NHL: Florida Panthers at St. Louis Blues

There may not be a hotter team in all of sports than the Florida Panthers. As such, all eyes will be on the Blues and Panthers Tuesday night.

Florida has been surging to the tune of seven straight wins as part of eight of their last 10. Ironically, one of their two losses came at the hands of the Blues, who beat the Panthers in Florida handily (4-1) back on December 21. With the Panthers sitting comfortably in the second slot in the Atlantic Division – with a solid 52 points – the loss seemed unlikely. After all, the Blues are fighting to remain in playoff contention, as they’ve amassed just 41 points as the fifth-place team in the Central. That point total might be a bit deceiving though, as the Blues are relatively hot as well, winning seven of their last 10.

Panther’s center Sam Reinhart is the second leading scorer in the NHL and is coming off of a hat trick performance against Colorado. Reinhart is every bit as hot as his team; he’s a scorer on pace for 60 goals this season and can give any opposing defense fits.

Aside from Florida’s torrid pace of late, the matchup favors the Panthers in all the key statistical areas. Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky gives up just 2.45 goals per game, while Jordan Binnington is allowing 3.05. Florida is scoring more than three goals per game, while St. Louis is just under at 2.82. As a team, Florida has given up .62 fewer goals per game as well.

Perhaps most alarming is the wide gap in power play scoring. On the season, the Panthers have scored 28 power play goals (at a clip of 21.4%). Conversely, the Blues have struggle mightily, succeeding on just 11% of their power plays for just 12 power play goals on the season.

With the Blues trying to claw their way back up the standings, and Florida suddenly flexing its muscle in the East, this matchup is must-see TV.

Norm LaChatlier’s Pick: Florida -1.5 (+150)

There’s a score to settle in St. Louis Tuesday night, and all signs point toward it being settled. The real question isn’t who will win, it’s “by how much?” There’s not a team in hockey that wants to face the Panthers at the moment, and even though St. Louis was the most recent team to hand the Panthers a loss, the Blues will need to play a near-perfect defensive game to repeat what they did against Florida before Christmas. Certainly, the Blues are capable, but so were the Avalanche, Golden Knights and Rangers – all formidable teams who have fallen to Florida of late. Take the Panthers to cover the 1.5 goals confidently, and if you’re really feeling Florida, get your stick on the over (6.5) and a scoring prop for Reinhart. 

NBA: Portland Trailblazers at New York Knicks

The New York Knicks (21-15) return to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday for a showdown with the visiting Portland Trail Blazers (10-25). The Knicks have won four straight and are also riding a three-game win streak at home heading into this matchup.

During a quick two-game road trip, New York cleaned up against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Washington Wizards, winning 128-92 and 121-105. Jalen Brunson continues to dominate, as he’s scored 28-plus points in each of his last three games, along with a 33-point showing Saturday against Washington.

Portland took down the Brooklyn Nets by a 134-127 count on Sunday and will play its fifth consecutive road game on Tuesday. Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons combined for 65 points, as Portland pulled away from Brooklyn in overtime to secure the victory. Portland will be without Deandre Ayton as he continues to battle a knee injury, while Matisse Thybulle and Jabari Walker are listed as questionable for the matchup.

Laying double digits in the NBA is always an interesting proposition; however, New York has been solid against the spread (ATS) this season, posting a 20-15-1 record. Since trading for OG Anunoby, the Knicks are playing much more inspired basketball, and the results have shown that as New York has won every game since acquiring him. The same cannot be said for Portland who is 16-19 ATS for the season, including 1-3 in their last four games.

New York has the rebounding advantage on both ends of the floor, especially on defense. New York has held opponents to just 40.8 rebounds per game, the top mark in the NBA, while the Blazers rank in the bottom third of the league across the board in rebounding.

Furthermore, while the Knicks are a middle-of-the-pack team offensively, Portland averages the second-fewest points per game in the NBA (109.0) heading into this matchup. This is not a surprise for a young Blazers team searching for its identity, but this sets up well for a red-hot Knicks team playing at home.

New York has an extra day of rest heading into this matchup, and the tandem of Brunson and Julius Randle should be able to hunt this young Blazers’ squad when they have the ball. Each of Portland’s last five losses has come in blowout fashion, as typically this season when they have lost, they have lost big.

Red Schaefley’s pick: New York -11.5 (-110)

This a tough spot situationally for the Blazers, as they are faced with a tough matchup against a Knicks team that has been playing with swagger since the start of the new year. This is Portland’s final game on the East Coast before heading to Oklahoma City for a matchup with the Thunder as their seven-game road trip continues.

The Blazers tied their season high for points scored Sunday in their gutsy win over the Nets; however, the Knicks are a much different and far more rejuvenated squad. New York is the better team in every significant aspect of the game. A focused Knicks team sets up nicely to take care of business at home. Let’s look for the Blazers to regress following their victory and the Knicks to keep the good times rolling in Madison Square Garden.

And Keep an Eye On…

NBA: Raptors @ Lakers(-5.0)

LeBron and his Lakers are reeling of late, losing five of their last seven. They are coming off a win on Sunday against the Clippers. The Raptors aren’t a great team, but they did just beat the Warriors in San Francisco. Is giving the Lakers a five-point cushion too much?

NCAAMB: Texas Longhorns @ Cincinnati Bearcats (-5.5)

The Longhorns head to O-Hi-Oh tonight for what should be a doozy against Cincinnati. Texas enters the game at No. 25 in the polls, but the Bearcats have only lost two games this season. There’s a good chance that the winner will be in the Top-25 while the loser will be on the outside looking in. The oddsmakers have the ‘Cats as a 5.5-point favorite, no doubt a vote of confidence for the home team.

NHL: Boston Bruins (-1.5, +160) @ Arizona Coyotes

There’s some value to be considered in the desert tonight, as the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins lace ‘em up against the Coyotes, who can’t seem to climb the ladder out West. Both teams have been inconsistent of late – and the Bruins are coming off a shootout loss in Colorado Monday night – so it feels like a “get right” kind of night for Boston. The Bruins have scored four or more goals in their last seven games, so take a hard look at that +160, as it could be a 6-2 kind of game.