NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (1/6)
Hockey season is in full swing. There are a few intriguing matchups today, so let’s look at the best games to target.
Monday’s NHL Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Florida Panthers (+102) at Colorado Avalanche (-122) | O/U 6.5 (+100/-120)
Colorado's problem will never be their offense. Nathan MacKinnon is your reigning Hart Trophy winner and will be a candidate to win it again as he leads the league with 65 points and 51 assists, Mikko Rantanen is third with 57 points. Cale Makar leads all defensemen with 48 points. The MacKinnon/Rantanen combination featuring Ross Colton is one of the best in the league as they are seventh in the league with 4.31 expected goals per 60.
The problem at the start of the year was goaltending. They went big and swapped out both goalies and have since found success. Over their last 12 games, they have gone 10-2-1 and have allowed 2.15 goals per game, with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood both playing well since coming over.
The Panthers have hit a tiny skid as they are 2-3-0 in their last five. The most intriguing part is that they have been shut out twice in that span, one of which was against the Canadiens, who allow 3.36 goals per game. We could just chalk it up to bad luck; they had over 30 shots and a 50% expected goal share in four.
The Panthers should have better luck and as good as Colorado's goalkeeping is, they should score. We should expect the Avs to respond against Sergei Bobrovsky, who's been inconsistent throughout the year. This is fantastic value getting two great offenses at plus-odds to hit the over.
Pick: Over 6.5 Goals (+100)
Washington Capitals (-155) at Buffalo Sabres (+130) | O/U 6.5 (-102/-118)
The Sabres are at a crossroads. They had high expectations going into this season with their group of forwards, led by Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, and it looked like they finally had a top goalie in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
None of it is working out because they are 27th in expected goal percentage, and Luukkonen has been unable to capture that same magic from last year, as he has a -3.3 goals saved above expectations mark. The season started well, but they are 3-12-4 in their last 19 games, with three wins against under.500 teams.
The Capitals are on the opposite trajectory and are looking like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. They are second in goals scored per game (3.72) and sixth in goals allowed per game(2.64).
This is coming with the team barely making the playoffs last season and a quick exit, so they made some changes. What they are doing with the goaltending is trading off Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson. It has been working as there is enough time off to keep them fresh, but not too much to where they're out of sync.
Pick: Capitals Moneyline (-155)