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NHL
Thursday, January 13
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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Ottawa Senators at New York Islanders (+105, 5.5)
This matchup could be crowned the toilet-bowl game on Thursday’s schedule. These two NHL bottom feeders collide in New York, with both clubs hoping to snap losing skids.
The Islanders’ two-game slide looks like a stubbed toe compared to the freefall in Canada’s capital. The Senators have dropped six games in a row and have only two wins in the past 10 games. Their most recent loss was the worst of the bunch – a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of the Boston Bruins Tuesday.
"We're trying to build off the last few games and it just seems that we missing things here and there," defenseman Matt Carkner told the Ottawa Citizen. "Right now we just can't make things happen in the offensive zone. It's just not clicking and the puck's not going in the net for us."
Ottawa’s hasn’t put up much of a fight during this slump, getting outscored 24-7 in those six outings. The Senators are averaging one goal per game to start the New Year and rank 29th in the NHL in scoring per game, with an average of just 2.9 goals on the season.
New York hasn’t had that trouble in recent weeks. The Isles may have lost two straight outings but are 6-4 in their last 10 games, averaging three goals a night in that span. It doesn’t take a math wiz to know that three is greater than one.
Pick: New York
Toronto Maple Leafs at Phoenix Coyotes (-155, 5.5)
The Maple Leafs are loving life on the West Coast.
Not only do they avoid the terrible Toronto winter, but they’re beating up on Western foes, extending their winning streak to four games with a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks Tuesday. Toronto closes out this four-game road swing in the desert against the Coyotes Thursday.
The goals have been stacking up for the Leafs, who have netted 22 in this four-game span. Leading the charge on offense is star forward Phil Kessel, who has scored five goals during this streak. Kessel was named to the NHL All-Star Team Tuesday and backed up that selection with a goal against the Sharks.
“He’s among the elite in this league and he’s fun to play with,” centre Tyler Bozak said of Kessel. “We’ve all had our struggles with the goals not going in but he’s still got a lot of goals and that’s unbelievable.
“You know he’s going to produce all the time. He deserves to be named to the all-star game.”
The Maple Leafs have played over the total in three of their last four outings and own an 11-0-1 over/under mark in their past 12 games against Phoenix.
Pick: Over
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Thursday, January 13
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ottawa Senators at New York Islanders (+105, 5.5)
This matchup could be crowned the toilet-bowl game on Thursday’s schedule. These two NHL bottom feeders collide in New York, with both clubs hoping to snap losing skids.
The Islanders’ two-game slide looks like a stubbed toe compared to the freefall in Canada’s capital. The Senators have dropped six games in a row and have only two wins in the past 10 games. Their most recent loss was the worst of the bunch – a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of the Boston Bruins Tuesday.
"We're trying to build off the last few games and it just seems that we missing things here and there," defenseman Matt Carkner told the Ottawa Citizen. "Right now we just can't make things happen in the offensive zone. It's just not clicking and the puck's not going in the net for us."
Ottawa’s hasn’t put up much of a fight during this slump, getting outscored 24-7 in those six outings. The Senators are averaging one goal per game to start the New Year and rank 29th in the NHL in scoring per game, with an average of just 2.9 goals on the season.
New York hasn’t had that trouble in recent weeks. The Isles may have lost two straight outings but are 6-4 in their last 10 games, averaging three goals a night in that span. It doesn’t take a math wiz to know that three is greater than one.
Pick: New York
Toronto Maple Leafs at Phoenix Coyotes (-155, 5.5)
The Maple Leafs are loving life on the West Coast.
Not only do they avoid the terrible Toronto winter, but they’re beating up on Western foes, extending their winning streak to four games with a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks Tuesday. Toronto closes out this four-game road swing in the desert against the Coyotes Thursday.
The goals have been stacking up for the Leafs, who have netted 22 in this four-game span. Leading the charge on offense is star forward Phil Kessel, who has scored five goals during this streak. Kessel was named to the NHL All-Star Team Tuesday and backed up that selection with a goal against the Sharks.
“He’s among the elite in this league and he’s fun to play with,” centre Tyler Bozak said of Kessel. “We’ve all had our struggles with the goals not going in but he’s still got a lot of goals and that’s unbelievable.
“You know he’s going to produce all the time. He deserves to be named to the all-star game.”
The Maple Leafs have played over the total in three of their last four outings and own an 11-0-1 over/under mark in their past 12 games against Phoenix.
Pick: Over
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