Daily tips for January 14

What’s on today

Arsenal heads to Villa Park to complete the weekend’s EPL round and should return with maximum points; there are seven games scheduled in the NBA with Washington’s trip to Chicago the most intriguing; I’ll be riding the Hurricanes as they host Calgary in one of the four NHL games on the slate; I’ll also have tips for the Australian Open tennis and A-League posted throughout the day; GL punters!

NHL for January 14

Tampa Bay Lightning (27-15-4, 58 points) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (22-20-4, 48 points), Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH, Tuesday, January 14, 12.10pm

Let’s keep tailing the Columbus Blue Jackets, who look to continue their steady rise in the Eastern Conference when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Blue Jackets, who have won four of five games this month with eight of the next 10 contests slated for home ice, have last season’s Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky back healthy for the second half. The Lightning were shut out in their last trip to Columbus 1-0 on Dec. 3, but are 11-4-3 since and stand second in the Atlantic Division. Bobrovsky sat out Saturday’s 6-3 victory at Winnipeg as the Blue Jackets matched their season high in goals. Bobrovsky owns two victories in two outings since returning from injury – including a shutout of Carolina last Friday. Leading scorer Ryan Johansen (pictured) has cooled off in January, with only one point in five games, after posting 19 in the previous 17 contests. Rookie Boone Jenner and Mark Letestu each scored twice at Winnipeg on Saturday and Nathan Horton has three points in five games since returning from surgery.

The Lightning are coming off an offensive explosion of their own in a 6-3 victory at Philadelphia on Saturday. Anders Lindback bounced back after a rough outing to make 35 saves against Philadelphia and could get another start with Ben Bishop considered day-to-day due to a sprained right wrist. Regardless of which goaltender is in net, he probably won’t have Sami Salo in front of him after the veteran defenseman suffered a lower-body injury on Saturday. The forward line of Alex Killorn, Valtteri Filppula and Teddy Purcell totaled six points Saturday and the trio has combined for a plus-27 rating overall. Tampa Bay defenseman Matt Carle boasts a six-game point streak and leads the club with a plus-16 rating after an impressive plus-6 performance versus his former team on Saturday. The Blue Jackets are 6-2-1 in their last nine home games after starting 4-7-1 and I like the look of them to get the job done once again with a slight lean to the total staying under the posted line of 5.5

Confirmed bets

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Columbus Blue Jackets WIN (one unit @ $1.80) WIN (2-3)

Vancouver Canucks @ Los Angeles Kings WIN (one unit @ $1.69) WIN (0-1)

Leans

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Columbus Blue Jackets -5.5 $1.91 WIN (2-3)

Calgary Flames @ Carolina Hurricanes -5.5 $1.76 WIN (2-0)

Phoenix Coyotes @ Winnipeg Jets -5.5 $1.91 LOSE (1-5)

NBA for January 14

Milwaukee Bucks (7-29, 4-15 away) @ Toronto Raptors (18-17, 8-8 home), Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada, Tuesday, January 14, 11.10am

The Raptors continue to do the job for us, and there’s no reason to depart the bandwagon here as they host the draft lottery bound Milwaukee Bucks. The Raptors snapped a 10-game skid against the Bucks earlier this season and will like their chances of ending a five-game home slide in the series when they aim to hand the NBA's worst team a sixth straight defeat. Toronto (18-17) spoiled Milwaukee's home opener with a 97-90 victory on November 2. Rudy Gay led the way with 18 points and 15 rebounds as the Raptors posted their first win in the series since January 22, 2010. Gay was dealt to Sacramento on December 9 and Toronto is 11-4 since the majority of the players in that deal made their club debuts four days later. Toronto seeks its first five-game home win streak since December 14, 2012-January 2, 2013. The Raptors will try to complete a 3-0 homestand after Saturday’s 96-80 win over Brooklyn. DeMar DeRozan (pictured) scored 26 to raise his average to 22.3 during a 7-2 surge for Toronto.

