Tag: NHL Betting Picks

San Jose Sharks at Philadelphia Flyers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s San Jose Sharks at Philadelphia Flyers sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Philadelphia Flyers (35-20-7) host the San Jose Sharks (26-32-4) Tuesday at Wells Fargo Center for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. The Flyers enter the day third in the Metropolitan Division, while the Sharks are headed for the NHL draft lottery without their own first-round pick. We analyze the Sharks-Flyers sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Sharks at Flyers: Projected starting goalies

Martin Jones vs. Carter Hart

Jones enters Tuesday off of back-to-back losses and with just one win in his last five outings. He is 14-19-2 through 34 starts and two relief appearances this season, with a .894 save percentage and 3.11 goals against average. His team’s moves at Monday’s trade deadline won’t help his cause.

Hart has won four of his last five games with no more than two goals allowed in those victories. He is 19-12-13 with a .909 SV% and 2.52 GAA over 34 starts and three relief appearances overall, but he is 16-2-2 with a .942 SV% and 1.64 GAA through 20 home games.

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

Sharks at Flyers: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Flyers 4, Sharks 1

Moneyline (ML)

The FLYERS (-239) mostly stood pat at the trade deadline, while the Sharks (+190) dealt wings Barclay Goodrow and Patrick Marleau to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins, respectively. The Flyers, who are 21-5-4 at home for the season, are worth swallowing the moderate amount of chalk while going for a fourth straight win.

San Jose has lost four straight games and is just 12-17-3 on the road for the season.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Flyers to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $4.20.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The more profitable and more worthwhile play is to back the FLYERS (-1.5, +100) to win by at least two goals. Philly is 37-25 against the spread overall and 21-9 at home. San Jose is just 30-32 ATS overall and 17-15 on the road.

The Flyers’ last six home wins were all decided by multi-goal margins. Two of the Sharks’ last four losses came by margins of at least 2 goals.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the UNDER 5.5 (+115) with the Flyers likely to do nearly all of the scoring against a short-handed Sharks club. Hart will keep the door closed, while Philly has scored six or more goals just eight times this season.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 250-235

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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Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals odds, picks and best bets

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

The Washington Capitals (37-18-6) host the Pittsburgh Penguins (37-17-6) Sunday at Capital One Arena in a battle for top spot in the Metropolitan Division. Puck drop is set for 12 p.m. ET. We analyze the Penguins-Capitals sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Penguins at Capitals: Projected starting goalies

Matt Murray vs. Braden Holtby

Murray had the day off Saturday as the Penguins suffered a 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The 25-year-old is 17-8-5 through 32 starts with a .903 save percentage and 2.80 goals against average.

Holtby was also off Saturday while the Caps took a 3-2 road loss against the New Jersey Devils. He’s 0-2-1 in his last three outings but still 21-13-5 through 41 starts and a relief appearance. He has a .896 SV% and 3.14 GAA.

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

Penguins at Capitals: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 9 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Capitals 5, Penguins 3

Moneyline (ML)

The two teams enter the day tied for top spot in the Metro with 80 points. The Penguins (+120) have a game in hand, but they’ve dropped two straight. The CAPITALS (-143) have lost four in a row for the first time all season, but the last three have been by just single-goal margins and one went to overtime.

Back Washington, as the Caps are 16-9-5 on home ice and the Pens are a lackluster 15-11-2 on the road. Pittsburgh earned a 4-3 win in the season’s lone head-to-head meeting to date in Washington Feb. 2. The Pens rank just 29th in Corsi For Percentage (percentage of all shot attempts) since Feb. 1 at a rate of 44.84 at 5-on-5. The Caps are 11th (51.45%).

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Based on the lopsided possession metrics, double down on the CAPITALS (-1.5, +180) and back them to win by at least 2 goals. The Caps are 31-30 against the spread overall but just 10-20 on home ice, while the Pens are 28-32 ATS overall and 14-14 on the road. Seven of Washington’s last eight wins came by margins of at least 2 goals. Pittsburgh lost its last two games by an aggregate count of 9-2.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the OVER 6.5 (+120) as the more profitable side of the Over/Under bet. The Penguins are 4-4-2 against the O/U across their last 10 games and the Capitals are 5-5 against the line, but the back-to-back situation and the early Sunday start will lead to sloppy defensive play and help open this up for the goal scorers.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 247-235

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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Philadelphia Flyers at Columbus Blue Jackets odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s Philadelphia Flyers at Columbus Blue Jackets sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Columbus Blue Jackets (30-19-12) host the Philadelphia Flyers (33-20-7) Thursday at Nationwide Arena as the two Metropolitan Division rivals meet for the second half of their home-and-home. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Flyers-Blue Jackets sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Flyers at Blue Jackets: Projected starting goalies

Brian Elliott vs. Elvis Merzlikins

Elliott is 14-7-4 with a 2.90 goals against average (GAA), an .898 save percentage and two shutouts this season. He lost his last start, allowing four goals on 24 shots in a 5-3 loss at the New York Islanders Feb. 11. He’s 2-2 with a 2.69 GAA with an .881 SV% in four February starts.

Merzlikins is 0-3-2 across his last five games, and he gave up four goals on 12 shots in the meeting with the Flyers Tuesday. He is 12-9-6 on the season with a .924 SV% and 2.29 GAA.

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

Flyers at Blue Jackets: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 2:05 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Flyers 4, Blue Jackets 3

Moneyline (ML)

The FLYERS (+105) ran the Jackets (-125) out of town Tuesday with a 5-1 victory at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The win gave the Flyers a 3-0 edge in the head-to-head season series as the two sides head into their final meeting of 2019-20.

The Jackets are 18-11-3 at home for the season, while the Flyers are just 13-15-3 on the road, but Philly has climbed into a Metro Division playoff spot, and Columbus has dropped six straight to slip from the wild-card picture. Back the visitors with the added incentive of a plus-money return.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Flyers to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $10.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

PASS on the spread, as we like the visitors to win outright with far more profitable odds. The Flyers are getting odds of just -278 to cover a spread of +1.5 and either lose by just 1 goal or win outright. Philly is 35-25 against the spread overall but just 15-16 on the road, while Columbus is 33-28 ATS overall and 14-18 at home.

Two of the Flyers’ three victories over the Jackets this season came by multi-goal margins. The alternate puck line of Flyers -1.5 (+280) offers value, but I’ll stick with the ML play.

Over/Under (O/U)

Two of the three head-to-head meetings have topped Thursday’s goal projection of 5.5. Back the OVER 5.5 (-106). The Flyers likely won’t replicate the 5 goals they scored Tuesday, but I like the Blue Jackets offense to be a little more involved on home ice.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 242-231

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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Arizona Coyotes at St. Louis Blues odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s Arizona Coyotes at St. Louis Blues sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The St. Louis Blues (33-17-10) host the Arizona Coyotes (30-25-8) Thursday at Enterprise Center for an 8 p.m. ET puck drop, as they try to hold off the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche for the top spot in the Central Division. The Stars beat the Coyotes 3-2 Wednesday. We analyze the Coyotes-Blues sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Coyotes at Blues: Projected starting goalies

Antti Raanta vs. Jordan Binnington

Raanta took the night off Wednesday but is expected to return to the net Thursday. He has won back-to-back games over the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals, while allowing just two goals on 66 shots. He has a .919 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average on the season.

Binnington stopped all 17 shots he faced Tuesday in a win over the New Jersey Devils at Enterprise Center. It snapped a 0-2-2 skid over his last four starts. He is 25-11-7 on the season with a .910 SV% and 2.66 GAA.

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

Coyotes at Blues: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 1:25 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Blues 4, Coyotes 2

Moneyline (ML)

The BLUES (-189) are getting better odds than they should while facing a Coyotes (+155) team on the second half of a back-to-back. St. Louis is 19-6-5 on home ice and Arizona is just 15-14-4 on the road.

