Both of our picks went into extra time last night, but Kassian and Cory Schneider came through for us in the Canucks game for a break even night. I’m glad now I chose the moneyline in that game rather than the puck line which I was strongly considering. Tonight there are 10 games in action so plenty to choose from!
Season Record To Date: 9-2 for +7.70 units.
New York Islanders @ Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs played last night, earning a big win over a strong Penguins team by a score of 5-2. The Pens didn’t play as well as they can though with some home opener jitters possibly hurting their efforts. The Maple Leafs also lost Joffrey Lupul for an indefinite amount of time after he was hit in the arm with a Dion Phaneuf slap shot resulting in a fracture. JVR did finally get going last night with two goals and an assist and it is safe to say he is probably out of Carlyle’s doghouse now.
All of that said though the Leafs are playing in back to back nights and are going back to Scrivens who has been shaky, but able to make most saves in his first two starts this season. The Islanders will be fresh, having not played since Monday and I expect a good effort out of them. I think the Leafs win last night moved the odds a little bit making them the favorites in this one, when they should be the dogs. I don’t expect another strong effort from the Leafs tonight.
Play: Islanders -105 (SportsInteraction.com)
Buffalo Sabres @ Carolina Hurricanes
The Sabres have looked solid so far this year and have 2 wins out of the gate. The Hurricanes have looked lost, and it seems like it may take some more time for the team to find the chemistry that they need to compete as a decent team in the NHL. Enroth gets the start in goal for the Sabres, which is likely the only reason they are dogs in this game. I’m a little worried about taking the Sabres without Miller in goal, but I still think there is value here against a Hurricanes team lacking confidence.
Play: Sabres +105 (5Dimes.eu)
Chicago Blackhawks @ Dallas Stars
I’ve always thought the Blackhawks have the lineup to be the best league in the NHL (check my Cup picks from basically every year) and early in the season they are showing it. Patty Kane had said he was as focused to start this season as he has ever been and he has showed it. Hossa has also been one of the ageless wonders of the league (even though he is only 33). The Stars have an OK team, but they will be outclassed in this one. The tenders are unconfirmed at the moment, but you have to think the Blackhawks will stick with Crawford to continue to build his confidence as he has been playing quite well this season. I like the Blackhawks as the slightest of favourites in this one.
Play: Blackhawks -115 (5Dimes.eu)
LA Kings @ Edmonton Oilers
The Kings have looked like they continued the Stanley Cup party right through until January. I thought about taking the Oilers in this one as home dogs, but I have trouble taking an unproven team that gives up goals in bunches like the Oilers do. So I found an even better bet. The Kings haven’t been their stingy defensive selves yet this season having given up 8 goals in 2 games. The Oilers have also given up 8 and have also shown the ability to score with their young stars up front. I don’t expect either team to fully figure out their defensive systems yet for this game, and I think the offense will be flowing. The over/under is set at 5, which is likely based on the Kings reputation as a defensive squad. I love the over in this one.
Play: Over 5 -135 (SportsInteraction.com)
The Montreal Canadiens ruined my perfect record on the season with a strong effort to defeat the Florida Panthers 4-1 tonight. That said though it was still a profitable night as my other two picks came through leaving us with a 2-1 Tuesday night for +1.10 units. Things quiet down a bit tomorrow night with only four games on tap. I expect 4 games to be a very quiet night with this condensed schedule and I’m not disappointed in that in the least.
Season Record To Date: 8-1 for +7.70 units.
Boston Bruins @ New York Rangers
The Bruins have come out of the gate strong with 2 wins to start the season. The Rangers on the other hand haven’t really figured things out and are 0-2 off the bat. That being said the Rangers have played two very strong opponents in the Penguins and the Bruins. Yup that’s right the Bruins already beat the Rangers 3-1 this year on opening night. This time the game is in New York, but I expect the outcome to be the same as the Bruins thoroughly outplayed the Rangers in that one. Rask has been on fire and I expect him between the pipes in this one.
