The Panthers gained space to activate Anthony Duclair
David Dwork: The Florida Panthers send Grigori Denisenko to the AHL with Tierney on waivers, if he does clear the Panthers would get enough cap space to activate Anthony Duclair of the LTIR.
Puck Pedia: “Sending Denisenko down is critical for #FlaPanthers to activate Duclair. Because FLA did not have sufficient room in their LTIR performance bonus pool, Denisenko counts $1.775M against cap while they’re in LTIR due to his bonuses, not his $925K Cap Hit.”
Puck Pedia: “After removing Denisenko and his $1.775M Cap Charge, #TimetoHunt now has $3.14M of Cap Space in LTIR, leaving them enough room to activate Duclair ($3.0M). They do not need to send Tierney down to make room for Duclair, they have sufficient room.”
The Blackhawks get Zaitsev and picks from the Senators for nothing Frank Seravalli: The Ottawa Senators have traded defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, a 2023 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick for future considerations.
Puck Pedia: The Senators currently have $4.96 million in cap space with a 20-man roster.
Ottawa could add $18 million in cap hits right now or $21.9 million at the deadline.
Cap Friendly: The Blackhawks have under 45.3 million in project salary cap hits for 15 players next season.
Ben Pope: GM for Blackhawks Kyle Davidson on the Zaitsev trade: “We are getting an NHL calibre defenseman and acquiring very valuable draft capital in this upcoming draft and beyond. Nikita gives us added depth on the right side and we anticipate him joining us soon.”
Shawn Simpson: “The Zaitsev experiment that was recommended by Smith was a total disaster from day one. Top four dollars that have set back the program on every level, and now giving up picks to make him go away.”
Sens Communications: Senators GM Pierre Dorion: “We’re pleased to afford Nikita a fresh start. He’s a pro’s pro who showcased himself to be a caring teammate and quiet leader throughout his #Sens tenure. We’re thankful for his time in Ottawa and wish he and his family the best in his next chapter.”
Another MLS season has arrived and as usual, it is accompanied by changes. St. Louis City SC will make its debut. Players and managers made some off-season moves too. And a new campaign will not be complete if the league does not make any head-scratching moves for MLS 2023.
These are the new developments as the MLS’ 28th season begins.
St. Louis
MLS has not put forward the wrong foot in picking expansion markets. Each team has been met with considerable excitement and the national footprint looks robust now that 29 teams have accepted St. Louis City, the newest addition.
When it comes to St. Louis, a bit of “What took you so long?” enters the discussion. The City’s passion for soccer runs deep, with a booming grassroots soccer scene that has led many players to U.S. national teams dating back to the mid-20th century, with Becky Sauerbrunn and Tim Ream being two of the most recent.
Guaranteed, it takes more than a passion for soccer to build an MLS team. Wealthy investors including a stadium are often needed to build up and run a team, and St. Louis had some near misses in terms of finding owners that will get it an MLS team.
However, with an investor group headed by Carolyn Kindle, that has now been accomplished. And Citypark’s team’s 22,000-seater stadium is up and running from the get-go should help the organization start functioning.
The inaugural season always comes with hiccups. Lutz Pfannenstiel the sporting director after featuring over 20 clubs in his playing career, put together a side void of big names, leaving that task to Bradley Carnell New York Red Bulls assistant (an former interim manager) to turn SLC into a cohesive unit.
On that note, it feels right to have a top-flight team in the cradle of American soccer.
The MLS off-season is when change-of-address forms are in demand, and so are moving companies, particularly with the League’s limited free agency form as part of the landscape.
There are some players who wore different jerseys that will require some double-takes. Witnessing 2018 MLS MVP Josef Martinez in the Inter Miami CF colours will be hard to digest especially since he had a good spell at Atlanta United.
The same sentiments will follow Aaron Long, who transferred from New York Red Bulls to LAFC.
Sean Johnson on his own part will try to change the fate of Toronto FC after leading New York City FC to an MLS Cup in 2021.
However, what could be described as the most surprising moves happened within the managerial ranks. Wilfred Nancy turned an impressive campaign with CF Montréal into a move to the Columbus Crew, breaking free from Joey Saputo’s overbearing ownership. Nancy was replaced with Hernan Losada, who was fired by D.C. Losada last season due to his obsessive methods regarding weight, amongst other things, he imposed on players.
