Category: Hockey

Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Philadelphia Flyers (23-16-6) host the Boston Bruins (27-8-11) Monday at Wells Fargo Center. Puck drop is set for shortly after 7:00 p.m. ET. We analyze the Bruins-Flyers sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Bruins at Flyers: Projected starting goalies

Tuukka Rask vs. Carter Hart

Rask has won four of his last five starts to improve to 17-4-6 on the season through 27 starts. He has a .925 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average. He has been slightly worse on the road with a 7-4-0 record, .925 SV% and 2.38 GAA.

Hart is coming off a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday in which he allowed just one goal on 28 shots. He is now 14-11-3 on the season with a .908 SV% and 2.53 GAA, though those numbers improve dramatically to .947 and 1.49 at home.

Make this game more interesting by getting some action on it, or other NHL matchups, with a hockey bet at BetMGM.

Bruins at Flyers: 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 10:15 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Flyers 3, Bruins 2

Moneyline (ML)

The FLYERS (+110) are to be backed whenever they’re offering plus-money on home ice with Hart between the pipes. He is one of the best goaltenders in the league when at home, and the Flyers are 14-3-4 at Wells Fargo Center as a result. The Bruins (-134) are 12-6-2 on the road and on a three-game winning streak, but they had previously lost three in a row and 11 of 15 games.

Philadelphia has the edge in both Corsi (percentage of all shot attempts) and scoring chances at 5-on-5. Philly won the season’s first head-to-head meeting 3-2 in a shootout in Boston Nov. 10.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Flyers to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $11.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Swallow a little bit of chalk and back the FLYERS (+1.5, -250) to either lose by just 1 goal or win outright for extra insurance.

The Flyers are 24-21 against the spread overall and 14-7 at home, while the Bruins are 21-25 ATS overall and 11-9 on the road. The moneyline play is much more profitable, as the same $10 bet here fetches a profit of just $4.

Over/Under (O/U)

Back the UNDER 5.5 (+105). I already would’ve leaned this way based on the elite goaltending matchup, but the plus-money makes it even more enticing. The two teams are a combined 10-8-2 against the Over/Under across their respective last 10 games. They fell short of this number in the season’s first meeting.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 162-149

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Carolina Hurricanes (27-16-2) and Washington Capitals (30-11-5) battle at Capital One Arena in Washington at 7 p.m. ET Monday. We analyze the Hurricanes-Capitals sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

Hurricanes at Capitals: Projected starting goalies

Petr Mrazek vs. Ilya Samsonov

Mrazek posted a shutout his last time out, Friday against the Arizona Coyotes. He has posted a 17-10-2 record with a 2.64 goals against average and .905 save percentage. He and backup James Reimer have three shutouts apiece, the first time in Whalers/Hurricanes franchise history they’ve had two goaltenders with three or more shutouts in the same season.

The rookie Samsonov is 12-2-1 with a 2.24 GAA and .921 save percentage, and he continues to eat into the playing time of Braden Holtby. He allowed three goals on 41 shots Jan. 3 in Raleigh in a win in his only meeting against the Hurricanes.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Hurricanes at Capitals: 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 9:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Capitals 4, Hurricanes 2

Moneyline (ML)

The CAPITALS (-143) will be facing a team coming off of back-to-back wins, so the Hurricanes (+120) are due to let a few in, especially in a hostile environment.

Carolina is also 2-9 in the past 11 games against Metropolitan Division opponents, and Washington is 1-4 in the past five divisional matchups, so something’s gotta give. The Caps are 12-5 in the past 17 as a favorite, so the arrow definitely points at them.

New to sports betting? Every $10 wagered on the Capitals ML will profit $7.00 if they win.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The CAPITALS (-1.5, +180) might be a nice small-unit play. They edged the Canes 4-3 in Raleigh last time they met, snapping a four-game winning streak by Carolina in this series, including last season’s playoff matchup. Despite a win earlier this season, and a Game 7 win in D.C., the Canes are still just 4-11 in their past 15 trips to the nation’s capital.

Over/Under (O/U)

The UNDER 6.5 (-139) isn’t a slam-dunk play, but a good bet with Carolina coming in having pitched two straight shutouts, while Samsonov tends twine for Washington. He barely gives up more than two goals per contest.

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Pittsburgh Penguins at Arizona Coyotes odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Pittsburgh Penguins at Arizona Coyotes sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (27-12-5) meet the Arizona Coyotes (25-18-4) in an interconference battle of second-place teams at Gila River Arena Sunday for a 6 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Penguins-Coyotes odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Penguins at Coyotes: Projected starting goalies

Tristan Jarry vs. Adin Hill

Jarry owns a 2.04 goals against average and .934 save percentage through 21 games (19 starts). None of his peripheral splits or analytics are so out of whack as to make him a “playing over his head” fade candidate. Jarry has logged a .918 SV% over his last five starts, and that stretch includes games against the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, a couple of teams that score way more than Arizona’s 2.7 goals per game. He’s been solid over recent road turns.

