Matt's Picks (8 Live)
For -160 this is a pretty reasonable price simply as Nashville really has turned its season around and has the major carrot inching one game of reaching .500 for the first time since before Halloween. Better health has certainly helped, and Juuse Saros 6. Saros 5-1-0 with a 2.53 GAA and a .920 save percentage this month. Carolina is certainly the better team but has played three straight past regulation and that's all we care about. The Canes also could be looking ahead a bit to Friday's trip to Florida in the first meeting with the champs since the Panthers beat Carolina in the 2025 East Finals.
Naturally of my five picks yesterday, college hoops was the only loss. By a darn half point. Two pretty bad teams here, but Stonehill is 0-6 away and New Hampshire 3-1 at home. UNH might be rusty not having played since Dec. 6 but really no excuse not to be fully prepared for the visitors now. The Wildcats lead America East in rebounding (38.2 per game) (27.0) and and turnover margin (0.40) and are No. 2 in turnovers (11.5 per game) as well as third in steals (6.70 per game). Two of Stonehill's three wins are against non-DI opponents.
I don't know why, yet again, I can't get +1 on Sharks games on here but that's what I'd recommend simply for OT insurance. But this isn't too bad as I'm not really sure why the Flames are favored even if playing better of late. They are still well below .500 away and the Sharks well above at home. It's San Jose's first home game in nearly two months and it stole wins in Toronto and Pittsburgh to conclude a long road trip. One of Calgary's top forwards in Mikael Baklund (16 points, +1) is iffy. The Flames have won the past seven in the series, but that just means SJ is due.
Troy is missing apparently its leading rusher and four starting offensive linemen due to injury, opt-outs, etc. And the Trojans can't stop the run, allowing 183.2 YPG. Thanks to the nation's leading rusher in Cam Cook and dual-threat QB Caden Creel, Jax State is fourth nationally in rushing. Half unit. Both the AL.com guys previewing the game like the Gamecocks.
This just feels like a game the veteran Knicks might be itching for more than the young Spurs considering NYC hasn't celebrated an NBA championship in anything since 1973. And there is the fact Victor Wembanyama is expected to remain on a pitch count and perhaps come off the bench again. I know cash is at stake here, but the Spurs might be a tad flat off that really entertaining upset of OKC on Saturday. If we go by season net rating, NY is at plus-8.6 and SA at plus-4.2. Also pretty sure tonight will be mostly Knicks fans in Vegas for what that's worth.
Think this number has reached a peak. Home teams generally dictate tempo, and that's what I'm counting on here as Dayton generally plays games in the 140s or 150s -- the Flyers allow 71.0 PPG. Florida State will want to push tempo but was held to 76 points in its lone true road game and also held in check by good defensive teams like Texas A&M (FSU scored 59 points) and Houston (scored 67). Our model -- I look for totals -- has 154 points scored.
I'm not sure why I am not being offered -1 with the moneyline having dipped this low. I've gotten it before on prices near -240. But I'll play Leafs -1 priced -150 (it's there). Regulation works too. The Hawks put superstar Connor Bedard on IR Monday and he's everything. Top young blueliner Artyom Levshunov will sit for disciplinary reasons. So yeah I'll do two units at -1 as I struggle to see a Toronto home loss barring Spencer Knight standing on his head for the visitors. Chicago is struggling anyways, especially away at 1-5 in the past six on the road. Good injury news for the Leafs with top goalie Joseph Woll activated off IR. He is 2-0 this month with a 1.20 GAA.