00:00All right, welcome back to Newswire. Josh English is back with us from Covers. Does a great job covering baseball,
00:04hockey, and other sports as well. And he's going to break down this final run here in the National Hockey
00:10League. And let's make no mistake about it, it is a run to the playoffs, at least for a few
00:14teams. Josh, thanks for coming on the show here on this Friday. All right, so let's start off last night,
00:19a pretty resounding win for the Edmonton Oilers. It seems like a chip on their shoulder kind of win here,
00:238-1 last night.
00:25And, you know, certainly the Kings have had their hands full all season. Connor McDavid, he secured his ninth 100
00:33-point season last night. And just about everybody got in on the scoring action, didn't they?
00:39Yeah, a second game of back-to-back after a pretty tough loss the night before. What you're going to
00:45see is he's the most motivated player in the sport, in the history of the sport, and Connor McDavid right
00:50now.
00:50He was plus 900 for the league MVP going into that game. Finishes off 8-1. That shortens up to
00:58about plus 750. My price on McDavid for MVP right now, about plus 350.
01:03Nobody means more to his team, and he's going to drag this team that has shown has no goaltending, has
01:09been pretty awful defensively.
01:11They had to bring in Paul Coffey to shore up the coaching on the blue line.
01:15He is going to do things to this team that he just seems to do every year. We discount him
01:20in spots like this, and I think that plus 750 is maybe a last call.
01:24And I think you probably get it down to plus 500. He's going to put the boys on his back.
01:28The motivation after the Olympics is just too much for what we saw as a player who's head and shoulders
01:34above everybody else in this league.
01:36Yeah, without a doubt. It's just still wanting to get that cup. That's what's left for him at this point.
01:42All right, so now yesterday here on the show when we talked a little hockey, Josh, I saw the Panthers
01:47were plus 220 to make the playoffs,
01:50but they did play a team that's in their way of the playoffs last night in Toronto, and they took
01:55care of them.
01:56Five to one the final. Brad Marchand had two goals in this one, and so in order to get that
02:02three-peat,
02:02the first thing they got to do is get back to the playoffs, but if they win games like this
02:06against those five teams that they are chasing,
02:09it certainly gives them a better opportunity, doesn't it?
02:13Let's preface this by saying Toronto sucks. Toronto's done. They should sell. They're in a really bad spot,
02:19and Toronto was on the second of a back-to-back and looked bad the night before as well.
02:24The surprising thing for Florida is they're going for it. They didn't rest anybody.
02:29They had the most people on a roster going into the Olympics, and I don't think everybody's healthy,
02:34but they looked pretty healthy last night. A spot to see is guys like Brad Marchand,
02:40who probably could have taken a day off. They didn't. They're still missing Seth Jones on the back end.
02:45They're a very interesting point because they're shorter than a dollar to not make the playoffs, which is sustainable.
02:53I mean, they're eight points back. They need a hell of a run, and we saw teams like Columbus go
02:57on like a 10-1 run
02:58and still four points back. There wasn't a lot of ground made up in the East,
03:03but if you go look at the odds to go win the Eastern Conference, they're the number three betting favorite.
03:09So if they just get the chip in a chair theory, if they get in there, they can certainly go
03:13on a run,
03:13and teams like Carolina are probably terrified that Florida can make the playoffs
03:17because their path to the Eastern Conference Finals and maybe Stanley Cup Finals is a lot easier
03:22if Florida doesn't make the playoffs.
03:24Plus 190. That's where they are right now, down from plus 220 and 10-1 to win the East,
03:29as we just saw Stanley Cup 19-1 as well.
03:31All right, Josh, so they are back on the ice.
03:347 p.m. Eastern, taking on Buffalo.
03:37Total of six and a half.
03:38Does seem more or less like a pick-em game here tonight,
03:42but again, one of those teams that the Panthers need to beat.
03:46100%, and Buffalo's played good teams well.
03:48You look back at their previous game versus Carolina, gave them a scare as well.
03:52I think the better price here is Buffalo wanted to get on Buffalo in the first game back.
