I had an absolutely brutal day on the NHL yesterday, going 2-8 to lose 7.61 units. Not good and digs the hole farther on this season. Today we have a pretty big slate for a Sunday, with eight games. Let’s dive in.
Blue Jackets vs. Panthers (1:00)
Not the best game to start off the day. The Panthers are a fantastic team and they’re coming off a nice 3-1 win over the Pens on Friday night, with three wins in their last four games. The Blue Jackets, despite preventing me from a sweep on Friday night, beating the Blues 5-2, have been terrible. The first game between these teams in Florida on November 6th needed overtime for the Florida to get a 5-4 win. I like them to win more convincingly on the road today. I’ll take the Panthers in regulation. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it.
Oilers vs. Devils (4:00)
Such a fun cross conference game for the afternoon and it sucks that the NHL has this one scheduled right in the middle of an NFL Sunday. Both of these teams have been hot. Coming off a 4-3 win against the Wild (triple winner for me) on Friday, the Oilers are on a six game win streak. The Devils are hot right now too. They’re in the second half of a back to back after their 4-2 win in Calgary last night, with six wins in their last seven games. These teams both have similar identities, struggling defensively but with elite offenses. I’d lean the Oilers win this just because they’re at home and the Devils are in the second half of a back to back, but I’m not betting it. I love the over though. Both teams will score plenty here. I don’t think I’ve ever bet an over 7, but I like it here and I don’t think its worth buying down to 6.5 at -167. I’ll take the 7 for half a unit.
Canadiens vs. Predators (7:00)
Both of these teams are in the second half of back to back games tonight. Last night the Habs, who aren’t a good team, got a 3-2 shootout win over my Buffalo Sabres in a game that they were clearly outplayed in and got the win on Cayden Primeau’s fantastic play in goal. This still isn’t a great team. Meanwhile, the Preds, who’ve been playing solid hockey recently, took a 4-0 shutout loss in Toronto, ending their three game win streak. I like Nashville to win on the road tonight and I’ll take them for half a unit at a decent price here. I’d lean the under, but I’ll just stick with the moneyline.
Rangers vs. Kings (7:00)
Phenomenal cross conference matchup here that could easily be a preview of this year’s Stanley Cup Finals. Both of these are fantastic hockey teams that I could see lifting Lord Stanley. They’re both coming off surprising losses last night (both losses for me). The Rangers are still leading the East, but are on a two game losing streak after a 6-2 loss to the Sens on Tuesday and then a 4-0 shutout loss to the Caps last night in our nation’s capital. Last night the Kings had their three game win streak come to an end with 3-2 overtime loss on Long Island, blowing a 2-0 lead to the Isles. This game is a complete coin flip to me. I’d give a slight edge to the Rags at home, but definitely not enough to bet on them. I’d also lean the under, but the right play on this game is none at all. I’ll lay off this one entirely but it will absolutely have it on my second TV alongside Sunday Night Football.
Blackhawks vs. Capitals (7:00)
Pretty lousy matchup here. The Blackhawks have won their last two games, beating the Ducks 1-0 on Thursday and then the Blues 3-1 yesterday. This is a really lousy team though. Last night the Caps ended their three game losing streak slump with an impressive 4-0 shutout win over the Rangers. The Caps are the far better team defensively in this game, and although neither team’s offense can get much going, I full expect a Washington win on the road here. I’ll take them for half a unit. I also like the under, and I’ll take the alternate under 6.5 for half a unit.
Ducks vs. Jets (8:00)
Huge mismatch out West. The Jets have been fantastic this year, far exceeding my expectations, coming into tonight’s game on a three game win streak after a 4-2 win in Colorado on Thursday night. They’ve played great on both ends of the ice. Meanwhile the Ducks after their hot start to the year, have been horrible lately. They just got shut out 1-0 in Chicago and they’ve got only one win in their last eleven games. This should be an easy win for Winnipeg and I’ll take them in regulation for a unit. I’d lean the under, but not enough to bet it at 5.5.
Kraken vs. Wild (9:00)
Not the best game here. The Kraken fucking stink this year, tied with the Sharks for the fewest wins in the league. Coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Lightning at home yesterday (winner for me), they’re now on a seven game losing streak. They’ve played poorly on both ends of the ice. The Wild are coming off two losses in a row, losing 4-3 to the Oilers on Friday and 2-0 to the Canucks on Thursday after they went on a four game win streak after firing Dean Evason. Especially with Seattle on the second half of a back to back, I like Minnesota to get the win tonight on the road and I’ll take them for half a unit. I’d barely lean the under, but definitely not enough to touch it.
Golden Knights vs. Sharks (10:00)
Easily the biggest matchup on the slate. This rivalry kind of sucks at this point since Vegas is playing an entirely different level of hockey than the Sharks. Vegas leads the NHL this season, looking great as they look to defend their Stanley Cup. They just blew out the Stars 6-1 yesterday afternoon, they have four wins in their last five games and have picked up at least a point in each of their last seven games. The Sharks meanwhile look like the worst team in NHL history on most nights. That said though, they somehow keep finding ways to win and cover puck lines lately. The have five of their eight wins on the season in their last seven games, coming off a 6-5 win in Detroit on Thursday that completely fucked me. San Jose came back from a 4-0 deficit and then tied the game with 1:29 left on Tomas Hertl’s goal to force overtime before winning in OT to complete the comeback. They’ve been a real motherfucker to bet against. Vegas dominated both of the first two games this season between these Pacific Division teams, winning 4-1 in San Jose on October 12th and then in a 5-0 shutout at home in the Fortress on November 10th. Obviously I like the Knights to win this game pretty easily, but it does concern me with how expensive this matchup is on how the Sharks have played as of late. I’ll take the Vegas team total over 3.5 for 1.5 units and the Knights puck line for half a unit. I like the over, but I’ll just stick to the Golden Knights side of things here.
Game Bets
.5u Panthers in regulation (-148)
.5u Oilers/Devils over 7 (-112)
.5u Predators ML (-162)
.5u Capitals ML (-162)
.5u Capitals/Blackhawks under 6.5 (-148)
1u Jets in regulation (-120)
.5u Wild ML (-130)
1.5u Golden Knights TT over 3.5 (-148)
.5u Golden Knights -1.5 (-122)
Futures
4u Vegas Golden Knights – Stanley Cup Champions (+1000)
Record: 188-187-2 (-46.09 units)
Please follow me:
Instagram: @atownszone
Twitter: @atownszone
If you like the site and my work, share it with your friends!
… and tell Dave Portnoy to hire me at Barstool…
A Town's Zone 