Losada will have to make the best out of a bad situation for the MLS 2023 with CFM after its roster was basically stripped.
On D.C. United, Ben Olsen had moved to Houston Dynamo as a way to bring back the team’s glory days of the mid-2000s, when they won consecutive MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007. Former FC Dallas manager Luchi Gonzalez joined the San Jose Earthquakes after spending the last few years in the U.S. men’s national team setup.
And some brand new faces, too
MLS mines the international transfer market for reinforcements, and with one or two exceptions, they did not keep too much in their pockets. However this could change if Lionel Messi goes ahead to sign with Inter Miami, but other than this, most of the newcomers are of a strategic variety.
One team that did not make too many financial moves was the Portland Timbers, who spent a $10 million transfer fee on FC Midtjylland midfielder Evander. The Brazilian has been compared to MVP Hany Mukhtar of the Nashville SC. If he can live up to Mukhtar’s influence, it could boost the Timbers’ chances of getting back into the postseason.
Other notable additions for the MLS 2023 season are D.C. United’s Mateusz Klich a former player for Leeds United, including ex-Racing Club midfielder Enzo Copetti, who will join Charlotte FC. Copetti will be assisted by Ashley Westwood former Aston Villa and Burnley midfielder. Belgian striker Dante Vanzeir will try to score goals for the New York Red Bulls, netting 29 times in 67 senior appearances in a bit more than two seasons for Union Saint-Gilloise.
For the defensive side, Inter Miami brought former Shakhtar Donetsk centre-back Serhiy Kryvtsov to man that part of the field for the Herons. Finland international Leo Vaisanen will do the same for Austin FC, after Ruben Gabrielsen’s departure.
Postseason format debacle
18 teams will now qualify for the revamped postseason which is an increase from last year’s 14 – and the rounds will be mainly single-elimination.
The first set of games will be play-in games where the No. 8 and No.9 seeds square off. The next round will witness the other teams join in for a best-of-three series. Every game will have a winner. The format will go back to single elimination for the conference semifinals, conference final and MLS Cup.
Although the league contends that this change has been talked about since 2021 and is not being influenced by its new broadcast rights deal with Apple, according to the Athletic’s report last fall that the decision was fuelled a part passion to have more postseason games available on Apple TV than last year’s 13.
There will now be as low as 25 games and many as 33. There is also the desire on the part of MLS owners to host at least one playoff game, to gather more revenue for the League.
The solution provided by the MLS lacks consistency in terms of format from round to round, and with 18 teams qualifying for the playoffs, will devaluate the regular season more. And does the league want a situation where a team advanced because it “won” two games through penalties and lost a game in regulation?
They practically borrowed some concepts from Liga MX to find a format that would work. Wanting more teams is fine but not ideal.
Having eight teams from every conference qualify and turn each round into a simple home-and-away affair, and if a match ends in a draw after 180 minutes, the higher seed advances. This method will create 29 games. Everybody wins. The MLS 2023 regular season has some sense, Apple TV gets more games to broadcast, the owners get their extra income and the system stays consistent and easy to understand. Fans also get a healthy dose of drama without a penalty shootout.
Tomorrow, Sunday, the Seattle Sounders VS Colorado Rapids matchup will conclude the first day of a new edition of Major League Soccer. The sparring teams missed playoffs in the Western Conference, so they’ll want to rebrand the image they displayed last campaign.
The Sounders and Rapid have played against each other 10 times, with five victories for the Rave Green. Their last game also happened at Lumen Field and the home team emerged victorious. It ended in a 2-1 final score, with Jordan Morris and Nicolás Lodeiro scoring goals. Jonathan Lewis gave the visitors the lead.
Here at MatchPlug, you’ll find the Best Betting Tips Today and MLS Predictions surrounding the anticipated Sounders and Rapids match.
Once again all of Nashville FC’s hope will be placed on Hany Mukhtar and what he can do (no pressure!), as he is just returning as MLS MVP thanks to his 23 goals and 11 assists.
Another thing to note about this club is that they reached the playoffs in all the three years they’ve been in the league since contesting as an expansion team in 2020.
Two main players Dave Romney and Aké Loba left Nashville this season, while Fafà Picault and Nick DePuy are the replacements to be focused on.
