I knew the Kraken’s time was coming, but I got the date wrong as Seattle did get drilled in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Astros did the same thing, but the day wasn’t a total loss because the Titans came up huge and gave us a +220 return on the moneyline, salvaging something out of an otherwise forgettable day.
And that’s what gambling success is all about: minimizing the bad performances so we can take advantage of the good ones. Hopefully, Tuesday will be one of the good ones; here are my best plays for October 19.
STARS-PENGUINS O5.5
Pittsburgh is getting a lot of pucks to the net right now, and Dallas hasn’t been to this point. But the Stars did get 34 shots to the net against the Senators, and the Penguins’ defense isn’t exactly much better at keeping traffic from getting through. Both teams should have no trouble getting pucks to the net in this one, so this has a good chance to beat this low total, especially with the Penguins scoring.
ISLANDERS-BLACKHAWKS O5.5
The Islanders are giving up a ton of shots at the moment, as they’ve given up 41 shots per game in their first two contests of the season. Chicago should be ready to take advantage of New York’s soft defense in its first home game of the season, and the Blackhawks haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory on the blue line, giving up 11 goals in two games. This total is manageable.
JETS-WILD U5.5
Just as Mark Scheifle gets back on the ice after the end of his suspension, Blake Wheeler goes on the shelf with COVID protocols. Such is life for the Jets right now, as Winnipeg is having a hard time getting going in 2021. That’s not the way to come into a matchup with Minnesota, especially when the Wild are coming off two wins that saw them give up just three goals. I’m a bit concerned about Connor Hellebuyck in the Winnipeg net, but the Wild aren’t scoring a lot either, so I think this will work out.
WARRIORS-LAKERS U230
I know how much the Kota cappers crew loves Pac-12 After Dark overs, but that’s college football, not the NBA. For whatever reason, the Dubs never got going against the Lakers, as all three meetings last year saw 228 points or less scored. The total is already showing signs of dropping, so this is one to jump on early.
