The Vegas Golden Knights are expecting the return of some key players tonight when they host the Montreal Canadiens at T-Mobile Arena: defenseman Nate Schmidt, winger Alex Tuch and goalie Malcolm Subban. The Habs will be playing back-to-back games after knocking off Arizona last night, 4-1, which is a definite advantage for Vegas. The Golden Knights will be well rested since Sunday’s victory over the Anaheim Ducks and are expected to go with Marc-André Fleury between the pipes. Fleury is 8-3-0, with a 2.30 GAA and a .928 SV%. Keith Kinkaid is expected in goal for Montreal and he is winless, at 0-1-1, with a bloated 4.54 GAA, and a .875 SV%. Hockey in Vegas on Halloween night? It doesn’t get much better than that.
TONIGHT’S PICK: VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Month: October 2019
Wednesday MLB Pick
Neither the Washington Nationals or the Houston Astros have won a home game in this best of 7 series but it’s all on the line tonight. Houston will try to break that trend and become the World Champs when they send Zack Greinke to the hill. Greinke has not been Greinke-like in the post-season but pitched well in his last turn, allowing just 1 run in 4-2/3 innings, and let’s not forget, since joining the Astros from Arizona, he was 8-1 in the regular season with a 3.02 ERA. The Nationals are expected to counter with Max Scherzer and red flags are jumping all over the place. The guy is lethal and that’s a fact but was scratched from Game 5 with a neck issue. He had to take injections for pain and wore a neck brace on Monday’s flight from DC to Houston. That’s not good. If the Astros get to Scherzer early, it’s over.
TONIGHT’S PICK: HOUSTON ASTROS
Tuesday MLB Pick
The Washington Nationals are hanging by a thread, down 3-2 in the Series, and heading back to Houston for Game 6 but there is life because the flame thrower, Stephen Strasburg, will be tapping the rubber tonight for the Nats. Strasburg has been nothing short of spectacular in the post-season. He is 4-0, with a 1.93 ERA, 40 Ks and only 2 walks in 28 innings of work. That’s dominance. Justin Verlander will get the nod for the Astros and he has not been sharp in the post-season. Verlander is 1-3 with a 4.15 ERA. Washington got to him in Game 2 and they crushed Houston, 12-3. The Nats are 10-1 in their last 11 trips to Minute Maid Park and 4-0 in Strasburg’s last 4 turns against the Astros. The books currently have Washington at +162 and, with Strasburg on the hill, they are worth a consideration.
TONIGHT’S PICK: WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Monday NHL Pick
Two young teams that are moving in the right direction, the Buffalo Sabres and the Arizona Coyotes, will meet tonight in Western New York at Key Bank Center. Buffalo leads the Atlantic Division at 9-2-1 and are at 5-0-0 at home. If they want to stay perfect at Key Bank, they had better be clicking on every cylinder because the Coyotes can bring it. Arizona is 6-3-1, 3-2-1 on the road, and have won 5 of their last 6 games. The Sabres have also been hot, winning 4 of their last 5, and will have the support of 19,000+ passionate fans behind them. Buffalo has won 7 of the last 10 meetings with the Coyotes and notch another one tonight.
TONIGHT’S PICK: BUFFALO SABRES
Sunday MLB Pick
The Houston Astros crush left-handed starters and they proved that again last night by getting to Corbin early and going on to a 8-1 victory. The Series now is the best of 3 and Washington cannot go down 3-2 heading to Houston or they are in a lot of trouble. Tonight they will turn to Game 1 winner, Max Scherzer. Scherzer has been lights out in the post-season, going 3-0 and yielding just 3 runs in 19 innings of work. The Nats got to Gerrit Cole in Game 1, tagging him 5 runs, 8 hits, and 2 homers over 7 innings,and he will be on the hill for the Stros tonight. Lance Barksdale is behind the dish and the home team is 4-1 in his last 5 when he is pulling the strings. If Washington could get to Cole in Houston, why not at Nationals Park?
TONIGHT’S PICK: WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Saturday NHL Pick
The Minnesota Wild have been a disaster on the road, with a record of 1-6-0, but tonight they will be in the friendly confines of Xcel Energy Center for a match-up with the bottom dwellers of the Pacific Division, the Los Angeles Kings. Minnesota is 2-1-0 in St. Paul and 16-4-5 in their last 25 at home against Los Angeles. The Wild need this win and they know it because after tonight they play the next 6 of 7 on the road.
TONIGHT’S PICK: MINNESOTA WILD
Friday NHL Pick
Being on the road is always draining and today the Colorado Avalanche will conclude their 6-game road trip against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Avs have never won at T-Mobile Arena and will be without top point getter Mikko Rantanen, who is out with a lower body injury. To make matters worse, Marc-André Fleury is expected between the pipes for the Knights. He has been stopping everything that has been coming his way. Fleury leads the league with 7 wins and, over his last 3 starts, he has turned away 97 of 100 shots. Moreover, since joining Vegas he is 2-0-1 against Colorado, allowing just 3 goals.
TODAY’S PICK: VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS