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The Utah Hockey Club (16-15-6) takes on the Calgary Flames (18-11-7) Thursday. Puck drop from Scotiabank Saddledome is set for 9 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Utah Hockey Club vs. Flames odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Utah leads 1-0
The Utah Hockey Club . . . can we just start calling it the Yetis already, please?! Anyway, it has lost 5 straight and given its fans indigestion by being outscored 16-6 in the last 4. The latest was a 4-1 defeat in Edmonton on New Year’s Eve. RW Clayton Keller had an assist in that one, but he hasn’t scored in 3 straight games.
Someone threw an aerosol can onto the Flames’ embers as they’ve won 3 straight games by a combined score of 12-6. The latest was a 3-1 takedown of the Vancouver Canucks. LW Jonathan Huberdeau put his 16th in the back of the net in that one. He has goals in 4 of 5 and 2+ points in 3 of 4.
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Utah Hockey Club at Flames odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated at 12:45 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Utah Hockey Club -115 (bet $115 to win $100) | Flames -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Utah Hockey Club -1.5 (+200) | Flames +1.5 (-250)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)
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Utah Hockey Club at Flames projected goalies
Karel Vejmelka (8-10-2, 2.40 GAA, .916 SV%) vs. Dan Vladar (6-7-5, 3.02 GAA, .890 SV%, 2 SO)
Vejmelka is more than just a name that could help you win a game of Scrabble. He has lost 3 straight starts, but he had a really good December. The latest was a 5-2 loss at Seattle Monday, but he stopped 28 of 32. He went 5-4-1 with a 2.40 GAA and .915 SV% last month.
Vladar had a tough-luck 3-0 loss at Vegas Sunday as he stopped 34 of 36. He has stopped 60 of 65 in his last 2 starts after Tampa played with his SV% scoring 8 on him Dec. 12. Vladar played the team formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes once last season and beat it, stopping 23 of 25 in the process.
Utah Hockey Club at Flames picks and predictions
Prediction
Flames 3, Utah Hockey Club 2
Moneyline
The Flames are 13-4-3 at home. Yes, they’re rolling their backup tendy out there, but he has been decent in his last 2 starts. Utah is on the third leg of its Canadian voyage, and the lamp batteries have a good charge since it has scored 2 or fewer in 4 straight.
Take the FLAMES -105.
Puck line/Against the spread
Let’s shoot our shot here. I mentioned Huberdeau has a goal in 4 of 5. His 16 goals on the season have already eclipsed his totals from each of the last 2 seasons. And you’re going to give us +240 for him to score? Let’s do it.
TAKE JONATHAN HUBERDEAU ANYTIME GOAL (+240).
Over/Under
If you want offense . . . this one might have you asleep by the first intermission. Utah is 22nd with 2.86 goals per game, and Calgary is 25th at 2.65. Calgary is 6-4 O/U in its last 10, but the Under has cashed in 4 of 6. Utah hit the Under in 3 of 4.
Take the UNDER 6.5 (-120).
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