Weekly NHL Betting Cheat Sheet
By Monty Andrews
Covers.com
Getting Low in Edmonton
You might think that a Edmonton Oilers - Arizona Coyotes matchup would yield a solid goal total given both teams' propensity to play wide-open hockey - but that simply hasn't been the case as the Pacific Division rivals prepare to meet for a fifth time this season Tuesday night at Rogers Place. The teams have split the first four meetings, with each game going Under - though that won't come as much of a surprise to savvy bettors, considering that both Arizona (19-27-7) and Edmonton (20-32-4) have been solid Under plays so far this season. The Oilers have been a particularly solid option at home, going 7-18-1 O/U to date.
No King of the Island
New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist hasn't been his usual dominant self, and that has been especially true when facing the rival Islanders. The two teams do battle for the third time this season Thursday night at Barclays Center - and it will be interesting to see what transpires after the teams played to the Over in each of their first two meetings. Lundqvist was in goal for both games, and surrendered seven goals on just 60 shots while going 1-1. His likely counterpart for Thursday, Islanders veteran Jaroslav Halak, has been equally as dismal, also surrendering seven goals - but his came on 77 shots.
Predators Facing Wild Task
Only ten teams have turned a profit against the spread entering this week's action - and no team has been better at rewarding bettors than the Minnesota Wild, who tangle with the Central Division-leading Nashville Predators in a Saturday night showdown. The Wild have earned a whopping $2,677 - nearly $800 more than the second place Montreal Canadiens - on the strength of a 34-21 ATS mark and 37-12-6 overall record. The Predators rank sixth among teams that have taken a loss so far this season, losing 246 units. Minnesota has won two of three meetings between the teams so far.
Injury Updates
The Dallas Stars are still without veteran center Jason Spezza, who is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury suffered in a Feb. 2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The Stars lost their first three games without Spezza, but have bounced back to win the next two.
The Anaheim Ducks have struggled without defenseman Sami Vatanen, who has missed four games with a lower-body injury and has no timetable for a return to action. Anaheim is just 1-2-1 without him, allowing 14 goals over that span.
Player Notes
It has been a surprisingly lean stretch for Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby, who has been held without a point in back-to-back games. The Penguins are 5-5-2 SU and 7-5 O/U in games in which Crosby doesn't record a point this season.
Sabres forward Jack Eichel is on a roll, coming off a three-assist game in a 3-1 win over the rival Maple Leafs over the weekend. Big nights from Eichel mean big things for Buffalo, which is 10-0-0 this season when Eichel records multiple points.
Eastern Conference teams continue to fear defenseman Brent Burns, who scored twice Sunday as the San Jose Sharks cruised past the New Jersey Devils 4-1. Burns has 11 goals and 18 assists in 26 games against East foes in 2016-17.
Stanley Cup Futures
Forget prior playoff stumbles: oddsmakers believe the Washington Capitals are the team to beat this season, installing them as a +450 favorite to take home the Stanley Cup. The Capitals enter the week with the best record in the NHL at 39-11-6.
Not only are the Edmonton Oilers not looking at a prominent seat at this summer's NHL Draft table - they're actually in great shape to make the playoffs. The Oilers are featured as +2,000 longshots to capture the sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Those who made a preseason bet on the Dallas Stars are probably wishing they had pocketed that money instead. The Stars, who continue to struggle on defense and in net, are now +5,000 to claim the NHL championship.
Over/Under Trends
The Sharks just keep on pushing, hitting the total three times in their last six games - including Sunday's triumph over New Jersey. San Jose has pushed a league-high 18 times on the season, with 11 of those coming on the road.
The Wild are giving Under bettors fits, playing to the Over seven times in their previous eight games. That surge has pushed Minnesota to 28-19-8 O/U for the season, with nearly identical marks at home (14-9-3) and on the road (14-10-5).
In the Crease - Week 19
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com
The B's Have It
The Boston Bruins fired bench boss Claude Julien on Feb. 7, as general manager Don Sweeney was looking for a spark from his struggling team. With the B's in danger of missing the postseason for a third consecutive season, the GM dumped the popular coach for interim head coach Bruce Cassidy. Since the firing, the Bruins have rattled off three consecutive wins in front of the home fans. Now, they'll hit the road for San Jose after a scheduling gives them a full week off before heading to San Jose on Saturday. The Bruins have won six of their past seven games away from New England, and the B's are certain to be heavy underdogs against the Sharks in their first stop of a four-game West Coast sojourn.
