Betting the NHL has been quite the grinds for the first week and a half of a season. Every multi-goal lead is foreshadowed by an auto-loss. Staying the course with good bets at the right price is the best way to remedy this. What are the best looks for the weekend? Here are my thoughts:
The Friday slate has seen some interesting line movement already. The Chicago Blackhawks opened right around +115 at some shops, and were quickly bet down to -110 on each side with the visiting Detroit Red Wings. I initially liked Chicago here, being at home with Detroit missing Tyler Bertuzzi and Jakub Vrana. I was hoping to get a better price than +115, but sharp bettors liked that enough, and now the value is on Detroit or nothing at -110. I am hesitant to take the Red Wings here with sharp money coming in on the other side. The under 6.5 could be a look, though. Chicago has struggled to find the net on a tough opening road trip, but we have yet to see the Blackhawks play at home. This game will probably be a stay away from me.
The Seattle Kraken opened around +250 in Colorado. The Avalanche are in the middle of a three games in four days set, with this being the first of a back-to-back. We should see Pavel Francouz in net for Colorado and Phillipp Grubauer for Seattle. The value was on Seattle initially at +250, which quickly moved to about +230. It is Seattle or nothing at this price, but betting on Seattle’s goaltending in Colorado is a tough task.
The matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers is a quick pass for me. The line has gone back and forth here, and we will see a goaltending matchup of Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky. This will be a great game to watch, but too much of a toss up for me to make a wager with the line fairly priced.
Friday best bets:
- Detroit/Chicago under 6.5 -110 or better
For more Friday betting notes, watch today's edition of Edge Work with Zack Phillips, Rob Pizzola, and Andy MacNeil:
There are a few opportunities for the Saturday slate. I grabbed the New York Islanders +146 early for their matchup in Tampa Bay. Tampa is on a back-to-back here and we should see backup goaltender Brian Elliott in net. New York at +140 or better is a great look here. The Boston Bruins host the Minnesota Wild. Bruins -115 or better is a strong look as well. Minnesota hasn’t looked great to start the year, but a come-from-behind win against the Canucks (shocker), might provide some momentum going into Boston. No play for me yet, but I’ll look to grab Boston here at the right price. The Los Angeles Kings are on the tail end of a long road trip, but I am looking to play them in their matchup with the Washington Capitals. Washington is missing a few key guys, and hasn’t played up to its caliber yet this year. I love the depth of the forward group for the Kings, but they have been giving up a ton of goals lately. After losing 6-1 to Pittsburgh on Thursday, I expect a better effort in this game with Jonathan Quick likely in net. Kings at +130 or better is what I am looking for. The last spot I like on the Saturday slate are the Vegas Golden Knights hosting the Colorado Avalanche. This is the last game of Colorado’s three-in-four stretch and the second leg of a back-to-back, while Vegas is in the middle of a homestand. The schedule heavily favors the Knights, and if I can grab them as close to even money, I will be on it. -110 or better is my range.
Saturday best bets:
- Islanders +140 or better
- Bruins -115 or better
- Kings +130 or better
- Golden Knights -110 or better
There are a few interesting matchups on Sunday as well, but without lines available it’s impossible to lock anything in. Depending on the price I will be looking to take the Kraken visiting the Blackhawks, Panthers hosting the Islanders, and the Ducks visiting Detroit. I will share some information on my twitter page as lines become available.
Sunday best bets:
- TBD