Both teams have struggled of late, with the Blues owning a 3-5-2 record across their last 10 games and the Coyotes going 4-4-2 over the same span. Arizona leads the season series 2-0, but the two teams haven’t met since Dec. 31, and Blues backup Jake Allen was between the pipes.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Blues to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $5.30.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Increase your profit margin by backing the BLUES (-1.5, +145) to win by 2 or more goals. St. Louis is just 29-31 against the spread overall and 13-17 at home, while Arizona is 35-28 ATS overall and 20-13 on the road, but the second half of the back-to-back for the visitors turns this one dramatically in favor of the Blues. Look for the defending cup champions to pull back in front in the suddenly-crowded Central Division.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the OVER 5.5 (+105) at plus-money as the play most conducive to our other two picks above. Both teams have favored the Under of late, but we’re backing the Blues to win by at least 2 goals, and a 4-2 victory will cash all three bets.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 242-231

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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San Jose Sharks at New Jersey Devils odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s San Jose Sharks at New Jersey Devils sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The San Jose Sharks (26-29-4) visit the New Jersey Devils (22-27-10) Thursday in a battle of NHL Entry Draft positioning. Puck drop at Prudential Center is set for 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Sharks-Devils sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Sharks at Devils: Projected starting goalies

Martin Jones vs. MacKenzie Blackwood

Jones recorded his first shutout of the season Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, as he stopped all 39 shots he faced on the road. It’s a little too late for Jones and the Sharks, as the 30-year-old is just 14-17-2 on the season with a .894 save percentage and 3.15 goals against average amid a disappointing season for the player and team.

Blackwood has rifled off four straight wins to improve to 19-12-7 on the season. He has a .913 SV% and 2.79 GAA through 37 starts and four relief appearances.

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

Sharks at Devils: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 12:25 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Sharks 3, Devils 2

Moneyline (ML)

Chase the value in a battle of cellar dwellers and back the SHARKS (+105) at plus-money. They’re an adequate 12-14-3 on the road for the season as they begin a four-game road swing Thursday. They took a 5-3 home loss against the Florida Panthers Monday after winning four of five games.

The Devils (-129) are just 10-10-10 at home and coming off a 3-0 road loss to the St. Louis Blues Tuesday. New Jersey has already full-embraced its role as a trade-deadline seller, and it doesn’t warrant being a moderate-sized favorite.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Sharks to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $10.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Take the road dogs to win straight up Thursday and PASS on the spread (+1.5, -250). The single goal of insurance in the event of a loss isn’t worth the lost profit margin.

The Sharks are 15-14 against the spread on the road and the Devils are 16-14 at home.

Over/Under (O/U)

Make the contrarian play and back the UNDER 5.5 (+115) to see if Jones has turned the page on his lost season and can put together back-to-back strong outings following his first shutout of the year. Both teams are 5-5 against the Over/Under across their respective last 10 games.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 242-231

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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Tampa Bay Lightning at Vegas Golden Knights odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s Tampa Bay Lightning at Vegas Golden Knights sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Tampa Bay Lightning (40-15-5) visit the Vegas Golden Knights (31-22-8) Thursday at T-Mobile Arena for a 10 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Lightning-Golden Knights sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Lightning at Golden Knights: Projected starting goalies

Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Marc-Andre Fleury

Vasilevskiy gave up three goals on 33 shots Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers, but he still earned his eighth straight win. He is 32-9-3 on the season with a .921 save percentage and 2.42 goals against average.

Fleury is 23-14-5 on the season with a .906 SV% and 2.78 GAA. He has been best on the road, however, as his home numbers slip to a .900 SV% and 2.96 GAA. He’s still 15-8-3 on home ice, as he receives better goal support at T-Mobile.

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

Lightning at Golden Knights: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 10 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Golden Knights 3, Lightning 2

Moneyline (ML)

The Lightning (-121) ride an 11-game win streak into Sin City to take on a GOLDEN KNIGHTS (+100) team entering Thursday on a three-game win streak. The home team has been off since a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals Monday. The visitors last beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 in overtime Monday.

Vegas is 17-10-4 on home ice and Tampa Bay is 20-8-3 on the road. The Lightning earned a 4-2 victory at Amalie Arena in Tampa Tuesday, Feb. 4, in the season’s first head-to-head meeting between the cross-conference opponents. Back the hosts at even-money to square up the season series ahead of a potential head-to-head meeting in the Stanley Cup Final.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

PASS on the spread (+1.5, -278) for the Golden Knights and stick with the outright pick on the moneyline. A $10 ATS bet returns a profit of just $3.60 compared to the $10 profit on a moneyline wager.

