Monday 12-31-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche Preview and Predictions 2018-12-31

NHL Predictions 30th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/30/2018

The Los Angeles Kings will try to rebound from having their season-high four-game winning streak snapped when they visit the reeling Colorado Avalanche on Monday. Los Angeles, which has the fewest points in the league (33), lost 4-1 at Vegas on Saturday while Colorado fell at home to Chicago 3-2 in overtime for its fourth straight loss - all against the Western Conference - and are 1-4-3 in its last eight such contests.

"The big thing is now we can't let this one (loss) turn into two and three and four," Kings captain Anze Kopitar told reporters Saturday after scoring his ninth goal of the season and 299th of his career. The Avalanche's Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog comprise the NHL's most-prolific line with 64 goals and 163 points, and continue to produce despite the team's woes. The unit tallied both goals Saturday and is responsible for 48.5 percent of the team's scoring and 45.7 percent of its points this season. Colorado snapped a five-game losing streak in the series with a 7-3 victory in Los Angeles on Nov. 21 despite Rantanen, MacKinnon and Landeskog combining for a goal and four assists.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), Altitude (Colorado)

ABOUT THE KINGS (15-21-3): Kopitar has recorded seven of his club-high 25 points in the last nine games while Alex Iafallo has four of his nine goals and six of his 12 assists this season during that span. Dustin Brown has scored two of his team-best 10 goals in 13 December games after collecting seven in November. Jonathan Quick, who had a three-game winning streak snapped Saturday, is 16-5-1 with a 2.16 goals-against average and .917 save percentage against the Avalanche.



ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (19-13-7): Landeskog is tied for fourth in the league with a team-high 24 goals while Rantanen (61 points) and MacKinnon (58) are second and third in points behind Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov (63). Defenseman Tyson Barrie (25) has the most points on the club after Landeskog (44) with Carl Soderberg's 22 most among the remaining forwards, while Soderberg and J.T. Compher tied for fourth on the team with 10 goals apiece. Nikita Zadorov (team-best plus-9 among defensemen) has missed the last four games with a lower-body injury.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado's Tyson Barrie (25 points) recorded his 208th career assist Saturday, passing John-Michael Liles for most by a defenseman in Avalanche history, and is two points shy of tying Liles for most points among blue-iners in team annals.

2. Los Angeles is last in the league in scoring at 2.26 goals per game.

3. The Avalanche have scored a power-play goal in each of the last three games and own the league's fourth-best unit at 27.3 percent.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 3, Kings 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Montreal Canadiens vs. Dallas Stars Preview and Predictions 2018-12-31

NHL Predictions 30th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/30/2018

The Dallas Stars will try to match a season high with their third straight victory when they host the Montreal Canadiens on Monday with club CEO Jim Lites' critical comments about the team's two best players still ringing in their ears. Dallas routed Detroit 5-1 on Saturday in its first game since Lites went George Steinbrenner on Tyler Seguin and captain Jamie Benn, telling The Athletic "They have been (expletive) horse(expletive). I don't know how else to put it."

Seguin (team-high 33 points) had an assist Saturday while Benn (club-most 15 goals) was kept off the scoresheet for the third straight game. "I don't play for him (Lites)," Benn told reporters Saturday. "I play for every player in this room and the coaching staff. I come to the rink and, like I said, I'm proud to be a Dallas Star and proud to go out there every night and battle with these guys in games. I've really put my teammates first. I think knowing there's a situation within the organization, I try to keep it within the organization and deal with it face-to-face." Montreal had its three-game winning streak halted with a 6-5 loss at Tampa Bay on Saturday and will be without No. 1 goaltender Carey Price (lower body) for the third straight contest. Dallas prevailed 4-1 on Oct. 30 in the first of two meetings this season with Devin Shore providing a goal and two assists and Ben Bishop making 34 saves, improving to 12-4-3 with a 1.73 goals-against average and .936 save percentage against the Canadiens.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, RDS, TSN2 (Montreal), FS Southwest Plus (Dallas)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (20-14-5): Phillip Danault (25 points) recorded three assists Saturday, giving him three of his five goals this season and four assists in his last four games. Andrew Shaw (11 goals) scored twice versus Tampa Bay for his second two-goal contest of the season, giving the club five players with at least 11 tallies. Tomas Tatar (14 goals, 30 points) recorded two assists Saturday and has two goals and four assists in his last three games.



ABOUT THE STARS (20-16-3): Alexander Radulov (13 goals, 31 points) scored twice versus Detroit, giving him three goals and five assists in his last seven games. Tyler Pitlick (six goals) scored for the third straight contest Saturday for the first time in his career. Defenseman Connor Carrick (foot) came off injured reserve Saturday but instead of playing, he missed his 29th straight game with coach Jim Montgomery telling reporters: "We don't feel Carrick is in playing shape yet and has had enough practice time to assimilate."

