10 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last contest. They return home where they have won 6 straight games as the favorite — they have also won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. St. Louis has also won 4 of their last 5 games when priced as the favorite in the -110 to -150 price range. They will likely turn to their rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington who has been spectacular with a 14-2 record along with a 1.70 GAA and a .934 save percentage. Binnington is 9-1 this month with a 1.58 GAA and a .941 save percentage. The Blues have won 6 straight games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: The Predators have struggled against this St. Louis team as they are just 0-2-1 in their last three meetings against them this season after a 5-4 loss at home to them on February 10th. The Blues have won 8 of their last 11 games against fellow Central Division rivals. 25* NHL Central Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (16) versus the Nashville Predators (15). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Calgary Flames (61) and the Ottawa Senators (62). THE SITUATION: Calgary (38-16-3) has won four games in a row with their 2-1 win at home versus Anaheim on Friday. Ottawa (22-34-5) has lost three straight games after their loss at home to Columbus by a 3-0 score on Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Over is 11-2-1 in the Flames’ last 14 games after a win — and they have also played 11 of the last 13 games after a win by just one goal. Furthermore, the Over is 8-1-1 in Calgary’s last 10 games after scoring no more than two goals — and the Over is also 13-6-1 in their last 20 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. The Flames offense is clicking right now as they have averaged 3.6 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests — and they have scored 16 combined goals over their last four games. Now they go back on the road where they are scoring 3.2 Goals-Per-Game. Calgary has played 7 of their last 8 road games Over the Total — and they have played 5 of their last 6 road games Over the Total as the favorite. Furthermore, the Flames have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total when a big favored priced at least at -201. I am getting conflicting reports on the goalies for this game — for both teams — but I don’t care. Goaltending is a weakness for the Flames. Mike Smith has a 2.93 Goals-Against-Average with a subpar .903 save percentage on the road. David Rittich has been a disaster since the All-Star break with a 4.24 GAA and a .853 save percentage in four starts. Ottawa’s Craig Anderson has a 3.81 GAA with a .884 save percentage in four games (three starts) since the All-Star Break while Anders Nilsson has a 3.46 GAA with a .906 save percentage in eight starts since the break. Over their last five games, they are allowing 4.2 Goals-Per-Game. The Senators have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a loss by at least two goals. Furthermore, Ottawa has played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total after being shutout in their previous two games. They also have been just what the doctor ordered for teams coming off less than stellar offensive efforts as they have seen the Over go 34-15-2 against opponents that did not score more than two goals in their last game. The Senators are scoring a healthy 3.2 Goals-Per-Game at home this season — but they are allowing 3.1 Goals-Per-Game as well. Lastly, the Over is 20-5-1 in Ottawa’s last 26 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: Ottawa is undermanned after trading Matt Duchene and with Mark Stone sitting out since he might be dealt by the trade deadline tomorrow. But I do see the Senators breaking the scoring drought while Calgary should not at least four goals. 10* NHL Sunday Night Discounted Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Calgary Flames (61) and the Ottawa Senators (62). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (39) and the Dallas Stars (40). THE SITUATION: Carolina (32-23-4) has won four of their last five games with their 4-3 win at Florida on Thursday. Dallas (30-25-5) snapped their three-game losing streak on Thursday with their 5-2 win over St. Louis.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Hurricanes have played 5 straight games Under the Total after a victory. They have also played 16 of their last 22 games on the road where both teams scored at least three goals. Now they stay on the road where they have played 7 of their last 8 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. Carolina is playing outstanding defense as of late for first-year head coach Rod Brind’Amour as they are allowing only 1.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Brind’Amour will likely tap Curtis McElhinney to be between the pipes tonight after Petr Mrazek played on Thursday. McElhinney has been outstanding since the All-Star Game as he owns a 1.80 Goals-Against-Average over his last five starts with a .942 save percentage in those contests. The Hurricanes opened as small money-line underdog but now have bet down to a mutual -110 money-line favorite with the Stars — and they have played 13 of their last 18 games Under the Total when favored in the -110 to 1-50 price range. Dallas has seen the Under go 13-3-3 in their last 19 games after a victory — and the Under is 15-5-1 in their last 21 games after scoring at least five goals in their last contest. Additionally, the Stars have played 11 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored. That offensive came out of nowhere as they have scored only ten combined goals in their previous six contests. Dallas is averaging only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. They stay at home where they at home where they have played 10 of their last 11 home games Under the Total when favored in the -110 to -150 price range — and the Under is 5-2-1 in their last 8  home games against teams with a winning record on the road. Ben Bishop returns to action tonight after he missed a couple weeks with an injury. He had been playing great as he owned a 1.67 GAA along with a .947 save percentage in his previous three starts since the All-Star break. Bishop also enjoys a 2.17 GAA in his twenty starts at home this year with a strong .929 save percentage in those contests.

