NHL Betting Advice, Weekend Outlook

Article By Chris Wassel

Last Updated: 2024 Mar 14

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The NHL dives into January's long winter nights with an entertaining weekend slate of games as the race for the Stanley Cup enters its final months.

The matchups this weekend include a battle on the Hudson and some other marquee games.

Here are two key questions going into the weekend: Can the New Jersey Devils ever win again on home ice? What will the Los Angeles Kings do about their goaltending?

Weekend Schedule Breakdown

Here are the number of games for each day of this weekend.

Friday – 6
Saturday – 9
Sunday – 8

Thankfully, the continuous action and balanced schedule spice things up for those interested in NHL betting.

Here are the teams playing back-to-back games this weekend.

Detroit (Friday, Saturday)
San Jose (Friday, Saturday)
Boston (Saturday, Sunday)
Columbus (Saturday, Sunday)
St. Louis (Saturday, Sunday)
Toronto (Saturday, Sunday)

There are no super late games on Sunday night, just that 8:30 p.m. ET matchup in Anaheim between the Ducks and Boston Bruins.

A Look Forward To This Weekend

The biggest thing to look forward to is some of scheduling quirks.

For example, six teams play back-to-backs this weekend. Those always have to be looked at, especially in games like those involving Boston and St. Louis, which get no rest on the road. One of the stranger quirks is the Sunday afternoon games in Winnipeg and Dallas.

A big clash on Saturday involves the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers in a matinee matchup.

New Jersey plays a very entertaining brand of hockey but just cannot win games at home lately. New York can score goals with the best of teams. If that goal total is set at 6.5, hammer the daylights out of that number and go with the Over.

If there is even better news, it is this. Buffalo plays Minnesota on Saturday night. Buffalo’s Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson have been something to see all season. For those pessimists who thought Thompson would slow down, you were wrong! At this rate, Thompson will hit his goal and shot props for the season by the All-Star beak. Take a look at their point, shot and goal props in the game against the Wild.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets could be a wild Saturday afternoon contest. It will be interesting to see how ticked off Carolina will be after firing 67 shots on Nashville’s Juuse Saros and watching him stop 64? The Hurricanes may score five or more goals against the Blue Jackets. Columbus resembles an AHL team defensively.

Even the Seattle Kraken have a fun Saturday contest against the resurgent Ottawa Senators. This game may feature a few more goals than expected. Seattle has shown a knack for playing well on the road and has won three straight contests. Goaltending needs to be average or slightly above to succeed in the NHL. That is why Overs are connecting at a higher rate (more than 55% since Dec. 1).

More About Wagering For The Weekend

As we said last week, taking Boston with the Under in regulation at the Winter Classic was an excellent move. We are picking on teams like Montreal and Columbus until further notice is prudent. Columbus plays on Saturday and Sunday, while Montreal battles St. Louis, which could be a shootout.

Montreal and St. Louis are giving up three or more goals with extreme regularity. Even in victory on Thursday night, the Blues did it again. The Canadiens have yielded 4+ goals in six consecutive contests (34 in that span).

Again, about that Boston and Anaheim game. Watch out for the Ducks here. Boston will get their goals, but this is the last game of their California trip. Strange things can happen.

Some Points to Keep in Mind

Pick against New Jersey until they win a game at home.
Ride the opposite team and game Overs against Columbus and Montreal until further notice.
Check the Blues-Habs Over often.
Alex Ovechkin goal props for Saturday should be on high alert.
Expect another big game from Tage Thompson on Saturday night.

Good luck, and once again, thanks for reading! We will have a few more plays on social media as conditions warrant.