Monday night’s board features several matchups where momentum, playoff positioning and fatigue could all factor into the lines. This time of year is pivotal on the court and on the ice. These moments matter as teams march towards the postseason. 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: Over 5.5 Goals
Rundown: The Los Angeles Kings (25-23-14) kick off a five-game road trip as they travel to Nationwide Arena to battle the Columbus Blue Jackets (32-21-9) in a Monday afternoon cross-conference battle.
Los Angeles enters the matchup looking to rebound from a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, concluding a five-game home stand after the Olympic break. The Kings currently reside on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture, sitting three points behind Pacific Division rival Seattle Kraken for the final wild card spot. Los Angeles has excelled on the road this season, colletcing 37 of their 64 overall points this season away from Crypto.com Arena. Since returning from the three week break, LA has seen four of its last five games exceed the projected goal total.
Columbus comes into play looking to finish the four-game home stretch strong after falling in Saturday's contest 5-4 in overtime to the Utah Mammoth. The Blue Jackets have maintained consistency in both zones this season, averaging 3.15 goals per game while allowing 3.18 goals per contest. Similar to Los Angeles, four of the last five matchups for Columbus have breached 5.5 goals.
With both teams seeing a surge in offensive production, expect this matchup to see six pucks hit the back of the net.
Second Pick: New York Knicks -2.5
Rundown: The Los Angeles Clippers (31-32) seek to even their record as they host the New York Knicks (41-24) in a premier matchup from Intuit Dome.
After dropping three straight to close out February, Los Angeles has responded with four wins in its last five games, fueled by star forward Kawhi Leonard, who is averaging 27.9 points per game this season. Prior to Monday's action, the Clippers currently hold the ninth spot in the Western Conference and sit one game back of the Golden State Warriors with 19 games remaining.
New York continues its Los Angeles swing looking to rebound from Sunday's 13-point loss to the Lakers. The New York Knicks have been strong offensively this season, boasting a top-ten scoring attack and the fifth-most three-pointers made in the NBA. Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns continue to be one of the most dynamic duos in the league, leading New York to the third best record in the Eastern Conference.
With Los Angeles looking to establish themselves as true contenders in the West and New York searching for a bounce-back victory, expect this one to provide fireworks. Look for New York to control the tempo early, guiding the Knicks to a quality road win.