FINAL TAKE: Look for this to be a lower-scoring contest. 25* NHL Non-Conference Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (39) and the Dallas Stars (40). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Nashville Predators (63) and the Dallas Stars (64). THE SITUATION: Nashville (34-22-4) has lost four of their last five contests after their 5-1 loss in Vegas on Saturday. Dallas (29-24-5) has lost two straight as well as four of their last five contests after their 3-0 loss at Carolina on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Predators have played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total after losing two of their last three games. Nashville has also seen the Under go 17-5-2 in their last 24 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. The Preds stay on the road where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total. Nashville has also played 15 of their last 20 games on the road Under the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last contest. Pekka Rinne will be between the pipes for the first time since February 14th after getting the night off against the Golden Knights. Rinne has been tough when playing with extended rest as he owns a 2.49 Goals-Against-Average with a nice .921 save percentage when playing with at least three days between starts. He will need to be on his game with the Predators’ offense slumping as of late. Nashville is scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. The Under is also 4-1-1 in their last 6 games against Central Division opponents. Dallas has played 18 of their last 26 games Under the Total after a loss — and they have played 14 of their last 17 games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals. The Stars return home for the first time since February 4th — and the Under is 5-1-1 in their last 7 home games after being on the road for at least seven days. The Under is 6-1-1 in Dallas’ last 8 games on their home ice. They turn to Anton Khudobin between the pipes tonight who has a 2.22 GAA along with a .925 save percentage in eight starts/nine games at home this season. He has not played since February 16th as well — and he owns a strong 1.80 GAA along with a .940 save percentage in thirteen starts/fourteen games when playing with at least three days of rest. Dallas has been shutout in two straight games — and they earned a shutout win in their previous game which means one team has been held scoreless in three straight matches. The Stars are scoring only 1.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests.

FINAL TAKE: Nashville won the last meeting between these two teams back on February 7th where they won in Nash-vegas by a 3-2 score. These two teams have seen 4 of their last 5 meetings finish Under the Total. 25* NHL Central Division Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Nashville Predators (63) and the Dallas Stars (64). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (61) and the Winnipeg Jets (62). THE SITUATION: Colorado (22-23-10) has lost eight straight games after their 5-2 loss at home to Toronto on Tuesday. Winnipeg (36-18-20 has won two straight games with their 4-3 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Avalanche have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a loss by at least three goals. They also have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. The Colorado blue line has leaked like a sieve as of late — they have allowed least four goals in seven of their last eight games which has translated into 4.38 Goals-Per-Game allowed during that span. Goalie Sergei Varlamov has struggled this month with an ugly 4.10 Goals-Against-Average along with a save percentage of just .882. Varlamov has not been very effective on the road all season where he has a 3.04 GAA along with a .902 save percentage. The Avalanche allow 3.5 Goals-Per-Game on the road — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total on the road while also played 8 of their last 11 games on the road Over the Total as an underdog. But this team also scores a healthy 3.4 Goals-Per-Game when away from home. And they have played 4 straight games Over the Total as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Winnipeg has seen the Over go 3-1-2 in their last 6 games after a victory. They stay at home where they are scoring a robust 3.9 Goals-Per-Game. But the dog days of February have impacted their play on defense as they have allowed 3.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck has been average this season with a 2.87 GAA along with a .912 save percentage. The Over is 33-16-2 in the Jets’ last 51 games against teams with a winning percentage below 40%. Winnipeg has also seen the Over go 4-0-1 in their last 5 games when priced in the -151 to -200 price range.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total when playing in Winnipeg. While I am not usually enthralled with taking Overs when the number is at 6.5 (hence, I have passed on more NHL Totals plays in the regular season than in past years), I follow the evidence — and that warrants an Over investment in this situation. 10* NHL Thursday Daily Discounted Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (61) and the Winnipeg Jets (62). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (71) versus the Philadelphia Flyers (72). THE SITUATION: Winnipeg (31-15-1) takes the ice again after the All-Star break by looking to bounce-back from a 4-2 loss in Dallas back on January 19th. Philadelphia (19-23-6) entered the break on a three-game winning streak after their 5-2 win at Montreal two Saturdays ago on January 19th.