This article focuses on today’s five-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.
Make sure to stay tuned for additional announcements as we continue to add articles, videos and additional tools centered around our sports betting content. Make sure to follow our @AwesemoOdds twitter account for the latest NHL odds and other betting news. Do not forget to look at OddsShopper for updates.
Also, hopefully, you check out the various previews and the shows on Awesemo as well.
[SportsbookAffiliates]
NHL Betting Picks: Saturday Best Bets + Odds
The most surreal game on the slate
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets, 2:05 PM ET – At press time, Pierre-Luc Dubois was not traded. However, he will not play in this afternoon game against Tampa Bay. He played just 3:55 and was benched after a second period shift. That sealed his fate.
Despite that, Columbus responded with a solid effort only to lose in overtime on a goal from Brayden Point. Again, Tampa Bay’s top players stepped up after the Blue Jackets battled and scrapped their way to a point.
The morning money line hovered at -165 for the Lightning while the Blue Jackets side remained at +145 in the early going. Andrei Vasilevskiy is projected to start for Tampa Bay while Joonas Korpisalo is expected to start again for Columbus. The 3-2 final did not surprise many at all. The over/under expects to stay at 5.5.
Jon Cooper keeps getting the better of John Tortorella in these matchups. This is in spite of the fact that Columbus keeps fighting and scrapping. Columbus could keep this within a goal but again. Does a trade happen on Saturday before the game? That will have an effect. The longer one does not, the more questions will linger and cause a distraction.
If the total stays at 5.5, bet the under at even. Movement figures to be minimal even with the DuBois news. Lastly, if the Lightning money line drops even the slightest, pounce on it.
*The AwesemoOdds betting show airs on Fridays at 11:30 EDT. Go check it out for all your sports betting picks and much more.*
Game Against the Spread
Montreal vs Vancouver (Over 6.5) – Again, the over is at even which will surprise some. Consider that Montreal and Vancouver just combined for nine goals for a second. Now, Vancouver’s defense is depleted with three regulars missing including Travis Hamonic and Alex Edler. Vancouver has a good deal of offensive firepower with Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson. Both teams are a bit suspect defensively.
The Montreal Canadiens are a strong -145 to -150 road favorite with some books creeping to near -160. That latter number worries could be troubling. This Canadian division has featured some crazy results. With injuries mounting and offenses still head of defenses, betting on offense is a bit more prudent.
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 Toronto and Edmonton over was an illustration of that on Friday night. When the game was low scoring early, the live action numbers were even better on the over. Jumping on that resulted in a nice return when both teams picked up the pace. That may be something to look at one more time.
The St. Louis money line is still at -200 is just too much to versus Los Angeles. Also, the splits for the puckline this evening are not that appetizing currently. Maybe looking at St. Louis (-1.5/+130) is not too bad. The Blues are a team with a power play that is due to break out against a Los Angeles team which has taken a ton of penalties the past three games. Also, St. Louis is bound to snap out of its overall special teams’ funk.
More player props expect to be available later in the day but one to look at is Mike Hoffman scoring a goal anytime at +175. Another may just be Patrice Bergeron scoring a goal at +160 anytime.
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo content.
Check out the AwesemoOdds home page for more sports betting content, including more NHL odds, betting picks and predictions.
If you have any NHL questions, find me in the sports betting channel on the Awesemo.com premium Slack chat or @ChrisWasselDFS on twitter.
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.Â