Nashville FC Probable Lineup: Joe Willis, Shaquille Moore, Walker Zimmerman, Jack Maher, Daniel Lovitz, Dax McCarty, Sean Davis, Fafà Picault, Randall Leal, Hany Mukhtar, C.J.Sapong.
Betting On Colorado Rapids
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 2.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.94
The Colorado Rapids finished 10th place in last season’s MLS with only 43 points. The team headed by Robin Fraser is coming off a goal-fest in its preparatory matches.
They ended 2-2 with Orlando City, won Miami FC 3-1 and lost 4-1 to the Philadelphia Union one of the heavy hitters in the Eastern Conference and another strongest contender for the title. These three games showed Colorado’a offensive virtues, but also defensive deficiencies.
Colorado Rapids Possible Lineup (4-2-3-1): William Yarbrough, Lalas Abubakar, Keegan Rosenberry, Alex Gersbach, Michael Barriors, Sam Nicholson, Ralph Priso, Cole Bassett, Max Alves, Connor Ronan, Darren Yapi.
MatchPlug Prediction
Past matches between these clubs before their MLS debut had even the most impatial spectator feelng good.
The six goals scored and seven conceded by the Rapids tip the scales in the favour of the Sounders, fans should expect rich goals and thrills too.
Finally, the MLS season is upon us, today will mark the first day of the championship. Nashville SC VS New York City FC is one of the thrilling matches happening. Both clubs will compete for a top spot in the standings.
Last season, New York City FC finished third in the Eastern Conference and is now starting a new year in the absence of star player, Maxi Morález who has joined Argentina’s Racing Club.
Nashville SC is coming off a fifth-position finish in the regular season in the Western Conference and is again competing to make it to the playoffs.
In this Betting Preview, MatchPlug has covered all you should know about the matchup between Nashville and New York City, and given the Best Betting Tips Today for it. You can view more MLS Predictions and matches on our website.
Once again all of Nashville FC’s hope will be placed on Hany Mukhtar and what he can do (no pressure!), as he is just returning as MLS MVP thanks to his 23 goals and 11 assists.
Another thing to note about this club is that they reached the playoffs in all three years they’ve been in the league since contesting as an expansion team in 2020.
Two main players Dave Romney and Aké Loba left Nashville this season, while Fafà Picault and Nick DePuy are the replacements to be focused on.
Nashville FC Probable Lineup: Joe Willis, Shaquille Moore, Walker Zimmerman, Jack Maher, Daniel Lovitz, Dax McCarty, Sean Davis, Fafà Picault, Randall Leal, Hany Mukhtar, C.J.Sapong.
Betting On New York City FC
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Over/Under: Over 2.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.62
New York City FC can taste the nostalgia this season, as for the first time in a really long while, they will be playing without Maxi Morález.
Morález will be remembered for his contributions to the club – 26 goals and 69 assists in 162 appearances for the club. He is recognized as one of the best international midfielders who played in the MLS. This Argentine won’t be forgotten in a hurry by New York, as he led them in 2021 to win their only title in the tournament.
Additionally, Sean Johnson, the goalkeeper is another of the club’s star players that won’t be in the club after signing with Toronto FC.
New York City FC Probable Lineup (4-3-2): Matt Freese, Mitja Ilenič, Maxime Chanot, Braian Cufré, Malte Amundsen, Keaton Parks, Santiago Rodríguez, Nicolás Acevedo, Thiago Andrade, Talles Magno, Gabriel Pereira.
MatchPlug Prediction
These clubs have been the main characters for while now in the MLS, fans can therefore expect to see an interesting match in their debut.
Experts believe that this will be an evenly placed match, where the hosts Nashville will win by one goal difference.
On MLS Matchday 1, one of the games that’ll draw fans’ attention is Austin FC VS St Louis City FC. For this match, the local team will want to exploit a newly formed squad that has no experience in the top flight to begin on the right foot with three points.
MatchPlug has always provided advice on everything American Sports betting, and now we bring you the Best Betting Tips Today for the game between Austin and St Louis City. These are the best odds and predictions below.
Austin FC had a fantastic season in the last edition of the MLS, finishing second in the Western Conference with 56 points, although they had a mishap facing LAFC in the playoff semifinals, where they lost by a 3-0 score.
