Hamilton to take his shot(s) for Devils

The threes were flying last night, with both Bradley Beal and James Harden delivering us some winners. Tonight, we're hoping the puck starts flying. We're deploying a similar strategy to yesterday: following the volume in advantageous matchups.

Pour some shots against two poor shot-defending teams

Dougie Hamilton over 3.5 shots on goal (-104 FanDuel)

Dougie Hamilton and the Devils are headed to Columbus tonight to face a Blue Jackets team that has notoriously been one of the best shot targets all season long. On the year, only one team has allowed more than the 35.04 shots per game that Columbus averages per game, and in their past 10 at home, the Blue Jackets average a very inviting 34.8 shots per contest.

New Jersey has been one of the better shooting teams all season, and while the loss of Jack Hughes has tempered their offensive volume, they should find avenues to shoot the puck here tonight.

Enter Hamilton, one of the highest-volume shooters on the Devils. Hamilton is averaging 7.1 shot attempts per game this season, and he's gone over 3.5 SOG in eight of his last 11 games. The production remains when on the road, where Hamilton is over tonight's number in five of his past seven.

There are two main reasons to back Hamilton beyond the opponent and the volume, and they go hand-in-hand. Defensemen have found a ton of success against Columbus this year, as the Blue Jackets have allowed the second-most shots per game to the position. That has stayed true for Hamilton when he sees Columbus, as he's logged 5+ SOG in four of the last five meetings. Tonight we need just four, and we get it at very reasonable odds. Load him up!

Nick Suzuki over 2.5 shots on goal (-104 FD)

Montreal and Chicago are two of the best shot targets, so our expectation is plenty of pucks on net on both ends. We're particularly drawn to the Canadiens side, as the Blackhawks have allowed 36.2 shots per game on the road over their last 10, the third-highest mark in the league.

Nick Suzuki has been rolling for Montreal since Cole Caufield was lost for the season. He's gone over 2.5 shots in five of his last six, averaging nearly six attempts per game during that stretch. He's been such a steady force for us, and it's just one of those streaks we should continue to ride until something changes, especially at this price.

Suzuki has finished with three or more shots in three of four career games against Chicago. He's one of our favorite plays tonight.

In the news ...

Jimmy Garoppolo set to be one of the more coveted free agent options — As is typically the case in a fresh NFL offseason, there are a handful of teams in desperate need of a stable QB option. Jimmy Garoppolo, who will be a free agent, is expected to be one of the most courted options on the market. Teams like the Jets, Raiders, Saints, Bucs and Titans all need a passer, to name a few. While three quarterbacks are likely to go in the top 10 of the draft in Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and Will Levis, a team like Tampa Bay or Tennessee may not get their chance at one of the top prospects. Expect Garoppolo to find himself a solid contract on a team with the supporting cast in place.

Champions League knockout stage kicks off today — The UEFA Champions League, considered to be one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world, kicks off today with their Round of 16 play. The action pits Europe's top clubs against each other in a knockout stage until one club remains. The action begins with PSG vs. Bayern Munich, two of the favorites to win it all. Tuesday's action is followed by Milan vs. Tottenham to wrap up the day. Manchester City is the favorite to win at +170, followed by Bayern Munich (+600), PSG (+700) and Liverpool (+800). Real Madrid won last year's tournament and sits at +1100 to do it again.

Tiger Woods to play in first PGA Tour event since 2020 — Besides an appearance at the PGA Championship last summer, it's been over two years since we've seen Tiger Woods compete in a PGA Tour event, but one of the best golfers of our generation is back, set to tee off Thursday in the Genesis Invitational. Woods has some long odds to be competitive, sitting at 150 to 1 on DraftKings to win it all. He's +1200 to finish in the Top 10. Jon Rahm is the favorite with odds at +800.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll