Top NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (11/26)
The NHL rolls out a slim two-game slate tonight, and below I'll break down each contest from a betting perspective. Let's dive into the odds and check out where I'm laying my money on the ice tonight.
Tuesday's NHL Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Vancouver Canucks (+105) vs. Boston Bruins (-125) | O/U 5.5 (-112/-108)
Jim Montgomery is out as Boston's head coach, and interim skipper Joe Sacco is now behind the bench for the B's. Boston is 2-0-0 since Sacco took the reins. The Bruins (10-9-3) will try to keep things rolling when they host the Canucks (10-6-3) this evening. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from the TD Garden in Boston, MA.
Since Sacco moved in as interim head coach, the Bruins have found a resurgence defensively, blanking Utah (1-0) while holding Detroit to one goal in a 2-1 victory, more recently. I'll keep with the trend and take the Under in this cross-conference showdown.
As for Vancouver, they've been okay defensively this year, ranking 23rd in both GAA (3.05) and SV% (.884). However, from an expected goals against standpoint, the Canucks are third in xGA/60 minutes (2.61). They've faced the second-fewest high-danger shots (56) this season. Being that Boston's offense is horrendous, ranking dead last in overall offense (2.3 GPG) and 31st on the power play (12.79%), I expect Vancouver’s defense to hold up well. Give me the Under.
Bet: Under 5.5 Total Goals (-108)
Utah Hockey Club (-135) vs. Montreal Canadiens (+114) | O/U 6.0 (-115/-105)
The newly-formed Utah Hockey Club is off to an 8-10-3 start in franchise history, and they'll wrap up a four-game East Coast road trip (1-2-0) tonight against the Montreal Canadiens (7-11-2). This cross-conference showdown is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC.
I don't mind laying the juice with the Hockey Club in this one. They're by far the better overall team in this game, and their strength, which is offense, gets a favorable matchup against Montreal's bottom-tier defense. The Habs have been horrific defensively this year, ranking 31st in both GAA (3.55) and SV% (.874), while sitting 30th in high-danger shots against (91).
Meanwhile, Utah has looked serviceable offensively, ranking 22nd in scoring (2.7 GPG), 18th in high-danger shots for (67), 17th in shooting percentage (10.44%), and 20th on the power play (18.03%). Neither of these teams is playing their best puck right now, but Montreal is just 3-7-1 in their last 11 games. This is a very winnable contest for the HC, so I'll ride with them as favorites.
Bet: Utah Hockey Club Moneyline (-135)