But, this team has everything it needs to recreate the campaign they had last season, so they’d like to get started on the right foot for the first Matchday. They will utilise the fact that they’re playing on their own field, where lost just three of the 17 games they played in last year’s regular season.
The Oaks played in 6 preparation matches, with two wins, two draws, and two losses balance.
Possible Austin Lineup (4-3-3): Brad Stuver, Julio Cascante, Zan Kolmanic, Nick Lima, Leo Vaisanen, Owen Wolff, Daniel Pereira, Sebastian Driussi, Diego Fagundez, Gyasi Zardes, Emiliano Rigoni.
Betting On St Louis FC
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 2.5
1XBet Moneyline: 6.05
Finally, St Louis City FC will make its debut in the new edition of the first division; hoping to become one the few expansion teams that’ll transcend in its first year.
No matter, today’s match won’t be an easy task as they’ll be playing against one of the conference’s best teams, Austin FC. Matter of fact, only five clubs have scored three points in their inaugural MLS fixture, and the other 15 ended in defeat or draw.
St Louis had six preseason games before today, where it can only choose one victory (three ties, two losses).
Possible St Louis Lineup (4-4-2): Roman Burki, Kylie Hiebert, John Nelson, Jakob Nerwinski, Tim Parker, Eduard Löwen, Tomas Ostrak, Njabulo Blom, Rasmus Alm, Joao Klauss, Jared Stroud.
MatchPlug Prediction
Austin FC seems to have more weapons in their Arsenal to win in this event, as they have more experience playing in the MLS than St Louis FC which has only played preparatory matches.
This team is one of the best clubs of 2022 and will have the privilege of playing at home, a place where they haven’t lost in the five most current official matches.
Due to this, upvoting Austin FC to win the MLS Matchday 1 game seems like the most logical outcome to choose.
St Louis Blues VS Pittsburgh Penguins feature two teams playing to be featured in the postseason faceoff. The Penguins (63 points, 10th in the Eastern Conference), and will be visiting the Blues (56 points, 11th Western Conference).
Pittsburg lost every of its last four games after a 7-2 setback at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. St. Louis lost four straight after a clash with the Vancouver Canucks (3-2).
The Penguins will play in the absence of Mark Friedman, Ryan Poehling, and Jan Rutta. For the Blues, Jake Neighbours is out and Torey Krug remains questionable.
For the best previews and odds for all NHL games, you can visit MatchPlug. We give you the best NHL Predictions Today for the Blues and Penguins matchup.
Predictions, Odds and Betting Preview for St. Louis Blues VS Pittsburgh Penguins
The St Louis Blues can still make the postseason even after trading away Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari their forwards, for Adam Gaudette a prospect and forward. In the 40 games he played before he was traded, O’Reilly scored 12 goals and had seven assists.
St Louis is scoring an average of 3.02 goals per game which is 21st in the NHL while taking an average of 29.0 shots. The power play for the Blues scores 21.1% of the time they have a main advantage. Jordan Kyrou has a team-best 25 goals and two other players scored 16 goals each. Robert Thomas has 35 assists which are a team-best, while Kyrou is the points leader with 54 and Thomas has 48.
The Blues allowed an average of 3.64 goals per game which is 29th in the NHL. St Louis No 1 goalie Jordan Binnington is 21-20-4 with 3.28 goals against average, and a .894 save percentage and has posted two shutouts. They allow 32.1 shots per game which are 21st in the NHL. The penalty kill unit is well below average, holding opponents scoreless only 75.2% of the time St Louis is shorthanded which is 25th.
Betting On The Pittsburgh Penguins
Season Record: 27-21-9
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.128
1XBet Over/Under: Over 6.5
BetMGM Spread: -1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.62
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 6.5
The Pittsburgh Penguins allow an average of 3.23 goals per game. Tristan Jarry the top goaltender is 16-7-5 with 2.82 goals against average, a .916 save percentage and one shutout but due to injury missed several games.
Casey DeSmith the backup has seen a lot of action and is 10-24-4 with 3.28 goals against an average of 34.1 shots per game which is 29th and the Penguins’ penalty kill line is 14th, rendering opponents scoreless 80.6% of the time they are short-handed.