OVERTIME

1. Dallas is 1-for-12 on the power play in its last six games while Montreal has scored with the man advantage in four of its last five contests, going 4-for-15 during that span.

2. Montreal G Antti Niemi (5-4-1, 4.22 GAA, .870 SP this season) is 11-4-5, 2.25, .924 versus the Stars.

3. Dallas is 5-0-1 in its last six games versus the Atlantic Division after losing its first three such contests this season by a combined 15-7.

PREDICTION: Stars 3, Canadiens 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

San Jose Sharks vs. Calgary Flames Preview and Predictions 2018-12-31

NHL Predictions 31st December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/31/2018

The top spot in the Pacific Division will be on the line when the San Jose Sharks continue their road trip Monday against the Calgary Flames. The Sharks have gone 9-2-2 in their last 13 overall games and have won four straight away from home as they've pulled within one point of the Flames for the division lead.

Defenseman Erik Karlsson returned from a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Los Angeles' Austin Wagner to register a goal and three assists in Saturday's 7-4 victory over Edmonton. "It's never fun to be out of the lineup, especially for the reason I was out for," Karlsson told reporters. "But I made the most of it and watched the games, and sometimes it's good to watch the game from afar, too - you figure out a few things." After starting the month with seven wins in eight games, Calgary has gone 1-2-2 over its last five contests after suffering a 3-2 overtime loss to Vancouver on Saturday. Goaltender Dave Rittich has been superb for the Flames as he ranks fourth in the NHL in save percentage (.924) and third in goals-against average (2.26) among goaltenders that have played at least 20 games.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, NBCS California (San Jose)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (21-12-7): Martin Jones, who once again was bailed out by his offense on Saturday, is tied for third in the league with 16 wins - but his .898 save percentage is the lowest among the 21 netminders who have 12 or more victories. Thomas Hertl scored his 14th goal of the season Saturday, giving him seven tallies - and six assists - over his last 10 games. Logan Couture tallied twice and defenseman Brent Burns notched a pair of assists against the Oilers to remain tied for the team lead with 38 points apiece.



ABOUT THE FLAMES (23-12-4): Calgary went 0-for-5 with the man advantage against the Canucks and has converted only one of its 18 power-play opportunities over the last five games. "You have five power plays, you've got to get at least one or two (goals), especially on home ice," center Sean Monahan told reporters. "It isn't as sharp as it needs to be." Mark Jankowski scored while on the penalty kill for the second straight game on Saturday and is tied with Arizona's Michael Grabner for the league lead in goals (four) and points (six) while short-handed.

OVERTIME

1. The Sharks enter Monday ranked second in the league in shots per game (35.1) and are tied with the Flames for second in shots allowed (28.3).

2. Calgary has scored an NHL-high 12 short-handed goals this season, one more than Arizona.

3. San Jose LW Evander Kane is three goals shy of 200 for his career while Calgary RW Michael Frolik is one assist away from 200.

PREDICTION: Sharks 5, Flames 4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Winnipeg Jets vs. Edmonton Oilers Preview and Predictions 2018-12-31

NHL Predictions 30th December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/30/2018

The Winnipeg Jets have hit a stumbling block on offense, and now their defense has sustained a big loss entering Monday's visit to the Edmonton Oilers. The Jets announced Sunday they will be without defenseman Dustin Byfuglien for at least a month after he suffered a left ankle injury in Saturday's home defeat to Minnesota, a game in which the high-powered Winnipeg offense mustered only one goal for the fourth time in the past five games.

But Winnipeg is not panicking about the recent lack of goals as coach Paul Maurice told reporters after Saturday's 3-1 defeat: "We haven't scored a lot of goals our last five games. That's the story. That's the easy story, but it's not a telling one for me." The Jets hope a trip west will ignite the offense against an Oilers squad riding a five-game losing streak into New Year's Eve after Saturday's 7-4 setback to San Jose. Center Connor McDavid scored his 20th and 21st goals of the season, giving him three consecutive seasons with 20-plus goals, but it wasn't enough as Edmonton has allowed 25 goals during its skid. "When you stop fighting for each other and you sag, you get scored on and get outplayed," Edmonton coach Ken Hitchcock told the media afterward. "Lately, we have sagged way too easy and it's hurt us a lot."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), Sportsnet West (Edmonton)

ABOUT THE JETS (24-12-2): Byfuglien's loss is impactful, considering he ranks fourth on the Jets in points (29) while helping to set the physical tone defensively and consistently is one of the team leaders in ice time. Forward Patrik Laine snapped a five-game goalless streak with his team-leading 24th of the season Saturday, moving into a tie for fourth in the NHL. Forward Blake Wheeler drew an assist and is tied for second in the league with 44.



