Andrew Wilsher

The Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins clash on Tuesday night in the NHL. This is the first of two matchups this season, and with both teams at 4-2-0, it is an early season win they would like to capture. Each team has mixed opinions on expectations, but within the organization know that the playoffs are obtainable. To get you set for the matchup, here are our

Canucks vs. Penguins predictions.

Both teams are on respective winning streaks, have the same record, and have similar expectations, so it is no surprise that this game is seen as a coin flip. My choice for this game is the Penguins. This is Vancouver’s fourth-straight road game, which has had them traveling all over the country. The Penguins have been waiting for them on an extra day of rest, and I believe should be highly motivated to build a three-game winning streak. Pittsburgh has been getting far better contributions from their top players as well.  Four players have 5+ points, and their go-to forwards in Sidney Crosby (7 points) and Evgeni Malkin (9 points) have looked excellent. This may be the final kick at the can for this veteran-filled roster, and so far this season they have showed they are willing to put in the work. I think their efforts in this game get them a win. Take Pittsburgh on the money line for these Canucks vs. Penguins predictions.

Canucks vs. Penguins prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins money line (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to (-120).

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This has not been an ideal start to the season for either team. However, it has been less ideal for the Kings. Los Angeles enters this game having lost 4 straight games as part of 5 losses in their first 6 games played. While the Blues have suffered a couple of embarrassing losses on home ice, they looked to have potentially got things on track with a nice 3-1 win over a great Stars team on Saturday. 

If there is any glass half full for the Kings, it is that they have gone through a mini gauntlet to start the season. They have had a very tough schedule out of the gates. But the Blues are yet another good team for the Kings to have to face. This Kings team is far from a reliable play against good teams so far this season. Until they prove otherwise, they are an easier fade.

Blues -130 available at the time of publishing. Playable to that number.

The Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets met twice in February last season, with the 2 teams splitting the series. Each team won on home ice, and the home team could have the advantage again in this one. The Stars will be hungry to get back in the win column after suffering back-to-back losses to the Canucks and Blues. They raced out to a 3-0-0 start before suffering those 2 losses, and will be happy to be back on home ice for this one.

With the likes of Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, Dallas has a much deeper forward group that Columbus. The Stars rank 6th in the league scoring 3.60 goals per game this season, and have scored exactly 5 goals in 3 games this season. Columbus ranks 21st scoring 2.80 goals per game, and Kirill Marchenko has had to do a lot of the heavy lifting. He has 5 of Columbus’ 14 goals this season, and until other depth players start stepping up, the Blue Jackets could have a hard time keeping up with teams like the Stars – especially on the road. Back the Stars in regulation.

Blue Jackets vs Stars prediction: Stars 3-Way ML (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable to -125.

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After a rather disappointing campaign last year, the Raptors are looking to turn a new page as they head to Atlanta for a date with the Hawks. No major changes were made in the offseason, but that was hardly surprising given the moves Toronto made mid-season last year. Brandon Ingram is expected to lead the team offensively, while the trio of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley gets better after another year of playing together. The Raptors have generally had good luck in games at Atlanta, covering the spread in their last 5 visits. They are also 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings overall.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard were Atlanta’s key additions during the offseason, as they look to surround Trae Young with some talent. Expectations are high for the Hawks this season, even the oddsmakers are projecting them to win around 46.5 games which would be their highest win total since the 2015-16 season. I am not the one to jump on the bandwagon that easily. The defense was a major problem last year, Atlanta ranked just 19th in efficiency on that end. As good as Trae Young is on offense, he still remains a liability on the other end and I just don’t see how the Hawks compensate for that.

I like the direction in which the Raptors are headed. They have nothing to lose here. Brandon Ingram has a pair of 30+ point games in his last four against Atlanta, I can definitely see the Raptors keeping this one close. Back the road team to cover.

Raptors vs Hawks prediction: Raptors +6 available at time of publishing. Playable at that number. 

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While it’s hard to put too much weight on preseason games, the signs for the Memphis Grizzlies do not loot promising. The team have suffered some heavy losses to the likes of the Charlotte Hornets and seem to be struggling to get by after the Desmond Bane trade. Ja Morant is yet to make an appearance too but could be in line to start the season. Do not be surprised if he is rusty to start. With Zach Edey due to miss time too, the Grizzlies should struggle early in the season. The Pelicans on the other hand have Zion Williamson ready to start the season and in arguably the best shape of his career. While Dejounte Murray and Kevon Looney will not be available to start the season, the likes of Jose Alvarado should be able to step in.

The Pelicans have a couple of wing defenders in Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones who should be able to cause issues for the Grizzlies role players. Murphy III had a breakout season last year offensively, averaging 21.2 points per game. He should prove to be a great running mate for Williamson, especially with his floor spacing ability. Without Looney in the paint the Pelicans could lack rim protection but the absence of Edey should make it tough for the hosts to capitalize. With Jaren Jackson Jr. acting more as a perimeter threat, it could play into the hands of the Pelicans. Take the points on them here.

Pelicans vs Grizzlies prediction: New Orleans Pelicans +3 available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The NBA season tips off this week, and we get to be treated as fans with a very intriguing matchup Wednesday night when the San Antonio Spurs travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks. This feels like the year for the San Antonio Spurs where they take that next big step forward to becoming a playoff team. This is Victor Wembanyama’s 3rd season in the NBA. The Spurs were one of the worst teams in the NBA in his first year, they were competitive last year but still missed the postseason, and now expectations are present in year three. The Spurs won all five preseason games and will be looking to start fast this season. The Dallas Mavericks also had a successful offseason. After trading away Luka Doncic halfway through last season, the Mavericks were surprisingly granted the number one draft pick. Dallas selected rookie phenom Cooper Flagg, capping off a trade that somehow worked out for both teams. With players such as Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, the Mavericks should be able to continue their winning ways this season.

