The 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins are the benchmark against which all NHL winning streaks are measured. Coming off back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, that roster was arguably the most talented collection of players ever assembled on ice. Four players all cracked 100 points that season. The team finished with 119 points in the standings and claimed the Presidents' Trophy.

Between March and April of that year, they won 17 consecutive games, a record that still stands more than three decades later. They were eventually eliminated by the New York Islanders in a Game 7 Overtime, ending their bid for a third straight Cup, but the win streak itself has never been beaten.

Dallas is not there yet. But they are knocking on the door of rare space.

The Stars enter Rogers Arena on Monday night riding eight straight wins, a mark that ties the best winning streak in franchise history. A victory over the Vancouver Canucks would give this squad sole possession of that record before playing again the next night in Calgary for a potential 10th win. Ten consecutive wins is a threshold only a handful of teams clear in any given season, occurring just 27 times across the last 10 seasons.

What makes this run impressive is how Dallas has done it. It hasn’t been clean and easy, win streaks never are. Dallas is finding ways to win when things go sideways and Saturday's game against Nashville is the clearest example: down 2-0, they clawed back and won in overtime on Jason Robertson's 33rd goal of the season and 6th career OT winner. They have a scoring differential of +37 on the year and their road record is 18-7-6. They don’t look like slowing down even without Rantanen on the ice.

Vancouver is the opposite story right now. The Canucks have gone 2-6-2 over their last 10 games, a collapse that has pushed them toward the basement of the standings. They are coming off a 5-1 loss to Seattle and own one of the worst home records in the league at 6-17-5. Injuries have left them with a thin arrangement against a Dallas offense that has averaged 3.6 goals per game over its last ten outings.

Jake Oettinger is expected to start for Dallas tonight are they are favored at -180. Given the compressed schedule of three games in four nights, the Stars will likely turn to Casey DeSmith in Calgary on Tuesday where a rested Flames team with stable goaltending awaits.

📱 Tomorrow, there are no excuses.

Jaxon hits your phone tomorrow, and if you pre-registered, it’s already on its way. No extra steps.

Haven’t pre-registered? Get it ready to download the moment it goes live in the App Store.

🏀 Monday Night NBA Bets

Monday night's NBA slate looks straightforward on the surface, but the efficiency numbers underneath tell a more interesting story. Four games, four spreads:

Houston Rockets -14.5 (-118)

Houston travels to Washington in what the numbers suggest is the most lopsided matchup of the night. The Rockets own the sixth-best net rating in the league and rank fifth in defensive efficiency. Their biggest weapon is on the offensive glass, where they rank first in the entire league in offensive rebound percentage.

Washington sits at the opposite end of virtually every efficiency metric, ranking last in net rating and last in point differential. The Wizards play fast, but speed without efficiency is just a faster route to losing, and their defensive rating of 120.1 makes every opponent look competent. With Trae Young and Anthony Davis both out of the Washington lineup, Houston covers this one without breaking much of a sweat.

Boston Celtics -7.5 (-110)

Boston and Milwaukee is the marquee matchup, but both rosters are compromised. Jayson Tatum remains out for the Celtics and Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for the Bucks, which reshapes the game considerably. What does not change is how Boston's system functions without its best player.

The Celtics rank second in net rating and second in offensive rating, and their turnover percentage is the best in the league. Milwaukee leads the NBA in effective field goal percentage and shoots threes at an elite rate, but their defense has slipped to 24th and without Giannis anchoring the paint, the Celtics shouldn’t miss Tatum too much tonight.

Denver Nuggets -10.5 (-115)

Denver heads to Utah looking to complete a season sweep, and the frontcourt mismatch is about as clean as it gets in the league right now. The Nuggets rank first in offensive rating and first in points per possession. Utah ranks last in defensive rating and last in points allowed per possession. That is not a typo. The Jazz are playing at the second-fastest pace in the league, which in this case simply means they are generating bad shots and turnovers at an accelerated rate against a Denver team that ranks third in ball security. With Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler both unavailable for Utah, the interior advantage for the Nuggets is absolute.