Play: Bruins +110 (SportsInteraction.com)
Calgary Flames @ Vancouver Canucks
The Flames are quite simply one of the worst teams in the league and they should get used to be in the basement in the Western Conference. They Canucks also lost their first two games of the season, although they did pull out a point in their shootout loss to the Oilers, but this team should still be one of the best in the league. They are home for their 3rd straight game and they know they have to find a way to win this one to avoid falling behind early in the West. I expect a strong showing from the Canucks and a decisive victory. I kind of like the puck line in this game as well, but I’m going to stick with a moneyline prediction.
Play: Canucks -160 (Bet365.com)
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Everything went to plan last night in the NHL. 3 more picks and 3 more winners! The Blues game was a little closer than I had hoped, but we squeaked out a shootout victory. I like getting my record going strong early in the season because it gives me more units to work with when I find very sharp bets. These are the type of bets that I send out via email. So be sure to join the mailing list (sign up form at top right of homepage).
Season Record To Date: 6-0 for +6.20 units.
Florida Panthers @ Montreal Canadiens
The Panthers didn’t look good against the Senators tonight, but the Sens are under appreciated in the league, while I am considering the Habs one of the worst teams in the league at this time. They will have had a few days rest, which could help them, but I still see them as underdogs in this one so I really like the odds for the Cats. It’s still early in the season and I don’t think playing back to back games will wear down the players too much. They also need a bounce back game and the Habs may be just the answer.
Play: Panthers +135 (SportsInteraction.com)
Nashville Predators @ Minnesota Wild
The Wild have two wins under their belts with Parise and Suter, but I’m still not convinced. Colorado and Dallas aren’t exactly top quality teams to test a new lineup against. I’m not saying the Preds, who are 0-2 are much better, but they have been a playoff team for several years, which will give the Wild a better measuring stick. I don’t think they will match up as well as they had hoped. I expect the Preds, who battled it out losing in a shootout to the Blues tonight, will have a strong game against the Wild, which should lower some expectations for this Minnesota team heading forward.
Play: Predators +110 (Bet365.com)
San Jose Sharks @ Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers aren’t that good. They did find a way to beat the Canucks the other night, but both goals should have been stopped and the Canucks have started the season slow. The Sharks played a strong game against the Flames the other night and they will continue to ease their way into the season with this match-up against the Oil.
Play: Sharks -115 (Bet365.com)
Another 3 picks, and hopefully another 3 wins! On a side note the Sens had another strong game last night and are now sitting in first in the league! I’m a Sens fan so wanted to point that out :).
We started the season off 3 for 3 on Saturday night with big wins by the Sens, Blues and Rangers. None of these games were even close and these wins have brought my season record to 3-0 for +3.15 units! I celebrated the big wins on Saturday, which resulted in me not making picks yesterday. But today I’m back with some more winners.
St. Louis Blues @ Nashville Predators
The Blues looked absolutely dominant in their 6-0 win over the Red Wings on Saturday. The Preds lost their home opener on the same night in a shootout to a Blue Jackets team that was projected to once again finish last in the league. The Blues are just too good and it looks like they haven’t missed a beat from last year if Saturday’s game was any indication. I like the Blues to find another way to win a big divisional game tonight.
Play: Blues -112 (5Dimes.eu)
Buffalo Sabres @ Toronto Maple Leafs
Vanek went off yesterday with 2 goals and 3 assists in a 5-2 win over the Flyers in Buffalo. Tonight they head to Toronto for the Maple Leafs home opener at the ACC. At this point in the season I don’t think the back to back game with an hour flight will do much to hard the Sabres chances in this one. The Maple Leafs didn’t look horrible against the Habs in their win on Saturday, but that was a battle between two of the weakest teams in the league. The Sabres look like they could be a legitimate playoff contender this season and I expect them to start the season 2-0 and not let the Leafs get off to that fast start.
Play: Sabres +105 (5Dimes.eu)
Anaheim Ducks @ Calgary Flames
The Ducks lit up the powerhouse Canucks on Saturday. The Flames on the other hand gave up a one goal lead to lose to the Sharks 4-1. I really don’t like the Flames this year and I will be fading them often. The Ducks on the other hand have the firepower up front to be a solid team. With stars like they have it is easier to fill in the depth roles and I expect them to be a playoff bubble team this year. They will start the season off 2-0 with a big win in Calgary tonight though.
