Weekend Sports Gambler: Are Vegas Golden Knights A ‘Sick Cat’ Best Avoiding?
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By Dan Behringer, LVSportsBiz.com Sports Betting Writer
“Don’t expect a sick cat to get better,” a wise sports handicapper once advised.
Which raises the question: Are the Vegas Golden Knights an ailing feline right now?
It would certainly seem that way. They have lost five of their last six games. The latest in that streak came Tuesday when they lost to the New Jersey Devils in overtime, 3-2. Except for the Devils game, they were betting favorites in all six of those games.
“What let us down tonight was probably our power play,” coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters after the game. “We didn’t generate nearly enough in terms of extending the lead, especially in the third period.”
They now find themselves looking up at the standings at a new Pacific Division leader in the Seattle Kraken, who have played two fewer games but are tied with the Golden Knights at 61 points. Ironically, the Kraken are also an expansion team enjoying success in their early years. And it brings the Golden Knights to the final two games of their four-game road trip before the All-Star break.
First up is the New York Rangers, coached by You-Know-Who on Friday afternoon. Considering the VGK’s struggles, oddsmakers have made them +128 for the 4 p.m. game. The total is 6. They follow that with a game Saturday at the New York Islanders.
For those considering a bet on the VGK, they are a highly respectable 15-4-2-1 on the road. They also own a 14-8 puck line record away from T-Mobile Arena.
Will the sick cat show signs of improved health this weekend? Or should you have 1-800-SEE-AVET on standby?
Stayed tuned.
Elsewhere:
— Championships on the line: Football fans and bettors will be focused on the AFC and NFC Championship games on Sunday to determine who advances to Super Bowl 57.
The line on the Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs game has bounced around like a roulette ball with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ high ankle sprain in focus. After opening at Bengals +1.5, the line swung as much as to Bengals -2.5 on concern over Mahomes injury. Now the line has flip-flopped again and the Bengals are +1.5.
“I still feel like I can do a lot of things,” Mahomes told reporters on Thursday. “We’ll see as we get closer and closer — and we’ll see during the game.”
The total varies between 47 and 48 depending on which sports book you are viewing.
The San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles game, which is the second game on Sunday, has seen less volatile movement. The 49ers opened at +2.5, they were some brief stops at the key number of +3, but it’s back to +2.5. After opening at 45, the total is up to 46 or 46.5.
— Fast Carr track? With the Las Vegas Raiders and QB Derek Carr about to formally part ways, odds are up on where the nine-year Silver and Black veteran will land. Covers.com, citing odds from DraftKings, has Carr at +350 to land with the New York Jets and +400 and +450, respectively, to sign with the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. It’s +3,000 for the Green Packers, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Carr turns 32 on March 28. Among the four quarterbacks in the championship games, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is 24, and 49ers QB Brock Purdy is 23. Bengals signal caller Joe Burrow is 26, and Mahomes is the elder statesman at 27. Draw your own conclusions.
— Rebels basketball: The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, fresh off an 86-72 win and cover vs. Wyoming, will host UNR at the Thomas & Mack on Saturday.
The Rebels are 13-7 overall but an unremarkable 2-6 in MWC play.
“Just a better overall game. It’s easy to say you have to be more confident and to just figure it out, but it’s just one of those things that when you lose it, it’s tough to get it back,” coach Kevin Kruger told the team’s official website. “I thought tonight was a great step back toward playing the way we had been playing.”
Tipoff is at 7 p.m. No line yet on the game.
— Signs of spring: There are two Major League Baseball spring training games on the calendar for Feb. 24, less than two weeks after the confetti flies in the wake of Super Bowl 57. The first has the Texas Rangers at the Kansas City Royals. The second is the Seattle Mariners at the San Diego Padres. No betting line on either game.
— Play of the Week (9-10): For the first time of the football season, we slipped below the .500 mark when the over in the Dallas-San Francisco game failed to materialize, and we dropped to 9-10. Yes, it’s been a humbling slide from 8-3. It’s almost like gambling. This week, we attempt to right the ship with the Eagles at -2.5.
