The Oilers came through for us in the third period last night against the Predators to continue the hot streak and bring my to date season record to (8-9) for -1.72 units. Almost back to the break even point after a rough start at the beginning of the season. I have more to go on now and plan to continue the winning ways into tonight’s games.
Dallas Stars @ Columbus Blue Jackets
The Stars have started the season off brilliantly going 4-1-0 through their first 5 games. That being said each of these wins have been at home with their sole loss on the road. Columbus on the other hand is still looking for their first win after losing 5 straight. The Stars are playing over their heads to this point in the season, while the Blue Jackets are under achieving massively. Tonight the Stars are favoured, but the Blue Jackets should get in the win column for the first time this season. It’s Kari Lehtonen vs Steve Mason in goal.
Play: Columbus Blue Jackets +108
Philadelphia Flyers @ Ottawa Senators
The Flyers have looked very good this season going 3-0-1 to start off. On the other side of the coin the Sens are only 1-4-0 to begin with their sole win coming in overtime. The Senators played very well in Washington on Saturday and a disallowed goal (which was a very weak call) could have been the difference in that game. I expect the Senators to continue to press tonight and with these odds I couldn’t pass up taking them (other bookies have odds closer to +145 – +150).
Play: Ottawa Senators +165
Edmonton Oilers @ Calgary Flames
The Oilers came up big last night against the Predators to earn me a big win in my lone play last night and tonight I will ask them to do the same. This year the Oilers should be a better team than the Flames and this early in the season, with such a young group of players I don’t think the back to back games should be too big of an issue. Dubnyk is back in net tonight and after Khabibulin’s two strong starts he will have to be ready to show what he can do to keep the Oilers “starting goaltender” job. This is another line that is just too good with other bookies having the Oilers at +140.
Play: Edmonton Oilers +165
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Written by: Niko de Jonge
Saturday was a decent day for me, going 2-1 on all underdogs for a +1.85 unit day, bringing the season total for predictions to (7-9) for -2.84 units. Let’s keep the profits rolling into today.
Nashville Predators @ Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers are (1-1-1) on the season, but they have looked much better than the Oilers of old and I expect them to be in the thick of the playoff race come March and April. One team that they are going to have to beat if they hope to make the playoffs is the Preds. Nashville has had a solid start to the season with Rinne playing well in net, but the Preds just don’t have the top line strength to score goals in bunches this season. Nugent-Hopkins is coming off his first hat trick of his young career and that line of Hall – Nugent Hopkins – Eberle looks dangerous at all times. Khabibulin is back in net for the Oilers and I expect another strong game from him, as he attempts to prove his worth and show that he should still be the teams number 1 goaltender.
Play: Edmonton Oilers +112
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Written by: Niko de Jonge
After a post expressing how the Sharks would have no trouble scoring, Jonas Hiller stands on his head and the Ducks eek out a 1-0 victory. Things aren’t going to great, but it’s Saturday and there are plenty of games to choose from to turn this early season slump around. As of right now my record stands at (5-8) for -4.69 units.
Ottawa Senators @ Washington Capitals
The Sens are coming off a huge 7-1 embarrassment to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday and they now head into Washington to play one of the top teams in the league. The Senators have every reason to be motivated in this one and the goaltender change should help them as Anderson hasn’t been playing well this season and Auld is a solid backup that should have a good game tonight. The Senators are definitely underdogs and more times than not they will lose this game, but I still think there is value in the +215 line. The Sens have the talent to pull off this upset, they just have to keep the Caps to under 3 goals tonight.
Play: Ottawa Senators +215
Los Angeles Kings @ Philadelphia Flyers
Mike Richards heads back to Philly tonight to play the Flyers. The odds for this game were interesting with most bookies having the Kings at just +120. This game could really go either way. Both of these teams have a lot of talent on their top lines and each have elite d-men on the back end. The Flyers may have a slight edge in goal, but there is definitely value in this line for the Kings.
Play: LA Kings +130
**Sports Interaction is where you can find the +130 odds for this game. If you are new to Sports Interaction, signing up through a link on this site earns you a special 100% up to $125 bonus. Don’t enter a Sports Interaction refer-a-friend code when signing up though.