Play: Ducks -110 (Bet365.com)
So there are 3 more picks for tonight’s games. Another clean sweep would be very nice to start off the season 6-0! Check NHL.com to keep up with the scores tonight.
The NHL is finally back for the 2012-13 season. The lockout is behind us, the short training camps have finished and we get right into meaningful hockey with every point huge in this shortened season. The NHL kicks off with a big Saturday, with 13 games on tap and 26 teams in action.
I will be adding daily posts with my free NHL picks throughout the season, so bookmaker the website and follow along.
Let’s get off to a winning start right off the bat and build throughout the season.
Ottawa Senators @ Winnipeg Jets
You will probably see me backing the Senators a lot this season because I feel they are undervalued by the bookmakers. Just check out my playoff prop or over/under point prop articles to see just how undervalued they are. The Senators are a much better team than the Winnipeg Jets and I don’t see the road trip being that much of a problem at this point in the season. The Sens have a fairly easy start to the season in terms of competition so they know getting a good start out of the gate will be crucial if they are going to return to the playoffs.
Play: Senators +115 (Bookmaker.eu)
New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins
The Rangers are Bruins are two of the top 4 teams in the East (Flyers and Pens are the other two and they are also battling it out tomorrow) so I expect this to be a dog fight. I’m giving the edge to the Bruins because they won’t be trying to find chemistry on their top lines, it will already be there as the team is almost identical to last years except for Rask in net. The Nash line may have some trouble tomorrow, especially against a defence that boasts Zdeno Chara, the best shut down d-man in the league.
Play: Bruins -125 (Bet365.com)
Detroit Red Wings @ St. Louis Blues
This is a battle between the old and the new of the central division. The Blues were no fluke last year and I expect them to come out of the gate flying. The Red Wings will miss Lidstrom even more than many people are predicting. The Blues are decent favorites in this game and rightfully so. I think they wear down the Wings, many of who may not be game fit, in this one.
Play: Blues -130 (Bet365.com)
Written by: Niko de Jonge
Do you think you have a pretty good idea of which teams will be in the playoffs this year and which teams will be on the outside looking in? This knowledge could make you a lot of money if you place some NHL team prop bets today. Online sportsbook, Bodog.ca (Bovada.lv for Americans), has odds for each team to make or miss the playoffs this season. I’m going to be looking at some of the odds below and making my picks, but for the complete list with all of the odds you should visit Bodog.ca.
Ottawa Senators – Yes (+235) or No (-295)
These odds have moved in favour of the Sens making the playoffs over the past couple of days, as the Sens were +300 to make the playoffs not too long ago. That said I still like the Senators to make the playoffs at these odds. They proved everyone wrong and finished 8th in the East last season and this year I’m expecting them to have a similar showing and finishing in the 7th or 8th range. A team with Spezza and Karlsson, two top NHL players, will always have a legit shot. NHL.com also has the Sens slotted into the 16th spot in the power rankings to start the season, and that is with some question marks on the back end. I see this is a great bet to take the Sens here.
Play: Senators Make Playoffs +235
Calgary Flames – Yes (+275) or No (-350)
I don’t see any way the Flames squeak into the playoffs this year. The roster is getting older and slower, which won’t translate well into a condensed season. This is an easy no as I think the Flames could be bottom 2 or 3 in the West.
Play: Flames DO NOT Make Playoffs -350
Edmonton Oilers – Yes (-125) or No (-105)
The Oilers finished 29th last season after finishing last in the league the previous two seasons. Sure this means they have a good young team with a lot of top propsects up front, but it also means they haven’t shown they can win at the NHL level yet. They will score a lot of goals, but they will also get lit up. When seeing that the Barons were barely in the playoffs in the AHL with Eberle, Hall, Nugent-Hopkins and Schultz it makes you wonder if the Oilers young players win games or just put up points.
Play: Oilers DO NOT Make Playoffs -105
Minnesota Wild – Yes (-250) or No (+195)
The Wild were one of the worst teams in the league last year and I don’t want to automatically think they will turn it around and be a contender because they added Parise and Suter. I have to see it on the ice. These players will help them at both ends of the ice, but 2 players don’t make a team and the Wild have no depth.