Ranger Danger
The New York Rangers rallied for their sixth consecutive victory Monday night in Columbus, topping the Blue Jackets 3-2. The Blueshirts have not only won six in a row, but they're a more than impressive 18-5 over their past 23 road outings. They head to Brooklyn to battle the rival Islanders with revenge on their minds, as one of those five road setbacks came Dec. 6 in a 4-2 loss at Barclays Center. The Rangers are also working on a five-game streak with three or more goals, and they have lit the lamp three or more times in 16 of their past 21 games overall.
Looking Ahead
Tuesday, Feb. 14
There will be no love lost on Valentine's Day when the Islanders and Maple Leafs square off at Air Canada Centre on the corner of Bay Street and the Gardiner Expressway. The Isles have dominated this series lately, winning six of their past eight trips to Hogtown, and five of their past seven meetings overall against the Buds. The Islanders will be playing their fourth game in six days, but they have excelled in these 4-in-6 spots, winning four straight. They're also 9-4 in their past 13 overall. The Leafs are slumping, winning just twice in the past eight games. But perhaps rest will do them good, as they're 5-0 in their past five when playing on two days' rest. Total bettors might be interested in the fact the 'over' is 8-0 in each of the past eight meetings at Air Canada Centre, and 36-17-2 in the past 55 meetings overall.
Bettors might want to send the Arizona Coyotes a bouquet of roses and some chocolates, as they have been cashing big numbers at the window lately. The 'Yotes cashed again as heavy road underdogs Monday in Calgary (+175), winning easily by a 5-0 tally. Over their past nine games they're 6-3 SU and +650. A big reason for Arizona's success has been some newfound offense. They're still 29th in the NHL in goal differential at minus-40, but they have been dominant during their hot streak, outscoring the opposition 32-22 to pare that ugly differential down 10 goals just since Jan. 21. They'll be heavy underdogs again in Edmonton, but they're 26-7 in their past 33 meetings against the Oilers, including 13-3 in their past 16 trips to Northern Alberta.
Wednesday, Feb. 15
The Blues and Red Wings tangle at Joe Louis Arena for the final time. St. Louis will be sad to see 'The Joe' go, as they have won four of their past five skates at the venerable rink. In fact, the road team is 9-1 in the past 10 meetings between these old Norris Division rivals. Like Boston (above), the Blues made a change by jettisoning long-time bench boss Ken Hitchcock. Since Hitch was canned in favor of Mike Yeo, the Blues have been on a tear with wins in five of the past six. St. Louis has won four straight on the road, and seven of the past nine away from the banks of the Mississippi River. The 'under' has cashed in four straight meetings in Motown, and seven of the past eight overall.
The Blue Jackets won an impressive 16 games in a row from Nov. 29 to Jan. 3, but they haven't been very impressive since the run. Columbus has won just eight of their past 19 games, and their longest win streak is just two during the span. After a 3-2 collapse against the Rangers on Monday night, they're right back at it against the slumping Leafs. Toronto entered their game with the Islanders on Tuesday having won just two of their past eight overall. They're 18-39 in the past 57 in the second half of back-to-back situations. However, the Buds have handled themselves with aplomb against the Jackets, winning five of their past seven trips to Ohio's capital city. The road team is also 10-3 in the past 13 meetings in this series.
Thursday, Feb. 16
The Jets fly into the Steel City, and they'll be heavy underdogs against the high-octane Penguins. Winnipeg has had injury issues in the defensive corps, and struggles in between the pipes as a result. In fact, the Jets enter the new week with three or more goals allowed in 15 straight games dating back to Jan. 9. As a result, the 'over' is 7-1 in their past eight, and 12-2-1 during the 15-game run. That's not good heading into Pittsburgh against an offense which leads the NHL in goals (193), averaging 3.57 lamp-lightings per game. Since Jan. 16, the Pens are averaging a gaudy 4.0 goals per game in 12 outings. Needless to say, this game 'should' have a total of six goals, if not 6 1/2.
The Stars return to the State of Hockey to battle the Wild. It will be the fifth meeting of the season between Minnesota's former team and its current one, and the past three have been decided by one goal. In the only meeting played in St. Paul, the Wild skated away with a 4-0 shutout win way back on Oct. 29. It was a rare loss for the Stars, though, as they have won five of their past seven trips to the Twin Cites, including the postseason. Minnesota has been dominant this season on home ice, however, losing just three times in regulation (14-3-1) over their past 18 at Xcel Energy Center.
Friday, Feb. 17
It's another small slate of games in the NHL, with just three total games. However, there might be plenty of goals thanks to the Penguins and Blue Jackets being in action. These teams have split a pair of battles this season, with the Blue Jackets embarrassing the Pens 7-1 at Nationwide Arena back on Dec. 22, and the Pens edging the Jackets 4-3 in overtime in Pittsburgh. Over the past 23 meetings (including the postseason) in this battle between border-state rivals, 12 games have been decided by one goal.