Pittsburgh is scoring an average of 3.18 goals per game, 15th in the League. Syndey Crosby scored 25 goals best in the team, while Jake Guentzel scored 24. Crosby has 44 assists another team-best, and a team-high 69 points. Second in assists is Evgeny Malkin with 37 and Malkin is second in points with 58.
The Penguins average the fifth most shots in the NHL at 33.6 per game and scoring 21.5% of the time is their power move, they have a man advantage which is just 15th.
MatchPlug Prediction
The largest difference in this game is in the goals against; because the Penguins are holding opponents to an average of 3.23 goals per game, while the Blues allow an average of 3.64 goals per game.
Jarry goals against average are only 2.82, while Binnington has a goals-against average of 3.28. Pittsburgh has won 13 of its last 18 played against the team from the Western Conference and they have won every of the last four overall against St Louis.
Meanwhile, St Louis lost all of its last four and the Penguins have lost 17 and the last 22 when playing just after a day’s rest.
The Columbus Jackets suffered another straight defeat (0-1-1) and their third loss in the last five games they’ve played (2-2-1), shutting out with a count of 2-0 by the Minnesota Wild at the Nationwide Arena on Thursday.
Columbus outshot the visiting team 30-25, won 71% of the face-offs and stopped their only penalty, but went 0-for-1 with the man advantage, surrounding Minnesota’s double in the first 8:48 of the matchup. Boone Jenner (17 goals, 32 points this year) recorded a game-high six shots on target for the Blue Jackets who dropped seven of its last 10 fixtures (3-5-2).
Joonas Korpisalo the goaltender in the game with Minnesota made 23 saves, going 10-11-3 for the season with a 3.20 GAA and a.914 save percentage. He registered a 2-4-0 record from 9 past matches against the Oilers with a 3.57 GAA and .883 save percentage. Elvis Merzlikins (6-15-1 for the present campaign with a 4.21 GAA and a .873 save percentage) is 1-1-0 against the Oilers in three last encounters with a 2.67 GAA and .928 save percentage.
The Blue Jackets are also 3rd in the least goals buried per game this season (2.50), 3rd in most goals allowed on average (3.67), 3rd from the bottom in power play (16.2%) and 20th in penalty kill (77.4%).
Betting On The Edmonton Oilers
Season Record: 32-19-8
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.73
1XBet Over/Under: Over 6.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.44
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 7
The Edmonton Oilers won for the second time in a row, extending their current point streak to five outings (2-0-3) after whipping the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-2 at the PPG Paints Arena last Thursday.
Connor McDavid (109 points this season) scored twice to attain a career-high 46 snipes in a season, adding some assists too. Leon Draisaitl (35 goals, 87 points) extended his current goal to run a career-high six contests, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (28 goals, 72 points), like Draisaitl, bagged a marker and an assist. It was the first time Edmonton won in its last three travels (1-1-1).
Stuart Skinner the goaltender on Thursday stopped 22 shots to raise his present performance status to 15-11-4 for the season with a 2.89 GAA and a .913 save percentage. He picked up a 1-0-1 past total versus the Blue Jackets with a 2.45 GAA and a .923 save percentage. Meanwhile, Jack Campbell (17-8-4 on the year with a 3.39 GAA and a .887 save percentage) is 2-0-2 against Columbus with a 2.99 GAA and a .897 save percentage.
Their opponents the Oilers are netting the highest amount of goals per game this season (3.81), while allowing the 12th-highest quantity defensively (3.24). They top the league in power play (32.2%) and 26th in penalty kill (75.0%).
MatchPlug Prediction
Columbus has won in their last two head-to-head matchups against Edmonton. Prior to that, the Oilers were on a five-game winning streak versus the Blue Jackets, having won by a margin of two tallies on each occasion.
In addition, three of the last four trips the Edmonton Oilers took to Ohio ended in a victory for Connor McDavid and his squad, with Edmonton outscoring Columbus 15-3 in all those wins.
Moreso, 29 of 40 defeats Columbus suffered this season have been by more than a strike, with the team sporting the 2nd-worst goal differential in the entire league (minus-68). Edmonton on their own path, have won with a goal gap of at two tallies in an outstanding 17 of their most recent 19 victories, netting up to five goals in 14 of them.
