NHL weekly betting preview: Habs aim to stay hot
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If you followed the weekend betting preview, you probably made enough money to buy yourself a hot tub in preparation for winter.
Now we start building the holiday fund, with plenty of games scheduled this week to help reach our target.
Game bettingColumbus Blue Jackets at Montreal Canadiens (Tuesday)
The Canadiens have taken 11 of a possible 14 points over the past two weeks, and they seem to be hitting their stride. Wins over the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights have the Habs building their resume and looking like a legitimate playoff team, and now they welcome the Blue Jackets to Montreal.
Columbus hasn't been able to reach .500 while struggling to score. Goals should be scarce in this game, and the under looks a strong play.
Arizona Coyotes at St. Louis Blues (Tuesday)
This is one of the toughest spots so far this season, with the Coyotes playing their sixth game in nine nights. It's also the second leg of their second back-to-back set of games in a week, including a daunting travel schedule that saw them go from Edmonton to Calgary, to Arizona, to D.C., and now St. Louis.
Not much will be left in the tank against a Blues team that's won four straight on home ice. Lay the chalk with St. Louis.
Nashville Predators at Vancouver Canucks (Tuesday)
Vancouver has won just once in November, and the Canucks have fallen on hard times following four straight losses. Still, the Canucks are a very tough team to beat on home ice, and after scoring just five goals over their last four games, the team is due for another offensive breakout.
The Predators, meanwhile, are concluding a weird road trip that started on the East Coast in Detroit and will now end in the west, with stops in Colorado and San Jose. They'll be excited to return home for a three-day break, so this could be a nice chance to fade them and back the Canucks.
Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Islanders (Wednesday)
The Islanders' 10-game win streak was snapped on Thursday against Pittsburgh, but they quickly got back to their winning ways while beating Florida on Saturday. Now they welcome a reeling Leafs squad to Nassau Coliseum, and the arena should be rocking for a visit from former captain John Tavares.
Under Barry Trotz, the Islanders are likely the most well-coached team in the NHL. They should be able to contain Toronto's firepower while exploiting the Leafs' defensive inefficiencies. Back the Isles to add to Toronto's misery.
Dallas Stars at Calgary Flames (Wednesday)
This is one of the more underrated games of the week. The Flames are a juggernaut at home, posting a 6-1-2 record this season at the Saddledome, while the Stars are on a five-game point streak after winning seven of their last nine. As good as Calgary is on home ice, a highly talented Dallas team should be ridden while it's hot.
Take the Stars on Wednesday to win their fourth straight at the Saddledome, and seventh in nine tries.
Colorado Avalanche at Edmonton Oilers (Thursday)
In two road games without Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog, the Avalanche have scored just one goal. The offense hasn't dried up completely, as it scored nine times this past week against the Predators in Denver, but the team has a different feel and approach away from home.
The Oilers are generally strong defensively at Rogers Place, which should lead to a low-scoring contest, even as two of the NHL's best scorers in Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon square off. Under is the play here.
Game propsDetroit Red Wings at Anaheim Ducks (Tuesday)
The Red Wings rank 29th in the NHL while averaging two goals per game away from home. The Ducks, meanwhile, are eighth in the league in goals allowed per game. They haven't experienced the best week, but this is a good opportunity for John Gibson to get back on track. Play under 2.5 on the Red Wings' team total.
Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Islanders (Wednesday)
Speaking of goals against per game, the Islanders lead the league in that category while allowing just 2.19, which is far ahead of the Bruins' 2.41. With Mitch Marner out for the Leafs, expect Toronto's offense to struggle against Trotz's unit. The Leafs scored just three goals over three games against the Islanders last season. Under 2.5 and 1.5 are both very appealing.
Winnipeg Jets at Florida Panthers (Thursday)
In the Panthers' last five home games, 13 goals have been scored in the first period, and the same total has been produced in the Jets' last five away games. These teams score early and concede early, so there's no reason not to back the over in the first period at BB&T Center.
Player propsFlorida Panthers at Boston Bruins (Tuesday)
The Panthers allow a lot of goals in the first period, averaging the NHL's fifth-highest goals surrendered in the opening frame at 3.53. The Bruins' top line should be firing in this one following two straight losses. Look for Brad Marchand to score after torching the Panthers last season.
New York Rangers at Tampa Bay Lightning (Thursday)
Steven Stamkos loves playing the Rangers. He's averaging over a point per game against them in his career and potted four goals in three games against New York last season. The Rangers aren't stopping many teams from scoring these days and the Lighting are rounding into form, so backing Stamkos to grab a goal here could be profitable.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
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