Expert Picks
Will Nathan MacKinnon and the Avs bounce back at home? ...
Let's go Hawks! ...
Some injuries are difficult for oddsmakers to truly set lines...
The over has hit in all five of Joey Daccord’s starts for Seattle this season. Here we have two high-powered offenses, with Utah averaging 3.80 goals per game and Seattle averaging 3.70, we should be in for a high-scoring affair. I’m going to keep riding the Over with Daccord in net.
Prices on +1.5 so far this hockey season have just been outrageous so this is pretty fair at least in that regard. Seattle has played among the fewest home games in the NHL with three (2-1). The Kraken are scoring way better than most expected at 3.70 goals per game. A total of 16 of their 22 skaters having scored at least once and 12 having scored multiple times. For Utah, this is one of those one-game trips in the middle of a home-heavy run that players hate. So anyone moderately hurt likely stayed home. Top blueliner John Marino (2G, 3A) is in question.
FanDuel. I like the Golden Knights at this price. Vegas is coming off a 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The Golden Knights had plenty of opportunities in that loss; they just couldn't get much past Andrei Vasilevskiy, who stopped 32 of 34 shots. I already played the Blues a couple of times this season, and there will be more good spots to back them at home. I just don't think this is one of them. St. Louis goalie Joel Hofer has been good, but he could face heavy fire Thursday night against a Vegas offense that ranks fourth in shots on goal and seventh in power-play percentage. I'll back the Golden Knights -120 for one unit. Good up to -130.
Vegas currently ranks 6th in shots allowed per game and owns a +57 shot differential. Meanwhile, St. Louis sits at 17th with a -10 shot differential. The Golden Knights lost 6-2 at home despite out-shooting Tampa Bay 34-21. St. Louis beat the Jets 2-1 despite being outshot 33-28. Now, Vegas faces the Blues—a team I have ranked 12 spots lower. In terms of Save Percentage Above Expected for unblocked shots, Vegas is 12th, while the Blues are way down at 30th. Vegas also features five players in the top 100 for points, compared to just two for the Blues (and Robert Thomas isn’t one of them). I think the line should be 20-30 cents higher.
It looks like the Panthers are putting Cooper Black in net tonight, marking his NHL debut. I foresee him having a difficult time against a Penguins team averaging 3.20 goals per game. On the other side of the ice, the Penguins are playing Arturs Silvos who has allowed five goals in four of his five most recent starts. Given the goalie situation against two productive offenses, I like the Over tonight.
Apologies for last-second play but the Bruins are starting backup Michael DiPietro in net. So I'm like the only way I'm doing Boston then is if the Preds follow suit with backup Justus Annunen. They are. The B's are the better team overall so I consider the goalies now a wash.
I don’t think this total is going to stay at 5.5 much longer, so let’s grab the Over before it moves. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen owns a 3.59 GAA, and six of his seven appearances this season have gone Over. On the other side, Flyers goalie Dan Vladar has posted a 3.58 GAA through five games. Philadelphia’s offense hasn’t exactly been lighting it up, but we’re starting to see signs of life after the Flyers picked up their first two wins of the season in their last two outings. With UPL struggling to keep pucks out of the net, I expect Philadelphia to contribute its fair share.
The lovely folks from Canada can't really get too fired up about anything but they are going to let Brady Tkachuk hear it in Ottawa tonight in his return. Of course, he forced a trade out this summer by saying he wouldn't sign an extension. The Panthers are on an obscene offensive run right now so I feel pretty good Brady gets at least a point.
Regulation line is -110 and that's ideal, but either way this sets up well for Buffalo. The team is rested and getting two injured guys back in Jason Zucker and Rasmus Dahlin, while the Flyers are winless in five roadies. This will be the final home game for Buffalo until Nov. 4, so a minor sense of urgency for three points. The Sabres have scored four or more goals in seven of their last 10 games against the Flyers.
Seven or more goals have been scored in five of Vegas’ six home games this season, highlighting the high-scoring environment the Golden Knights have created on home ice. Tampa Bay has the offensive firepower to match that pace, with a dangerous attack that can capitalize on scoring chances and keep pressure on Vegas throughout the game. With both teams capable of contributing offensively, I’m going with the Over.
Shayne Gostisbehere was one of a couple defensemen I was looking at who projected over the 1.5 shots on goal line in the Sportsline model. Gostisbehere has missed the over just once in his last eight games, and I like that he's part of the 1st power play unit. Carolina looks to rebound after a tough loss in Calgary a couple nights ago, which marked their first loss on the road this year, and the model thinks Gostisbehere is in the mix with at least a couple shots during the effort.
The over is 8-2 in Seattle’s games this season, and they are currently ranked fifth in the league in goals per game. Seattle’s offensive production makes this a favorable Over matchup, especially after scoring six goals against Detroit in their previous meeting this season. If the Kraken can continue generating offense against a Detroit team that has shown vulnerability defensively, we should see a high-scoring game.