Panthers vs. Red Wings: NHL Best Bets, Picks & Predictions (Friday)
We have a small six-game slate of hockey on Friday with some great matchups. Here are my three best bets for Friday’s NHL slate. And here’s a closer look at Panthers vs. Red Wings.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
NHL Best Bets, Picks & Predictions: Panthers vs. Red Wings
There is an Atlantic Division tilt with the fifth-place Detroit Red Wings hosting the seventh-place Florida Panthers. The Red Wings enter this contest in poor form as they have lost eight of their last 11 games, a trend that is likely to continue in this matchup.
Slated to take the crease for Florida is goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who has absolutely dominated Detroit throughout his career. Across 30 career appearances in the crease against the Red Wings, Bobrovsky is 22-6-1 with a stellar .937 save percentage (SV%) and 1.86 goals against average (GAA).
In front of Bobrovsky is an extremely underrated blue line that ranks 13th in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at 5-on-5. Meanwhile, goal support should not be an issue for this fast-paced club as the Panthers rank second in the league in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) at 5-on-5.
On the flip side, the Red Wings currently do not compare to Florida’s metrics. At 5-on-5, Detroit ranks just 29th in the league in xGF/60 and 20th in xGA/60.
While goaltender Ville Husso should be able to somewhat keep them in this game, that does not justify the Panthers’ generous price of -145 given the discrepancy of the 5-on-5 metrics of each team. Give me the better team with a goaltender who has dominated Detroit for years as a short favorite.
Best Bet: Panthers ML (-145)
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