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Winnipeg had been on a four-game winning streak so they should be eager to get the bad taste out of their mouths with that disappointing loss to the Stars. The Jets have won 14 of their last 16 games after a loss — and they have won 13 of their last 14 road games after a loss to a Central Division rival. Furthermore, Winnipeg has won 8 of their last 10 games when playing with at least three days of rest. The Jets stay on the road where they are 13-9 this season while scoring 3.1 Goals-Per-Game in those contests. Winnipeg has won 9 of their last 13 games on the road. They have announced that backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit will be between the pipes tonight — but that is fine news. Brossoit has a 5-1 record in six starts on the road this year with a 2.22 Goals-Against-Average and a .930 save percentage. Brossoit is also 8-1 this year with a 1.71 GAA and a save percentage of .952 when playing with at least three days between starts. Furthermore, the Jets have won 25 of their last 34 games against Eastern Conference opponents. Philadelphia has lost 7 of their last 10 games against Western Conference foes. They are playing better hockey as of late — but they have still lost 7 of their last 10 games after a victory. Additionally, the Flyers have lost 13 of their last 16 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. This team is 10-13 on home ice this season but they have an average losing margin of -0.4 Goals-Per-Game. Philadelphia has lost 5 straight home games against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The Flyers will have revenge on their minds after losing in Winnipeg back on December 9th by a 7-1 score in the last meeting between these two teams. But Philadelphia has lost 11 of their last 16 games at home when attempting to avenge a loss where they allowed at least five goals. 25* NHL Monday NBC Sports Network Game of the Month with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (71) versus the Philadelphia Flyers (72). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (36) versus the Nashville Predators (35). THE SITUATION: Vegas (29-18-3) has lost three of their last five games after their 4-2 loss at home to Minnesota on Monday. Nashville (29-18-3) had lost four of their last five games before rebounding to defeat the reeling Avalanche team (that just fired the general manager) in Colorado on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Head coach Gerard Gallant has been very good in getting his team to respond with a strong effort after a loss. Vegas has bounced-back to won 38 of their last 58 games after a loss — and they have won 9 of their last 12 games after a loss by at least two goals. The Golden Knights’ success in their 1 1/2 years of existence has been predicated on having an outstanding home ice advantage. Vegas does not lose often when playing at T-Mobile Arena — and when they do, they have then won 5 of their last 7 games while also winning 6 of their last 9 games after a loss by at least two goals on home ice. Furthermore, the Golden Knights have won 10 of their last 15 games after allowing at least four goals in their last game. With the All-Star Break beginning tomorrow and a challenging four-game trip to the east coast on deck next week, Vegas needs this victory. Gallant was very disappointed with his team’s effort on Monday: "I don't think we played good (against the Wild). I don't think we showed up ready to play a team that was aggressive for points. I don't think we played hard enough. ... I don't think we played good. That's not everybody, but it's a fair amount." Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has been steady once again this season with a 2.50 Goals-Against-Average along with a .911 save percentage — but he has been much better with a 2.17 GAA along with a .923 save percentage when playing at home. Furthermore, in eight starts this month, Fleury has a 2.28 GAA with a .913 save percentage. Vegas is 16-5-3 at home this season while scoring 3.3 Goals-Per-Game and holding their visitors to just 2.2 Goals-Per-Game. The Golden Knights started slow with an early scheduled front-loaded with road games — and early season injuries did not help. But this team cemented their spot in the upper tier of the Western Conference once again this season once newcomers Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny starting playing together to provide this team a powerful second line. Nashville has lost 13 of their last 21 games after a win on the road by at least three goals. The Predators have also lost 6 of their last 8 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last game. Furthermore, Nashville has lost 10 of their last 14 games after a win on the road against a fellow Central Division rival. Despite their good defensive effort on Monday, they have allowed their last five opponents to score 3.6 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Pekka Rinne thrives at home where he has a 2.19 GAA along with a .917 save percentage — but those numbers are much worse on the road with his 2.75 GAA along with a .913 save percentage. Rinne has not had a great January as he holds a 3.33 GAA with a .896 save percentage in seven starts. The Predators have lost 13 of their last 18 games on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Nashville ranks 4th in the NHL in both Corsi and Fenwick ratings that attempt to evaluate puck possession numbers — but Vegas ranks 3rd in both those metrics (which is why I was bullish on them in December despite their slow start). The Golden Knights will be looking to avenge a 4-1 loss in Nash-Vegas back on October 30th — and they have won 8 of their last 11 opportunities to avenge a same-season loss. