NHL weekend betting preview: Best bets and value plays
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Well, we nailed our best bet again on Thursday. But that's all we nailed while slumping to a frustrating 1-3 finish.
There's a ton of hockey upcoming this weekend though, offering plenty of opportunities to make it back. Let's dive in.
Friday notesThe Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks couldn't be trending in more opposite directions right now as they get set to meet tonight north of the border. The Avs have won nine straight on the road, while the Canucks have lost four in a row overall and three of their last four on home ice. Still, this is a good spot for Vancouver to bust out of its slump.
The Canucks are on an 8-0-2 run at the Rogers Arena coming off a home loss. They had won 11 of 12 overall at home before this little slump, and I like them to rediscover that form and make it four wins out of six at home against the Avalanche.
Like Colorado, the Vegas Golden Knights are playing excellent lately too. They've won nine of their last 10 games, but only one of those victories has come on the road. That recent surge leads to an inflated Friday price on the Knights against the Winnipeg Jets, even though Vegas is below .500 on the road this season. The Jets, meanwhile, have won four straight at home, and they offer good value at this price.
Friday bets:
- Best bet: Vancouver Canucks (+115)
- Winnipeg Jets (+120)
If current trends continue, neither the Carolina Hurricanes nor the New York Islanders will earn a playoff berth, making Saturday's meeting at Nassau Coliseum vitally important for both teams.
The Hurricanes have lost four straight, and the Islanders have dropped five consecutive contests and nine of their last 11. Carolina is three points back of New York for the final playoff spot in the East with a game in hand, making this matchup an absolute must win, and I firmly believe more in the Hurricanes' talent to get them back on track. The Hurricanes have won three straight road games against the Islanders, and 12 of their last 16 in Long Island. Take them to pick up two key points on Saturday.
The New York Rangers are also in the thick of the wild-card race while playing terrific hockey as they prepare to host the New Jersey Devils. This is a crucial game during the Rangers' playoff push, and it's hard to envision them slipping up. The Devils have lost four straight at Madison Square Garden and nine of their last 12 clashes there, with seven of those defeats coming by two-plus goals.
The Philadelphia Flyers are no longer fighting for a wild-card spot as the hottest team in the NHL right now, and they're instead setting their sights on winning the Metropolitan Division. The Buffalo Sabres are in town on Saturday, and they've lost six straight at the Wells Fargo Center and 10 of their last 12 in Philly.
The Sabres have scored two goals or fewer in each of their last four trips to Philadelphia, which doesn't bode well as they get set to face Carter Hart, who's 19-2-2 at home this season with a 1.64 GAA and .942 save percentage. Hart has allowed two or fewer goals in all six home games since returning from an injury, and in 18 of his 20 starts since the beginning of November.
Saturday bets:
- Best bet: Hurricanes (+105)
- Rangers -1.5 (+150)
- Sabres' team total under 2.5 (-120)
The Minnesota Wild round out a Southern California weekend on Sunday in Anaheim after visiting the Kings on Saturday. The Wild have won six straight on the road heading into the weekend, and they've experienced plenty of success in Anaheim, winning five of their last six games away to the Ducks. They're sitting at -140 right now for Saturday's game, so we should get them slightly cheaper on Sunday prior to the second of back-to-back contests.
Playing on consecutive days hasn't seemed to matter so far this campaign though for the Wild, who were 2-0 on the road in February on no rest, and have won three of their last four in this spot. The Ducks, meanwhile, have lost five straight home games when their opponent is playing without rest and eight of their last nine. Ride with the road favorite here.
Earlier in the day, the Hurricanes visit the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the total in that game should offer good value. I expect it to be sitting at 6 or 6.5. The last six meetings between these teams in Pittsburgh have gone under, as have 12 of 14. None of those 14 games have featured six-plus goals, and we should look for that to continue on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday bets:
- Best bet: Wild
- Hurricanes/Penguins under (play at 6 or higher)
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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