Tag: Calgary Flames

St. Louis Blues at Calgary Flames odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s St. Louis Blues at Calgary Flames sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The St. Louis Blues (30-12-8) and Calgary Flames (26-19-5) will tangle at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. We analyze the Blues-Flames odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Blues at Flames: Projected starting goalies

Jordan Binnington vs. Dave Rittich

Binnington has notched a 2.58 goals against average and .912 save percentage through 35 games. Running mate Jake Allen started Monday night’s game. Binnington has struggled on the road (.898 SV%) and has been woeful (.865 SV%) in six starts this month. He has had two good outings against the Flames this season, including a 40-save shutout Nov. 21.

Rittich owns a 2.77 GAA and .913 SV% across 36 games. The 27-year-old was running hot and cold over his last five starts heading into the all-star break. He has faced St. Louis twice this season, allowing a total of eight goals. Three of those were power-play tallies.

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

Blues at Flames: 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 10:10 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Calgary 4, St. Louis 3

Moneyline (ML)

The Blues will look to avoid a fourth straight setback in a Saddledome contest that continues a four-game road trip through western Canada (and St. Louis is 0-5 over its last five road tilts). St. Louis has allowed the seventh-fewest goals per game this season (2.68), but it has allowed the seventh-most in January (3.33).

Analytics point to some Calgary value in assessing both defenses. A win Tuesday night would mark four straight at home for the Flames. And then there is the goaltending layoff. Over his last four starts with more than three days of rest, Binnington owns a .863 SV%. In his last three turns under the same condition, Rittich has logged a .930 mark. BET CALGARY (-115).

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Blues are 13-12 against the puck line on the road; the Flames are 6-17 against the spread at home. The lean remains on Calgary, but the Flames haven’t won by two or more goals in the month of January. The St. Louis side (+1.5, -294) is too costly. PASS.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Over is 6-4 in the last 10 games for both St. Louis and Calgary. Take the OVER 6.5 (+185).

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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Zack Kassian’s epic beatdown against Matthew Tkachuk actually cost his team the game

This was wild.

Zack Kassian lost his cool — and, in turn, the game for the Edmonton Oilers.  After Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk delivered a brutal hit to Kassian along the boards, he responded by chucking Tkachuk to the ice before delivering punch after punch to the head.

It was a wild scene reminiscent of old-school hockey.

Kassian’s frustration didn’t seem to stem from just one play. Tkachuk crushed Kassian during the first period of the game, with Tkachuk’s hip meeting Kassian’s head, which sent him helicoptering to the ice.

But Tkachuk wasn’t penalized for either hit. Kassian, meanwhile, received a misconduct and a double-minor for roughing in the second period after the fight. At the start of the third period, the Flames took advantage of the power-play opportunity, and managed a 4-3 lead, which was the final score.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Kassian will face a hearing on Monday.

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Calgary Flames at Minnesota Wild odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Calgary Flames at Minnesota Wild sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Minnesota Wild (20-17-5) host the Calgary Flames (21-17-5) Sunday at Xcel Energy Center for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Flames-Wild sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Flames at Wild: Projected starting goalies

David Rittich vs. Alex Stalock

Rittich has gone 2-2-1 over his last five games and enters Sunday at 17-10-5 for the season. He has a .912 save percentage and 2.78 goals against average. His last two outings were both regulation losses, as he allowed a total of seven goals on 39 shots.

Stalock also comes into the day off of back-to-back losses, and he is 2-3-0 over his last five games. He is 9-6-2 with a .901 SV% and 3.02 GAA.

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

Flames at Wild: 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 10:55 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Wild 3, Flames 2

Moneyline (ML)

We’ve got a good ole pick ’em Sunday between the Western Conference opponents. Back the host WILD (-110) as they put their 11-4-3 home record on the line against a Flames team just 10-10-2 on the road. Both teams are coming off victories with the Wild getting past the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in overtime Saturday while the Flames have the rest advantage following a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers Thursday.

Minnesota is 5-5 across its last 10 games, and Calgary is 4-5-1. The Wild took a 3-0 win Dec. 23, in the first head-to-head showdown of the season. They’ll play again this Thursday.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Wild to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $9.09.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

AVOID the spread with the back-to-back for the Wild making a one-goal game the most likely scenario. Backing the Flames to cover +1.5 at -304 odds returns a profit of just $3.29 on a $10 bet. It’s too much chalk, and it’s not worth the risk.

