Sunday's best NHL bets
Tampa Bay Lightning at Atlanta Thrashers (-135, 6)
No one is going to confuse the Lightning with road warriors. The team is a meager 3-4-3 away from home this season and especially doesn?t play well in Atlanta.
Tampa Bay has been dreadful the past few seasons when it travels to Georgia, amassing a 1-8 mark in its past nine games. In the team?s only meeting this season ? you guessed it, in Atlanta ? the Thrashers skated to a dominant 6-3 victory. The key to the convincing win was simply making the most of the team?s shots, burying six of 28 against Mike Smith.
And don?t expect the Thrashers to struggle scoring in this meeting. Atlanta has netted at least three goals in 12 straight games.
Pick: Thrashers -135
Chicago Blackhawks at Vancouver Canucks (-125, 5.5)
The Canucks will be getting a little more Swedish flavor Sunday.
Leftwing Daniel Sedin, who missed the team?s past 18 games with a broken foot, is slated to return against Chicago. This is a huge boost, as Sedin has been the team?s leading goal scorer each of the past three years.
But it?s not like the team has been snoozing without him. The Canucks have scored 67 goals this year, and the line featuring Daniel?s brother Henrik, along with Ryan Kessler and Mason Raymond, has recorded 11 points in the past three games.
The Blackhawks have allowed just 47 goals, fewest in the Western Conference, but Vancouver will make its few chances count, just like it did in a 3-2 win over Chicago earlier this year.
Pick: Canucks -125
Tampa Bay Lightning at Atlanta Thrashers (-135, 6)
No one is going to confuse the Lightning with road warriors. The team is a meager 3-4-3 away from home this season and especially doesn?t play well in Atlanta.
Tampa Bay has been dreadful the past few seasons when it travels to Georgia, amassing a 1-8 mark in its past nine games. In the team?s only meeting this season ? you guessed it, in Atlanta ? the Thrashers skated to a dominant 6-3 victory. The key to the convincing win was simply making the most of the team?s shots, burying six of 28 against Mike Smith.
And don?t expect the Thrashers to struggle scoring in this meeting. Atlanta has netted at least three goals in 12 straight games.
Pick: Thrashers -135
Chicago Blackhawks at Vancouver Canucks (-125, 5.5)
The Canucks will be getting a little more Swedish flavor Sunday.
Leftwing Daniel Sedin, who missed the team?s past 18 games with a broken foot, is slated to return against Chicago. This is a huge boost, as Sedin has been the team?s leading goal scorer each of the past three years.
But it?s not like the team has been snoozing without him. The Canucks have scored 67 goals this year, and the line featuring Daniel?s brother Henrik, along with Ryan Kessler and Mason Raymond, has recorded 11 points in the past three games.
The Blackhawks have allowed just 47 goals, fewest in the Western Conference, but Vancouver will make its few chances count, just like it did in a 3-2 win over Chicago earlier this year.
Pick: Canucks -125