ABOUT THE OILERS (18-17-3): McDavid has scored or assisted on seven of the past nine Edmonton goals (two goals, five assists). Forward Ty Rattie picked up a career-high three assists Saturday, snapping a 13-game pointless streak. Goaltender Cam Talbot dropped to 7-11-2 on the season after allowing all seven San Jose goals on 40 shots, and has not recorded a victory since Dec. 7.

OVERTIME

1. McDavid ranks fourth in the NHL in points (56) and has 264 since the start of the 2016-17 season, the most by any NHL player.

2. Winnipeg D Joe Morrow will make his first appearance since Nov. 27 in Byfuglien's spot, Maurice told reporters Sunday.

3. The first two meetings this season have ended with each team earning a 5-4 overtime victory in Winnipeg with the Oilers occurring Oct. 16 on a Darnell Nurse goal and the Jets returning the favor Dec. 13 on Josh Morrissey's winner.

PREDICTION: Jets 4, Oilers 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jack Jones

Dec 31 '18, 3:00 PM in 39m
NCAA-F | Michigan State vs Oregon
Play on: Oregon -1½ -109 at GTBets

Jack’s Free Pick Monday: Oregon -1.5
The Oregon Ducks should be highly motivated for a win in this Redbox Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California Monday afternoon. They were upset as 7-point favorites by Boise State last year in their bowl game and haven’t won a bowl game since making the four-team playoff in 2014. But we have to give them a break because Willie Taggart left for Florida State at the end of last season, and they clearly didn’t want to be there.
Oregon players love first-year head coach Mario Cristobal. He did coach them as an interim last year, but clearly couldn’t get his players to focus with all that was going on with the Taggart situation. They will be focused now with a lot more security heading into this bowl game. And simply put, they are the better team and should handle Michigan State.
I like the fight Oregon showed down the stretch. They won three of their final four games with their only loss coming 25-32 at Utah. Their three wins came by a combined 63 points, or by an average of 21 points per game. And they got good news with QB Justin Herbert announcing he’d stay around for his senior season.
Herbert is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He is completing 60% of his passes for 2,985 yards with a 28-to-8 TD/INT ratio this season. He leads an Oregon offense that scores 37.2 points per game this season. And the Ducks have an improved defense as they give up just 390 yards per game this year. It has been their best defense in quite some time.
Michigan State has one of the worst offenses of all the Power 5 teams. The Spartans only score 19.7 points per game this season. They were dreadful down the stretch offensively. They scored 6 points against Ohio State, 6 points against Nebraska and 14 against Rutgers in their final three games of the year. Those numbers are very concerning, and it means they will have to play a perfect game to win against Oregon while needing every break to go their way. While they have a great defense, I simply don’t trust their offense to move the ball and score points. They were held to 24 points or fewer in eight consecutive games to close out the year.
Plays against all teams where the line is +3 to -3 (Michigan State ) - after going under the total by 35 or more points total in their last three games, winning between 51% and 60% of their games on the season are 26-7 (78.8%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.
Oregon is 46-24 ATS in its last 70 games with a line of +3 to -3. The Ducks are 28-14 ATS in their last 42 games when playing with two or more weeks of rest. Oregon is 41-13 ATS in its last 54 games after allowing 3 points or less in the first half of last game. The Spartans are 2-7 ATS in their last nine vs. Pac-12 opponents. Michigan State is 1-5 ATS in its last six games following a win. Bet Oregon Monday.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hunter Price

Dec 31 '18, 3:00 PM in 39m
NCAA-F | Michigan State vs Oregon
Play on: Michigan State +2 -109 at GTBets

1* Free Pick on Michigan State +2 -109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kenny Walker

Dec 31 '18, 3:00 PM in 39m
NCAA-F | Michigan State vs Oregon
Play on: Oregon -1½ -109 at GTBets

Free Pick on Oregon

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dustin Hawkins

Dec 31 '18, 3:00 PM in 39m
NCAA-F | Michigan State vs Oregon
Play on: Michigan State +2½ -104 at GTBets

Free Play on Michigan State +2½ -104

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mark Wilson

Dec 31 '18, 3:00 PM in 39m
NCAA-F | Michigan State vs Oregon
Play on: Oregon -2½ -110 at sportsbook

Free Play on Oregon -2½ -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Brandon Lee

Dec 31 '18, 3:00 PM in 39m
NCAA-F | Michigan State vs Oregon
Play on: Oregon -1½ -104 at pinnacle

