It's a big night in the NHL, with the Habs, Golden Knights and Sabres looking to wrap it up, and the Raps hosting the Cavs, down 3-2
It’s going to be a wild scene at the Bell Centre in Montreal tonight, with the Canadiens in a position to eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning on home ice.
For Canadian NHL fans, the Canadiens, up 3-2 in the series, are the last best hope for this spring’s playoffs, with the Edmonton Oilers going down in six games to the Anaheim Ducks last night.
The Canadiens are now +1000 in NHL betting odds to win the Stanley Cup, although it’s more and more looking like a Colorado Avalanche (+225) and Carolina Hurricanes (+260) Cup final.
That’s four games in a row in this series that finished 3-2. It’s going to be loud, intense, tight, and physical in Montreal tonight, a reminder of older times in La Belle Province.
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NHL
Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. EST, Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Canadiens lead series 3-2
Tampa Bay Lightning To Win
At Betway, the Lightning are slight betting favourites, at -115, with the Canadiens at -105. ATS: Lightning -1.5 (+200), Canadiens +1.5 (-275). Over/Under is 5.5, with the Over -115, the Under -110.
Some chatter yesterday about that crappy game-winning goal Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy gave up at the 1:06 mark of the third period Wednesday night in Game 5, an Alexandre Texier snapper from outside the dot that went off the glove of the Russian goalie.
That chatter insinuated some holes in Vasilevskiy’s game, but to my eyes he’s still Top 3 in the NHL, once again a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, and I have him bouncing back in a big way tonight (Tampa Bay Shutout +700).
Vasilevskiy’s career playoff record: 68-53, 2.46 GAA, .917 SV%, 7 SOs.
I look at the 40 shots Tampa Bay had on Habs goalie Jakub Dobes Wednesday night. I look at the leadership of Brandon Hagel. I look at Nikita Kucherov to have a big game (Total Goals Over 0.5 +135)
I still like the Habs in the series, and Dobes was big the other night, but it’s Tampa’s night. I hit on the Under in Game 5, so I am also leaning that again tonight, with two beasts in the nets.
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NHL
Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins, 7:30 p.m. EST, TD Garden, Boston MA
Sabres lead series 3-2
Boston Bruins ATS
At Betway, the Sabres are slight betting favourites, at -115, with the Bruins at -105. ATS: Sabres -1.5 (+200), Bruins +1.5 (-275). Over/Under is 5.5, with the Over -115, the Under -105.
Home ice has pretty much been a non-factor in this series, so there’s that, with road teams winning four in a row. The Under is 3-1 in the past four games.
Alex Lyon has been great in the net for Buffalo since stepping in for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and has gone 2-1-0 with a 1.18 GAA and a stellar .953 SV% in three starts.
Watching the Ducks take out the Oilers, the Utah Mammoth giving the Vegas Golden Knights fits, the Canadiens in the driver’s seat against Tampa, and now this series, it feels a little bit like this is the spring of the young upstart teams, doesn’t it?
I think the Sabres pull this one out, but I am looking for some insurance in what will be a close game.
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NBA
Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m. EST, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Cavaliers lead series 3-2
Cleveland Cavaliers ATS
At Betway, the Cavaliers are betting favourites, at -170, with the home court Raptors at +140. ATS: Cavaliers -3.5 (-115), Raptors +3.5 (-105). Over/Under is 219.5, with the Over -110, the Under -110.
I cashed in on the Raptors ATS in Game 5, which topped out at +9.5 pre-game, the game finishing 125-120 Cavs. That’s not the case tonight, with the Raptors +3.5 in NBA betting odds.
The Raptors are down two key guys – Brandon Ingram listed as questionable with right heel inflammation, and Immanuel Quickley out with a right hamstring issue. No injuries to report for the Cavaliers.
Backing the Cavs spread is the better play, instead of the moneyline, which is much more expensive.