St. Louis Blues @ San Jose Sharks
The Blues are better than they are being given credit. Expect them to be in the thick of the playoff race at the end of the season. Here is another underdog line that is just too good to pass up. The Sharks are playing the second of back-to-back games and they will be frustrated after not scoring a goal last night against Anaheim. The Blues could win this game just as easy as the Sharks, which is why this line is so sharp. Here is another line where most bookies have the Blues at +145. I’m starting to realize that if you enjoy betting on underdogs, SportsInteraction.com is often the best bookie online.
Play: St. Louis Blues +155
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Written by: Niko de Jonge
Last night was an up and down night. I hit 2 of my 4 plays, but because all of the plays were slight favourites I ended up down 0.58 units, bringing the early season record to (5-7) for -3.43 units. There are only 2 games tonight, but I really like one of the lines. I’m not quite ready to make a “big play” just yet though, especially when I’m not on a hot streak.
San Jose Sharks @ Anaheim Ducks
The Sharks are without Havlat again tonight, but they have shown throughout the season, and in their 1 regular season game thus far that scoring goals will not be a problem for them this season. On the other end of the spectrum the Ducks have only scored 3 goals in their 2 games this season. I expect the Sharks to have too much fire power tonight and to continue their winning ways to start the season against an inferior Ducks team.
Play: San Jose Sharks -126
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Written by: Niko de Jonge
The Blue Jackets dominated the first two periods, but were unable to get a lead against the Avs and Semyon Varlamov, who is making me feel like that trade between the Avs and Caps was less one-sided every day. In the 3rd the Blue Jackets scored an early goal, but that turned out to be their only shot of the period as the Avalanche showed some guts that I didn’t think they were capable of putting up 16 shots and scoring a goal to force OT. We all know what happened in the shootout and that’s 2.25 units lost bringing my yearly total to (3-5) for -2.85 units. There are plenty of games to choose from tonight so let’s find some sharp lines.
Colorado Avalanche @ Ottawa Senators
These are two teams that could have easily been at the 29th and 30th position of many experts power rankings to start the season. The Avs are playing a little bit over their heads with a 2-1-0 start after their comeback victory over the Blue Jackets last night, while the Senators earned a well deserved shootout win over the Wild on Tuesday after coming back from 3-1 down in the third to win a game that they dominated for the most part. Semyon Varlamov has been a big part of the Avs success so far, so it’s good for the Sens that he is being rested in favour of Giguere in this back-to-back situation. Expect the Senators to take full advantage of this goaltender change and the fact that the Avs should be tired following their intense 3rd period in Columbus where they outshot the Blue Jackets 16-1 in the final frame to get back into the game.
Play: Ottawa Senators -140
Tampa Bay Lightning @ New York Islanders
The Lightning are (1-1-1) but you can still tell from watching them play that this teams success last year was no joke. The Islanders are still a sub par team this line is just too good to not take the Lightning on Long Island.
Play: Tampa Bay Lightning -118
Washington Capitals @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Malkin is once again out and you have to wonder if the Penguins will be able to muster up enough offense to keep up with the high powered Caps who seem to once again be scoring in bunches circa Caps of 2009. The other Penguins can step up for a while when a star is out, but eventually everyone goes back to playing at their level and that level shouldn’t be high enough to beat the Caps.
Play: Washington Capitals -109
Vancouver Canucks @ Detroit Red Wings
The Canucks lost a tight one in Philadelphia last night and now they travel quickly to another top NHL team in Detroit. The Red Wings have won two games very convincingly to start off the season and they have had a long break between their last game (October 8th) and tonight. The Red Wings should take advantage of a tired Canucks team. It’s also good to note that it’s often possible to find sharp lines against the Canucks when they are facing other top teams because the Canucks have so many easy inter-division games that their stock rises naturally.
Play: Detroit Red Wings -129
**Note that the links with the plays lead to the online sportsbook with the best odds for that outcome.
To keep up with the games live, I use NHL.com. The software is much improved from previous years and the games update in real time.