Hill owns a 2.43 GAA and .925 SV% through five games (two starts). The 22-game NHL veteran will be tested in this home start. The Pens have averaged 3.4 GPG this season to rank seventh in the NHL; they’ve averaged 4.1 goals over their last 11 games.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Penguins at Coyotes: 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 11:50 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Pittsburgh 4, Arizona 2

Moneyline (ML)

Pittsburgh has fared well in closing out the final game of their longer road trips. Sunday’s game in Arizona marks the end of a trip that started with games at the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche. Both Pittsburgh and Arizona are coming off one day of rest; the Penguins have fared better than the ‘Yotes in such situations. Arizona is 4-5 with shaky puck-possession indicators over its last nine games. The Coyotes are returning home after a three-game trip in the Southeast (Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes). Arizona went 1-2 over those three games and was shut out against both the Lightning and Hurricanes. The ‘Yotes are 2-4 in their first home game after multi-game road trips.

The puck line (below) is a solid play, but consider backing it up with PITTSBURGH (-133) as insurance.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Pittsburgh to win outright would return a profit of $7.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Penguins have a solid 13-7 mark against the PL. Arizona’s record is flimsy compared to goals for and against and then compared to underlying stats results. Add in recent results and peripherals and the contest in net and PITTSBURGH (-1.5, +220) is a play worth leveraging (perhaps alongside a moneyline play as a hedge against a one-goal game).

Over/Under (O/U)

A tip of the cap to the number and the bettors on both sides. The projected total is set at 5.5 (Over: +100, Under: -121). PASS.

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Toronto Maple Leafs (24-15-6) and Florida Panthers (23-16-5) lock horns at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla. at 7 p.m. ET Sunday. We analyze the Maple Leafs-Panthers sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

Maple Leafs at Panthers: Projected starting goalies

Frederik Andersen vs. Chris Driedger

The all-star Andersen heads into this one with a 21-8-5 record, 2.74 goals against average and .914 save percentage with a shutout this season. He hasn’t faced the Panthers in 2019-20, but he was 2-0-1 with a 3.29 GAA and .895 save percentage in three appearances vs. Florida last season.

Driedger has started to carve into Sergei Bobrovsky‘s playing time lately, as the huge free-agent has had some issues with consistency that the team hopes will be ironed out by a little more rest. Driedger is 4-2-0 with a 2.16 GAA and .935 save percentage with a shutout, as he has came out of nowhere to eat into the highly-paid Bobrovsky’s workload while sending top prospect Sam Montembeault back to the minors.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Maple Leafs at Panthers: 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 11:40 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Maple Leafs 5, Panthers 3

Moneyline (ML)

The MAPLE LEAFS (-121) are a strong play with the Andersen in the crease against Driedger. Yes, the latter has been playing well, but he isn’t on the same level as Freddie. The only concern is the Panthers have won five straight home games against the Leafs, so go lightly, although the favorite is 5-2 in the past seven meetings.

New to sports betting? Every $10 wagered on the Maple Leafs ML will profit $8.26 if they win in regulation, overtime or a shootout.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The MAPLE LEAFS (-1.5, +220) are a tempting play at this price level, only because you can double your money if they win by 2 or more goals. I’d go really, really lightly here.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 7.5 (+165) is an interesting play. Both teams have been rather challenged defensively, and you can get some decent plus-money playing this line. The Over is 4-1 in the past five head-to-head meetings while going 6-2 in Toronto’s past eight overall and 25-10-2 in Florida’s past 37 on home ice. The ‘regular’ total is OVER 6.5 (-110), if you want to play it a little safer.

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The New Jersey Devils (16-21-7) host the NHL’s hottest team Sunday as the Tampa Bay Lightning (27-13-4) visit Prudential Center amid a 10-game winning streak. Puck drop is set for shortly after 7:00 p.m. ET. We analyze the Lightning-Devils sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Lightning at Devils: Projected starting goalies

Curtis McElhinney vs. Louis Domingue

McElhinney is likely to take over for Andrei Vasilevskiy Sunday after the reigning Vezina Trophy winner shut out the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday. McElhinney has won back-to-back starts, allowing a total of four goals on 48 shots. He is 5-4-2 on the season with a .904 save percentage and 3.19 goals against average.

Domingue was in net Saturday for the Devils, as he stopped 33 of 34 shots in a win over the Washington Capitals. He’s 2-4-0 overall with a .888 SV% and 3.45 GAA.

Make this game more interesting by getting some action on it, or other NHL matchups, with a hockey bet at BetMGM.

