Top 2 NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (12/14)
A pair of stories are dominating the hockey world this morning.
First, Alexander Ovechkin notched his 800th goal last night with a hat trick effort against the Blackhawks. He’s now third on the all-time scoring list, chasing only Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801).
The other notable story is Mitch Marner’s point streak, which improved to 23 straight games in last night’s 7-0 rout of the Ducks. The winger sits 20th on the all-time scoring streak list, and of course, he’s looking up at The Great One, who scored points in 51 straight games in the 1983-1984 season with the Oilers.
We cashed bets in both of those games last night en route to a 2-1 betting night. I’m back tonight with two more wagers for tonight’s three-game NHL slate.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Detroit Red Wings vs. Minnesota Wild
The Red Wings dropped a 1-0 game last night to the Hurricanes, and they’ll take on the Wild in a back-to-back situation tonight. This cross-conference clash is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET from the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
I’ll lock in the Wild on the puck line tonight. They’ve rebounded after a poor start to the season and have now won eight out of their last 11 games. Minnesota’s trending in the right direction as they currently reside in third place in the Central Division at 15-11-2. As for tonight’s game, I like their edge on the power play.
The Wild are ranked eighth on the man advantage, scoring on 25.0% of their opportunities. They’ll take on a Detroit side that ranks 16th in penalty-killing at just 78.8%. On top of that, the Red Wings lost a grueling 1-0 game to the Hurricanes last night and will likely be fatigued as this game continues. I think the Wild will be able to stretch out their lead to at least two goals tonight.
Bet: Minnesota Wild -1.5 (+100)
Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames
The Flames enter tonight’s game as a sizable -175 favorite as they get set to take on the Canucks (+150) at the Saddledome. The puck drop for this divisional showdown is set for 10:00 p.m. ET from Alberta.
I haven’t been very impressed with Calgary this season, and at this point, I don’t think they’ll even make the playoffs. Losing Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk has been a major blow to their offensive production, as the Flames are currently 22nd in scoring (3.0 gpg) and 25th on the power play (20.2%).
That said, I will take a shot with the Canucks as an underdog in this spot. They have plenty of issues themselves, but Vancouver’s been competitive recently and has won three out of their last four games. Their biggest strength is their offense, where they’re scoring 3.5 goals per game (ninth) and cashing in on 27.3% of PP chances (seventh). The Canucks often find themselves in high-scoring games, and if that’s the case tonight, I think they have plenty of offensive firepower to outpace the Flames tonight. Let’s ride with Vancouver.
Bet: Vancouver Canucks Moneyline (+150)
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