The NHL has been next to impossible to bet on this season. Last night that trend continued as I went 1-3 to lose 3.29 units. Tonight we have a huge eleven game slate to bounce back.
With how unpredictable this league has been this season and that I’m over a 50 burger on the season, we’re dropping down to all half unit bets and just grinding it out.
Bruins vs. Wild (7:00)
Not the best matchup here. Both of these teams are coming off losses. The Bruins have had their last three straight games go to overtime, coming off a 2-1 OT loss to the Rangers at home on Saturday. The Wild are in the second half of a back to back tonight, coming off a 4-3 loss in Pittsburgh yesterday. I like the Bruins to win here at home and I’ll take them in regulation for half a unit.
Sabres vs. Blue Jackets (7:00)
Not a great matchup. Both of these teams stink. My Sabres are coming off a 2-0 shutout loss in Arizona on Saturday night after a big 5-2 win in Vegas on Thursday. Tonight we come home for an easier matchup against the struggling Blue Jackets, who are coming off a 6-3 loss at home to the Devils on Saturday. I’d lean Buffalo wins this one tonight but in no way do I think my team is worth betting on a -185 against anyone. I do like the over here though with the poor defense for both teams. I’ll take it for half a unit.
Maple Leafs vs. Rangers (7:00)
Great matchup here between two of the best teams in the East tonight. These teams just played last week in New York, with the Leafs pulling off a hell of win, beating the Rangers 7-3. Toronto’s coming off a big 7-0 shutout win at home over the Penguins on Saturday, extending their point streak to nine games in a row, picking up at least a point in 14 of their last 15 games. They’ve kept a lot of their games close though, which is a bit of a concern. The Rangers are coming off a big 2-1 win against the Bruins in overtime on Saturday on the road, and they’re tied for first place in the Eastern Conference. I think the Rags are the better team here and I’d lean they get their revenge from last week’s loss with a win on the road but this is too close of a coin flip for me to bet. I’d slightly lean the under, but not enough to bet on that either. I’ll stay off this game.
Lightning vs. Blues (7:00)
This cross-conference game isn’t great. The Lightning have been pretty good this season but they’re in a bit of a slump right now with four wins in their last eleven games. The Blues after firing head coach Craig Berube have won their last two games, beating the Sens 4-2 and then beating the Stars 4-3 in overtime on Saturday. Tampa’s the way better team here though and I expect them to win tonight at home to answer back from their 5-0 shutout loss in St. Louis on November 14th. I’ll take the Bolts for half a unit.
Devils vs. Flyers (7:00)
Pretty interesting battle here in the Metro Division. Both of these teams have been pretty good this year. The Flyers have been shockingly way better than expected this season. I thought they’d be at the bottom of the league but Torts has their defense playing elite hockey. Coming off a 1-0 shutout win over the Red Wings on Saturday, they’re on an eight game point streak with six wins in their last seven games. The Devils kept me from sweeping the board on Sunday with a 5-1 blowout loss to the Ducks. In the first game between these teams, the Devils won 4-3 in overtime on November 30th in Philly. I think despite the place that both of these teams have in the standings, Jersey’s the better team and I’d lean they win here, but not enough to bet it. I’d slightly lean the under, but I’m staying off this game entirely.
Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights (7:00)
Solid cross conference matchup here that going into the season I would’ve thought could have been a preview of the Cup Finals. I don’t see that happening anymore though with how the Canes have played. They’re coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to the Caps on Sunday and have picked up at least a point in their last four games in a row, but they’ve won just two of their last eight games. They’ve been good offensively, but they’re far worse defensively than I had expected. On the other side of this, Vegas has been fantastic this season. The Cup Champs are leading the NHL once against this year, picking up at least a point in ten of their last eleven games, with five wins in their last six games. I like Vegas to win here on the road and I’ll take the Knights as a dog tonight for half a unit. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it.