The Flames are 17-26 against the spread overall and 11-11 on the road while the Wild are 20-22 ATS overall and just 7-11 at home. Minnesota (-1.5, +240) isn’t worth backing despite the potential 2.4-1 return on your investment.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the UNDER 5.5 (+110). With the Wild turning to the better of their two goaltenders for the second half of this back-to-back. Minnesota is just 3-6-1 against the Over/Under across its last 10 games while Calgary is 5-3-2.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 156-127

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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Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche odds, lines, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Calgary Flames (15-12-4) and Colorado Avalanche (19-8-2) lock horns at Pepsi Center at 9 p.m. ET Monday. We analyze the Flames-Avalanche sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

Flames at Avalanche: Projected starting goalies

David Rittich vs. Philipp Grubauer

Rittich is 13-7-4 with a 2.69 goals against average and .914 save percentage with a pair of shutouts so far this season, but he is 0-2-0 with a 3.57 GAA and .877 SV% in two outings against the Avs.

The goaltending situation is much less certain for the Avalanche. Grubauer left his last start due to a hamstring injury, so he is expected to attempt to test his ailment in the morning skate before his status is known. If he cannot go it would be Pavel Francouz in the crease, with Adam Werner likely to be summoned from the minors to serve as his understudy.

If it is Francouz who is tabbed for the start, he has yet to face the Flames, but he is 7-2-0 with a 2.24 GAA and .931 save percentage overall. Grubauer is 2-0-0 with a 2.50 GAA and .921 save percentage vs. Calgary this season.

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

Flames at Avalanche: 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 9:20 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Avalanche 3, Flames 2

Moneyline (ML)

The AVALANCHE (-162) are a risky play in this one based on the uncertainty of their goaltender. If Grubauer makes it through the morning skate unscathed, a small-unit wager on the Avs is warranted. Check Twitter and your favorite news sites for more information. The Flames are 0-6 in the past six meetings in this series, and 1-4 in the past five trips to Denver, too, so keep that in mind.

New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered for the Avalanche to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout would profit $0.62 if they do so.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Head-to-head meetings between the Flames and Avs are usually nip and tuck, and I don’t like either side of the puck line. I could see this one easily decided in overtime or a shootout.

Over/Under (O/U)

The UNDER 5.5 (+125) is 39-18 in Calgary’s last 57 games on the road. The Under is 3-1-1 in Colorado’s past five as a favorite, too.

Every $1 wagered for five or fewer combined goals to be scored would profit $1.25 if the Under hits.

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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Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters is apologizing to all the wrong people

Peters is a white coach, apologizing to a white GM, for using an unutterable racial slur towards a black player, without mentioning the black player at all.

In what is possibly a desperate, last ditch attempt to save his job, Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters issued a statement to GM Brad Treliving admitting to and apologizing for his use of the n-word 10 years ago.

The letter, which TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted, misses the mark in several, glaring ways. What it primarily leaves out are apologies to the actual parties that Peters is accused of having harmed.

Earlier this week, former NHL player Akim Aliu alleged that Peters directed the racial slur at him in 2008, during his time with the AHL Rockford IceHogs, where Peters was the head coach.

According to the statement Aliu gave TSN, Peters objected to Aliu’s choice in music and told him such. Other players corroborated Aliu’s account of the incident, backing up his version of events.  Aliu also told TSN that when he approached Peters about his language, Peters did not apologize, but instead went at him again for the kind of music that had been played.

“‘You know, I’m just sick of this n—– s—. It’s every day. From now on, we need to play different music,'” Peters is alleged to have said.

In his apology letter to Treliving, Peters doesn’t once mention Aliu but instead insists that his words were not directed to anyone in particular. He also contradicts Aliu’s version of events and insists he apologized right after he uttered the words.

“I am aware that there is no excuse for language that is offensive. I meant no disrespect in what I said, and it was not directed at anyone in particular. But, that doesn’t matter; it was hurtful and demeaning. I am truly sorry,” he wrote.

After Aliu went public with his allegations, former Carolina Hurricanes player Michal Jordan tweeted that he’d been subjected to physical abuse by Peters while Peters was the head coach of the Hurricanes.

The Flames are also currently investigating those allegations, which have been corroborated by other players as well as current Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour.

Again, Peters apology leaves out any mention of those allegations. In his letter, Peters seems to place more weight not on his own actions, but on how they reflect on the club. Hockey has always been about the logo on the front and not the name on the back of the jersey, but in this case that’s a glaring misstep. The remorse Peters needs to show here is towards the people he’s actually harmed with his behavior, not the club that’s now suffering through the bad PR.

