NHL 100 DIME GAME

BLUES

The Blues are on a West Coast road trip that would make it hard for anyone to believe they can string together a bunch of wins. However, the Ducks are a perfect team for the Blue to pounce on and continue their winning ways. The blues should be able to rebound defensively after allowing 6 goals in their recent game and eliminate a poor Ducks offense. Likewise, the Blues should be able to find a few goals with their offense finding scoring opportunities throughout their lineup, whether it be from Jordan Kyrou or Torey Krug. The Blues should continue their winning ways and beat the Ducks handily.

NHL 100 DIME GAME

FLAMES 

Both teams struggle to score but the Flames have the goaltending advantage. The Flames rank 20th  in goals against per game where the Senators rank 31st in goals against per game. The Sens rank last in goals against per game, opponent shooting %, save %, and scoring efficiency ratio. The Flames have won seven of the last 10 games against the Sens. Calgary will win this game.

NHL 100 DIME GAME

HURRICANES -100

Carolina has had Florida’s number in recent games. The Canes have won seven of their last 10 games against the Panthers. Shots against per game is one big advantage the Hurricanes have over the Panthers. Carolina ranks fifth in shots against per game, while Florida ranks 20th in that department. This is a fairly even matchup but Carolina has gotten the best of Florida. Carolina will win this game.

NHL 100 DIME GAME

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 

Vegas comes into Monday’s matchup scoring 3.00 goals per game while allowing only 2.05 goals per contest, the second-lowest mark in the NHL. The Golden Knights have limited opponents to the third-fewest shots per game in the league (27.1) and they own the fourth-best penalty kill rate in the league at 87.5 percent. However, they’ve left room for improvement on the power-play, where they have scored on just 18.6 percent of their opportunities, 19th in the NHL.

CBB 100 DIME GAME

OKLAHOMA

The Sooners lost on Saturday because they were dominated on the glass, and they should be much more even in rebounding on Monday. Per KenPom, Oklahoma State ranks 225th in defensive rebounding rate (70.8%) and 68th in offensive rebounding rate (31.7%). Oklahoma Is 174th in defensive rebounding rate (72.1%) and 166th in offensive rebounding rate (28.1%). Oklahoma State is by no means an elite rebounding team, and Oklahoma should be able to improve in the rebounding battle with a more concerted team effort on the glass. Expect the deeper Sooners team led by Reaves, Harmon, and Gibson to win in Stillwater whether Likekele plays or not.

CBB 100 DIME GAME

NORTH CAROLINA

The venue isn’t going to change the fact that the Tar Heels are the more dominant team on the boards. They are averaging 42.5 rebounds per game this season, which is the second-highest average in the country. The ability to crash the boards and create second-chance shot opportunities on one end of the floor, while also denying them at the other end, is a major advantage heading into a game like this.

North Carolina went plus-17 on the boards in the first meeting, along with forcing 14 turnovers. For a team with fewer offensive playmakers, the Tar Heels have shown the ability to beat the Orange on hustle plays. It’s the main reason why they pulled off the epic comeback and knocked off Florida State.

No, I’m not expecting Walker Kessler to lead the team in scoring in back-to-back games, but a performance like that should only add to his confidence and make him a better player. More importantly, it’ll boost the confidence of the entire team by showing them what they’re capable of accomplishing when everything is clicking.

Syracuse has looked shaky defensively in recent outings to the point where it’s impossible to simply chalk everything up to road woes. They are allowing 49.5 percent shooting and giving up an average 78.7 points in their last three games.

I’m laying the points and taking the Tar Heels.