Normally, I try to go for a good mix of games across the spectrum for Wednesday’s picks. Today, I’m not going to do that. Early this morning, my great-uncle Gordon Angell passed away, so I’m going to make today’s picks a tribute to the man who first got me into hockey.
As such, the majority of today’s picks will be NHL action, with a couple of college games either played near his Virginia home or related to our family sprinkled in to balance things out. Rest in peace, Uncle Gordon; let’s pick some winners. Here are my plays for December 1.
SENATORS ML, +100
The first game I ever attended was courtesy of Uncle Gordon, and it’s part of why I’m a Senators fan to this day, despite the Capitals grilling Ottawa 8-4 that night. The Senators are facing a Vancouver team that they’ve had a fair amount of success against, and the Canucks have only won consecutive games once all season when they beat Chicago and Seattle back-to-back. They’re coming off escaping Montreal, and I think they’re ripe for the small upset.
AVALANCHE-MAPLE LEAFS O6, -110
The Avalanche have owned the Maple Leafs recently, winning four straight against Toronto. I don’t want to bank on that continuing, given that the Maple Leafs have been tearing through the league on the road, but I do think there will be several goals scored here. Jack Campbell is playing great for Toronto, but the Avalanche can score like nobody’s business, which means it’s going to be tough sledding for the under to hit.
RANGERS -1.5, +135
Uncle Gordon’s Capitals aren’t in action tonight, so the next-best thing is a pick from the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers have just been awful as of late, and now they’ve got to go to the Garden to face a rested Rangers team that’s lost just once in regulation at home. The Rangers should be able to cruise to a comfortable win in this one.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY -1.5, -110
We’re crossing the river here into the District for this game between Boston University and George Washington, with the Colonials a deserved underdog after showing that playing Maryland close was only a mirage. GW doesn’t score well from anywhere on the floor, and the Terriers have actually played pretty well against better teams than the Colonials. I think Boston University can cover this small number.
MEMPHIS-GEORGIA U142.5, -110
There’s no real way to sugarcoat just how poor my cousin Max’s Bulldogs are at basketball. Luckily, football is doing too well for him or most of Athens to worry about that, but with the Dawgs in action indoors on Wednesday, the under has to be the pick here. Georgia has struggled to score for most of the year and Memphis turns the ball over far too often. That’s a recipe for an ugly game, and ugly games usually mean unders.
