NHL: Calgary Flames at Boston Bruins (-180)

For as much the All-Star break is a nice chance for (mostly) everyone to get off their feet, sometimes players don’t want it. That was probably the case in Boston, as the Bruins were absolutely rolling before getting nine days off.

Boston was 7-1 over its last eight games and was absolutely blowing the brakes off opponents. They won five of those games by at least three goals, including a 3-0 victory over the Devils, a 5-2 triumph over the Avalanche, a 9-4 beatdown of Montreal and a 6-2 drubbing of the Flyers. This is starting to look more and more like the team that won the Presidents’ Trophy a season ago, and the rest of the NHL is taking notice. 

Meanwhile, Calgary appears to be throwing in the towel on the season. Just before the All-Star Game, they traded their lone representative at the event to Vancouver.

Center Elias Lindholm was moved to the best team in the Western Conference, so the Flames didn’t have a single representative in Toronto. At just 22-22-5, it’s been a disappointing season, and Calgary only has 49 points through 49 games.

The Flames are five points back of the final wild-card spot, but would have to jump at least four teams to make an unlikely postseason berth happen. It’s not the best message to send to the locker room a month before the trade deadline, so the Flames could definitely come out sluggish after more than a week on vacation. 

And it’s not like they were playing their best hockey before the time off. Calgary is just 1-4 over its last five games, including a four-game losing streak where the Flames scored nine total goals. Their one victory before the break came over a bad Blackhawks team and they found the back of the net just one time in the 1-0 win.

They’re about to embark on a four-game road trip against good teams in the East, and starting with Boston is less than ideal. The Bruins are 16-4-3 at home, with their four regulation home losses tied for the fewest in the league with Vancouver. It’s rare they lose games at TD Garden, and the Flames are just 10-11-4 away from home.

Norm LaChatlier’s Pick: Boston -1.5 (+135)

Not only should the Bruins win this game, but they should also cover the puck-line, which gets some nice juice. David Pastrnak is having another huge year, putting up 33 goals and 39 assists, good for 72 points in only 49 games. Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle also have more than 40 points, and Jeremy Swayman has a 16-3-7 record in net. He should be back at goalie after his trip to Canada to celebrate being selected as an All-Star. As mentioned, the Flames aren’t scoring a ton of goals right now and just traded one of their best players. The Bruins are lighting the lamp and blowing teams out. That pattern will continue on Tuesday night with a 6-2 Boston victory.

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NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder -3.5 at Utah Jazz 

Oklahoma City has been the story of the NBA season thus far, going 35-15 through its first 50 games to share the best record in the Western Conference with the Timberwolves. Everyone knew when the Thunder started the rebuild by accumulating a bunch of draft picks that they’d be good again at some point, but few excepted them to be this good this quickly.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having a monster season, averaging 31.1 points per game, 6.6 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals. If it weren’t for that guy named Nikola Jokic in Denver, he’d be the favorite to win NBA’s MVP award. If he continues his strong play in the second half, he could definitely still take home the award.

Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are also having very nice years. And Oklahoma City has the role players to potentially make a deep playoff run.

They’ve faced the Jazz twice this season. The first time was a 134-120 win at home back on Dec. 11. The Thunder have won three games in a row, including a double-OT thriller against the Raptors on Sunday.

That was a nice way for them get back on track after a mini two-game losing streak. Overall, OKC is 8-2 over their last 10 games. The win to start that stretch came in Utah by a score of 134-129, the same place they’ll be on Tuesday night.

The Jazz sit at No. 10 in the Western Conference, battling for a spot in the NBA’s play-in tournament. They have a 25-26 record but are 16-7 at home compared to just 9-19 on the road. They’re currently edging Houston for the final spot and definitely within striking distance of the Lakers and Mavericks to move up the standings. 

Utah is coming off a furious rally to stun the Bucks, outscoring Milwaukee 40-13 in the fourth quarter on Sunday night to earn a 123-108 win. The Jazz needed that, considering they had lost six of their last eight games which included a pair of three-game losing streaks.

Lauri Markkanen is leading the way for the Jazz, averaging 23.5 points per game and 8.6 rebounds. Both Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson chip in more than 17 points a night. But Utah’s problem is they have several good players, but no great players. That’s why they’re hovering around .500 and what separates the contenders from the pretenders in the NBA.

Still, this is a relatively low spread and the oddsmakers expect it to be a close game. Anything can happen on any given night.

Jason Schlefsky’s Pick: Jazz +3.5 (-110)

Oklahoma City has a nice 15-9 record away from home this season, but a closer look reveals the Thunder are just 5-5 in their past 10 road games. That includes a stunning loss at Detroit to the horrid Pistons, as well as losses in Atlanta, Brooklyn and to both Los Angeles teams. You can’t sleep on Utah’s good home record, and what they did to the Bucks just two nights ago. That’s the kind of comeback that can provide a team momentum for multiple games moving forward. It makes guys believe, and given where they are in the standings, every game is precious for the Jazz. The Thunder are in dogfight of their own for the top spot in the West, but they’re playing with significantly less pressure. Take the points and even if it’s a one-possession loss, you’ll still walk away a winner.

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And Keep an Eye On…

NCAAMB: Alabama Crimson Tide (16) @ Auburn Tigers (12) (Wednesday 7 pm ET)

As March Madness inches closer, Wednesday night provides an outstanding opportunity to watch two top-25 teams go head-to-head, as Alabama takes on Auburn in this SEC thriller. On the season, No. 12 Auburn has amassed 18 wins, but Alabama could close the gap having 16 of their own already. Thickening the plot even further is the fact that Alabama handed Auburn one of its three losses just weeks ago. In that game, Auburn Johni Broome went off for 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Alabama’s Mark Sears pouted in 22 of his own. This game will most certainly have implications when the committee convenes to fill out the greatest bracket in sports.   

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NBA: Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Lakers (Thursday 10 pm ET)

This one has been marked on a lot of calendars in L.A., as Nuggets fans and media spent much of the summer taking pot shots at the Lakers, who were swept by Denver last spring in the Western Conference Finals. While the Lakers aren’t having a great season, the Nuggets have slipped to fourth in the West, making this rematch of the conference finals not only important, but must-see-TV. And, for the first time in NBA history, there’s a rematch of the NBA in-season tournament defending champs, and the actual ones. 

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NHL: Colorado Avalanche @ Carolina Hurricanes (Thursday 7 pm ET)

The post All-Star schedule for the Colorado Avalanche has been a gauntlet and could have major implications by the time the quest for Lord Stanley comes to fruition in the playoffs. Following the break, Colorado headed east for the start of a three-game road swing that started off with a thrilling 2-1 overtime loss to the Rangers. Tonight, the Avs will try to avenge the loss against the Devils. And then on Thursday, Nathan MacKinnon (the hottest player in hockey, by the way), will duke it out in Carolina. Both teams come into the game with 60-plus points, as the Hurricanes hold second place in the Metropolitan Division, while Colorado clings to their Central Division lead. This is most definitely the NHL’s version of a heavyweight bout.