Ben Burns Sports Picks & Handicapper Review

The Wings are off to respectable start. However, they were dismal last season and it still figures to be a long year. In fairness, the "long year" part probably applies to the Hawks, too. Unlike the Wings, they've gotten off to a tough start. That's exactly what will make them a desperate team tonight though. Chicago's first four games came against Tampa and Florida. They faced both teams twice. The Lightning are the defending champs while the Panthers are also better than some may realize. Certainly, both teams are stronger than Detroit. Stepping down in class, look for the highly motivated Hawks to dig deep and deliver us their best effort. That should be enough to get them the important two points. Consider Chicago. 

A 4-1 Thursday included a PERFECT 2-0 mark on the ice. That gives Ben Burns a REMARKABLE 10-1 RECORD with his L11 NHL plays. As you may have already witnessed, Ben's "Top Gun" plays are M-O-N-E-Y. He's released two so far this hockey season; they WON BY A COMBINED SCORE OF 11-1. His third of the season goes today. Don't even consider missing out!

I'm playing on WYOMING. Nevada has been on a nice ATS run in conference play but I expect it to come to an end here. I like the way that the Cowboys come into this one. They dropped the first of two games against Air Force. After dropping a close one in the first of two games against the Falcons, Wyoming responded with a 77-58 blowout in the second game. Note that Wyoming is 6-3 ATS its last nine, off a conference victory. The Cowboys play Air Force again tomorrow. However, thats not nearly something to "look ahead" to the way that Nevada's Saturday opponent is. The Wolf Pack will play San Diego State Saturday, which is a "double-revenge" spot. The last three meetings between these teams have all been very close, the three games together decided by just nine combined points. While I like Wyoming's chances of winning outright, in a game which could well come down to the wire once again, I'm happy to grab the points. 

I'm playing on TORONTO. These teams met on Wednesday. Edmonton won that one. That puts Toronto in the 'revenge role.' I've done a good job of picking my spots with the Leafs so far this season and I expect this to be another good spot to back them. The Oilers are arguably better than their record suggests. That said, the Leafs hope to be a Stanley Cup contender and were a big favorite to win this division. Getting them, in an immediate revenge spot, at this price, is more than fair. Note that Edmonton is 0-5 its last five off a victory, dating back to last season. Even factoring in Wednesday's result, the Leafs have still taken seven of the past nine meetings. Expect them to bounce back with a big win. 

I'm playing on SACRAMENTO.The Kings have both the schedule and the venue working in their favor here. While they had yesterday off, the Knicks are off a late game, at Golden State. Desperate for a victory and knowing that their next six games will come on the road, I expect the Kings to take advantage of the favorable situation tonight. The Kings have won two of three games against Eastern Conf. teams this season, most recently knocking off the Pacers. They're 24-17 SU off a double-digit loss, the past 2+ seasons, going 25-16 ATS. That's a great record, particularly when compared to the rest of their games during that span. Expect the Kings to leave it all on the floor, improving on those stats in convincing fashion.