Author: Alex MacMillan

Miami survived a wild afternoon in Chapel Hill last weekend, beating North Carolina 38-35 to stay unbeaten. Late in the fourth quarter, Darian Mensah found Malachi Toney for a nine-yard touchdown to put the Hurricanes ahead by ten. North Carolina scored again, but Miami held on. Against Notre Dame on…

Arkansas cannot afford another afternoon like last Saturday. Against Missouri, the Razorbacks gained 59 rushing yards on 36 attempts, lost three fumbles, threw an interception and watched the Tigers turn those mistakes into 24 points. The final was 34-10. Now Arkansas heads to Jordan-Hare Stadium, where Auburn is trying to…

Canucks vs. Oilers Game PreviewVancouver's 3-14-1 record is a warning, but it doesn't automatically make Edmonton -310 a good bet. The Canucks are giving up approximately 4.6 goals a game, the worst mark on the Saturday matchup board, and the Oilers are scoring about 4.1, among the league's best. Those…

Penguins vs. Kings Game PreviewPittsburgh and Los Angeles are both having seasons that make it difficult to pay for certainty. The Penguins arrive at 4-10-2, the Kings at 5-8-1. The records are poor enough that a single strong win can look like the beginning of a turnaround. I wouldn't buy…

Red Wings vs. Avalanche Game PreviewColorado's offense makes the favorite attractive, but the moneyline comes with a familiar problem. The Avalanche are priced around -225, too expensive for our recommended moneyline ceiling. Detroit has enough ability to score that I am also reluctant to demand a two-goal Colorado win without…

Lightning vs. Wild Game PreviewTampa Bay is 10-3-2. Minnesota is 11-3-3. You can build a defensible case for either club, so I don't see the point in pretending the winner is obvious. The Lightning have the flashier road-favorite profile, while the Wild have gone 4-0-1 at home and allowed the…

Sharks vs. Stars Game PreviewSan Jose doesn't need a lecture about why Dallas is favored. The Sharks have given up 3.5 goals per game, arrive at 6-10-1 and have gone 3-6-1 over their last ten. Dallas has won seven of ten, has allowed only about 2.3 per game and owns…

Blackhawks vs. Hurricanes Game PreviewCarolina should win this game. That is not a brave statement, and the moneyline doesn't pay anyone for making it. The Hurricanes are 13-3-2 and have gone 5-1-1 at home. Chicago is 4-12-1, has not won in eight road appearances and is 2-7-1 over its last…

Devils vs. Islanders Game PreviewNew Jersey's record makes this the kind of game where bettors can talk themselves into paying for the obvious favorite. The Devils are 11-5-0 and have won eight of their last ten. The Islanders are 7-6-2 and have lost some of the shine that an early…

Mammoth vs. Senators Game PreviewUtah at Ottawa is close enough that the price can change the answer without anything happening on the ice. Some Friday boards had the Senators near even money, while others pushed them a little into favorite territory. That may look like a trivial difference for one…