Play: Wild DO NOT Make Playoffs +195
Montreal Canadiens – Yes (+185) or No (-225)
The Habs gave up Gomez, who isn’t good, but is good enough to make this team. They also don’t have Subban yet who is holding out for a contract. The team just screams tank. They finished last in the East last year and I see a similar fate this time around.
Play: Canadiens DO NOT Make Playoffs -225
San Jose Sharks – Yes (-165) or No (+135)
The Sharks had a bit of a bad year last year finishing 7th in the Conference. That said they still have all of the pieces on the team to be one of the best in the league. I think people are dismissing the Sharks too quickly this year and I expect them to win the tough Pacific Division in the regular season.
Play: Sharks Make Playoffs -165
To see all of the making playoffs odds head over to Bodog.ca now. You might only have today to place these bets.
In this shortened 48 game season you can expect a lot more tight playoff races in the last 10 games of the season and every point counts almost double to what it does in a regular season. This factors into the over/under points predictions I have listed below and also into the over/under odds. The highest over/under point total from Bodog is 61.5 points for the Pittsburgh Penguins, while the lowest is 47.5 points for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Every other team is somewhere in the middle which shows just how close this season could play out.
As mentioned before Bodog.ca is the sportsbook providing these odds. If you are an American you can check out Bovada.lv, the sister site of Bodog.
I’m going to go through some of the over/under point props that I feel strongly about. If you want to see the entire list of odds you should visit Bodog.ca.
Over/Under Points Odds and Predictions
Minnesota Wild – 54.5 points
The Wild had the two big off season acquisitions when they signed Parise and Suter. They will also be adding Granlund to help with their top 6. Minnesota now has a decent top 6 forwards with Koivu, Parise, Heatley, Granlund, Setoguchi and Bouchard likely filling in those roles. They bolstered their D with Suter and have Backstrom in goal. On paper this looks like a solid team. But don’t be so quick to jump on the Wild bandwagon. They were the worst team in the second half of last season and bringing in a couple stars, although obviously a good move, might not make them the contender that is expected. They have no depth and in a shortened season they need their 3rd and 4th lines to produce some offense, which just won’t happen. Prorated over 82 games the Wild are projected to get 93 points by this over/under. I’m taking the under on that all day.
Play: Under 54.5 points
Montreal Canadiens – 53.5 points
This one is probably the most ridiculous over/under I see at the site. The Habs have already sent Gomez home and will have to pencil in a weaker player for their third line center this year. This screams giving up to me. Prorated over the 82 games they are projected for 91 points here. Last season they put up 78 and I don’t see how they have improved. This one is easy.
Play: Under 53.5 points
Ottawa Senators – 52.5 points
When I saw the Sens with a lower over/under for points than the Habs I was pretty shocked. The Senators did make a lot of changes to their lineup from last year. They are now without Foligno who they traded for Marc Methot. They lost Kuba to free agency and now Cowen to a season ending injury. Up front though they brought in Latendresse and Silfverberg is expected to slot in on the top line. The one issue is defence, but if they can bring someone in to fill Cowen’s void they should be fine. A team with Karlsson and Spezza on it should already be given the benefit of the doubt.
Play: Over 52.5 points
Toronto Maple Leafs – 53.5 points
The Leafs are another mystery here. That is 91 points over an 82 game season and they don’t look any better to me than last year. Hiring Carlyle and firing Wilson was a very good move, but enough to get them to 54 points? I don’t think so. They had 80 points last year and had a horrible second half of the season. This is expecting a lot of a poor team.
Play: Under 53.5 points
Washington Capitals – 54.5 points
The Caps had their worst regular season in a very long time last year, registering only 92 points. The 54.5 points projected here equals out to 93 points over an 82 game season. The Caps did lose Alex Semin, but Mike Ribeiro has joined the team and Adam Oates as the coach should give the talented players more room to work this season. Their roster really isn’t that impressive, but they did fairly well in the playoffs last year and this team expects to win. I like them to win the division again and beat this point total.
Play: Over 54.5 points
TSN.ca has some great NHL previews available for each team that will help you see how they have changed over the past year. Check that out and then visit Bodog.ca (Bovada.lv for Americans) to bet on these NHL props.
