Hockey Pick - January 17, 2008

We went 3-1 last night, including a couple of nice underdogs. Tonight we again have four picks.

Today's NHL Hockey Picks:

Game: Toronto at Boston (7:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 2 units on Toronto +135 (moneyline) (risk 2 to win 2.7)

Does Toronto have a shot here? Yes. They haven't played well on the road this season but Boston has the kind of offense that can allow Toronto to sneak out a win. The Bruins are averaging just 2.3 goals per game at home this season - the same as what Toronto averages on the road. This is about the time of year in which Boston falls apart and vastly underperforms, especially at home. We'll take the Maple Leafs here.

Ottawa is freefalling, having lost two straight. It's a good time to catch them at this price. They are getting a Carolina team that is really struggling so the Senators' guards may be down a bit. But, these teams aren't that different and this line is off. The Hurricanes score 3.1 per game ont he road so they have the offense to keep up with a struggling Ottawa team. Both defenses are poor. Carolina is 12-4 the past two seasons after having lost 4+ of their last six games. They are a perfect 7-0 after losing four of their last five. They are also 10-3 the past two seasons after allowing 4+ goals in three straight games. Ottawa is 5-10 over that span at home after allowing 4+ goals in their last game. Look for a great effort from Carolina here.

Anaheim is on fire, going 4-1 over their last five games, scoring 4 goals per game. Nashville scores 3.3 per game at home and plays mediocre defense, leadng to a 13-9 OVER mark here. This team is a perfect 7-0 OVER at home to a total of 5. They are also 13-3 OVER the past two seasons after holding their last opponent to 1 goal or less. We'll take advantage of this low total.

Columbus has picked up their scoring a bit and slacked off on defense a lot. The travel to Phoenix where the Coyotes are 11-6 OVER at home. Phoenix games are averaging above 6 goals per game over their last five games. The Coyotes are 28-12 OVER the past three seasons at home vs. losing teams. They are a perfect 6-0 OVER at home off an OVER this season.

Results: 2-2

NHL Hockey Picks Resources:

• Hop over to our 2007 hockey prior picks here.
• Here we show our hockey ATS recrds.
• Don't forget to read our free NHL hockey picks here.
• Here we show our hockey Game-of-Day-Preview.
• Here we show our hockey spreads.
• Check out NHL sports handicapping philosophy here.
• Take a look at our blog hockey here.
• Check out our updated hockey sportsbook.

Check out the last five NHL Hockey Picks Newsletters:

NHL-Hockey-Picks-January-16-2008
Philadelphia allows 3.2 goals per game at home where they are just 8-10. Florida owns a better record on the road. The Flyers are just 18-39 the past two seasons vs. losing teams including 5-20 at hom...

NHL-Hockey-Picks-January-15-2008
Carolina is injury-riddled but they are in need of a win to hold on to their division lead. After two straight losses, we expect a top effort. The Hurricanes aer 10-3 the past two seasons on the road ...

NHL-Hockey-Picks-January-13-2008
Alex Ovechkin's great play has landed him the biggest contract in NHL history (13 years, $124 million). He is tied for second in scoring and he's helpd the Capitals win four of their last five...

NHL-Hockey-Picks-January-12-2008
Nashville is scoring 3.8 goals per game ov erthier last five games while Columbus is allowing 3.6 per game over their last five. Nashville scored 7 goals last game while Columbus gave up 4 in a 6-4 wi...

NHL-Hockey-Picks-January-11-2008
The Blues have held their last five opponents to 6 total goals. But, they are still 4-1 OVER in those games, thanks to their hot offense. They have had a decent offense all season long vs. division fo...