Saturday’s slate brings a change of pace across the sports landscape, with bowl games unfolding across college football and the NHL returning to action after a three-day hiatus.
Saturday’s slate brings a change of pace across the sports landscape, with bowl games unfolding across college football and the NHL returning to action after a three-day hiatus. With rested teams and evolving storylines, tonight offers a unique betting board filled with opportunity. Here are tonight’s best bets brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Click here to join. All new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
First Pick: Under 6.5 Goals
Rundown: The Los Angeles Kings (15-12-9) welcome the Anaheim Ducks (21-14-2) into Crypto.com Arena for a battle between two Southern California squads trying to get back on track.
Anaheim heads to the City of Angels for a brief one-game trip before returning to the Honda Center for a three-game homestand. They will look to return with a win after dropping five of their last seven contests. Anaheim’s offense, which ranks fourth in the NHL in goals per game, struggled to generate scoring opportunities during the seven game stretch, averaging 2.57 goals per game, which would rank in the bottom five of the NHL on a per game basis.
The defense hasn’t helped either. Anaheim’s defense has struggled to keep the puck out of the net, allowing the third most goals per game (3.41). The Ducks have allowed seven goals or more on two separate occasions in December, losing in blowout fashion to Utah and Dallas. Despite holding the top spot in the pacific division, Anaheim will need to find ways to limit scores in bunches.
Meanwhile for Los Angeles, they are in desperate need of a victory, dropping six of their last seven matchups, four of which have been by a single goal. The story for Los Angeles’ season has been polar opposite to Anaheim’s – great defense, bad offense.
Los Angeles ranks second in the NHL in goals allowed per game (2.53), coming in only behind the Colorado Avalanche who own the league’s best record. Los Angeles’ issues lie on the offensive end, where the team is tied for last in the NHL in goals per game, scoring just 2.50 per contest. The Kings have failed to score more than two goals in nine of their last 11 games, which has translated to just three wins in that span. The defensive excellence paired with the inefficiencies on offense have converted over to the betting window, where Los Angeles has seen 26 of 36 games fall under the projected goal total.
The key matchup to watch will be Anaheim’s offensive attack against Los Angeles’ lockdown defense. With both offenses sputtering and both teams well-rested, this matchup favors a low-scoring affair that features limited opportunity at the net.
Second Pick: Over 53.5 Points
Rundown: The North Texas Mean Green (11-2) are set to square off with the San Diego State Aztecs (9-3) at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
San Diego State enters today’s bowl game after an extended layoff, returning to action nearly a month after its last game, a 23-17 double-overtime loss to New Mexico. North Texas enters after a 13-point loss to the Tulane Green Wave, a game that marked the team's worst offensive showing of the season.
North Texas’s offense has been one of the best in the entire country, leading all conferences in yards and points per game. The Mean Green are the only team in college football to average more than 500 yards per game. North Texas has cleared 50 points in seven of 13 games (53.8%), including a 51-0 blowout win to open their season back in August. North Texas’ offensive attack has been powered by freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker, completing over 70% of his passes and tossing 31 touchdowns in 13 starts.
North Texas’ top-rated offense will be challenged by San Diego State’s standout defense that ranks No. 4 in the country in points allowed per game (12.6). Ohio State, Indiana and Texas Tech rank ahead of San Diego State, three teams who own a top spot in the College Football Playoff.
Today’s matchup will come down to San Diego State limiting big plays and standing tall in the red zone against North Texas’ elite offense. Will the Aztecs be able to replicate Tulane’s ability to force turnovers? Can San Diego State sustain enough drives to keep up with North Texas? Time will tell.
Category: General Sports
