As we look at our picks for Feb 6, it’s the battle of the Eastern Conference bullies tonight as the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Both NHL teams are showing superior skills this season, with the Penguins most recently taking down the Washington Capitals 4-3 when they were expected to walk away emptyhanded.  That was their eighth win in ten games, and the Lightning are doing even better, racking up 16 wins and two ties, with just one loss, in their last 19 games.

Sports Intel Picks Feb 6

Penguins goalie Matt Murray has been on top of his game this season, while backup Tristan Jarry hasn’t been doing everything he was expected to do.  If Murray stays in, it’s going to be good news for Pittsburgh, but this is going to be the third game on the road, and he might need a break.  On the opposite side, Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy is staying strong and isn’t expected to let up tonight.  The Lightning are getting -160 and shouldn’t have a lot of problems.  The Over/Under sits at 6.5, and an Over is definitely worth it, given the strength these two teams have been showing.

The Vegas Golden Knights haven’t done nearly as well this year as the team, and its fans, had hoped.  They’ve dropped seven of their last ten and are 27-20-7 on the season.  However, they’ve still done well enough to be tied for third in the Pacific Division, and they’re getting ready to take on the third-place team of the Atlantic Division tonight.  The Florida Panthers haven’t had a lot of difficulty this season at all, but some are wondering if tonight could be the exception.

Vegas is getting -110, which is a little surprising, given their latest performance.  However, they’ve performed well on the road, and have a chance to improve even more tonight.  A chance isn’t quite enough, especially since the Golden Knights have to be getting tired now after spending almost a month on the road.  The underdog Panthers have a real shot tonight and taking the +104 is a good option.  The Over/Under sits at 6, but the Under is the only real play.  This is contradictory to what has been seen with the Panthers lately, since their last eight home games have gone over, but all good things must come to an end.

Pick The Islanders

The New York Islanders haven’t had a lot of luck lately.  They’ve taken just four victories in their last ten games and were just barely able to survive in overtime against the Dallas Stars Tuesday.  As they prepare to take on the LA Kings tonight, they’re confident they’ll be able to add another win to their season.  With good reason, too.  Adding a win moves them up to third in the Metro Division and closer to a possible playoff appearance.

That most likely won’t be too much of a problem, either.  The Kings have lost seven of their last eight games and are now hovering at the bottom of the Pacific Division.  The team is ready to start thinking more about the upcoming draft and next season, and write off the current season as an experiment.  At -190, the Islanders are the favorites and will take the victory.  The Over/Under is riding at 5.5, and this might be possible.  The Kings will put one on the board, but the Islanders are going to run away with it and an Over bet is a good choice.