The Arkansas Razorbacks VS Alabama Crimson Tide matchup has two paths for the teams. On one hand, the Razorbacks get the ultimate opportunity to give their March Madness resume a huge shot in the arm this Saturday as they face off against the Crimson Tide on the road.
Will Arkansas defeat Alabama in Tuscaloosa? Or will the Crimson Tide sweep away the Razorbacks?
Keep reading this betting preview by MatchPlug for everything you need to know about the game between Razorbacks and Crimson Tide. It has the Basketball Predictions, picks, and odds for today’s matchup.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Arkansas Razorbacks VS Alabama Crimson Tide
The Arkansas Razorbacks are should play some of the best games they’ve ever done this season if they hope to secure an upset win against the Crimson Tide today. Arkansas were not close to completing this challenge last January at home when they lost to Alabama, 84-69.
But, in the games that followed, Arkansas showed that they shouldn’t be taken for granted even by a strong team like Alabama. They scored shots against the Texas A&M Aggies, Kentucky Wildcats, and Florida Gators after their loss to the Crimson Tide.
The Razorbacks’ defense can mess up their opponent’s flow for the whole game, as they rank top 20 in the country when it comes to adjusted defensive efficiency and top 25 in opponents’ eFG. The Under is 3-1 in Arkansas’ last four games on the road.
Betting On The Alabama Crimson Tide
Season record: 24-4
1XBet Spread: -7.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 152.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.288
BetMGM Spread: -8.5
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 151.5
Alabama has been noticeably great this season and is arguably the best team in the whole of Division I basketball presently, despite their loss to the Tennessee Volunteers (68-59) in Knoxville last week Wednesday. The Crimson tide gets recognized for its impressive balance on both ends of the course. They are great on offense and defense.
The Crimson Tide are top 15 in the USA in adjusted offensive efficiency and top 10 in adjusted defensive efficiency. The first time they met with Arkansas, they shot 54.6 eFG% and held the Razorbacks to just 44.3 eFG%.
Alabama went 9/20 from deep, while Arkansas made only two of 10 attempts from the back of the arc, in large part as the Crimson Tide’s defense didn’t give them space to breathe. The Crimson Tide are 6-1 ATS in their past seven home games.
MatchPlug Prediction
Alabama can watch out for a redoubled effort today from Arkansas, but they won’t fold. The Crimson Tide will find a way to cut through the Razorbacks’ defense at the beginning of the game and force turnovers for transition baskets to build a large lead in the first half.
The Toronto Raptors VS Detroit Pistons matchup will kick off the NBA’s Saturday matchday. These two teams have taken completely different roads throughout the campaign but share a common goal: to end the season with flying colours.
In the first two matches these teams played this season, the Raptors emerged winners, however with those games decided by 4 points or lower, today’s game promises to be one of the most thrilling ones fans will watch.
As always, MatchPlug has the betting preview for this game between Raptors and Pistons, including the best Betting Tips Today, NBA Predictions Tonight and of course, a deep analysis of what to expect from both sides in the match.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Toronto Raptors VS Detroit Pistons
Even with a negative record, the Raptors feel good entering this game with six wins in their past seven games, a positive stretch that established them in the play-in positions. But to keep improving their position in the standings, then they must win this match.
This means Toronto must overcome the problems they’ve struggled with this campaign, where they have a poor 10-18 record, even if they’ve made fairly balanced numbers with 113.0 points scored and 113.9 points allowed per game.
Maybe with a defense that is a bit more effective, they can start putting out good results at away games, as this line has been their main weapon this season, with an average of 112.5 points allowed per game.
Betting On The Detroit Pistons
Regular Season Record: 15-44
1XBet Spread: +6.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.54
1XBet Over/Under: Over 226.5
The Detroit Pistons have had a pretty forgettable season, as they grace the last position in the Eastern Conference, with only the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets presently having a worse record than them. It’s hard to say anything positive about the Pistons with their 15 wins in 59 games. They’ve come out with only two wins in their last 10 games and 3 successive losses.
Detroit has been a mess in every area this season: they boast the 6th worse offense in the NBA with an average of only 112.3 points scored and 45.5% shooting from the field. Their defense is 2nd worst with an average of 119.9 points allowed per game.
At home the Pistons perform a bit better in offense, averaging 114.3 points scored, Detroit hasn’t been able to utilise this because of a defense that allowed an average of 120.3 points in front of their home crowd. Due to this, it is not surprising that they have just one more win at home than they do on the road.