With the NHL season under a week away from beginning it is time now to get your NHL futures bets placed for this short 48 game season. This includes betting on the regular season winner of each of the 6 divisions. Bodog.ca, which is a very good NHL sportsbook for Canadians (Bovada.lv for Americans) has division winner odds available for their bettors. You can find these odds for yourself by visiting Bodog.ca and clicking on ‘Hockey Futures’ under ‘Hockey’ in the left sidebar of the sportsbook.
This post will look at the odds for each division and offer my prediction on the best bet for each division. Let’s get started!
Atlantic Division
- New York Rangers +190
- Pittsburgh Penguins +210
- Philadelphia Flyers +250
- New Jersey Devils +600
- New York Islanders +1600
This division has three solid teams who each could conceivably win the division in this shortened season. That said the Penguins are the best bet at these odds. The Pens are completely healthy at the moment, which they weren’t for much of last season, and they only finished 1 point behind the Rangers last year. This year the Rangers have a little bit of a different look and it could take them some time to hit their stride. The Flyers have a bit of a question mark in goal and for these two reasons I like a healthy Penguins squad at +210.
Play: Pittsburgh Penguins +210
Northeast Division
- Boston Bruins +100
- Buffalo Sabres +350
- Montreal Canadiens +550
- Ottawa Senators +600
- Toronto Maple Leafs +600
The Habs and Leafs have no chance whatsoever to win this division and the Sens and Sabres only have an outside shot. The Bruins finished 10 points ahead of the Senators last year for the division win and they should still be considered by far the best team in this division. They haven’t made many moves since last year and Seguin seems to have really hit his stride. If Rask can play reasonably well in net the Bruins will win the Northeast.
Play: Boston Bruins +100
Southeast Division
- Florida Panthers +450
- Washington Capitals +225
- Tampa Bay Lightning +300
- Winnipeg Jets +900
- Carolina Hurricanes +220
This division is a bit harder to call. The ‘Canes did add Jordan Staal and Alex Semin, which should help them, but who knows how long it will take them to find their groove with a new team. The Lightning have improved their D, but it’s still unlikely they win the division. I like the Caps at +225. Last year was the first in a long time they didn’t dominate the Southeast and this year I expect a bit of a bounce back with a new coach that will move back to a more offensive system. This is more of a lean though.
Lean: Washington Capitals +225
Central Division
- St. Louis Blues +200
- Nashville Predators +500
- Detroit Red Wings +325
- Chicago Blackhawks +150
- Columbus Blue Jackets +2500
This is the hardest division to call in my opinion. The Blackhawks are the best team, but they have some questions in goal and didn’t win the division in either of the last two years. I think the loss of Lidstrom and Suter will take both the Red Wings and Preds out of the running though. At +200 I have to go with the Blues. They have strong goaltending and a strong team throughout.
Lean: St. Louis Blues +200
Northwest Division
- Vancouver Canucks -110
- Calgary Flames +1200
- Colorado Avalanche +1200
- Minnesota Wild +325
- Edmonton Oilers +325
This for me is the most straight forward division like it is every year. The Canucks at -110 have great odds and they will win this division. The Wild get better odds than they should because of their offseason acquisitions of Suter and Parise. The Oilers are expected to somehow have a great year after finishing 30th, 30th and 29th in the past 3. I just don’t buy it. The Oklahoma Barons were just struggling for a playoff spot in the AHL with Eberle, Hall, Schultz and Nugent-Hopkins on the roster. The Oilers and Wild won’t make the playoffs, let alone win the division.
Play: Vancouver Canucks -110
Pacific Division
- Phoenix Coyotes +800
- San Jose Sharks +275
- Los Angeles Kings -125
- Dallas Stars +800
- Anaheim Ducks +800
It’s weird to see the Kings as the biggest favorites to win a division this year. They did win the Cup and came within 2 points of the division lead so I guess it’s not really that surprising. That said the smart money is on the Sharks. The Pacific was the Sharks division to lose for the last several years and they will be ready to get it back in this shortened season. People forget how strong the Sharks roster is because they disappointed last year. If Niemi can play well throughout the season the Sharks should win the Pacific.