Islanders vs. Oilers (7:30)
What looked like a trash matchup earlier this season is now a pretty good cross conference game tonight. The Isles had their eight game point streak end with a 5-3 loss in Montreal on Saturday night. Prior to that surprising loss, they had picked up at least a point in all but one of their previous 15 games. The Oilers have been hot as well. They come into tonight after two losses in a row after winning eight games in a row, losing 5-1 to the Panthers on Saturday and 7-4 to the Lightning on Thursday. I’d lean the Oilers win here on the road tonight but not enough to bet it. I do like the over though, which I’ll take for half a unit.
Predators vs. Canucks (8:00)
Really great game here out West tonight. The Predators are on a four game win streak, coming off a 3-1 win against the Caps on Saturday. They’ve won 13 of their last 16 games and seven of their last eight. Smashville’s buzzing. The Canucks have played really well this season too. Coming off a 4-3 win in Chicago on Sunday afternoon they’re on a six game point streak with five wins in that span. Vancouver’s 2-0 this season against the Preds, winning 3-2 in Nashville on October 24th and then 5-2 at home on Halloween. I’d lean the Preds avoid the seasons sweep with a win at home tonight, but not enough to bet on it. I’d slightly lean the under, but not enough to bet that either.
Blackhawks vs. Avalanche (8:30)
Huge mismatch here in the Central. The Avs after struggling for quite a bit, have won three of their last four games, coming off a big 6-2 win against the Sharks on Sunday night. Their offense has been spectacular, but their defense has underachieved. The Blackhawks are horrible. They’ve lost their last four games in a row, coming off a 4-3 loss to the Canucks on Sunday afternoon and have just four games in their last 23 games. This team stinks. The Avs shut out Chicago 4-0 in the first game between these teams at home on October 19th. I expect another easy win for Colorado tonight on the road. I’ll take them in regulation for half a unit along with their team total over 3.5 for half a unit as well. I’d lean the over, but I’d rather just stick with the Avalanche side of things here.
Coyotes vs. Senators (9:00)
Really interesting game here without it being a great matchup. The Coyotes have won their last two games in a row in shutout fashion, beating the Sharks 1-0 on Friday and then the Sabres 2-0 on Saturday. The Yotes have been a decent team this season, sitting around the Wild Card in the West, and they’ve been a pain in the ass for teams to play against, especially at home in the Mullett. The Senators had playoff expectations going into the year or at least expectations to compete for a playoff spot but that’s clearly not been the case. They’re sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic Division and after a 6-3 loss in Vegas on Sunday to extend their losing streak to four in a row, they fired head coach DJ Smith on Monday. I’d lean the Coyotes win here at home, but not enough to bet on it with the coach turnover in Ottawa. I’d also lean the over, but I feel like the best play on this game is none at all, and I’ll stay off it.
Sharks vs. Kings (10:30)
Huge mismatch as these two Cali teams face each other for the first time this season. The Sharks looked like the worst team in NHL history to start the season, but that’s not really the case anymore as they keep playing close, competitive games. They’re coming off a 6-2 loss in Colorado on Sunday and a 1-0 shutout loss in Arizona on Friday, but have been staying close to teams recently. They have a 6-4-2 record in their last twelve games with six wins in their last ten games. They’re not an easy win when you bet against them every night. The Kings got a big 3-2 shootout win in Seattle for me late Saturday night, ending their three game losing streak. LA’s been very good on both ends of the ice this season and I could see this team compete for the Cup this season. I like LA to win this game and I’ll take the Kings in regulation for half a unit.
Game Bets
.5u Bruins in regulation (-124)
.5u Sabres/Blue Jackets over 6.5 (-130)
.5u Lightning ML (-175)
.5u Golden Knights ML (+116)
.5u Islanders/Oilers over 6.5 (-140)
.5u Avalanche in regulation (-148)
.5u Avalanche TT over 3.5 (-128)
.5u Kings in regulation (-167)
Futures
4u Vegas Golden Knights – Stanley Cup Champions (+1000)
Record: 222-216-3 (-50.59 units)
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