Lightning at Devils: 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 10:20 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Lightning 5, Devils 3

Moneyline (ML)

The LIGHTNING (-223) are receiving higher odds than they should Sunday as they shoot for their eleventh consecutive win. There’s a fair amount of chalk that’ll need to be swallowed, but this number should be much lower. The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners have soared into second in the Atlantic Division and have the league’s second-best goal differential at plus-34. They’re 13-6-2 on the road for the season and 4-2 on the second half of a back-to-back.

The Devils (+180) are coming off a 5-1 win over the Capitals Saturday, but they also had to travel back home, erasing most of their home-ice advantage. They’re 5-3-2 across their last 10 games but only 6-9-7 at home for the season.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Back the LIGHTNING (-1.5, +120) to win by at least 2 goals. They’ve done so six times during their 10-game win streak and 15 times on the season. They’re 18-26 against the spread overall and 9-12 on the road, but the Devils are just 19-25 ATS overall and 9-13 at home.

Seven of the Devils’ (+1.5, -143) last nine losses were decided by at least a two-goal margin.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the OVER 6.5 (+115) with the back-to-back for both teams leading to sloppier defensive play. The Lightning are 5-5 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games, while the Devils are 7-3. Tampa Bay’s expected pivot from Vasilevskiy to McElhinney will help boost the goal total.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 162-146

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Buffalo Sabres at Detroit Red Wings odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Buffalo Sabres at Detroit Red Wings sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Buffalo Sabres (19-19-7) take on the Detroit Red Wings (12-30-3) in an Atlantic Division contest at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. We analyze the Sabres-Red Wings odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Sabres at Red Wings: Projected starting goalies

Linus Ullmark vs. Jonathan Bernier

Ullmark has logged a 2.87 goals against average and .910 save percentage this season. He recorded a 41-save shutout at Detroit Oct. 25, and last season registered a .927 SV% in four games against the Red Wings. Ullmark has a history of performing well on the road.

Bernier (2.99 GAA, .904 SV%) has fared well of late (.937 SV% over his last six games) and is the lean to start Sunday’s home game against Buffalo. He’s backing a defense that has yielded fewer shots of late.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Sabres 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 9:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Buffalo 5, Detroit 3

Moneyline (ML)

AVOID. The Sabres (-139) are 3-13 over their last 16 games as road favorites and 3-13 in their last 16 contests after losing a game by three goals. The Red Wings (+115) are 4-9 over their last 13 home games.

The lean is the more talented Buffalo club, but there are all kinds of cross signals in this one. Both teams show some upside on offense and defense, but the Sabres have struggled mightily on the road of late. Buffalo played at home Saturday and coughed up six goals (after yielding five Thursday).

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Wings (+1.5, -238) are 9-14 against the puck line when playing at home. Again, the Sabres (-1.5, +195) are a lean, but no-go on a play.

Over/Under (O/U)

The strongest play on the board is this one. The Sabres have created more scoring chances over recent games. That hasn’t added up to the goals we’d expect (especially on the road), but Buffalo’s penalty killing of late has been suspect. The OVER 5.5 (-129) has some value.

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Notre Dame Hockey: Irish Swept in Weekend Series

No. 14 Notre Dame got back in the scoring column against Michigan on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a weekend sweep in a 3-1 loss. Graham Slaggert got Notre Dame (10-9-3, 5-5-2-1) on the board only 1:45 into the game, but the Irish …

No. 14 Notre Dame got back in the scoring column against Michigan on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a weekend sweep in a 3-1 loss.

Graham Slaggert got Notre Dame (10-9-3, 5-5-2-1) on the board only 1:45 into the game, but the Irish wouldn’t score again. Midway through the second period, Michigan (9-11-2, 4-7-1-0) got going when Nick Blankenberg tied the score on a power play. Five minutes later, Jack Summers gave the Wolverines the lead for good. Jake Slaker rounded out the scoring on an empty-netter late in the third.

Trailing, 2-1, the Irish’s best chance to get the game back even came early in the third period when Jake Pivonka tipped a shot from Nate Clurman. The puck went behind Strauss Mann’s glove, but it hit the post, skipping across the crease past the other side of the net.

Cale Morris made 32 saves for the Irish. Morris has a .965 save percentage over his past five starts.

Ohio State men’s hockey drops second game of weekend to Wisconsin

The Ohio State men’s hockey team lost the second game of a two-game weekend series to split with Wisconsin.

The Ohio State men’s hockey team has been on a roll as of late, going 8-1-1 in its last ten games coming into Sunday night against Wisconsin. It also took the first contest against the Badgers on Friday night and were hoping for the weekend sweep Saturday.

It was not meant to be.

It started off good enough. The Badgers scored first just after a power play at 13:28 of the first before Ohio State answered back. Ronnie Hein scored a power-play goal with 2:22 left in the period to knot it up at one apiece headed to the first break.

