The NHL betting landscape is still low on data and big on uncertainty, which means solid edges for hockey betting fans
The rust is beginning to wear off for the NHL teams after the first week of action and a short preseason.
NHL odds are impacted by a decrease in goals in Week 2 of the NHL season. Expect lower totals as coaches have some game film to work with and start plugging gaps. Defensemen start figuring out where their partner is and goalies start to find a rhythm. NHL betting goes through some regression when it comes to totals too.
Your NHL picks should still look for mismatches though. Weaker goalies might still get shelled because those defensive holes will still exist. Snipers like Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid haven’t lost their shots either.
Colorado at Winnipeg
This Wednesday Avs-Jets game could hit the 6.5 Over early.
Both teams were among the league’s best in offense last season, with Colorado returning all of its snipers for this season.
The Jets for their part aren’t letting themselves get distracted by all the Connor Hellebuyck drama. The just took two straight on the road, including an impressive comeback win over the red-hot Penguins.
Hellebuyck’s backup, Stuart Skinner, can look solid on some nights and he can get shelled on others. Facing the potent Avs lineup, we think this one could be the latter. Nathan MacKinnon and Arturi Lehkonen are leading the charge and the team has racked up 14 goals in just two games this season. Both are top candidates to be an anytime goalscorer, with the odds at +117 for MacKinnon and a tempting +255 for Lehkonen.
Kyle Connor(+157) is the obvious choice to be the main anytime goalscorer for the Jets – he’s got three on the season already. Better money is Cole Perfetti (+265), who gets plenty of minutes and will start scoring soon on top of his team-leading three assists.
What makes the Jets compelling is their +170 moneyline price. They’re back home, they’re matching the Avs in early-season wins, and Skinner and his backup Clay Stevenson have a .918 save percentage. They also, for what it’s worth, took down Colorado in preseason action 3-1.
Pittsburgh at Washington
This Penguins-Capitals game will be one of the biggest meetings between the two teams ever, in terms of fan interest and eyeballs.
And NHL betting could set records for a Wednesday night.
Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goalscorer, just announced that he’ll retire at the end of the season. His rivalry with the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby goes back to the 2005 season, and it’s been an epic battle in terms of goals, big playoff games, and MVP trophies.
On top of this, it’s the Capitals home opener. Everything about this one should be electric.
Pittsburgh comes in as a +135 underdog, but if you’ve been watching them early this year, they should be considered a live ‘dog. They’re just 2-1, but they’ve potted 15 goals in those three games and have depth scoring beyond Crosby and old man Malkin. Yegor Chinakhov is all over the ice creating chances and deserves a good look at +305 to be an anytime goalscorer.
The NHL player props for this game will be centered on Ovechkin. Can he blow the lid off the Capitals’ arena with a goal or two? His anytime goalscorer odds are +193, ahead of Crosby’s number of +220.
Another bet we like is the Early Earner play of a goal to happen in the first 4m 59s of the first period at +150. The energy in the arena right from puck drop will be rocket fuel for both sides, and something will have to give early.
Edmonton at Anaheim
Always a good night in the NHL when you’ve got Crosby, Ovechkin, MacKinnon and Connor McDavid in action all on the same evening.
The Oilers and Ducks met in the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, so the intensity could be a little higher than normal for a Wednesday night in the Pacific Division.
McDavid, burning for a shot at a Stanley Cup with new coach Mike Babcock, is a man on a mission already. He’s got 9 points through three games. Evan Bouchard is another Oiler who’s lighting it up – his 8 points is pretty crazy for a defenseman. Bouchard’s anytime goalscorer odds are at +270 but consider regression before going for Bouchard here. It’s a pace that he can’t keep up, and this is a tighter divisional game all around.
Instead, consider Becket Sennecke at +200. A solid number for a player who’s coming off 23 goals in his rookie year and is getting second-line minutes – the Oilers’ D will be focused on shutting top the Ducks’ top line of Greer, Carlson, and Gauthier.
Edmonton has 19 goals over their first 3 games, but two of those were against the Vancouver Canucks. They came back to earth in a 3-1 win over Seattle last weekend and in divisional games. This one looks like an easy Over at 6.5, with so much firepower on the ice on both sides, but divisional games (except against Vancouver) can go lower than expected. Especially with the Ducks’ penalty kill (6-for-7) shutting teams down.
Edmonton at San Jose
We’re double-dipping on the Oilers this week because of Saturday’s matchup between them and San Jose. More specifically, McDavid vs. Celebrini.
The Sharks’ phenom is essentially the next man up when it comes to legendary NHL scorers, so this game is must-see TV.
His team is loaded too, with players like Ivar Stenberg, Mason Marchment, and Kiefer Sherwood. They haven’t quite hit their stride yet – they got blanked 5-0 by Dallas earlier in the week – but this game against McJesus will have them fired up. Expect big action on the Over, especially with both teams not especially strong in nets. And take your pick from the above players for anytime goalscorers – this one could get wild.