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Written by: Niko de Jonge
The Penguins and Senators each came through for us last night giving ‘Home’ teams a 8-5 win and bringing our record for the season back to (3-3) for -0.6 units. Tonight let’s carry in our 3 win hot streak and try to get back on the positive side after our rough 0-3 start to the season.
Colorado Avalanche @ Columbus Blue Jackets
Colorado Avalanche +120 (SportsInteraction.com)
Columbus Blue Jackets -125 (BetOnline.com)
This game will begin my plan to fade the Avalanche for the early part of the season. At least until everyone realizes how bad this team is. The Avs pulled out a 1-0 in Boston on Monday and Colorado GM Greg Sherman got to feel like a genius for at least a couple days. All that will change tonight in Columbus. Sure Varlamov will steal a few games for the Avalanche this season, but his inconsistency will also lose them a few games (I guess having an inconsistent goaltender is perfect for a bad team like the Avs because with a purely average goaltender they wouldn’t even have a chance). The Blue Jackets are off to a very rocky (0-3) start and they should be not taking this game lightly because they need a W in the win column to get some points on the board. Their two losses at home this season came against solid teams (Nashville and Vancouver) and were only lost by one goal. They have not played poorly and tonight I expect them to get their first win.
Play: Columbus Blue Jackets -125
And I just can’t resist the Blue Jackets -1.5 line at 5Dimes.com of +245. I really see the Blue Jackets lighting up the Avs tonight.
Play: Columbus Blue Jackets (-1.5) +245
Those are the only two plays for tonight. I couldn’t find any value in the Canucks vs Flyers odds or the Bruins vs Hurricanes game. The three sportsbooks listed on this page though each have different odds for these games so if you do intend to bet them make sure you get the best value for your wager.
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Written by: Niko de Jonge
Last night we got two wins to get us back on track thanks to the Devils and Canucks playing as expected. That brings the early season record to (2-3-0) for -1.6 units (check out the NHL predictions blog for past bets). Tonight we will look to get back closer to breaking even, with a win.
Minnesota Wild @ Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Last night before I went to bed I got the Senators at -107 at BetOnline.com, but now when I am writing this post I see that the line has shortened to -125 for the Senators. I really liked the -107, but it seems like the public did also and the line moved. This makes me feel good about my original wager, but I can’t justify instructing readers to take the -125 line because I don’t feel there is a lot of value there anymore. The Wild are playing back-to-back games, without Pierre Marc Bouchard against a well rested Senators team that is really feeling the need to get their first win. I expect the Sens to pull out the victory, but I’m not a huge fan of the -125 line.
In the other game, the Pittsburgh Penguins are at home to the Florida Panthers. Pittsburgh has already played 3 games this season and have only dropped one point in a shootout loss to the Oilers on Sunday. They will once again be without star Evgeni Malkin who is out with a lower body injury, but the Pens should still have the class to beat the Panthers. The Panthers on the other hand won a 2-0 game the other night on the back of Jose Theodore who once again gets the start tonight. The Penguins should win this game, but at -160 the line doesn’t provide much value.
The one bet that I am going to place this evening is total Home vs Away goals. This is a combination of the two games, and it is essentially the Wild + Panthers vs Senators + Penguins.
Away Goals +140
Home Goals -152
These odds were taken from BetOnline.com, which seems to be the best sportsbook for NHL odds so far this season.
The Senators and Penguins should each win their games making this a very easy bet to take. It’s surprising that the Home goals line of -152 is less than that of the Penguins line of -160, even though the Senators are also favourites. I guess this takes into account that the Sens have allowed a lot of early goals in their first two games and if that happens again the Penguins may not be able to score enough to outweigh it. I don’t expect the Senators to allow another 5 goals tonight, and the additions of Regin and Rundblad to their lineup should help them win the game.
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Written by: Niko de Jonge
Winnipeg was bumpin last night, as expected, but the crowd didn’t charge up the Jets like I expected. The Habs also were able to put their scoring woes behind them and put the puck past Pavelec with relative ease. It was nice to see the Winnipeg fans still cheering at the end of the game, but it could be a long season for the Jets. Well let’s move on to tonight’s games….
