Nhl Game Predictions - January 29, 2009

We took last night off but today we look to extend our +11.7 unit month-long NHL run with a stacked card of seven premium picks.

WUNDERDOG 2009 RECENT RESULTS ($100/bet)
SPORT	WINS-LOSSES	%	NET
CBB	40-25 last 65 picks	62%	+$2880
NBA	143-104 last 247 picks	58%	+$8650
NFL	71-44 last 115 picks	62%	+$7090
NHL	68-66 last 134 picks	51%	+$1170
TOTAL			+$19790

Today's NHL Hockey Picks:

Game: New York Islanders at Atlanta (7:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: 3 units on Game Total UNDER 6 -110 (risk 3 to win 2.7)

The New York Islanders are having trouble on the road as they have logged just five wins, but their trouble has a root cause - they simply can't generate anything on the offensive end. Their last seven games have seen them tally two goals or less in all of them, and it stands to reason they have just one win to show for those seven games. The goaltending has been superb, as they have allowed just 10 goals in the last five. When you’re not scoring and the goaltending is good, the games are going UNDER as all five have. The Flames came out of the break and were shutout in their first game back. When they have been listed as a favorite from -151 to -200, all six of the Thrashers’ games this season have gone UNDER, and all five of the last Islanders’ games as a dog have gone UNDER. It is hard to see much scoring here as each of these teams has lost their way on the offensive end. The UNDER gets the call in this one.

The Bruins have been tough to take down at home all season long. They have dropped just three games at the Garden this season. Two of those losses were in back-to-back games, and the other was in the midst of their slow 2-5 start on the season, but they have been invincible otherwise. The Devils have a streak of their own going as they have won a season-high seven in a row, so you can be sure the Bruins will be on their "A" game tonight, which has proven deadly to visitors. The Bruins have won the only game played on the season between these two, as they won in New Jersey 2-0. The Devils are getting strong goaltending allowing just 1.5 goals over their last 6. I like the Bruins here, as they have been lethal on home ice and the favorite has won the last five in this series. I also like this one to be low scoring - just like the last one. The Devils have played 23-11-4 to the UNDER against opponents that have a .600 winning percentage or higher at home. Boston is also 21-6 to the UNDER against teams with a road winning percentage of .600 or higher. I am backing both Boston and the UNDER in this one.

Ottawa has struggled on the road all season and there is a quick answer as to why. They have managed just 35 goals in their last 19 games on the road. That works out to 1.84 a game. It is hard to find the win column with no firepower. The Blues have shown an inconsistent offense of late that has produced two goals or less in four of their last six games. Ottawa is sporting a 12-4 mark to the UNDER when posted as a dog of +110 to +150. These teams have a history of playing low-scoring, hard-checking games that have produced a 7-1-1 mark to the under in their last nine. I like this one to follow suit, so UNDER is the play here.

The Maple Leafs have gone stone cold. They have produced just one win in their last nine games. A look at their offensive production tells the story. Aside from a rare six-goal outburst at Carolina, the Leafs have managed just 12 goals in their other eight games, or 1.5 per contest. The Avalanche went into the All-Star break surging offensively with 11 goals in their final two before the break, but they came out of the break getting completely shutdown in a 3-0 loss at home. It marked the sixth time already this season that the Avalanche failed to score - four of them have come on home ice. After a three-goal loss or more, Colorado has played six of seven to the UNDER. The Maple Leafs enter off this one off a three-goal loss themselves and are 5-1 to the UNDER in the same circumstances. This one sets up to be lower scoring than indicated and I'll back the UNDER here.

The Shark Tank has been a house of horrors for NHL visitors as San Jose has built a 22-1-2 record in their house. Their record has been built on defense and goaltending as the Sharks have only allowed 52 goals at home in 25 games or 2.08 per contest. The Coyotes have managed just five wins in their last 17 on the road. They have been at their offensive worst after a home loss of three or more goals and have played the last seven the UNDER, when coming in after a big loss. The Sharks are 13-5-1 to the UNDER vs. the Western Conference, as well as being 13-6-1 to the UNDER in their last 20 in the favorite role. The last eight times these teams have met at the Shark Tank, the UNDER is 5-1-2. I look for this one to go UNDER the posted total.

The Blackhawks are one of the rare teams in the NHL that have pretty much balanced their winning at home and on the road. It sure helps when you get dependable and steady goaltending as the Blackhawks have. They have been very stingy behind the net as they have allowed just 19 goals in their last 10 road games. That has allowed eight of the 10 to stay UNDER the total. The Kings were playing good hockey at home early in the season but have stumbled recently as they have just two wins to show for their last nine on home ice. There is one glaring reason as to why - they have put the puck in the net just 13 times in the nine games, or just 1.44 per game. This is a perfect spot for a low-scoring affair. The Blackhawks are 8-0-1 to the UNDER in their last nine as a favorite, as well as 6-0-1 to the UNDER against the West. The Kings are in the opposite role here as a home dog with the same results. In their last eight games as a home dog, they have played 7-0-1 to the UNDER. It is hard to ignore the facts and trends here, so I'll play this one to go UNDER the total.

Results: 2-5

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Check out the last five NHL Hockey Picks Newsletters:

NHL-Hockey-Picks-January-28-2009
The Sabres come into this one off a huge 10 goal explosion vs the Oilers. It certainly makes everyone over conscious and that helps in setting up this one nicely. The Sabres are not a high profile off...

NHL-Hockey-Picks-January-27-2009
The Red Wings limped into the break with back-to-back losses to close out the first half of the season. The offense has not been a problem for the Red Wings as they have netted 48 goals in their last ...

NHL-Hockey-Picks-January-21-2009
The Anaheim Ducks have not been a scoring machine on the road this season where they have played break-even hockey. The last 14 games show them posting just 37 goals for an average of just 2.6 per con...

NHL-Hockey-Picks-January-20-2009
It’s hard to believe that the Stanley Cup runner-up Penguins, have struggled along to barely over .500 at home this season. But the signs of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury heating up is present as...

NHL-Hockey-Picks-January-19-2009
The Florida Panthers had a two game explosion at home where they scored 12 goals in two games as they netted four and eight in the two games. That has padded this total a bit because the Panthers aren...