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Game of the Month with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (36) versus the Nashville Predators (35). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (22) with the money-line versus the Colorado Avalanche (21). THE SITUATION: Vegas (21-15-3) takes the ice again after losing three of their last four games with their 4-3 in overtime on Sunday. Colorado (19-12-5) has lost three of their last four games as well with their 6-4 loss at Arizona on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Vegas has been snake-bit with two straight losses in overtime by a 4-3 score. This team should show the resolve necessary to bounce-back with a victory tonight. Vegas has bounced-back to win 4 of their last 5 games after losing two games in a row — and they have won 15 of their last 21 games after losing three of their last four contests. Additionally, the Golden Knights have won 8 of their last 12 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Vegas stays at home where they are 11-3-2 this season and they have won a decisive 21 of their last 26 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. This is the Knights’ fourth straight game at home — and they have won 12 of their last 14 games when playing at least their fourth game in a row at home. Marc-Andre Fleury gets the start between the pipes tonight. Fleury has a strong 2.22 Goals-Against-Average at home this season with a .922 save percentage in seventeen starts. Vegas has won 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record — and they have also won 7 of their last 10 games against Western Conference opponents. Colorado has lost 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least six goals in their last game. The Avalanche have also lost 4 of their last 5 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Now this team stays on the road after the holiday break where they have lost 26 of their last 36 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. They likely with stay with their backup goaltender Phillip Grubauer tonight with Semyon Varlamov dealing with an illness from the weekend while struggling mightily as of late. But Grubauer has just a 3.38 Goals-Against-Average with a .900 save percentage on the road this season. He also has a 3.33 GAA in the month of December with an .892 save percentage. Lastly, the Avalanche have lost 5 of their last 6 games against Western Conference opponents.

FINAL TAKE: I have been waiting on an update to Varlamov’s status for tonight — I am still only seeing that he is questionable. After being called away for some holiday family obligations, let's commit to this one and hope everyone can still catch it (especially with the price under -150 for a Vegas team that will be very motivated to end their home losing streak). 25* NHL Western Conference Game of the Month with money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (22) with the money-line versus the Colorado Avalanche (21). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (9) and the Colorado Avalanche (10). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (8-12-3) has lost two straight games — as well as five of their last six contests — with their 4-3 loss in Detroit on Wednesday. Colorado (15-6-3) has won six straight games with their 6-3 win over Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blues have played three straight Overs where at least seven combined goals were scored. But St. Louis has played 11 of their last 17 games Under the Total after playing at least three straight Overs — and they have also played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after playing at least three straight games where at least seven combined goals were scored. The Under is also 7-2-1 in their last 10 games when facing a team who scored at least five goals in their last game. The Blues stay on the road where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total — and they have also played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Furthermore, St. Louis has played 12 of their last 16 road games Under the Total after losing at least two straight games. The team is rumored to be interested in trading for goaltender Jimmy Howard of the Red Wings with their goalie Jake Allen struggling. Allen has been a disaster at home where he has been saddled with a 3.86 Goals-Against-Average along with an .879 save percentage — but those numbers do drop to respectable a 2.74 GAA with a .911 save percentage at home. Allen has also recovered from a bad opening month to post a 2.65 GAA with a .915 save percentage for November. Additionally, St. Louis has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total against fellow Western Conference opponents. Colorado has played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total against Central Division opponents. They have scored at least three goals in six straight games — but they have then played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total after scoring at least three goals in two straight games. The Avalanche have also played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game. This is Colorado’s third game since Monday — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total when playing their third game in five days. They are getting goaltending from Semyon Varlamov who has a 2.15 GAA with a .928 save percentage when playing at home.  The Under is 4-1-1 in the Avalanche’s last 6 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have seen the Under go 15-7-1 in their last 23 meetings. Expect another lower scoring game between these two teams. 25* NHL Central Division Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (9) and the Colorado Avalanche (10). Best of luck for us — Frank.