This article focuses on today’s 12-game NHL slate, going over the NHL odds and giving you a few potential NHL betting picks against the spread. Feel free to jump in our sports betting Slack channel for additional information and updates when it comes to tonight’s action.
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NHL Betting Picks: Saturday’s Best Bets + Odds
The most surreal game on the slate
New Jersey Devils vs Buffalo Sabres, 1:05 PM ET – At press time, Mackenzie Blackwood and Travis Zajac are expected to miss this game for New Jersey. Blackwood will miss tomorrow’s game as well and Zajac is not expected to play. For a team, that has defensive issues already, not having its best two-way center is a problem against Jack Eichel and Taylor Hall.
New Jersey compounds its problems by having one of the worst special teams’ percentages in the NHL at just 79.1%. This combines the power play (11.1% — 25th) and penalty kill (68% — 30th). It averages just 2.14 goals per game while yielding just 2.57.
Buffalo has its own issues while going just 1-2-1 at home. Linus Ullmark has been good in net but can be a bit of an adventure at times. He is better than Carter Hutton by default. Just watch to make sure Ullmark starts as projected. Jeff Skinner is still on the fourth line at even strength, and yet he may see some power-play time. Taylor Hall has been moved to the second line but will still be on the top power play unit which is ranked ninth in the league at 30%.
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Lindy Ruff goes home as he was a coach for many years in Buffalo. He knows the ins and outs but maybe not with this Buffalo squad. The over/under is currently at 5.5 but it depends on your books. This game could teeter close to six, which would make us more hesitant to bet the over. If it stays at 5.5, any number below -125 would be considered a decent play.
Currently, the moneyline is hovering for Buffalo around -150 to -155. If that number creeps to -160 or above, the value is just not there. New Jersey has lost two straight games and comes into Buffalo bleeding scoring chances allowed with a backup AHL-level goaltender in Scott Wedgewood. The key remains looking for value. However, the puckline remains risky with most of Buffalo’s games staying close so far this year. If the -1.5 puckline climbs to +175 or greater, then consider it. Otherwise, that becomes a hard pass.
The Buffalo moneyline looks to be the safest bet on this game.
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Game Against the Spread
Florida vs Detroit (Over 5.5) — Again, the over is at -130 at press time, which is surprising. This is why. Any oddsmaker offering 5.5 may be giving away free money. Most sites have this game at 6, and for good reason. Detroit is also a little better at home (2-2) and Florida plays sloppier on the road. Plus, these matchups have a history of featuring higher-than-expected shot and chance totals. These teams have combined for six or more goals in seven of their last 10 meetings.
The Florida Panthers are a strong -165 to -175 road favorite with some books creeping to near -180. That latter number worries could be troubling. These two teams often have deficient penalty kills, which lead to more goals. See who is starting for Florida. If it is Sergei Bobrovsky, things could turn intriguing quickly.
Check the Detroit moneyline and the over throughout the afternoon. If one can still find a 5.5, take it. If one finds Detroit still at +150 or better, consider it heavily.
Vancouver vs Winnipeg (Over 6.5) — So, Vancouver has seen 7-plus goals combined in their games every Saturday this year so far. Why expect anything different with a team that just allows and gets so many quality chances? Vancouver did defeat Ottawa twice during the week but this is not the Ottawa Senators. The Winnipeg Jets average four goals a game at home, while Vancouver yields 3.6 goals a contest overall.
There is a silver lining for scoring in this one, as Winnipeg’s one glaring weakness is the penalty kill. In the early going, they are 29th in the league at just 68.4%. Vancouver has some weapons on their man advantage including Bo Horvat, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. The Winnipeg Jets have one of the best top lines in hockey and are going up against a Vancouver team that yields a league worst 37.1 shots per night.
Vancouver is third worst in the league in high-danger scoring chances, too. It is the type of game where offense is almost expected. The North division has seen an average of nearly 6.9 goals per game this month. Expecting 7 or more is not too much of a stretch. It is why if that over 6.5 stays near even (-100 to -110), it is a worthy NHL betting pick. The Winnipeg number at -1.5 on the puckline may be enticing at +190 to +200 but not at any less.
Notable Score And Other Props
So, the over/under in several of tonight’s games are worth a look. Watch for several changes as some over/unders are on the bubble. This time of year is about knowing when to pounce and when to wait. It is a delicate game of cat and mouse. The Columbus and Chicago game under was an illustration of that on Friday night. When the game was low scoring early, the live action numbers were weirdly tilted on the under still. Jumping on that resulted in still a decent return despite betting on it a bit late.
The Calgary moneyline could be something to look at if it rises to +120 or above but it was only around +110 to +115 at press time. Maybe the team meeting has scared some or Montreal’s hot start is leading to some tepid betting. For some anytime goal scoring props, Jack Hughes (+309), Taylor Hall (+175) and even Jack Eichel (+450) are strong candidates this afternoon. Yes, Eichel is at +450 NHL odds. It is not a misprint.
More player props expect to be available later in the day but among shot totals again look towards some Winnipeg players tonight against Vancouver for starters. Good luck.
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We will be here as many as a few times a week as the slates warrant. There will also be picks in the slack chat and on social media.
