Edmonton and Minnesota have the stars in action in a week that offers plenty of games that could turn into track meets
The biggest stars in the NHL are starting to separate from the pack. NHL betting fans might want to look elsewhere though.
Your NHL picks could find a better edge with some live underdogs and secondary scoring types, while the big dogs have already been priced tightly for anytime goalscorer props.
McDavid, MacKinnon, Kaprizov and Celebrini are all in action Tuesday night and the Overs could be in trouble when you’re looking for NHL odds to capitalize on their breakouts.
San Jose at Montreal
This Sharks-Canadiens matchup could be the battle of the blue-chippers. Or it would be, if Montreal’s Ivan Demidov was healthy, but he’s still sidelined.
Still, with Macklin Celebrini, Ivar Stenberg, and Michael Misa for the Sharks and Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, and Jacob Fowler for the Canadiens, this is a preview of the next decade of NHL Award winners that everyone will be talking about.
Right off the bat, we’re looking at the Over for this one. Both teams can score in bunches. Celebrini racked up 115 points last season, Caufield bagged 51 goals, and San Jose was 30th in the NHL in goals allowed last year. They’ve improved to 23rd spot this year, still nothing to write home about.
For anytime goalscorers with solid value, start with Montreal’s Zach Bolduc. Caufield’s odds are too sharp for a great payout, but Bolduc is still flying under the radar. He’s stepped up production already this year compared to last season, and he’s getting more PP minutes recently too.
Minnesota at Edmonton
Ok, talk about blue-chippers. Step aside, Montreal and San Jose.
Minnesota’s Kiril Kaprizov and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid are featured in tonight’s Wild vs. Oilers battle, two heavyweights when it comes to elite scoring.
McDavid leads the NHL with 23 points while Kaprizov is the league’s leading goalscorer with 10.
The real story for this early stage of the NHL season is the job Mike Babcock is doing with the Oilers, leading them to a 6-1-1 record after the world’s worst hiring process this summer. With the Wild at 6-2-1, this one will be a high-flying game that should lean towards the Over too.
While goalscoring for both Kaprizov and McDavid are the obvious bets, there’s not much juice left in either player’s number. This means you need to look at other props. McDavid’s total assists prop is O/U 1.5, and in a game where he’s going to step up just to show Kaprizov who the NHL’s top dog is, there’s no reason to think McJesus will bag at least two assists.
Minnesota is a live ‘dog overall though. At +120, with their firepower and early season form, give them a look. They’re also 8-0-0 against teams from the Pacific in their last eight games.
Colorado at New Jersey
The Avalanche are struggling to break out of their early-season mediocrity, and the Devils could be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Avs have lost 4 games on their way to a 3-3-1 record. Each of those L’s produced 3 goals or less. This is for the highest-scoring team in the NHL last season. Positive regression is what you’re betting on here.
Same with their power-play props. Since Game 2 this season, they’re a sad 2-26. With Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas in your lineup and on the PP, this number can only go up.
Why are the Devils a prime candidate for an Avalanche avalanche? New Jersey has given up 4 goals or more in five of their eight games so far this season. Colorado (and MacKinnon especially) also seems to have their number. They’ve bagged 23 goals in four wins against the Devils in recent years, with the captain getting five of them.
Florida at Pittsburgh
This Thursday night matchup features a Panthers team that’s heating up against a Penguins squad that’s doing the opposite.
Sidney Crosby’s team had lost 4 straight heading into the early part of this week. Only one one-goal game among those losses too. So they’re running into one of the worst teams to try and get their groove back.
Florida’s newest pick-up Brady Tkachuk managed two natural hat tricks in the past week. His brother Matthew leads the team with 14 points already. Carter Verhaege scored his own natty hatty too. And the Panthers were on a 3-game win streak heading into Tuesday, including an 8-3 win and another by a score of 7-3.
In short, Florida is on a roll and they’re not even peaking yet. If you want to take the Penguins as a serious underdog, you’re banking on a tired Panthers side. Florida will be heading to Pittsburgh for the second leg of a back-to-back. The first leg could be an intense one too – an Atlantic battle and a very hostile crowd for Brady’s first visit to the team he demanded a trade from.