My great run on the NHL this past week came to an end yesterday with my big bets losing, as I went 5-5-1 last night but lost 3.44 units. Still up a lot this week. We have a five game slate tonight. Let’s bounce back!
Islanders vs. Penguins (7:00)
The Islanders are in a bit of a slump right now, coming in on a three game losing streak all in games that they should have won, losing 3-2 in a shootout to the Sens on Tuesday, 4-3 in overtime to the Habs on Saturday and 6-5 against Vancouver on Thursday last week. All not great and that drops them to 27-23-7 on the season. The Isles have been good defensively this season, backstopped by one of the best goalies in the league in Ilya Sorokin but their offense has struggled. The Penguins are coming off a solid 3-1 win in San Jose that I’m shocked didn’t hit the over on Tuesday night. They’ve won three of their last four games after a bit of a slump to improve to 27-17-9 on the season, in first Wild Card spot in the East. They’ve been good offensively but inconsistent defensively.
I’d slightly lean the Isles win this game at home in pretty much a coin flip of a game and the under but not enough to bet on either. I’ll stay off this one.
Senators vs. Blackhawks (7:00)
Not a great game here. The Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the NHL with a 16-32-5 record on the season and they’re on a three game losing streak after a 5-2 loss in Toronto on Wednesday night. Chicago’s picked up just one win in their last six games and they’ve been horrible on both ends of the ice this season. The Senators, despite being down to their third string goalie, have played well recently with six wins in their last seven games to improve to 26-24-3 on the season. They haven’t been great on either end of the ice but they’re definetely much better than the Blackhawks. I’d expect Ottawa to win at home here and will take them in regulation for half a unit. I lean towards the over in this matchup but not enough to bet it.
Wild vs. Stars (8:00)
This will be the fourth and final game of the regular season between these two Central Division teams that are both currently in playoff spots in the Western Conference. Dallas is 2-0-1 in those games, losing 6-5 in a shootout at home on December 4th, then winning 4-1 both on the road on December 29th and at home on December 8th. The Stars lead the West with a 30-14-11 record, playing really well this season on both ends of the ice. They’ve struggled a bit recently though with just two wins in their last seven games, but they have picked up at least a point in all but one of those games, coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Bruins on Tuesday. The Wild are struggling right now with just one win in their last six games, which they needed a shootout in to win. They’re in a Wild Card spot with a 28-21-5 record. Minnesota’s been good defensivley but they’ve struggled defensively. I’ll take the Stars here for a unit. I’d lean the under but not enough to bet it.
Ducks vs. Kings (9:00)
This is a huge mismatch in California between the two rivals, who are just an hour away from each other and on the opposite ends of the Pacific Division standings. I broke this one down in depth with my article on StatSalt diving into it. As I said in that article, I expect an easy win for the Kings on the road and will take them in regulation for 2 units. I also like the over a bit, which I’ll take for half a unit.
Oilers vs. Rangers (9:00)
This is a fantastic cross conference game tonight between two teams that have been really hot lately. I broke this game down in depth with my article on StatSalt. As I said in that article, I like the Rangers to get a win on the road here and will take them as an underdog for a unit. I like the over even more though and will take the alternate over 6.5 for 2 units.
Game Bets
.5u Senators in regulation (-159)
1u Stars ML (-120)
2u Kings in regulation (-157)
.5u Kings/Ducks over 6.5 (-120)
1u Rangers ML (+110)
2u Oilers/Rangers over 6.5 (-141)
Futures
1u Boston Bruins – Stanley Cup Champions (+1000)
1.5u Boston Bruins – Stanley Cup Champions (+1100)
2u Vegas Golden Knights – Stanley Cup Champions (+1200)
1.5u Carolina Hurricanes – Stanley Cup Champions (+1300)
1u New Jersey Devils – Stanley Cup Champions (+1600)
Record: 440-370-13 (-33.56 units)
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