The Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames reconvene for Game 3 of their Western Conference qualification round series Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. ET at Rogers Place in Edmonton, one of two hub locations for the NHL restart. We analyze the Jets-Flames NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Series: Tied 1-1.
Jets vs. Flames: Projected starting goalies
Connor Hellebuyck vs. David Rittich
Hellebuyck bounced back in Game 2, stopping 28 of the 30 shots to help his team snuff out the Flames by a 3-2 score, evening their best-of-five series 1-1. It will be interesting to see how he and his team bounce back a little more than 24 hours after their emotional victory. In addition, the Jets were without star forwards Patrik Laine (wrist) and Mark Scheifele (leg), as both left the Game 1 loss with injuries. Scheifele’s injury, a controversial one after being blasted by Flames LW Matthew Tkachuk, appears to be more of the longer-term variety.
Rittich (24-17-6, 2.97 GAA, .907 SV%) was an All-Star this season, but interim head coach Geoff Ward elected to ride with Cam Talbot to start the playoffs. Talbot allowed four goals in two games, which is a pretty strong showing, but with a back-to-back, and a quicker than normal turnaround at that, look for Rittich to get the nod in Game 3.
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Jets vs. Flames: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 9 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Flames 4, Jets 2
Moneyline (ML)
The FLAMES (-150) are moderate favorites. They’re 4-1 in the past five tries when playing in the second end of a back-to-back set. They’re also 4-1 in the previous five in the third of a 3-in-4 situation (three games in four days). On the other hand, the Jets (+125) are just 3-13 in their past 16 in the third of a 3-in-4 situation. While the Jets are quite a bit rested after nearly a five-month hiatus due to COVID-19, it’s still difficult playing three games in four days, and they’re usually not very good at it regardless of the circumstances.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Flames to win returns a profit of $6.67, while a $10 wager on the Jets would result in a profit of $12.50.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The FLAMES -1.5 (+185) are worth a small-unit play at this price point, as they should be able to bounce back after Monday’s disappointing setback. Despite what happened in Game 2, they’re still the healthier team, and they have more offensive weapons with Laine and Scheifele out.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 5.5 (+115) is also a decent wager at plus-money. It won’t be a fire-wagon hockey game, but we should see at least six goals. Again, not to harp on Laine and Scheifele being out, but that’s Winnipeg’s biggest concern. Can the Jets’ role players step up again and fill the void? That’s the biggest question.
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