For the second time in three days, the Winnipeg Jets (19-10-2) and Detroit Red Wings (7-22-3) face off; this time it’ll be on Detroit’s ice. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena. The Jets beat Detroit 5-1 Tuesday. We analyze the Red Wings-Jets odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.
Jets at Red Wings: Projected starting goalies
Connor Hellebuyck vs. Jonathan Bernier
Hellebuyck, the confirmed starter, has won four of his past five starts. He didn’t start against Detroit two days ago, but saw action late, allowing a goal on two shots in 1:09 of time on ice. Hellebuyck has a .933 save percentage and 2.24 goals against average through 23 starts and two relief appearances.
Bernier didn’t start the previous game, and sports an ugly 3.41 GAA and .888 SV%, which are his worst numbers since his 2007-08 rookie campaign. It has been a month today since his last win, with seven starts over that span. He gave up at least three goals in each of his last eight appearances. Ouch.
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Jets 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 Thursday at 9:45 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Jets 5, Red Wings 2
Moneyline (ML)
The Jets held Detroit (+165) to just 17 shots Tuesday, which ended as the Red Wings’ 12th straight loss (0-10-2). They’ve been outscored 54-21 in the last dozen games. WINNIPEG (-200) should easily take care of business in this home-and-home rematch, but they’re a chalky play and you can find better value elsewhere.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Jets to win outright returns a profit of just $5.00. It’s not a bad play, it’s just a lot of tax to pay.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
Here’s a puck line I can get behind, with WINNIPEG (-1.5, +135) the play. While they’re 17-14 ATS overall, they’re 12-4 on the road, which is rare to see. Detroit, just 5-11 ATS at home (12-20 overall), is without RW Anthony Mantha (lower body) and D Danny DeKeyser (ankle), while LW Andreas Athanasiou (undisclosed) is questionable.
Backing the Jets to beat Detroit by at least 2 goals returns $13.50 in profit on a $10.00 wager.
Over/Under (O/U)
Detroit ranks last with just 2.09 goals scored per game and 28th with 28.8 shots/game. Defensively, things aren’t better: Ranking last in goals against (4.0) and penalty kill (72.5%). Hitting the projected total of 5.5 requires the Jets to do most of the work; they’re just 6-9-1 vs. the O/U on the road; Detroit is 8-7-1 at home vs. the line. With Bernier giving up at least four goals in each of his last two outings and the Wings short-handed, stick with the OVER 5.5 (-134).
Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Ryan’s NHL picks record: 4-8
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