Nick Parsons
Canadiens vs. Lightning
Play: Under 5½
The Montreal Canadiens are going for a fourth straight win to start the season. The Tampa Bay Lightning will try and stop them.
I am playing on the total in this game and I am playing on the under.
The Canadiens have trailed after the first period in all three games and after the second in the last two. "
The Lightning will have a healthy Ben Bishop available for the game. Bishop has given up four goals on 55 shots in two starts for Tampa Bay. Bishop is 5-1-2 with a 1.30 goals-against average in eight starts versus Montreal, going 3-0-1 with a 0.94 GAA in four last season.
Carey Price had a 2.33 GAA in the playoffs versus the Lightning and also posted a 1.42 GAA in four regular-season matchups against them in 2013-14. His club has outscored opponents 6-1 in the third period this season, though that has been a result of playing from behind.
Montreal is 0 for 10 on the power play while Tampa Bay has killed off all five opponents' man advantages. The Lightning are 4 for 10 on their power play.
Everything points to an under game and that is the way I am going also.
Bob Balfe
Kansas City Royals -105
We have never seen a team quite like the Royals. This is a team that in the regular season could not hit the long ball and here in the postseason are coming up clutch in games they take down to the wire. Some team just have destiny on their side. There is no denying that, we see it all the time on the way the ball bounces. Good teams create their own luck and that is what the Royals are doing. At this point how can you go against them in this atmosphere at home tonight? I just don’t see them being cooled off anytime soon.
Stephen Nover
49ers / Rams Over 43.5
The 49ers are No. 3 in rushing. St. Louis is 31st in run defense giving up an average of 152.5 yards per game on the ground. The 49ers have upgraded their receiving weapons and star tight end Vernon Davis should be a go. The Rams only have one sack. Colin Kaepernick will be able to pick his spots off play-action.
The Rams' offense has picked up under Austin Davis, who gets better with each game. Davis, unlike many other backups, is a gunslinger not a game manager. He's not afraid to throw long. This is good for the over. So is the game being played on a fast track inside a dome stadium.
San Francisco is missing a number of key defenders. The 49ers' defense is down from the last couple of seasons. Both teams have excellent place-kickers, but are weak in coverage so special teams should be good, too, for the over.
Vegas Butcher
San Francisco 49ers -3 -120
Going to back the Niners in this one. St Louis ranks 31st in passing-D efficiency and their front 7 has registered only 1 sack on the year. If the Rams can't get pressure on stationary QB's like Romo, Folk, McCown, and Cassel, how are they going to pressure a dynamic running QB like Kapernick? San Fran is a better all around team and I expect them to show that on the national stage tonight. 49ers blew a game last time they played on National TV (to Chicago in week 2) but I don't see that happening tonight. They are 5-1 ATS as a road favorite of 3 points or fewer, 3-1 ATS on Monday night over the last few years, and 14-6 ATS on the road in the last 20. I expect the better team to win and cover tonight.
Prophet Plays
San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis Rams
Play: San Francisco 49ers -3
In Game Four last season, a Thursday niter in St. Louis, the 49ers rolled 35-11 as Frank Gore ran for 153 of the Niners' 219 yards on the ground. Different week. Different season. Same strategy tonight. The Rams are ranked No 31 in stopping the run; only the Packers are worse. They allow 152.5 yards a game and 4.9 yards per carry. No surprise considering their undersized front seven. San Francisco's ground game started slowly this season (112 yards averaged first three games), but it's in top form heading into this national TV affair: the Niners have averaged 194.5 yards rushing the past two weekends in home wins against the Eagles and Chiefs. Gore and rookie Carlos Hyde were a brutal 1-2 punch against KC as they combined for 150 yards and 5.4 ypc. Throw in a dash of Colin Kaepernick (4.8 ypc) and the Rams will have trouble with containment tonight. Kaepernick is erratic as usual as a passer; you never know what you're going to get week to week. But the San Fran signal-caller should have some success against a St. Louis pass defense ranked dead last in the league as opposing quarterbacks have complete 70.8 percent of their passes. Big game for San Fran. The Seahawks' shocking loss gives them renewed hope in the NFC West as both teams are 3-2. And I would bet neither is too worried about Arizona sitting in first place at 4-1.