Monday’s Best NHL Bets
By Covers.com
New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils (-130, 5.5)
The Rangers’ new top line looks good through the first two games and you can toss some of the credit to No. 1 center Brandon Dubinsky.
The 23-year-old playmaker held out the first bit of training camp before settling on a new contract with the Blue Shirts. Coach John Tortorella originally called Dubinsky’s no-show in camp “stupid” but now that the kid has four points in his first two games, Tortorella is reconsidering.
“I think he wants to prove he’s worth what he did. And that’s not a bad thing, I don’t begrudge him that at all,” Tortorella told the New York Daily News following the Rangers 5-2 win over the Senators. “He just has a different look about him, even when he’s not playing, how he’s handling himself…. He has the right type of arrogance right now.”
Look for Dubinsky and Marian Gaborik to apply pressure on New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur whenever they're on the ice and the Rangers to come away with the win.
Pick: Rangers
Columbus Blue Jackets at Vancouver Canucks (-164, 5.5)
The Jackets enjoyed their finest season in franchise history last year and there’s optimism this year will be even better. Columbus beat Minnesota in a low-scoring but entertaining game on Saturday.
“I think we’re going to be a lot better than people think we’re going to be,” coach Ken Hitchcock told the Columbus Dispatch.
For that to happen, the Blue Jackets will need Steve Mason to play even better than he did in his rookie season. The prodigy goaltender went 33-20 with a 2.29 goals against and a league-high 10 shut outs a year ago.
Mason was key in his team’s first win stopping 32 of 33 produced by the Wild.
Meanwhile, the Canucks are winless with two games under their belt. Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo allowed eight goals in the two losses, but his coach thinks the team has other more glaring issues.
“Right now we’ve got one line, in my mind, generating offensively and that’s Henrik [Sedin’s] line,” Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault told the Vancouver Sun following a 3-0 loss to the Avalanche. “The other three lines are not doing enough to be successful.”
Pick: Blue Jackets
NY RANGERS vs. NEW JERSEY
NY Rangers are 14-5 SU in their last 19 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone OVER in 6 of the NY Rangers last 9 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
New Jersey is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games at home
COLUMBUS vs. VANCOUVER
Columbus is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Vancouver
Columbus is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Vancouver is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Vancouver is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games at home
New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils
If familiarity breeds contempt, there should be animosity aplenty on Monday when the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils meet at Prudential Center.
Brandon Dubinsky scored twice and added an assist to lead the Rangers to a 5-2 win over the Senators on Saturday, as -130 favorites. The game's seven goals made it OVER the posted over/under (5.5).
Vaclav Prospal, Michael Del Zotto, and Marian Gaborik scored single markers for the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves in the victory.
The Devils were defeated 5-2 by the Flyers on Saturday, as -115 favorites. That game's seven goals made it OVER the posted over/under (5.5).
Brian Rolston and Jamie Lagenbrunner scored for the Devils.
Team records:
New York: 1-1-0
New Jersey: 0-1-0
New York most recently:
When playing on Monday are 6-4
Before playing Florida are 6-4
After playing Ottawa are 5-5
After a win are 5-5
New Jersey most recently:
When playing on Monday are 6-4
Before playing Buffalo are 8-2
After playing Philadelphia are 4-6
After a loss are 4-6
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the NY Rangers last 8 games
NY Rangers are 14-5 SU in their last 19 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 7 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
New Jersey is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Jersey's last 7 games when playing at home against NY Rangers
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Jersey's last 9 games when playing NY Rangers
New Jersey is 3-7 SU in their last 10 games when playing at home against NY Rangers
Next up:
NY Rangers at Washington, Thursday, October 8
New Jersey at Tampa Bay, Thursday, October 8
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Vancouver Canucks
The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Vancouver Canucks will both be trying to pick up a win on Monday when they battle at General Motors Place.
Steve Mason stopped 32 shots to backstop the Blue Jackets to a 2-1 victory over the Wild on Saturday, as -145 favorites. The teams played UNDER the posted over/under (5.5).
R.J. Umberger and Rostislav Klesla scored in that win.
Roberto Luongo had 24 saves for Vancouver in a 3-0 loss to Colorado on Saturday afternoon.
The Canucks lost as -150 favorites, while the final score played UNDER the day's posted total of 5.5.
Current streak:
Vancouver has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
Columbus: 1-0-0
Vancouver: 0-2-0
Columbus most recently:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing San Jose are 6-4
After playing Minnesota are 5-5
After a win are 4-6
Vancouver most recently:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing San Jose are 6-4
After playing Colorado are 7-3
After a loss are 5-5
A few trends to consider:
Columbus is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Vancouver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Columbus's last 6 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Columbus is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Columbus is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Vancouver is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games at home
Vancouver is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Columbus
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vancouver's last 6 games when playing at home against Columbus
Vancouver is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Columbus
Next up:
Columbus at San Jose, Thursday, October 8
Vancouver home to Montreal, Wednesday, October 7
DUNKEL
NY Rangers at New Jersey
The Rangers look to build on their 14-5 record in the last 19 meeting between the two teams. New York is the pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+125)
NY Rangers at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 11.695; New Jersey 11.553
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+125); Under
Columbus at Vancouver
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 10.676; Vancouver 11.541
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-165); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (-165); Over
NY RANGERS (1-1-0-0, 2 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (0-1-0-0, 0 pts.)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 14-5 (+8.7 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 14-5-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.6 Units)
COLUMBUS (1-0-0-0, 2 pts.) at VANCOUVER (0-2-0-0, 0 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 11-22 ATS (-14.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 3-11 ATS (-9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 22-14 ATS (+36.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 5-3 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 5-3-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.9 Units)