Sports Handicapper Nick Parsons's Picks & Predictions

This is a FREE PLAY on the Sabres.

I think Buffalo is worth a "second look" at this price at home in these team's final game before the Olympic Break.

The Penguins are 15-7-5 on the road, while the Sabres are 17-7-3 at home.

Buffalo, though, plays with the added incentive of revenge following a 4-2 loss at Pittsburgh back in November. 

Both teams are off OT losses, but look for "home ice" prove to be critical for the Sabres here in this revenge spot.

Consider BUFFALO.

Good luck, NP

This is a BIG 12 TOY on the OVER WVU/Cincinnati.

These teams have been involved in several lower-scoring games of late, but I'm anticipating that a faster overall pace will lead to a higher-combined final outcome finally tonight in Cincinnati.

The Mountaineers beat the Bearcats 62-60 at home last month as 1.5-point favorites, but note that Cincinnati has seen the total go OVER the number in seven of its last ten in trying to avenge a SU/ATS conference road loss vs. an opponent.

The Bearcats are 11-2 at home and I'm expecting the revenge-minded home side to open things up offensively.

Everything points to a faster overall game pace to lead to a lot of points hitting the board; the play is on the OVER.

Good luck, NP

This is a BOOKIEKILLER on the Hornets.

Houston has been good against bad teams and poor against good ones of late. The Rockets are coming off a 114-93 loss here to Boston, and now they face Hornets team that flies in under the radar, but which has won seven in a row.

The Rockets have a game at Oklahoma City on Saturday night, so this sets up as a classic "trap" game here as they get caught looking ahead.

Charlotte has been competitive on the road, going 16-11 ATS, while Houston has been consistently overvalued, going just 8-14 ATS in friendly confines.

Grab the points with the HORNETS.

Good luck, NP

This is a TOP REVENGE ROUT on the Flyers.

I had a play on the Flyers in their last game against Washington, which set up similarly to their game here at home against Ottawa on Thursday.

If you've followed me for any length of time, then you know that I'm primarily a "situational" handicapper.

In the Flyers' win over the Capitals, "scheduling" played the biggest part in my reasoning for Philly's victory, as Washington had won 4-1 at home against the Islanders the day before.

Thursday's play is also a great situational one in my opinion, but it's more based around "revenge" after the Flyers lost to the Senators here 3-2 in OT on November 8th.

Ottawa is 27-22-7 overall, including a respectable 13-12-3 on the road, while Philadelphia is now 25-20-10 overall, including 13-9-6 at home.

This is the last game for each team before the Olympic break. It's the last night of NHL hockey for three weeks, in fact.

The 4-2 win over Washington snapped a four-game slide for Philadelphia, and now I think the Flyers can build on that win and avenge the earlier loss.

As for the Senators, they just had their four-game win streak snapped in a tough 4-3 loss at Carolina. Ottawa had some big wins over that recent surge, though, beating Vegas 7-1, Colorado 5-2, New Jersey 4-1, and then Pittsburgh 3-2, before the most recent nail-biting setback against the Hurricanes.

A letdown now feels imminent here after that big run just ended, and with the Olympic break starting tomorrow. 

No one would fault the Senators for coming out flat here in Philadelphia.

But, conversely, as I already outlined, the Flyers just ended a losing streak and play with the added incentive of revenge here.

Being a situational handicapper, this one falls directly into my "wheelhouse" so to speak.

I think the wrong team is favored here. I played this game early on Wednesday afternoon and have gotten plus-money. Regardless, I love the way this one sets up for the Flyers from a situational standpoint.

Ottawa averages 3.3 goals per game, which is ranked ninth, while allowing 3.3 as well, which is ranked 24th.

Philadelphia, on the other hand, averages 2.9 goals per game, while allowing 3.2. 

As far as the men between the pipes are concerned, Linus Ullmark is scheduled for the visiting side, and he's 16-8-5 with a 2.86 goals against average, while Dan Vladar will counter for the home side, and he's now 17-8-5 with a 2.49 goals against average. 

They're pretty much a wash, but we can give Vladar the small advantage from playing at home.

Vladar looked particularly good in the win over the Capitals as well, stopping a pair of one-timers by Alex Ovechkin from the high slot in the third period to keep his team ahead. 

So that's how I see this one unfolding on Thursday night. I think the Senators are exhausted and will be caught flat-footed, and looking ahead to the Olympic break, while I believe the Flyers will be risking life and limb to close out the first half with two straight wins and to avenge the earlier loss here to Ottawa as well.

All things considered, I believe this to be the very definition of "great line value." The play is on PHILADELPHIA.

Good luck, NP