Starting point guards for each team will be out with injuries for the opener. The Spurs will be missing De’Aaron Fox, and Kyrie Irving is expected to be out with injury until at least 2026. With Irving out of the lineup, it leaves a big question mark in the Dallas Mavericks’ lineup of who will handle the basketball and distribute early this season. Dallas still has a roster that was constructed around Doncic running the offense. With Doncic gone, that leaves D’Angelo Russell as the only proven ball handler suiting up for opening night. Dallas has hope that Flagg can fill that role eventually, but in his first NBA game matched-up against Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle, we may see some growing pains out of the rookie. The Spurs are contenders in the West this season, and I have them starting their season with a big in-state win.

Spurs vs Mavericks prediction: Spurs ML (+130) at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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It’s been a trying season for the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. They head to Newark, DE for the first-ever matchup with the Delaware Blue Hens in a Conference USA game at Delaware Stadium looking to keep their bleak hopes of a bowl game alive. It’s technically possible, even at 1-5, but MTSU needs to get going now. While the Blue Raiders have the dismal record, three of the past four games are one-score games, with Middle Tennessee going 1-2 SU in those games. It had a 14-13 win at Nevada back on Sept. 13 for the only victory. It is coming off a narrow, gut-wrenching 22-20 loss to Missouri State, which could have turned things around significantly. The Under has cashed in the past two games, and the defense isn’t that bad allowing 24 or fewer points in three of the past four.

For Delaware, it is .500 at 3-3, and just 1-2 inside the conference. It is transitioning to FBS, but if it qualifies with six wins, and there are not enough bowl-eligible teams, it is possible they could still go bowling. The Blue Hens have lost consecutive games to Western Kentucky and Jacksonville State, two of the better teams in C-USA. The Under is 2-1 in the past three games, and 4-2 in six games overall. This won’t be a defensive slog in Delaware, but 55 is an awfully high number, especially given Middle’s lack of offense, and above-average D.

Under 55 (-110) at time of publishing. Playable to 53.

The Missouri State Bears head out west to face the New Mexico State Aggies in Las Cruces on Wednesday night. After getting absolutely torched at USC in the opener, 73-13, the Bears have stayed the course and pulled things together. They scored nice road wins at Marshall and Middle Tennessee, and are back to .500. However, it won just 22-20 at MTSU last time out, failing to cover as a 2.5-point favorite. The Under has cashed in five straight games since that annihilation at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to open the season.

For New Mexico State, like MO State, it is also 3-3. This game is crucial for both teams, in terms of bowl eligibility. Missouri State would get a bid only if enough bowl-eligible teams cannot fill the spots, as it is transitioning to FBS. But, it has a good shot at satisfying bowl-eligibility criteria. The Aggies have been stout at home, winning all three games, including a 37-10 rout of Sam Houston on Oct. 2 in the most recent home contest. It is also 2-0 ATS at home against FBS opponents, while covering the past two. The Over is 3-1 in the past four games, so it’s a rather conflicting trend for totals. We’ll lean into the moneyline for the home side, as the Aggies nearly pulled off the upset at Liberty, and they’re playing really good ball lately.

New Mexico State Moneyline (+100) at time of publishing. Playable to -110.

Kennesaw State heads to South Florida looking for its first win of the season in three tries on the road. Meanwhile, FIU welcomes the Owls looking for redemption after losing 27-26 in suburban Atlanta last season as a 9-point favorite. FIU outgained Kennesaw State by a 400-to-358 margin in total yardage, but the Owls had a fourth quarter comeback after entering the final quarter down 26-17.

FIU is flying high after dealing Western Kentucky its first conference loss last week in Bowling Green, winning 25-6 in emphatic fashion as a 10-point underdog. That snapped a 10-game losing streak on the road, which, technically should have ended against Kennesaw State, if not for the big comeback last November by KSU. The Owls have won four in a row, and they’ve covered three in a row, scoring 24 or more points in every game to date. Their only two losses are at Wake Forest, 10-9, on Aug. 29, and against No. 2 Indiana on Sept. 6, falling 56-9. The Owls have covered three in a row, too. Still, a trip to South Florida in the heat and humidity will be tough to overcome, as will a battle against a Panthers team which handily topped the previously first-place Hilltoppers in their place.

FIU Moneyline (+140) at time of publishing. Playable to +120.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers head down to Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, Louisiana looking for redemption after getting absolutely runover in unexpected fashion by visiting FIU last week, suffering their first loss of Conference USA play. It had previously been smooth sailing for the ‘Toppers, as they were not only 3-0 inside the league, but also 3-0 against the spread (ATS) against C-USA opponents. In fact, Western was 5-1 ATS in the previous six games before FIU came to town and won outright as a 10-point underdog. Nobody saw that coming, even FIU’s biggest support, singer Pitbull.

As far as Louisiana Tech is concerned, it is smack-dab in the middle of the C-USA chase, but it is also coming off a stunning loss. The Bulldogs were also unbeaten in league play, and favored last week, and, like WKU, they were also manhandled. Louisiana Tech was belted 35-7 at Kennesaw State last week as a 4.5-point favorite, snapping a 3-game win streak, while suffering its first non-cover of the season. The Under is 5-1 on the season for LT, while the Under has cashed in four in a row for WKU. Since both teams are a bit hard to figure at the moment, after separate stunning losses, and the Under trend is pretty clear, we’ll lean low on the total. But, if you were looking for an SGP opportunity, WKU and the points with the Under is the way to go.

Under 50 (-110) at time of publishing. Playable to 48.5.