Play: San Jose Sharks +275
Check back throughout the week for some more NHL futures odds and predictions for this 2013 NHL season!
If you are an NHL fan or even just haven’t been living under a rock then you will know by now that the NHL and NHLPA reached a tentative agreement on a new 10 year CBA. This means that the NHL will be back this year for a shortened 2012-13 season! The chances are the season will be 48 games long and begin on January 19th, but there is still a slight chance the NHL could squeeze in 50 games and begin on the 15th if everything wraps up quickly, but that is unlikely. So just a couple short weeks and the NHL will be back in action and just as importantly we here at NHL Betting Tips will be providing daily free picks just like the last couple of years.
Stanley Cup Winner Odds 2013
Bet365.com has their Stanley Cup winner odds available with the Penguins the favorites to win the Cup at +600. The New York Rangers are also being given a good shot (+750) after picking up Rick Nash to add to their already solid 1st in the East team. Then it’s the defending champion LA Kings, the always dangerous Vancouver Canucks and the talented Chicago Blackhawks at +1000 rounding out the 5 favorites.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have the longest odds at +20,000 which is more than double the New York Islanders who are at +8000. It’s somewhat surprising to see the Calgary Flames with the third longest odds to win the Cup this year when they only just missed the playoffs last season finishing in 9th in the East.
For the Canadian fans out there the Edmonton Oilers are much shorter than they probably should be at +2200, while the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs are each at +4000. I would take the Sens as the second best Canadian team at the moment, but that isn’t saying much about the chances of the Cup finding it’s way north of the border this season.
All of these odds are at Bet365, a great bookie for NHL betting. You can check out a variety of sportsbook reviews at http://www.bestsportsbookbonus.com/reviews/, which is a valuable page at BestSportsbookBonus.com.
Team USA Wins Gold
We were able to watch and bet on some meaningful hockey over the past two weeks with the World Junior Championships taking place and many NHL caliber players taking part. Team USA was able to defeat the Russians in the gold medal game by a score of 3-1 and bring home the fourth gold medal every for the United States U20 team. For anyone that was following our World Junior bets you will have been in for a payday as I took Team USA +450 before the tournament began and also in the gold medal game.
The gold medal game will be played tomorrow between the United States and Swedish junior squads. The USA lost two games in the group stage to both Canada and Russia, but they will be finishing the tournament ahead of both of these teams who will be playing in the bronze medal game earlier in the day. The Americans pretty much destroyed Team Canada winning 5-1 in their semi-final game to advance to the finals. The Swedes on the other hand went to a shootout with the Russians after blowing a 2 goal lead in the game, but they were able to score when they needed to in the shootout and now will have a chance to defend their gold medal from last year.
USA vs Sweden Gold Medal Game Prediction
The Americans are the favorites in this one and rightfully so after their strong showing against a Canadian team that was full of NHL caliber players. Here are the odds for the gold medal game:
From Bovada (for Americans)/Bodog (for Canadians)
USA -175
Sweden +135
USA -1.5 (+150)
Sweden +1.5 (-190)
Over/Under 6.5
5Dimes has slightly different odds:
USA -0.5 (+100)
Sweden +0.5 (-120)
Over/Under 6
The Americans should be too much for the Swedes in this game, especially if they are able to bring the same effort to the game as they did against Team Canada. Gibson has been amazing in goal and the Swedes, who are missing some of their star players, aren’t the team they could be and although they have won every game they haven’t been dominant. I like USA in this one and their odds are fairly good for either of the puck line odds or money line odds above.
Canada vs Russia Bronze Medal Game Prediction
I’m going to throw in a bronze medal prediction here as well. Team Canada has announced they will start Jordan Binnington in the Bronze Medal game and I think this is a smart move. He was the better of the two goaltenders leading up to the tournament and was stellar when called upon in the semi-final game. I like Canada to get things together and really bring it in this one, which leads me to believe a puckline bet is the smarter choice. You can get Canada at -1.5 (+130) at Bodog/Bovada and Canada at -1 (-115) at 5Dimes. Take either of these and expect a blowout.
Keep up to date with the tourney at the TSN World Juniors page.