MatchPlug Prediction
While their offensive numbers aren’t the best, Toronto is known to put on an entertaining game, particularly when they are playing away, where they have covered Over in 17 of their 28 appearances, something they’ll recreate Today because they’ll face one of the worst defenses in the NBA.
The Pistons have the same performance at home, where their offense hasn’t put up a good fight too, but they’ve covered Over 16 of their 29 games.
These teams have covered the Over in their games this season. Considering what has been mentioned already, they are expected to run with this trend and bring a high-scoring match.
The New York Rangers VS Detroit Red Wings will feature the Rangers on the road to battle the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
New York has a 33-15-9 record, while Detroit has a 27-21-8 record on the season. These teams will be facing off against each other for the third time this season. The last time they met, each one won the matchup.
For the best previews and odds for all NHL games, you can visit MatchPlug. We provide the best NHL Predictions Today for the Rangers and Red Wings matchup.
Predictions, Odds and Betting Preview for New York Rangers VS Detroit Red Wings
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
When: Thursday, February 23rd, 2023
Time: 16:00 GMT
Teams to play: New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings
In the last game they played, New York Rangers were a -165 favourite, but they lost 4-1 against the Winnipeg Jets. Vincent Trocheck scored a goal. Igor Shesterkin allowed four goals on 21 shots faced.
The Rangers’ offense has been playing better for them recently, scoring 4 goals or higher in 7 out of the last 9 games. New York ranks 11th in goals per game and 14th in shots per game. Artemi Panarin leads with 65 points, and Mika Zibanejad leads with 30 goals and has 60 points. Trocheck has 43 points and Chris Kreider has 39 points.
New York’s defense and goaltending have been good this season. They rank 7th position in goals against per game and 8th in shots against per game. Igor Shesterkin has a record of 25-9-7 with a 2.59 GAA and .912 SV%. Jaroslav Halak has a record of 8-6-2 with a 2.64 GAA and a .907 SV%. Adam Fox has 53 points. He is 5th in points, tied for 7th in goals, and 5th in assists amongst all of the NHL’s defensemen.
The Rangers are third in the Metropolitan division with a 10-point lead on the fourth-place New York Islanders. This team is set to make the playoffs.
Betting On The Detroit Red Wings
Season Record: 27-21-8
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.084
1XBet Over/Under: Under 5.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.40
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 6
The Detroit Red Wings were a +135 underdog in their last game, but they won Washington Capitals 3-1, in a crucial Eastern Conference matchup. Pius Suter scored twice. Robert Hagg scored a goal. Ville Husso stopped 26 out of 27 shots faced.
Detroit’s offense has been playing well on offense lately. They scored four or more goals in five of their last 10 games. They rank 18th in goals per game and 29th in shots per game. Dylan Larkin leads the Red Wings with 56 points and 22 goals. Dominik Kubalik has 36 points, David Perron has 35 points, and Lucas Raymond has 33 points.
The Red Wings’ defense has been good, but their goaltending is almost less than average, especially by this team’s standards. They rank 18th in goals per game and 12th in shots against per game. Ville Husso has a record of 22-13-5 with a 2.90 GAA and .905 SV%. Magnus Hellberg has a record of 3-4-1 with a 2.63 GAA and .903 SV%. Filip Hronek has 36 points.
Detroit is in 5th position in the Atlantic Division but they are only two points away from the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings have improved this season. The Islanders and Panthers presently hold the two Wild Card spots but 5 points or less separate the Islanders, Panthers, Penguins, Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, and Red Wings. It will be a tight race to the end of the season.
MatchPlug Prediction
Lately, Detroit has been playing well, winning six of their last seven games. Their offense has gotten better two, scoring four goals or more in five of their last 10 games. They are slowly moving up the standings in the Eastern Conference and have put themselves in contention to secure the Wild Card spot.
The Rangers, on the other hand, lost two games after winning 7 consecutive games. They scored two goals or lower in their past 10 games. Unlike the Rangers, Detroit has more to play for, as they are in contention for a Wild Card spot with many other teams.
However, the Rangers are leading the Islanders in the division. Since they are playing at home, Detroit will upset New York to win this matchup.
