In this column, I go through the night’s NHL games and give my reads solely based on lines, odds, betting trends, and how I perceive others perceive the game. It’s the reading of all lines, and I try to keep a free-flowing, train-of-thought approach. The purpose of these reads is to find an edge either in DFS, actual picks, or both. Sometimes, no edge exists — or simply can’t be found. I make it a point to note that, as well. As always, please do your own research and due diligence and play responsibly.
VAN/OTT – The vaunted Senators are back in-play, so we have to proceed with caution. In fairness, VAN has burned us in the past, so we should throw this game away and not look bad. Sadly, we can’t. There are some strong odds on the over now, and it almost feels like the number has to increase. It hasn’t yet, so we should assume this lands on 6 goals, with 7 most likely the top. I like the move we’ve seen in the odds, where VAN was favored from the start, increased odds, then lost them, and then got them back. The last part is the most important. Cautiously, I’ll set this as 4-2/4-3/3-2 VAN, but I am not going to overload my lineup with skaters from VAN. The numbers are too shaky for my liking.
PHI/NYR – Similar shift in the point total that I just mentioned in VAN/OTT, although the actual odds aren’t nearly as extreme. This simply puts us in the 5-7 range with the expectation set on 6 goals. That feels like it doesn’t jive with