Another unheralded key to Toronto’s success is the steady play of Kyle Lowry, who averages 90.2 touches and 70.9 passes to rank fourth in those departments. That ranks much higher than point guard counterpart Brandon Knight, who averages 77.2 touches and 55.6 passes although he plays 6.4 minutes fewer per contest than Lowry. Milwaukee (7-29) continues to tumble in the opposite direction following Saturday’s 101-85 loss at Oklahoma City. A bright spot for the Bucks was Greek rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo, who posted his second double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds and also had an eye-popping dunk for Milwaukee’s first points. The Bucks fought gamely and took the lead in the third quarter before the superior Thunder took over. Another foreign-born rookie, Miroslav Raduljica, a Serbian center who has tallied 19 points and eight rebounds in his last two contests, is also receiving plenty of court time from Milwaukee coach Larry Drew. Raduljica will match-up with Jonas Valanciunas in the middle. Milwaukee’s 45-23 record in the all-time series is its best against any opponent.

Confirmed bets

Milwaukee Bucks @ Toronto Raptors -10.5 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (94-116)

Houston Rockets @ Boston Celtics -208 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (104-92)

Phoenix Suns @ New York Knicks WIN (one unit @ $1.60) WIN (96-98)

San Antonio Spurs -6.5 @ New Orleans Pelicans (one unit @ $1.91) LOSE (101-95)

Leans

Milwaukee Bucks @ Toronto Raptors +188 $1.91 WIN (94-116)

Washington Wizards +2.5 @ Chicago Bulls $1.91 WIN (102-88)

Orlando Magic @ Dallas Mavericks -197.5 $1.91 WIN (88-107)

Denver Nuggets @ Utah Jazz -203.5 $1.91 LOSE (103-118)

EPL for January 14

Aston Villa (6-5-9, 23 points) v Arsenal (14-4-3, 45 points), Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, January 14, 7am

Back on the opening day of the 2013-14 season, Aston Villa defeated Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium but their respective paths have headed in different directions since that game. The negativity surrounding that loss has subsided for the Gunners and, although Theo Walcott’s serious knee injury has tempered the mood, Arsenal have entered 2014 with real optimism. Arsenal has an excellent record at Villa Park – unbeaten in just over 15 years since Dion Dublin snatched a late winner in December 1998.  Going into the weekend, Arsene Wenger's side also had the joint best away record this season in the top flight, along with Spurs, and will look to build on their excellent form over the festive period.  They showed at West Ham and Newcastle they have fight as well as flair, and a fifth successive win in all competitions will keep them as pace setters in the title race. Arsenal expects to have forward Olivier Giroud (pictured) back from injury and illness; Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is fit again following a knee injury but Thomas Vermaelen (knee) is a doubt.

It must feel like Groundhog Day for Paul Lambert. This time last year he was trying to overcome a shock League Cup semi-final first-leg defeat at League Two Bradford City, and once again he’s licking wounds after Sheffield United sprang a surprise by beating Villa in the FA Cup last weekend. Lambert insisted he didn’t mean to demean the FA Cup, but their exit followed his remarks that the competition can be a hindrance and that “survival” was a priority. There will be extra scrutiny on the Villa boss to appease disgruntled supporters. Defenders Ron Vlaar and Nathan Baker are both in doubt due to respective calf and hamstring problems but Brad Guzan and Gabriel Agbonlahor have overcome minor injuries and Ciaran Clark is back from suspension. Aston Villa has not beaten Arsenal home and away in the same season since the inaugural Premier League campaign of 1992-93. Villa ended a five-match winless run in the Premier League with their New Year’s Day victory at Sunderland but have not scored in five of their last seven Premier League home games.

Confirmed bet

Aston Villa v Arsenal -1 (one unit @ $2.45) PUSH (1-2)

Leans

Aston Villa v Arsenal -2.5 $2.05 LOSE (1-2)
Aston Villa v Arsenal (0-2) $8.00 LOSE (1-2)

• Selections are listed in three categories – 1) Suggested (likely bet but yet to be finalised); 2) Confirmed (locked in at the price listed); and 3) Leans (tips, but not recommended bets); all times quoted are Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT); prices with thanks to Centrebet (except where markets are not available), correct at time of publication – for most people gambling is an exciting and fun recreational pursuit. For others it can become a problem with devastating consequences for them, their families and friends. We want you to enjoy your gambling experience. We want you to stay in control of your gambling and not allow your gambling to control you.