SPORTS WAGERS
Washington +15½ over PORTLAND
The Blazers are having a great year and have outperformed expectations by a wide margin. They play with great intensity and they’ve played with a chip on their shoulder all season long. Having said that, they don’t warrant being a 15½-point choice over anyone including the 1-31 road Wizards. Due to Washington’s ineptitude away from home we get an inflated price here. The real kicker, however, is that this game for Portland is sandwiched between the Lakers and Spurs and that makes this one tough to get up for. It’s also worth noting that the Wiz have beaten Portland in three of the last five games and stayed well within this range in all five. This one should be no different. Play: Washington +15½ (Risking 2.06 unit to win 2).
SPORTS WAGERS
Toronto +116 over MINNESOTA
Three weeks ago the Wild was rolling along, on pace for 98 points. Four painful weeks later all that good will has been destroyed. The Wild has lost six in a row, they’re 3-8-2 since moving into fifth in the Western Conference on Feb. 22 and is 11th in the West, seven points behind Calgary, Anaheim and Dallas. In other words, they’re finished and will now play out the string. It’s been a long season for teams in the West. All year teams battled for position and could not afford a prolonged losing streak. The Wild played their hearts out and overachieved for 60 games and five long months. The reality of all that hard work not paying off has set it and came to a head in the Wild’s last game against the Habs in which they were wiped out 8-1. The Leafs are virtually out of it too but at least they have a shot. They’re five points out of eight but only have to leapfrog Carolina and Buffalo to get in and they’re just two points behind the Canes. The Maple Leafs have some very nice wins of late including victories over both Buffalo and Carolina but they also have ugly losses. You really never know what you’re going to get with them but this one is more about taking back a tag against a deflated Wild team that’s in a serious funk. Play: Toronto +116 (Risking 2 units).
NY Islanders +163 over TAMPA BAY
. The Islanders continue to get very little respect from both the public and the oddsmakers and as a result they continue to be the most undervalued and underappreciated club in the league. Over their past 20 games the Islanders have just four regulation losses. There’s something good happening on the Island and the players know it and feel it. This team has a chance to be really, really good for many years to come. Meanwhile, the Bolts just aren’t playing well at all. They’ve lost four of their last five and two of those losses were to the Senators. Tampa has just two wins over its last 10 games and while Dwayne Roloson has been good, he’s still inconsistent and that’s what you get when you rely on a 41-year old goaltender with plenty of miles on him. The Islanders will face their former teammate for the first time and likely know his weaknesses better than any other team. In any case, we get a sweet price on hot vs cold and it’s also worth noting that the Bolts are returning home from a four-game trip that took them through Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa in the final three games of said trip. Overlay. Note: Goalies have not been confirmed yet and thus, this is only a play if Al Montoya is in net as opposed to Rick DiPietro. Play: N.Y. Islanders +163 (Risking 2 units).