Peters is a white coach, apologizing to a white GM, for using an unutterable racial slur towards a black player, yet he somehow manages to not mention the black player at all. It’s an appalling excuse for an apology, one crafted in the hopes of smoothing over bad behavior rather than actually repenting for it.

As of now, the Flames have yet to make a decision on Peters status as head coach, but it’s increasingly clear they’re far better off without him.

Calgary Flames at Pittsburgh Penguins odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Calgary Flames at Pittsburgh Penguins sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (12-7-4) host the Calgary Flames (11-12-3) Monday at PPG Paints Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Flames-Penguins sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Flames at Penguins: Projected starting goalies

David Rittich vs. Matt Murray

Rittich is coming off a 36-save victory over the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday. He is 10-7-3 through 20 starts with a .911 save percentage and 2.80 goals against average. He has two shutouts and has played a league-high 1,202 minutes.

Murray went 0-1-3 over his last four outings and has given up a total of nine goals over his last two starts. He has a record of 9-4-4 with a .907 SV% and a 2.60 GAA.

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

Flames at Penguins: 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 8 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Penguins 5, Flames 2

Moneyline (ML)

Penguins C Kris Letang (lower body) is expected to be a game-time decision Monday; C Sidney Crosby (groin) remains sidelined. Flames RW Sam Bennett (upper body) remains out and D T.J. Brodie (undisclosed) will be a GTD.

The PENGUINS (-161) are 8-3-2 on home ice and rank second in the NHL with a plus-18 goal differential. The Flames (+135) are 5-9-1 on the road with a minus-15 goal differential for the season. Both teams are coming off victories; the Penguins beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 Friday and the Flames dropped the Flyers 3-2 in a shootout Saturday. The Penguins take this one at home.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Penguins to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $6.20.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Flames enter Monday at 10-16 against the spread overall and 6-9 ATS on the road. The Pens are 11-12 ATS overall and 5-8 at home. Each of Pittsburgh’s last two wins and four of its last six came by margins of at least two goals. The Flames were shut out in three of their last five, with all three of those losses decided by at least three goals.

Back PITTSBURGH (-1.5, +165) to win by at least a two-goal margin and turn the same $10 wager into a profit of $16.50.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Flames are a woeful 2-8 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games. The Penguins were 5-5 against the projected totals over the same span. Buck the trend and take the OVER 5.5 (-143) with both sides expected to have some key reinforcements return to the lineup.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 74-67

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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Flames-Golden Knights odds: Vegas favored to end losing streak

Previewing Sunday’s Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis and picks

The Calgary Flames (10-9-3) travel to Sin City to face the division-rival Vegas Golden Knights (9-9-3) at T-Mobile Arena Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.

We analyze the Flames-Golden Knights odds and lines while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.

Flames at Golden Knights: Projected starting goalies

Cam Talbot vs. Marc-Andre Fleury

Talbot is expected to get the start. He has a 1-4 record for Calgary with a 2.69 goals against average and a .907 save percentage. Talbot lost to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday stopping 29 of 31 shots in the quality start.

Fleury is all but confirmed to start for Vegas since backup Malcolm Subban played Saturday in a 4-3 loss at the Los Angeles Kings. He is 9-5-1 with a 2.68 GAA and a .914 save percentage. Fleury has been roughed up of late as he gave up four goals in Washington and then five goals at home to the Chicago Blackhawks.

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

Flames 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 6 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Golden Knights 4, Flames 3

Moneyline (ML)

The GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-139) are dealing with their first real adversity of the season as they have lost five straight games including Saturday to the lowly Kings. Calgary was not much better in a Saturday 3-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes where they were shut down and body slammed.

Sunday could be a very sloppy game, but take the Golden Knights on the moneyline.

A $10 bet with the Golden Knights results in a $7.19 profit with a Vegas win.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Flames (+1.5, -239) are bad enough with a 9-13 mark ATS, but then there are the Golden Knights (-1.5, +190). Vegas comes in with the league-worst record ATS at 7-14. It would be smart to do the right thing here and AVOID.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 5.5 (-143) is a safe play. That 5.5 number just makes for an easier bet with a little less profit. This is not one to think too deeply about. 

Placing a $10 bet here will give a bettor a decent $6.99 profit with a total of six or more goals scored.

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

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS 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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