LA Clippers Moneyline (-113)

Golden State against the Clippers is the tightest call on the slate. The Warriors are solid at home but are without Stephen Curry and Kristaps Porzingis, two absences that gut their offensive ceiling. The Clippers are welcoming Kawhi Leonard back, and his presence historically moves their efficiency numbers in a meaningful way.

Los Angeles plays at one of the slowest paces in the league, which tends to keep games close and cap blowout potential, and their efficiency at the rim ranks third in the NBA. Golden State's turnover issues are a real concern without Curry running the offense. In a slow, physical game, this road favorite has the edge.

🌲 The Pine Line

🏀 The Knicks were in freefall six weeks ago. It’s worth paying attention to what changed in New York.

⚾️ This teenager has hit everything out of the park. The Pirates need to make room in their Opening Day roster.

🏒 The Kings aren’t just losing their star forward. Everything is changing for the sake of a playoff push.

🏌️ Has anyone seen the greenskeepers? They went missing around the 13th hole.

🏎️ Eleven teams, decades of history. The family tree of Formula 1 is messier than you’d think.

🏀 Conference Tournaments to Bet On

by Ed Egros 👉️ Follow on X @EdWithSports

For some reason, human beings have this ritual where we have to tell anyone near us how crazy it is when the calendar changes to a new month.  “I can’t believe it’s March already” may be something a loved one or neighbor may have told you this weekend.

Well, be prepared for a similar reaction when you read this:

College basketball's tournament season begins today.

Are You Serious?

Oh yes!  The Horizon League tips off at 7:00p.m. ET between IU Indianapolis and Cleveland State.  The first ticket to be punched happens Saturday when the Ohio Valley Conference crowns a winner.  

A Conference Tournament Betting Hack

Because many of these conferences do not have a clear favorite, one thing I consider is who has the shortest distance to travel to the tournament.  If their fans can easily attend games and the exhaustion of playing so many games in such a short window isn’t as challenging, there may be value betting on them to win.

Take the Summit League, happening in Sioux Falls, SD.  South Dakota State is approximately 60 miles from the tournament, and at 16/1, may be good value compared with the +125 favorite North Dakota State.  

Some tournaments have moved to new locations, like the American to Birmingham, AL and the Ivy League to Cornell University.  A little research will go a long way once those bets are available.

Sticking with Power Ratings

It’s also a good idea to look at offensive and defensive efficiency metrics like KenPom and others.  Jaxon also has a few good ideas.  Here are its suggestions:

Belmont to Win the Missouri Valley

You won’t see a great payout betting on the top seed of the tournament.  However, it’s hard to see anyone knocking off the Bruins this week.

Belmont leads the nation with a 61.4% effective field goal rate.  Part of that is elite three-point shooting, but senior Tyler Lundblade and company know how to score in a variety of ways.

At last check, Belmont was 25 spots ahead of any other Missouri Valley foe in KenPom’s rankings.  Arch Madness is theirs to lose.  

Saint Louis to Win the Atlantic 10

The Billikens should make the big tournament regardless of what they do in the next several days.  But an A-10 Tournament title would make a path to the Final Four far easier.

Senior Robbie Avila is averaging 13 points and more than four assists per contest.  The team ranks second in America with a 60.4% effective field goal rate, with several other players who can knock down triples.  

The Billikens suffered a couple of losses recently, but that offense should be unstoppable throughout the tournament.

New Mexico to Win the Mountain West

Antonio Choi and Deyton Albury have helped the Lobos sustain an deadly transition offense.  With a fast tempo and solid steal rate, New Mexico can put together runs quickly.  

There are several solid resumes in this conference, notably Utah State and San Diego State.  But, it’s the Lobos’ style of play and their depth that should equal three wins and a title.

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