Stephen Nover

The Blues are getting a lot of attention being on a seven-game win streak. But don't sleep on the Coyotes here. They represent excellent value as a home 'dog in this price range. Arizona is a gutty team that has won two in a row, including upsetting Las Vegas on the road, 5-2, on Tuesday.  St. Louis is in action for the fourth time in six days. The Blues are 6-16 the past 22 times in this spot. The Coyotes have beaten the Blues three straight times, including 6-1 on Dec. 1 in the first meeting of this season.  

The Flames are much the superior team and I expect them to put forth a strong effort to halt a three-game losing streak. Two of those three losses were against the Sharks and Lightning. So Calgary is stepping way down in class. The Flames have won eight of the last 11 times they have been a road favorite.  Florida has scored just two goals in its last two games and is 1-4 the past five times hosting Calgary. 

The perfect formula for an Over is here as we have two horrible defenses with two poor projected goalies. Cory Schneider is having a dreadful season. He hasn't been good in several seasons, while Chicago projected goalie Cam Ward is well past his prime.  New Jersey just gave up eight goals to the Blues on the road on Tuesday. The Devils have permitted three or more goals in 12 of their last 16 games.  The Blackhawks have scored at least three goals per game during their last 14 games. But they have given up three or more goals in 13 of their last 16 games. The teams met a month ago and the Devils won, 8-5. That game was in New Jersey. This one is in Chicago where the Over is 5-1-1 the past seven times the teams have played in the United Center. 

This isn't a fade on the Maple Leafs, who are playing well, but a belief that the Golden Knights will produce their "A" game in this spot. The Golden Knights are 16-8-3 at home this season, but they are in stop-the-pain mode after consecutive home losses to the Blue Jackets and to the Coyotes on Tuesday. This is Las Vegas' third of a four-game homestand. 

 The Maple Leafs are fat and happy going 3-0 during the first four games of their six-game road swing. This includes a 5-2 win against the Avalanche on Tueday.  Toronto lost its lone visit to Las Vegas last season falling, 6-3. 

A disinterested superstar who scored three points in his last game. A likely soon-to-be-gone head coach. 27th-rated defense. Low morale. Add it all up and you have the New Orleans Pelicans, losers of 10 of their last 14 games.  I don't see the Pelicans regrouping for this matchup, their final one before the week-long All-Star break. Anthony Davis, who scored all of three points in 24 minutes during the Pelicans' excruiating painful-to-watch, 118-88, home loss to the Magic on Tuesday, wants out of New Orleans. It's a given the Pelicans are going to deal him. So Davis isn't putting out and the Pelicans are reducing his minutes not wanting to risk him getting injured. Of course this takes a toll on the Pelicans' chemistry. Alvin Gentry isn't going to get through this as the Pelicans are close to falling apart. A 30-point home loss to the 26-32 Magic doesn't bode well for New Orleans. Neither does a 99-90 road loss to the Grizzlies in their previous game.  Oklahoma City is an elite team that is a sizzling 11-1 SU, 10-2 ATS. Russell Westbrook is going for his 11th consecutive triple-double and Paul George has been on fire, too, averaging 38.8 points in his last eight games. New Orleans' bottom-four defense isn't going to be able to contain them.  The Thunder shouldn't be letting up either since they won't be playing again for another eight days. New Orleans hasn't had much of a home-court edge either losing six of its last seven home games while the Thunder have covered five of their last six away contests.