[tinfw17]

Florida +1.83 over DALLAS (REG) Pinnacle
The Panthers have just five points through its first 10 games of the season. However, they’re close to breaking out and this could be the day. They held a 2-0 lead on the defending Cup champions in Pittsburgh last Friday before losing in a shootout. Wednesday, the Panthers had two leads on the visiting Senators, outplayed them but gave up three goals in the second period and couldn't find the equalizer. The perception is that the Panthers stink but they don’t. This is a very talented team that is going to cash in with some nice tags on them and this is certainly one game they can win. The Stars were lucky to beat the Leafs on Wednesday and although they’re a decent team they’re a huge risk as a big favorite because they’re very beatable. The Stars have struggled at home and the best remedy for what ails the Panthers could very well be a little road trip. Florida already has wins over Chicago, Philadelphia and again, they took the Pens to OT. This is a very sweet price on a undervalued team and most definitely worth a bet. Play: Florida +1.83 (Risking 2 units).

Montreal +1.68 over CHICAGO (REG) Pinnacle
This one is much more about playing against the Blackhawks than it is about playing the Canadiens because the more I watch Chicago the more convinced I am that they’re about the most overvalued team in the NHL. Chicago is a very respectable 7-4-1 but a close look reveals the easiest schedule in the league thus far. They opened the year in Europe by splitting games with Florida. Its last four wins came against the Preds twice, the Oilers and the Wild. Chicago has already lost to Detroit, Vancouver, Dallas and Nashville and its last six games have come against a slew of offensively challenged squads. They also played last night in Nashville, lost 2-0 and mustered up a measly 22 shots. Hopefully the Habs will respond from that 6-1 loss in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Prior to losing that one they had won four straight including a win over the Rangers and Atlanta in which they carried the play both games and deserved to win. Carey Price will be back in net tonight and that can only help our chances because not only is he better than Halak, it gives the rest of the team a boost as well. Anyway, the Blackhawks are not nearly as good as advertised and will get exposed as such many times. Overlay. Play: Montreal +1.68 (Risking 2 units).

[tinfw17]

NBA

CHARLOTTE –2½ over New York PINNACLE
What we have here is a contrast in styles, as the Bobcats are coached by the methodical and defensive minded Larry Brown while the Knicks style is “get a shot off in seven seconds” under Mike D'Antoni. If defense beats offense than the Cats most definitely have a great chance to win and cover here. No doubt Brown has the defense to compete. The Bobcats were blown out by Boston but that could work to our advantage here, as the blowout has resulted in a good price for this one. The Bobcats couldn’t have had a worse shooting night than they did on Wednesday but they played a tremendous defensive game that kept them in it for the first half. Charlotte scored just two points in the first Nine minutes of the third and that was pretty much the story of the game for them. They hit 31% from the field and went 0-10 from beyond the arc. However, this is a good team that would’ve made the playoffs last season had they not lost eight of its last nine. They’ll be ready to go tonight after that uninspiring offensive show on in Boston. The Knicks have no defense, nor do they have a go-to-guy. The Knicks are rebuilding in anticipation of signing King James next off-season. David Lee is the real deal and Nate Robertson is an exciting player off the bench. However, they virtually have no proven guard and no defense and a coach like Larry Brown should be able to exploit these glaring weaknesses. Play: Charlotte –2½ (Risking 2.2 units to win 2).

Toronto –4 over MEMPHIS PINNACLE
This choice has nothing to do with the Raps win over the Cav’s although it was an impressive one indeed. The Raps went 2-6 in the preseason and the consensus was that this is going to be a .500 team at best. The good news is that if we listened to the experts we’d all be broke. Toronto is deep, talented and if one or two guys have a bad game there are two or three other guys that can have a big game. Against Cleveland on Wednesday, Chris Bosh had an awful game offensively, yet the Raps built a 20-point lead before winning by 10. The Raps have shooters, great guard play, a great shooting big man in the middle and perhaps most importantly, they have confidence and they know they’re onto something good. The Grizz have a very good foundation with Rudy Gay, Paul Gasol and O.J. Mayo but they also have some egos to deal with in Zach Randolph and of course A.I. These guys could be more of a distraction than an asset and Memphis sure didn’t look very good in its opener when the Pistons beat them in every quarter. They have a coach (Lionel Hollins) that has never had success and just six returning players from last year’s roster. The Raps come in here raring to go with a ton of confidence and might just bury this host. Play: Toronto –4 +1.03 (Risking 2 units).