Ricky Tran – Sports Handicapper

My 8* play on the Winnipeg Jets.

The Kings snapped a three-game slide with a 4-1 win at home over the Flames in their last outing, but I believe a return to the norm is inevitable here in this difficult road venue. Winnipeg broke a three-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over the Oilers in its last game and I look for it to keep the foot on the gas here at home in this favorable matchup. 

Key Trends:

- LA goaltender Jon Quick is 1-3-0 with a 5.06 GAA this season.

- Winnipeg netminder Connor Hellebuyck is 4-3-0 with a 2.28 GAA this year.

The verdict: Winnipeg comes in focussed and delivers the good at this reasonable mid-sized price; lay it with confidence!

My 10* play on the New York Rangers.

After beating the Senators 5-2 on Saturday, I think the Coyotes struggle in this difficult road venue. The Rangers are only 2-4 and they'll be hungry here after falling 2-0 to the Canucks on Sunday. Arizona has in fact won three straight and I believe it does finally have a letdown here. New York has in fact lost four straight and I believe it risks life and limb to try and secure the victory here. 

Key Trends:

- Arizona is a poor 10-21 (-10.4 units) when playing with two days rest.

- New York is 16-10 (+8.9 units) in its last 26 after three or more consecutive losses.

The veridct: Admittedly the Coyotes early numbers are better than the Rangers, but this is a situationally based selection and considering the circumstances, I feel we're getting exceptional line value in this one!

My 8* play on the San Jose Sharks.

The Sabres upset the Sharks 4-3 in San Jose on Saturday, but I think the visitors will bounce back here and return the favor. Evander Kane leads Buffalo with six points, while Logan Couture has one goal and seven assists. Sharks' goalie Martin Jones is 4-2-2 with a 2.36 GAA lifetime vs. the Sabres. Buffalo is unbeaten on its own ice, with is also added incentive for the visitors today, who have only one win away from home thus far. 

Key Trends:

- San Jose is 47-33 in its last 80 after allowing four or more goals in its previous contest. 

- Buffalo is 17-35 the L2 years after scoring four or more goals in its previous contest (including only 1-2 this season.)

The verdict: This one has slight upset written all over it; play on the Sharks!

My 10* RUN-LINE GAME OF THE WEEK is on the Washington Nationals.

Do you need me to list the stats of these starting pitchers? Max Scherzer of the Nationals and Gerrit Cole of the Astros are two of the better known starting hurlers in the league, so if you're betting on this game, listing their records probably isn't necessary (Scherzer is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in the post-season, with 27 K's over 20 innings of work, while Cole is 3-0 with a 0.40 ERA so far in the playoffs.) 

The verdict: I believe the starters are a "wash" here, so in a contest which I envision being decided by the releivers and in the latter frames, I'm going to suggest grabbing extra 1.5 runs of insurance for this very reasonable price; play on the Nats run line in Game 1!

My 10* BIG TIGER is on the New Orleans Pelicans.

Yes New Orleans is without Zion Williamson, but guess what? The Raptors are without possibly the best player in the entire World in Kawhi Leonard to open the season. You'd better believe that Jrue Holiday and company are going to be out to prove that they can still win without their star rookie on the floor. Toronto has plenty to prove as well this year after the departure of Leonard, but I believe Toronto will have difficulites with chemistry to start. New Orleans' combination of Holiday and Lonzo Ball give New Orleans the best defensive combo in the NBA on paper. That doesn't bode well for Kyle Lowry in my opinion. 

Key Trends:

- Toronto was just 3-5 ATS last year in games without Leonard and in which the opposing team was able to limit Lowry to under 40 percent shooting.

The verdict: Outright victory? Anything is possible on Opening Night, but in a contest which I envision coming down to whichever of these hungry sides has its hands on the ball last, I'm going to grab up all these points!