Vegas is just 9-22 ATS at home, but that record is mostly indicative of the Golden Knights being favored and failing to win by two or more goals. Tampa Bay is just 13-18 ATS on the road.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the UNDER 5.5 (+125) in what should be a playoff-type game at the T-Mobile Arena. Both goalies are in good form, and the Lightning are just 3-5-2 against the O/U across their last 10 games, while the Golden Knights are 4-5-1 across the same span.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 242-231

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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Arizona Coyotes at Dallas Stars odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Arizona Coyotes at Dallas Stars sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Arizona Coyotes (30-24-8) visit the Dallas Stars (34-19-6) Wednesday at American Airlines Center for an 8:30 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Coyotes-Stars sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Coyotes at Stars: Projected starting goalies

Antti Raanta vs. Ben Bishop

Raanta is coming off back-to-back home wins over the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals, allowing just a single goal in each game. The 30-year-old is 13-13-3 on the season with a .919 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average.

Bishop beat the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in back-to-back road games last week, stopping 58 of 63 total shots on goal. He is 20-12-4 through 38 starts and a relief appearance with a .924 SV% and 2.38 GAA.

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

Coyotes at Stars: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Stars 5, Coyotes 2

Moneyline (ML)

The STARS (-167) are the team to back while on home ice. They took a 4-3 overtime loss on the road against the lowly Ottawa Senators Sunday, but had won their previous four games. They’re 6-2-2 across their last 10 games to close the gap on the division-leading St. Louis Blues in the Central Division. The Stars are 17-9-2 on home ice for the season.

The ‘Yotes (+140) have won two straight games over the Capitals (3-1) and Islanders (2-1), but they’re just 4-3-3 across their last 10 games and have slipped to fifth in the Pacific Division. They’re also just 15-13-4 on the road for the season and not worth backing Wednesday. The Stars won the season’s first head-to-head meeting 4-2 Dec. 29.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Stars to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $5.99.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Double down on the STARS (-1.5, +170) and back the hosts to win by at least 2 goals. The Coyotes are 34-28 against the spread overall and 19-13 on the road, while the Stars are 31-28 ATS overall and 13-15 at home. The ‘Yotes are just 9-8-4 since the last head-to-head meeting and seven of those losses were by 2 or more goals.

Over/Under (O/U)

With the standard line set at just 4.5 goals, we’ll go to the alternate line of 5.5 in regular time and back the OVER (+135). The Coyotes are 2-8 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games and the Stars are 5-5. The season’s first meeting saw a total of 6 goals and the Stars’ last two overtime games played to totals of 7 goals.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 239-228

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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Boston Bruins at Edmonton Oilers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Boston Bruins at Edmonton Oilers sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Edmonton Oilers (32-21-6) host the Boston Bruins (37-11-12) Wednesday at Rogers Place for an 8:30 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Bruins-Oilers sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Bruins at Oilers: Projected starting goalies

Tuukka Rask vs. Mike Smith

Rask has gone 4-1-0 across his last five outings with a total of just six goals allowed. He is 22-5-6 on the season with a .931 save percentage and 2.08 goals against average.

Smith is also 4-1-0 across his last five games but with a total of 13 goals allowed. He is 16-10-4 with a .904 SV% and 2.93 GAA through 30 starts and two relief appearances.

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

Bruins at Oilers: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Oilers 3, Bruins 2

Moneyline (ML)

The Bruins (-189) enter Wednesday on a three-game winning streak, having last beaten the New York Rangers 3-1 Sunday. The OILERS (+155) have won two straight on the road and return to home ice having taken over the top spot in the Pacific Division, even without C Connor McDavid (quad). Edmonton is 15-9-4 at Rogers Place, while Boston is 16-9-3 on the road.

The Bruins are the better overall team with a plus-53 goal differential to the Oilers’ plus-7, but the value on the home side is too great to pass up. The Oilers earned a 4-1 victory in Boston Jan. 4 with Smith stopping 35 of 36 shots. Back the home side.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Oilers to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $15.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Grab some extra insurance on the hosts and back the OILERS (+1.5, -154) to either lose by one goal or win outright. The Bruins are 29-31 against the spread overall and 14-14 on the road, while the Oilers are 32-27 ATS overall but just 10-18 at home.

The poor ATS record for the Oilers at home is a result of them generally being favored. Liking them to win outright as home underdogs, their straight-up home record is more meaningful in this case. They’ve lost by 2 or more goals in just one of their last eight home games.