10* FREE NCAAF PICK (Oregon -1.5)
I just think the price is right to take a shot on the Ducks. More than anything, I just don’t know how you can trust the Michigan State offense to score enough to win this game.
As good as the Spartans defense is, and it’s really good, I have to think an NFL-caliber quarterback like Justin Herbert is going to be able to figure out a way to put points on the board. I also think it favors the offense some in these bowl games, as the games are typically played in favorable conditions and the offense has had a month to figure out what they are going to see from the opposing defense.
The best news that Oregon got leading up to this game is that Herbert is going to pass on leaving early for the NFL Draft and stick around Eugene for his senior season. That’s huge for a Ducks team that is going to have a ton of guys coming back next year. I think they have been using this practice time as the start of something special next year.
A couple years ago, Oregon’s defense was atrocious and I think there’s still the perception out there that this is not a great defensive team. While they are far from elite, they have been trending in the right direction. I think most importantly is they were strong against the run (3.8 yards/carry). If Rutgers can go into East Lansing and hold the Spartans to 14 points and 310 total yards, the Ducks can do the same.
I just think you are going to have something like a 24-14 type of game and the fact that we are getting the Ducks under a field goal is just too good to pass up. Give me Oregon -1.5!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Info Plays

Dec 31 '18, 3:45 PM in 1h
NCAA-F | Missouri vs Oklahoma State
Play on: Missouri -8 -105 at sportsbook

1* Free Play on Missouri -8 -105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

John Martin

Dec 31 '18, 6:05 PM in 3h
NBA | Magic vs Hornets
Play on: Hornets -7½ -107 at pinnacle

1 Unit FREE PLAY on Charlotte Hornets -7.5
The Charlotte Hornets are coming off a bad loss to the Wizards and should be hungry here at home tonight when they host the Magic. The Magic will be playing for a second consecutive day and their 3rd game in 4 days, so they are a tired team right now and ripe for the picking. The Hornets are 12-0 SU & 10-2 ATS in their last 12 meetings with the Magic. That dominance should continue tonight given the tough situation for the Magic in this one. Give me the Hornets.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jimmy Boyd

Dec 31 '18, 6:05 PM in 3h
NHL | Flyers vs Hurricanes
Play on: Hurricanes -124 at betonline

1* Free Pick on Hurricanes -
I really like the value here with Carolina as a small home favorite against the Flyers. Neither of these teams are playing great hockey right now, but the key here is that these two will turn around and play each on Thursday.
I believe the fact that Philadelphia knows they get to host Carolina a couple days and this being their 4th straight on the road, they are going to have a really tough time showing up for this game. Flyers are just 1-6 in their last 7 road games, 1-5 in their last 6 after scoring 2 goals or less, 2-5 in their last 7 vs a team with a losing record and 5-12 in their last 17 vs a team from the East. Take Carolina!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mike Lundin

Dec 31 '18, 6:05 PM in 3h
NBA | Magic vs Hornets
Play on: Hornets -7 -110 at pinnacle

#NBA FREE PICK FROM MIKE LUNDIN
The Orlando Magic snapped an 0-4 SU and ATS losing streak with an emphatic 116-87 win over Toronto Friday night and followed that up with a second straight triumph over Detroit last night.
Extremely tough spot for the Magic here though as they'll play on no rest and their third game in four nights, facing a Charlotte side looking to bounce back from a loss at Washington on Saturday.
The Hornets have covered the spread in only two of their last nine games but put a 120-88 beating on Orlando back in October and they're 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings. They should also be very motivated to put on a show here and close out the year with an exciting performance in front of their home fans.
Free pick on Charlotte Hornets.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dave Price

Dec 31 '18, 7:30 PM in 5h
NCAA-F | NC State vs Texas A&M
Play on: Texas A&M -7 +100 at pinnacle

Dave’s Monday Free Play:
1* on Texas A&M -7
The Key: The strength of schedule advantage Texas A&M has over NC State this season will play a big role as to why they win and cover this bowl game Monday night. Texas A&M played the 5th-toughest schedule in the country, having to play both Alabama and Clemson, the two teams playing for the national title. They only lost by 2 to Clemson and covered against Alabama. NC State played the 66th-toughest schedule. They had a very weak non-conference schedule and the ACC was way down this year. NC State did not play well when they stepped up in completion a few times. They lost 7-41 to Clemson and 41-51 to Syracuse. So Clemson gives them a common opponent, and based on their results against Clemson, Texas A&M should dominate. The Aggies are 11-1 ATS after playing a home game over the last 2 seasons. The Wolfpack are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 against SEC teams. The Aggies are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games. Take Texas A&M.