NHL Tuesday: 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐊𝐒 𝐌𝐋 +𝟏𝟎𝟎 (𝟏.𝟓𝐮) The Kings played a pretty complete game last night, beating the Rangers 6-3 at MSG, but the concern is that they may have used up a lot of their energy doing it. LA is an older team, so they likely had their sights set on the tougher matchup and didn’t even hold a morning skate today in Chicago. The Blackhawks are still searching for answers offensively, but I think they’re starting to figure things out. They should be well prepared tonight and have a good opportunity to take advantage of a Kings team that could be both mentally and physically drained. 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐌𝐋 -𝟏𝟎𝟔 (𝟏𝐮) With Hellebuyck making his debut today, I’m not buying into the hype just yet. He could be a little rusty, but more importantly, NJ has a huge game in Colorado tomorrow, so that’s probably going to be in the back of their minds too. Dallas has been red-hot, just like you’d expect from a contender, and I think they get the job done tonight. 𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐌𝐋 +𝟏𝟔𝟐 (𝟎.𝟓𝐮) Whatever Boston has going on this year, I think we have to give Sturm credit for what he’s built here. The defending champs have every reason to be heavily favored, especially with how well they’ve started the season, but I think that also creates some good value on a Bruins team that’s still a bit of an unknown. They don’t look like they’re slowing down, and they’re fully healthy right now. They’ve also got the grit to give the Hurricanes a real headache. I do think getting Taylor Hall and Mark Jankowski back could throw off the chemistry a bit at first, before ultimately making the team better. It's definitely worth a small shot to take the Bruins here. 𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐌𝐋 -𝟏𝟐𝟑 (𝟏𝐮) I think the Jets have come back down to earth after their hot start, and things might stay a little rough for them over the next stretch. After a full day off following their loss in the Heritage Classic, they now have to deal with a tough Panthers team that won’t give a struggling team much time to get back on track. Florida is relentless when they’re playing their best, and I think we’re going to see plenty of that tonight.

NFL MNF Game: 𝐂𝐨𝐰𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬/𝐄𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝟒𝟒 (𝟏.𝟓𝐮) It was tough picking a side between two pretty disappointing teams, especially since most of their recent issues have been on offense. I’d expect both teams to come in with a strong focus on getting their offenses going. McKee just needed to get warmed up, and he should be more comfortable today and put together a better performance. Dak, meanwhile, just needs to stop being primetime Dak for once. After last week’s lack of scoring, I’d expect the Cowboys to switch some things up and find ways to get the offense clicking. At the end of the day, I think scoring will be the theme in this one.

NHL Monday: 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐌𝐋 +𝟏𝟏𝟗 (𝟏𝐮) The LA Kings have obviously lost a bit of favor with that slow start that they are trying to climb out of, but the bigger story here might be the Rangers coming back down to earth. Sure, they’re still a perfect 6-0 at home, but the beginner’s luck has run out for Dylan Garand in net, and I'm not too sure a 38 yr old James Reimer, who is making his season debut, is going to be the answer. I also think New York’s defensive rhythm is starting to fall apart a bit, which could help LA as they slowly start to get their offense going. The Kings have only recently started looking better results-wise, but their defense and goaltending haven’t really been the problem during their 2-7 start. Having that solid defensive foundation gives them a chance against a Rangers team that still seems to be figuring out its identity without Shesterkin. Offensively, they also seem to be playing mix and match outside the first line, and trying to see what sticks, and this is something an experienced LA defensive style should be able to handle. The Kings have had some time to settle into the NYC area, so as long as they haven’t been too distracted over the past day, they should be in a good spot to put together a solid performance tonight.

CFB Today: 𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐒 -𝟑 (𝟏𝐮)

NHL Saturday: 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬/𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝟔.𝟓 (𝟎.𝟓𝐮) Coach Sullivan wasn’t happy with the wide-open, high-event game in the 5-4 loss to the Leafs, so I expect the Rangers to tighten things up here. That said, I think the other side will have a similar approach. The Senators gave it everything they had to beat Brady and the Panthers before getting blown out by the Sharks in their next game. I’d expect them to regroup and put in a much better effort this time around. I’m not a huge fan of how juiced this total is, so I’m keeping it to half a unit, but I really like the chances of this one staying tight, and 6.5 is a great number for cushion. 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐋 +𝟏𝟑𝟓 (𝟏.5𝐮) Carolina hasn’t had any real activity since that high-energy game in Edmonton, which ended in a 6-5 OT loss. That means the Canes will probably have to rely on their natural ability tonight rather than going in with a detailed game plan. Giving the guys some rest wasn’t necessarily a bad move, and even when they’re not at their best, Carolina is still one of the top teams in the league. Still, I kinda get the feeling these guys just can't wait to get back home. On the other side, Montgomery knows exactly what his team is up against, just like he did against VGK earlier this week. Expect a similar approach from the Blues, who have been looking pretty structured and composed lately. Their more stable schedule this week should also give them a solid advantage. 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒 𝐌𝐋 +𝟏𝟔𝟗 (𝟏𝐮) I know how good Boston has been, and I get that this will be a tough matchup, but the SJ disrespect is crazy once again this year. Yes, the Sharks rely heavily on Macklin, but Stenberg and Misa are quietly turning into really important pieces, and Will Smith is definitely due for a big game. With both Will and Mack having that extra emotional motivation coming back to Boston, where their NHL careers were starting to become a reality in the near future, I think the Sharks are going to be pretty fired up. Boston is due for a bit of a rough stretch, and SJ is still a tough team to figure out since it’s hard to predict how some of these young line combinations will develop. I really think the Sharks have a good shot in this one. 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐌𝐋 +𝟏𝟎𝟖 (𝟏𝐮) Coach Brunette made it clear that there were way too many passengers in Nashville’s 6-0 blowout loss in Boston, so I’d expect a much better team effort from the Preds tonight. Pittsburgh just isn’t a very good team overall. Their 0-4 road trip was pretty ugly, with very little going right until the third period in Utah. A big reason for their win against Florida in their first game back home was that they were playing for Ben Kindel after his medical emergency on the flight back. Tonight? No reason to get fired up whatsoever. No story for them here, as they are just simply going up against another mid team, but with a lineup missing about half of the forwards. I’m not saying the Preds are anything special either, but coming off an embarrassing loss like that, I expect them to be much more engaged and competitive than usual.