Written by Graeme on Saturday, December 18th, 2021
Follow @BetNHL
Hi guys,
It was a 1-0 night with the NHL Betting Tips as the St. Louis Blues duly delivered with a win over the Dallas Stars.
We dodged a bit of a bullet with the Arizona Coyotes. That was one where if we backed them we would have to take them -1.5 and I must admit it was slightly tempting.
If I had more time yesterday it’s possible I may have looked at more data and talked myself into it. Thankfully that was not the case!
It’s a shortened Saturday due to our good ol friend COVID so let’s see what we got:
Hurricanes vs Kings:
The Canes are starting to get the results going again. Now they are going up against a high flying Kings team.
At 2.45 odds with the way the Kings are playing, I think they have a good shot here. The Canes are without a lot of players.
I see no harm in taking the Kings. They’ve had some solid road results lately. They’ve got a couple of injuries and Doughty is out which isn’t great news.
If we look at the last 10 on the advanced metrics, the Hurricanes are certainly performing better. Home advantage isn’t a big deal here as the Flyers and Senators have came here and got wins.
It feels a bit like rolling the dice, but happy to go with Kings Draw No Bet. OT results make me feel it’s not worth backing that here.
Canada: 2.38 Odds at Casumo
USA: No draw no bet odds but you can take the extra risk with OT at +146 at BetOnline..
Everyone Else: 2.38 Odds at Casumo
(Odds correct as of 2021/12/18 8:56:57 AM EST but are subject to change.)
Flyers vs Senators:
Since ending their unbeaten streak, the Flyers have been given a new breath of life with some solid results. The Senators however have also been performing extremely well lately.
It’s hard to back a team that has the injuries and COVID protocol players such as the Flyers but you do feel they have the momentum here.
My strongest lean of this one would be the over but at 6 goals, I don’t like it enough. Both teams though will look at this being a winnable game and coming in motivated I expect.
Cancucks vs Leafs:
That’s a typo but I’m keeping it.
Canucks come in on a roll. Performing great. Love to see it. Leafs have had a few shaky results lately. Not getting the same warning vibes off them though as I did with the Canes or currently the Rangers.
The odds seem fair. If I was looking to back the Canucks would have to be 2.30 plus here. But then we have the ol COVID factor and yeah I’m fine just skipping.
Stars vs Blackhawks:
Stars struggling on a B2B. Hawks also on a B2B. The price of 2.65 on the Blackhawks is very tempting I have to say. My gut says that Stars right the ship tonight though. I don’t have enough faith to bet them though and my head says the +EV play is the Blackhawks. Conflicted and no bet – but I’d say if you enjoy a good gamble / value bet, chuck something on the Hawks.
Red Wings vs Devils:
Oof. I mean on paper Red Wings win but I ain’t backing them at 1.74 odds. Nothing here.
Kraken vs Oilers:
The Oilers missing list is brutal and Duncan Keith being added to the list is huge for them.
I feel like the Kraken are a good bet here thinking back to late November and their performances then. But then you look at their last 6 games and it’s like – ugh.
Then you have the Oilers finally getting a W. Will that help them turn the corner and build on that? They’ve been all over the place.
At about 2.00 odds I just don’t have the faith in the Kraken enough here. I think if it was 2.15 I’d be advising it – 2.25 100%. However I’d pay attention to Oilers news today – if COVID affects any more of them, it may be worth the bet.
Grubauer might not be in tonight but man that doesn’t really matter with the Kraken does it? Not like either goalie really stepping up.
This is one where I will likely regret not advising it but it still feels like a fair bit of a gamble.
For teams without a list of regular players, AHL or replacement players will not have time to fully adopt team or linemate playing plans, so it means “breaking pattern” a little or a lot. What that means remains to be seen.
Today:
Full game UNDER 6: LA/Carolina
Full game OVER 5.0: Leafs/Canucks
To WIN Moneyline: Oilers
Tie in Regulation: Detroit
Stay healthy, folks!
(note: I didn’t put bold font on this post!)
Oilers win
Canes win
Stars win
Senators Flyers over 5
GL!