Carolina Hurricanes @ New Jersey Devils
Carolina Hurricanes +111 (BetOnline.com)
New Jersey Devils -115 (SportsInteraction.com)
Expect the Devils to get going offensively in this one, with Kovalchuk leading the way.
Play: Devils -115
Vancouver Canucks @ Columbus Blue Jackets
Vancouver Canucks -148 (BetOnline.com)
Columbus Blue Jackets +150 (SportsInteraction.com)
There is actually a chance at some hedging on this game, which is very rarely seen online. BetOnline.com and Sports Interaction are each seeing the game very differently, so make sure you bet at the correct sportsbook so you don’t leave any money on the table. The Canucks showed they haven’t missed a beat since the Stanley Cup last year and you can expect some more beauty passes from Henrik tonight against a weaker Columbus team.
Play: Canucks -148
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Written by: Niko de Jonge
The Winnipeg Jets are back in action after 15 years tonight. NHL hockey is back in Winnipeg with the Jets home opener and you can expect the entire city to be rocking. This is the Jets first game of the season and they will be ready to play and be extremely energized by the fans. The Habs lost their opening game of the season to the Maple Leafs 2-0 and will be looking to get on the board tonight.
Odds
Montreal Canadiens +109 (BetOnline.com)
Winnipeg Jets -115 (Bookmaker.eu)
The NHL betting odds for this game were different at each of our recommended NHL sportsbooks. You should check the lines closer to the game to see how they’ve moved.
Prediction
The Canadiens had a sub par preseason, going 2-6-0 in 8 games and they have now started the season off with a 2-0 loss the the Maple Leafs. The Habs are having trouble scoring goals and the Jets did a fairly good job of keeping the puck out of their net during the preseason, allowing only 19 goals in 7 games. Winnipeg was 2-0-1 at home in the preseason, and it seems like they enjoy playing in front of the energy of their home fans. That energy will be at an all new high tonight and a rested Jets team should take advantage of this with a big game for their fans. Expect the Jets to pull out a win in this one.
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Written by: Niko de Jonge
Opening night is finally here! Well it’s just 2 days away, but I wanted to get this post up a day early. There are only 3 games on tap for Thursday, but they are all very interesting match-ups with a couple big rivalries (Toronto vs Montreal) + (Philadelphia vs Boston) and one game between two of the top teams in the league (Vancouver vs Pittsburgh). Should be an interesting night and I know almost every NHL fan across the world will be sitting down to watch at least one of these games, even if the game’s don’t feature their teams.
Philadelphia Flyers @ Boston Bruins
The preseason generally means nothing. That being said after a team has won the Stanley Cup, analysts are always worried about the hangover that often comes from a summer of partying and a lack of new motivation for the season. The Chicago Blackhawks were a great example of this last year. However, with the Bruins dominant preseason performance any notions of a Stanley Cup hangover can be dispelled. Boston went 4-1-1 in the preseason, while Philadelphia went 4-2-1. I like the Bruins to take this one in front of their home fans. It will be their first game that means anything in Boston since game 6 of last years playoffs and the players should be amped up to repeat their success.
Play: Boston Bruins -145
Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs
Probably the most heated rivalry in the NHL is set to get back underway tomorrow. The Maple Leafs will be without Tim Connolly and Clarke MacArthur, who is out 2 games for a suspension, but Phil Kessel, Grabovski and Kulemin should be able to carry the offense for the Leafs. Montreal let in the most goals of the preseason and lost all 6 of their home preseason games. You can expect them to be better, but you have to wonder if they can figure everything out fast enough. Either way there should be plenty of goals in this one, with neither team being superb defensively.
Play: Over 5.5 +110
Throughout the season you will notice that we usually take our odds from 5Dimes.com. This is because 5Dimes almost always offers the most favourable odds for any outcome and they accept players from around the world, including the USA. Visit 5Dimes.com to set up an account and get ready for the NHL season.
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