Stephen Nover

After a pair of one-goal road losses to the Panthers, the price is right to back the Lightning at home for Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Series. The frustrated Lightning probably should have won Tuesday's Game 2, but were defeated in overtime.

Florida lost second-line center Sam Bennett in its Game 2 victory.

Tampa Bay is 25-11-4-1 on home ice. The Lightning have the top power play unit in the NHL. It's hard to imagine Sergei Bobrovsky being as good in net as he was in Game 2 when he was absolutely spectacular for Florida.

The Astros are 1-7 in their last eight games and in danger of being swept by the Cubs.

So why back Houston here? Three reasons: Justin Verlander, a rested Josh Hader and the Cubs have key injuries.

Verlander gives the floundering Astros credibility on the mound. He's facing Javier Assad. Hader, who has been the most dominant reliever entering this season, has had ample rest.

The Cubs will be minus Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki. Bellinger leads the Cubs in RBI's while Suzuki has driven in the third most runs for Chicago.

I've never seen Joel Embiid more mad than after the Knicks', 104-101, Game 2 win this past Monday.

Embiid has good reason to be fuming: The Knicks stole the game. The referees blew several calls in the final seconds that cost the 76ers that game as the home Knicks scored eight straight points in the final 30 seconds to pull out the victory.

That puts the Knicks up 2-0 in the series. But now the scene shifts to Philadelphia where the fired-up 76ers will be in Circle-The-Wagons mode in this must-win spot.

Embiid and emerging star Tyrese Maxey will have had two full days to get healthy. The next game isn't until Sunday. So the 76ers will be laying it all on the line here. I want them going for me.