BEST LINES: Pinnacle -1½ +285 Bet365 +265 SportsInteraction N/A  5DIMES -1½ +280

BEST LINES: Pinnacle +104 Bet365 +100 SportsInteraction -110 5DIMES +101

Posted at 1:30 PM EST 

Before we begin and until further notice, we’re going to be splitting up our NHL underdogs into two bets. We’re playing them straight up for 1 unit and we’ll be playing them on the reverse puck line (-1½) for 1 unit, thus making up our traditional 2 unit bet. The thinking is that if the dog loses, we lose our bet anyway. If the game goes into OT, which is a coin-toss anyway, we lose our -1½ bet but have a chance to profit a pork-chop if we happen to get lucky and win it in the extra time. If our team is winning by a goal, we know for sure we’ll get a crack at an empty netter and there is also a good chance that if our team is ahead, it might be by more than one goal anyway. Therefore, our bet for this game and every dog we play will be -1½ for 1 unit and straight up for one unit.

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10:35 PM EST. The Sharks are solid. They very much resemble the same team that they’ve been putting on the ice for years. This is a hard-working, smart team that loves to play the cycle game and they’re good at it too. They usually employ forwards that work well in all three zones, which is why they are constantly among the best defensive teams in the NHL. San Jose has allowed two goals or less in five of their last six games while winning four of those. However, they’re also returning from a five game, East Coast trip and have a hated rival on deck in the Nashville Predators. Situationally, this is a good spot to fade the Sharks.

The timing for a West Coast trip couldn’t be better for the Leafs right now. The Leafs have lost two in a row and three of four. Toronto has been outscored 10-5 over its last two home games by Carolina and Philadelphia respectively. Four of their last five have been at home too. Last season, expectations were low and the Leafs embraced the underdog role. That’s a big contrast from this year in which Toronto’s projections were high and expectations were higher. That the Maple Leafs got off to such a great start raised expectations even higher to the point where they were the odds-on favorite to win the Cup after the first three weeks of the season. Well, heavy is the favorite’s crown and the Maple Leafs have not been wearing it well lately. They now get a chance to regroup and get away from this hockey hotbed and get back to playing winning hockey. The Maple Leafs are still hugely dangerous because of their ability to create and score goals. The timing is now perfect to get behind the Leafs on this trip, where for the first time this season, their stock is lower than it should be.

The bets are as follows:

Toronto -1½ +285 for 1 unit

Toronto +104 for 1 unit

Open an account today at Pinnacle Sports and take advantage of their -104 style pricing on sides and totals, which is 60% better than other sportsbooks.