This article focuses on the afternoon games. We go over the NHL betting odds and giving you a few potential NHL betting picks against the spread for the early games today and a quick spotlight on the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers. 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 Washington-New Jersey Game (Jersey penalty kill is awful)
Washington Capitals vs. New Jersey Devils – Washington and New Jersey games often feature is goals. Now, what was strange was how fast New Jersey came back against Buffalo on Thursday night, then blow the lead predictably only to win in overtime. That was totally the way it was supposed to go. Right?
Anyway, throw the records out the window when these two meet. Or do you? How much can MacKenzie Blackwood hold down the fort for the Devils? That is the question. The Capitals’ offense goes full tilt and has to be reckoned against. Given New Jersey’s problems defending, even at five on five, the Capitals should be able to generate chances at will.
The only good news is that New Jersey can attack Washington the same way. It sets up for a fun matchup between two teams that have an intense rivalry of sorts.
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New Jersey’s offense is more than capable of scoring 3-plus goals in a game, but so is Washington’s. New Jersey carries an ace in the hole known as its penalty kill. There is bad, and then there is 58.3%-on-the-season bad. At five or 10 games, this represents a trend. At 15 games, one begins to wonder.
Currently, the puckline for Washington and New Jersey are something not recommended. There is little or no value and would be negative money to bet here. However, that Capitals moneyline is dangling around -135. That is not terrible. If one wants to be contrarian, the +120 for New Jersey is not horrible either.
The over/under looks to be best value in this game. The over of six is at -115 and relatively steady. That may only be an option if it stays around that number. There is also an over/under at 6.5. This is a bit surprising but hey, it is a low number being dangled from an NHL betting perspective. Let’s take the bait one more time.
The over at 6 is the plan for now until more information given the expected err projected goaltenders.
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The Jack Eichel Game?
Philadelphia Flyers vs Buffalo Sabres (over 5.5) — Again, the total here is at EVEN, which is surprising for this game. Philadelphia and Buffalo tend to score some goals, and even without Jack Eichel, Philadelphia’s penalty kill and defense can be just as vulnerable as Buffalo’s.
The only wrinkle and problem is how Carter Hart may play. Linus Ullmark is out for the weekend due to injury and Jack Eichel is day to day currently.
The numbers are intriguing as Buffalo ranks number one on the power play with Philadelphia 29th on the penalty kill. The Flyers have the best shooting percentage in the league at 14.2% while the Flyers also allow the third-most shots in the league. Furthermore, the Flyers allow 3.25 goals per game, while Buffalo is approaching three goals yielded per contest.
Take the risk with the over here, as it is expected to stay at 5.5. The ideal betting range is around EVEN to -110. If that strays, then do not bet it. The puckline stands at a number, which is pretty tough for Buffalo but around +190 for Philadelphia. Philadelphia won easily in the last matchup by three goals. This may be a bit closer but Philadelphia and Buffalo both needs to right their ships. Count on goals and maybe an empty-netter late.
Notable Score And Other NHL Betting Picks
The night-game pucklines do not look very appealing at this time. It might be best to wait for numbers to move a bit more. Shot props are interesting today so here are a few to consider.
- Kyle Palmieri (over 2.5)
- James van Riemsdyk (over 2.5)
- Brady Tkachuk (over 3.5) / Mathew Tkachuk (Over 2.5). — a brother’s parlay perhaps?
- Filip Forsberg (over 2.5)
There will be some more picks on social medias as always. Look to Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Jack Hughes, or Kyle Palmieri for anytime goal picks. Odds will fluctuate a bit on these four so try to lock in closer to game time which is 1pm ET.
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