NHL Tuesday betting preview: Stars to spoil Laine's Blue Jackets debut
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We got the week started off on the right foot with a profitable Monday. We'll look to keep the momentum going on a quieter day on the ice due to a pair of postponements.
Here are a couple of games I'm looking to bet on Tuesday:
Stars (-110) @ Blue Jackets (-110)We have yet to see the Blue Jackets put together a strong showing in the first contest of a two-game set. Columbus has been drastically outplayed in the first matchup - controlling an average of just 35.61% of the expected goal share - before stepping things up in the rematch. Patrik Laine's debut won't change that.
The Stars have followed a similar trend, though they haven't been as incompetent in their first go-around. They also hold an edge on special teams and in goal, making them a good value with Jamie Benn back in the lineup.
Pick: Stars (-110)
Flames (-120) @ Jets (+100)I posted the Flames as a bet versus the Jets on Monday, and I'm going back to the well. The revenge factor is being blown a bit out of proportion early in the season. Teams in the second leg of a back-to-back are 8-6 straight up after losing against the same club the previous night. That's not enough to tilt the scales for me given just how dominant Calgary was Monday.
Winnipeg had an early lead thanks to a pair of power-play goals but the Jets were the inferior team from start to finish. The Flames owned an almost unheard of 75.6% share of the expected goals at five-on-five and a still-impressive 63.59% share overall.
Connor Hellebuyck's heroics earned Winnipeg a point but the team won't have him to lean on in the second half of this back-to-back. Calgary won't have Jacob Markstrom either, but given the Flames' ability to control the balance of play, the Jets' downgrade in goal is a bigger concern.
Pick: Flames (-120)
Ducks (+110) @ Kings (-130)This one won't be pretty. While the thought of betting on the Ducks sounds as appetizing as boiled chicken, the price here warrants a play. There's very little difference between the Kings and the Ducks, who rank 30th and 31st in expected goal share at five-on-five, respectively.
Anaheim is allowing a lot of quality chances, while Los Angeles is struggling to generate offense. The Kings have created a league-low 38 high-danger chances at five-on-five, while the 96 allowed by the Ducks are second-most. But there's a clearer path to success for Anaheim, which can lean on John Gibson's excellence to earn points. L.A. is flat-out struggling to generate quality offense, suggesting regression is imminent.
This is an inflated price between two evenly matched teams, with the 'dog holding a significant edge in goal. I'll take that every time.
Pick: Ducks (+110)
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. 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, loves a juicy puck line, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
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