The Ottawa Senators (16-22-5) visit the Detroit Red Wings (11-30-3) Friday in a key battle for top spot in the 2020 NHL draft lottery. The game at Little Caesars Arena is set for a 7:30 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Senators-Red Wings sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Senators at Red Wings: Projected starting goalies
Marcus Hogberg vs. Jimmy Howard
Hogberg is coming off a relief appearance against the Washington Capitals Tuesday, in which he stopped 10 of 11 shots on goal. He was 1-1-2 over his previous four starts and 1-2-2 on the season. He has a .894 save percentage and 3.42 goals against average.
Howard enters the day on a personal 10-game losing skid (0-9-1) and is just 2-14-1 for the season. The 35-year-old has a .884 SV% and 4.04 GAA.
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Senators at Red Wings: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Senators 6, Red Wings 4
Moneyline (ML)
Take the value on the SENATORS (-106) as the team with the better record in a coin-flip game between the bottom two seeds in the Atlantic Division. Ottawa has lost five straight games, including the 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Caps Tuesday, and they’re 5-15-3 away from home for the year. The Red Wings (-115) are just 7-14-1 at home and 2-8 across their last 10 games, though they beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 Tuesday for a rare two points.
The Sens rank 29th in the NHL with a minus-31 goal differential, but the 31st-ranked Wings are minus-72 in that department. If the Sens are going to buck their losing skid, this is the time.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
We’re going to go with an alternate line and back the SENATORS (-1.5, +240) to win by at least 2 goals. Hogberg is auditioning for a role with the Sens beyond this season, while Howard is seemingly playing out his contract on a bad team.
The Senators are 23-20 against the spread overall and 11-12 on the road. The Wings are 18-26 ATS overall and 8-14 at home.
Over/Under (O/U)
Friday’s top play (maybe on the entire sports betting slate) is OVER 6.5 (+115). Neither of these goaltenders can be trusted to stop much, and the Sens are 9-1 against the Over/Under while the Wings are 5-5. Ottawa allowed at least 4 goals in each of its last five games and Detroit allows a league-high 3.80 goals per game.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 160-142
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