Free NHL Picks – Wednesday, November 4
It may have been a luckless night with my NBA picks (more on that in detail soon), but I had another solid night on the NHL front, posting a second straight 3-1 mark.
Is another winning night in the cards with today’s quartet of picks? I’m liking my chances, but as last night’s NBA picks showed, being a big favorite in NHL odds is a guarantee of absolutely nothing.
NHL PICKS RECORD
Yesterday (Tuesday, Nov. 3): 3-1
Season-to-date: 6-2
TODAY’S NHL PICKS
BUFFALO SU vs. New York Islanders
COLUMBUS SU vs. San Jose Sharks
Dallas/Calgary OVER 5 ½
Colorado/Phoenix UNDER 5 ½
Buffalo Sabres (8-2-1) vs. New York Islanders (5-4-5)
Can the Islanders continue their hot streak? New York has won four in a row, and they’ll be looking to five in a row for the first time since a six-game win streak in February 2007.
One of those four straight wins was a 5-0 rout of the Sabres on Saturday, which ended Buffalo’s own four-game win streak in rather emphatic fashion and made up for their 6-3 loss at Buffalo two weeks prior.
The Islanders have earned a road split in each of the last two seasons against Buffalo, but with Saturday’s thrashing in mind, I’m fully expecting the Sabres to rebound and pick up the W tonight to complete the home sweep of the Isles.
Columbus Blue Jackets (7-5-1) vs. San Jose Sharks (10-4-1)
I haven’t set picking underdogs on a regular basis like I did last season, but I’m going with the home underdog in this one.
The Sharks are a solid 6-4-0 on the road so far, but Columbus hasn’t been one of their favorite places to place over the last few seasons. The Blue Jackets were 2-0-0 at home against San Jose last season, and they’ve won six of their last eight at home over the Sharks.
Dallas Stars (6-3-5) vs. Calgary Flames (7-4-1)
Their first meeting on Oct. 9 was a 5-2 Stars win in Dallas, and you can expect more than a few goals in this one tonight.
Dallas and Calgary both come in averaging more than three goals per game and giving up more than three goals per game.
For Dallas, the total has been six or more in 10 of their 14 games. The Stars have scored at least four goals in nine of 14 games and at least three in 10 of 14, but at the same time, they’ve given up at least three (counting shootouts) in 10 of 14 and at least four in six of 14.
Calgary has scored only three goals in their last two games, but prior to that, the Flames had been having no problems scoring, netting four goals or more (counting shootouts) in eight of 12 games. On the flip side, the Flames have allowed three goals or more in all but two of 12 games.
So, basically it’s the perfect storm, right? Two teams who know how to score but don’t defend nearly as well = taking the over being a no-brainer.
Colorado Avalanche (10-3-2) vs. Phoenix Coyotes (9-5-0)
I’m going with the opposite way of the above pick and going with the under on the puck line in this one, which is looking more than a little tempting.
Colorado has allowed only seven goals in their four home games, and four of those came in one game (a 5-4 win over Carolina on Oct. 23). The total has been five or less in 10 of Colorado’s 15 games this season, and since that game against the Hurricanes, it’s been five or less in each of the Avalanche’s last five.
Defensively, the Coyotes have been at their best away from home, with only 11 goals allowed and three shutouts, and it’s worth mentioning that two of those shutouts came over Pittsburgh and San Jose, two of the top scoring teams in the league. as
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