03:56They were slight dogs versus New Jersey on Wednesday.
03:59Didn't pull the trigger there, but they won a great game.
04:02Tage Thompson, who, again, probably shouldn't have had a great game,
04:05comes away with two points.
04:07Krebs had the game-winning goal.
04:08There was a lot to like about the Buffalo game,
04:10and you wonder if Florida kind of got up for that Toronto game.
04:14And Toronto's not a tough opponent right now.
04:17They're soft.
04:18Things change versus Buffalo today.
04:20It's going to be a very tight game.
04:21Obviously, you get like 25 points for home ice.
04:24So if this was on neutral, you're looking at Florida about minus 150.
04:28I think Buffalo's the side here.
04:30And, I mean, Florida's deep, but Buffalo's just as deep.
04:33One of the deepest teams right now, top nine in all of hockey.
04:37Tonight, 9 p.m. Eastern,
04:38we've got the Wild taking on the Mammoth,
04:41and Minnesota plus 118 on the money line tonight.
04:45Josh, I'm curious about this one because it seems to me
04:47Minnesota's playing some pretty good hockey just before the break
04:51and even after the break, picking up wins.
04:53Total of five and a half tonight.
04:55But Utah, minus 142, as I see here on FanDuel.
04:58What do you make of this one?
04:59Yeah, lots of people like Minnesota right now.
05:02Colorado wasn't playing great hockey before the break.
05:04I think their point percentage was tied for 22nd with Chicago from January 1st
05:09to the break.
05:10This is not the same team that we saw in 2025.
05:12The Colorado side, Dallas is dealing with injuries.
05:16Kind of opens the door in a tough Western conference.
05:18You see the Wild.
05:19They can win many ways.
05:21But right now, they're winning high-scoring games.
05:2419-2 to the over in their last 21 games.
05:28They hit a miracle over last night.
05:30We saw Philip Gustafson throw up in the net with, like, three minutes left.
05:34He comes out.
05:35Jesper Wallstead comes in, gives up a goal.
05:38Seven seconds later, it will probably be the rookie Wallstead in net today
05:42versus Utah, who seems like a low-scoring team, a low-event team.
05:45But they're 7-3 to the over in their last 10 games.
05:48I think both teams can score three goals here.
05:50And looking at this game, I'm on the over 6-1â2.
05:52I think there's a lot of flat sixes, but I don't want to pay the juice.
05:55Go get the over 6-1â2 plus 110.
05:57Eck and Boldy, second line, plus 140 for a point for the pair.
06:04Erickson Eck, minus 125 for a point, might be the best price I've seen
06:07out of the break so far.
06:09Very aggressive on that play.
06:11Boldy with four points, Eck with two goals.
06:14That line looks great.
06:15And when you're looking for value, look for the second line on road teams.
06:19Home teams get their last change.
06:20They usually match up versus the top line, giving easier matchups
06:23to that second line.
06:24So, light goals in that game and on the second line in Minnesota.
06:29Let's wrap it up, Josh, and hit on the Jets, taking on the Ducks.
06:32Ducks sitting at 65 points, trailing Edmonton and Vegas, I believe.
06:37Winnipeg, of course, plus 104 tonight and should be another tight one here.
06:42Total of 6-1â2 in this game.
06:44Who gets it done this evening?
06:47Anaheim was very motivated in their last game versus Edmonton coming back
06:50to win as a pretty plus 115 dog.
06:54But that was their coach's 1,000th win.
06:56There was a lot of money on the board in that game, a lot of motivation.
06:58You come face a Winnipeg team who will finally see Connor Hellebuck back in net.
07:02One big thing, mispriced because Josh Morrissey got injured.
07:07Winnipeg, we go Logan Stanley plus 75 for a power play point.
07:10That number's going to come down.
07:11Fair price for that's probably about plus 450.
07:14Josh, great stuff.
07:15We'll check you out at Covers and see you again soon.
07:17Thanks for coming on Newswire.
07:18Appreciate it.
07:19Appreciate it.
07:20Have a great weekend.
07:20Take care.
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