Over/Under (O/U)

Back the UNDER 5.5 (+110). Both goalies have been in great form entering Wednesday and both teams have had two full days of rest. The Bruins have hit the Over just twice in their last eight games. The Oilers are 5-4-1 against the O/U across the same span.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 239-228

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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New Jersey Devils at St. Louis Blues odds, picks and best bets

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

The St. Louis Blues (32-17-10) host the New Jersey Devils (22-26-10) Tuesday for an 8 p.m. ET puck drop at Enterprise Center. The defending Stanley Cup champions enter the day on a five-game losing skid. We analyze the Devils-Blues sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Devils at Blues: Projected starting goalies

MacKenzie Blackwood vs. Jordan Binnington

Blackwood has been credited with the win in each of his last four starts with a total of just four goals allowed. The 23-year-old is 19-12-7 on the season with a .913 save percentage and 2.79 goals against average.

Binnington has gone 0-2-2 across his last four outings while allowing a total of 14 goals. He is 24-11-7 through 42 starts with a .909 SV% and 2.72 GAA.

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

Devils at Blues: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 11:20 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Blues 4, Devils 3

Moneyline (ML)

While the Blues (-278) have been awful of late, they’re still the better team in every way, especially with the Devils (+220) having already fully embraced their role of trade-deadline seller. St. Louis remains atop the Central Division and is 18-6-5 on home ice for the season. New Jersey remains last in the Metropolitan Division despite an adequate 5-2-3 record over its last 10 games. The Devils are just 12-16-0 on the road for the season.

There’s good value on the Devils with a $10 bet returning a profit of $22, but it’s difficult to see the Blues losing this game while at home. They’ll snap their slide, but there’s no value with a $10 bet at -278 odds returning a profit of just $3.60.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The better play Tuesday is to back the DEVILS (+1.5, -121) to lose by just one goal or win outright. The same $10 bet would return a profit of $8.26 and negates a large amount of the risk.

The Devils are 28-30 against the spread overall and 12-16 on the road, while the Blues are 28-31 ATS overall and just 12-17 on home ice. St. Louis hasn’t beaten a team by two or more goals since dropping the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3, on Feb. 4.

Over/Under (O/U)

Back the OVER 5.5 (-150), albeit at an unattractive number. The Devils are 6-4 against the O/U across their last 10 games, the Blues are 5-2-2 against the projected goal totals over the same span. There’s better value on the alternate line of Over 6.5 (regular time) at +135, but we’re better off accepting the lower risk.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 235-224

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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Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Montreal Canadiens (27-26-8) pay a visit to the lowly Detroit Red Wings (14-43-4) Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena for a 7:30 p.m. ET puck drop. Both teams have lost four games in a row. We analyze the Canadiens-Red Wings sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Canadiens at Red Wings: Projected starting goalies

Carey Price vs. Jonathan Bernier

Price has gone 0-3-1 across his last four games while allowing a total of 13 goals. The 32-year-old has appeared in a league-high 50 games and is 24-21-5 with a .911 save percentage and 2.74 goals against average.

Bernier dropped three straight decisions but made a relief appearance Sunday in favor of Jimmy Howard and stopped 18 of 19 shots faced. He is 12-17-2 on the season with a .909 SV% and 2.88 GAA.

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Canadiens at Red Wings: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated Tuesday at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Red Wings 4, Canadiens 3

Moneyline (ML)

With both teams mired in slumps, the RED WINGS (+165) are the play for a profitable return on home ice. The Canadiens (-200) have slipped to sixth in the Atlantic Division, but remain 30 points clear of the Wings. Still, I would never lay that kind of chalk on a road team having lost four straight games.

Additionally, the Wings lead the season series 3-0. They have 4-2, 2-1 and 4-3 victories, and two of those were on the road. Be sure to take the value.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Wings to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $16.50, while the same bet on the Canadiens fetches a profit of just $5.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The RED WINGS (+1.5, -167) are also worth backing to lose by no more than 1 goal or win outright. Detroit is just 24-37 against the spread overall and 12-17 at home, while Montreal is 29-32 ATS overall but 17-11 on the road. Follow the head-to-head season series trend and expect Detroit to at least keep this one close.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the OVER 5.5 (-106) as the more profitable side of the total bet. Both offenses are struggling, but so are the two starting goaltenders. Two of the three head-to-head meetings this season topped Tuesday’s projected total.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 235-224

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