But Wisconsin turned up the heat in the second period, scoring four goals to just one by the Buckeyes to lead 5-2 after two periods of play. The badgers got four-straight goals at 17:01, 15:37, 5:19, and 3:30 of the period — the last of which on the power-play. Sam McCormick scored his first goal of the year to provide Ohio State with its only goal of the period, but the damage was done.

The third period got a little chippy and both teams had some scoring chances, but the score held with no goals and the Buckeyes fell by way of the same 5-2 score.

With the loss, Ohio State drops to 14-6-2 overall, and 7-4-1-0 in the Big Ten. The Bucks are next in action with a two-game set against Notre Dame at home next weekend.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Vegas Golden Knights odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Columbus Blue Jackets at Vegas Golden Knights sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Columbus Blue Jackets (21-16-8) take on the Vegas Golden Knights (24-17-6) in a cross-conference battle at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday night. Puck drop is set for 10 p.m. ET. We analyze the Blue Jackets-Golden Knights odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Blue Jackets at Golden Knights: Projected starting goalies

Elvis Merzlikins vs. Marc-Andre Fleury

Merzlikins has appeared in 16 games, logging a 2.89 goals against average and .910 save percentage. Of late, he’s been even better (.935 SV% since Dec. 31) in mitigating the loss of G Joonas Korpisalo. Merzlikins does well in defending the net on quality scoring chances from the slot. That area of the ice will be key against a Vegas offense that gets there frequently.

Fleury owns a 2.84 GAA and .908 SV% through 31 games (30 starts). The veteran netminder has struggled at home, especially of late. He has given up four or more goals in four of his last six home starts. Since Dec. 19, he’s registered a shaky .873 SV%.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Blue Jackets at Golden Knights: 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 12 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Vegas 4, Columbus 2

Moneyline (ML)

AVOID. The matchup and projected game flow are clouded with a few too many questions. There’s not enough value in the chalky -222 odds for the Golden Knights to win outright. A $10 bet on Vegas to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout would return a profit of just $4.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The one case for a small-to-moderate play is on the puck line. Columbus is 0-4 on the last day of multi-game road trips, and the Blue Jackets will close out a four-game West Coast swing Saturday. Columbus has yielded a lot of shots over recent games. The Jackets lost 3-1 against the San Jose Sharks Thursday. They are 2-7 (minus-5 units) after a two-goal loss in preceding games. They are just 6-12 (minus-7.8 units) against Western Conference opponents.

Vegas is looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss, but it has shown resilience in such games this season. Recent puck-possession figures paint a more promising picture than does a 4-3 record over the team’s last seven games. Back the GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-1.5, +125).

Over/Under (O/U)

AVOID. The pressure is on the Over 5.5 (-125), but there’s too much gray area with some crossing trends and matchup advantages.

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Tampa Bay Lightning at Philadelphia Flyers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Tampa Bay Lightning at Philadelphia Flyers sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Tampa Bay Lightning (26-13-4) visit the Philadelphia Flyers (23-15-6) at Wells Fargo Center Saturday for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Lightning-Flyers sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Lightning at Flyers: Projected starting goalies

Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Carter Hart

Vasilevskiy enters the day on a personal seven-game winning streak, which has improved his season record to 21-9-2 through 32 games. He has a .913 save percentage and 2.66 goals against average.

Hart stopped 26 of 28 shots in a win over the Washington Capitals Wednesday. He is 14-10-3 for the season with a .906 SV% and 2.58 GAA. He has been nearly automatic at home with a .945 SV% and 1.52 GAA.

Make this game more interesting by getting some action on it, or other NHL matchups, with a hockey bet at BetMGM.

Lightning at Flyers: 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 10:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Flyers 2, Lightning 1

Moneyline (ML)

The Lightning (-154) have won a season-high nine straight games, most recently beating the Arizona Coyotes 4-0 Thursday in the team’s first shutout victory of the season. The FLYERS (+125) are attractive home underdogs, due largely to Hart’s incredible home splits. Philly’s last game was the 3-2 win over the Capitals Wednesday, which improved the Flyers’ home record to 14-2-4 for the campaign.

Take the value on the home team as the books and public put too much respect on teams with long winning streaks. This is the first head-to-head meeting of the season.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Flyers to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $12.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The FLYERS (+1.5, -208) can also be backed on the spread for one goal of insurance in the event of a loss. I much prefer the more profitable moneyline play to the chalk involved in the puck line, but the price is still higher than it should be and returns an adequate $4.08 on a $10 bet.

Philly is 23-21 against the spread overall but 13-7 at home. The Lightning are just 18-25 ATS overall and 9-11 on the road.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the UNDER 6.5 (-139) on a high number. Vasilevskiy is back to his Vezina Trophy form, and Hart’s one of the best goalies in the NHL when at home.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 160-145

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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