DTM’S THURSDAY NIGHT NHL PLAYOFF SPECIAL TORONTO AT WASHINGTON (GAME 1)

By Dan Leach

Follow Dan on Twitter @DanLeach971

TORNONTO MAPLE LEAFS AT WASHINGTON CAPITALS Thursday, April 13th, 7PM TV USA

(Current America’s Bookie’s Line WASHINGTON -$222 TOTAL 5.5)

While I am firmly behind the Caps to finally win their first ever Stanley Cup, there is so much value in this gritty and fired up Leafs team to take game one after missing the playoffs for the better part of a decade. It reminds me of the very overmatched Red Wings team a few years back that stole game one in Boston and then lost the next four. That is how I see this series going as well and the Leafs will be ready for a game one upset behind stunning rookie Austin Matthews.

The Caps will have their chances, but I just see Leafs goalie Frederik Anderson being on his best game on Thursdaynight and for Toronto to get an early goal and not look back. It helps that the Leafs have one of the best coaches in NHL history in Mike Babcock to take them into enemy territory and you will see the Leafs pull out all the stops in a game they know they really have to win if they want to give themselves a good chance to hang in this series against the NHL’s best in President’s trophy winner Washington.

NHL playoff betting is all about picking your spots of high value and I looked at this as one of those as soon as the matchups and lines came out. Many times the huge fave in recent years has opened up with a shocking loss and this is where it will happen again. We saw four road upsets in the first night of action and that is going to continue on day 2 of the one of the great playoff season in all of global sports. Look for this to be a back and forth game, but in the end for Matthews to have the final say, giving the Leafs a 1-0 lead in the series.

7.1 DTM Bagels and Locks on the  (TORNONTO +$202)

Dan Leach was the world’s first human to live under the sea for more than 60 days, created what is now used as the International Olympic Flag, was the basis of  Denzel Washington’s character Frank Lucas in “American Gangster”, Is often consulted on matters of national “Sports Security”, was the first human to interview Dracula, started the American Revolution on a dare,  once sat in on drums with Led Zeppelin,  and is a noted expert in the field of Time Travel.”