With Just a Few Games Left, How You Should Bet Edmonton vs. Pittsburgh
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There is a 13-game NHL schedule tonight as the final week of the regular season continues. Naturally, this Tuesday has the potential to decide a lot or very little.
To get you ready for your NHL betting, here is the preview for tonight.
McDavid, Draisaitl, Crosby, and Malkin Battle It Out In Primetime
The game of the night is the Edmonton Oilers against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This contest is nationally exclusive on ESPN starting at 7 p.m. ET. Both teams have already clinched a playoff spot and are just battling for seeding.
Pittsburgh is trying to hold off Washington for that final locked-in spot as far as the Metropolitan Division. The three-seed compared to the WC1 seed is a big difference. As for Edmonton, the worst it can finish is the three-seed in the Pacific. It is looking more and more likely that the Los Angeles Kings will be its first-round opponent.
The Oilers have two home games after this road tilt in Pittsburgh tonight. Edmonton is an expected underdog in the 2.25 to 2.35 range. The Oilers are 14 games over .500 at home but just five over on the road. They lost 5-2 to Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. That left a sour taste in many Edmonton mouths.
Early trends seem to be split on the 6.5 goals for the Over. One of the big problems is the Edmonton offense. On the road, it can dry up quickly. Also, it can show up unexpectedly. Among playoff or bubble teams, the last time the Oilers scored more than three goals on the road was against Nashville (4-0 win on April 14).
Edmonton and Pittsburgh have two of the better power plays in the league. Rankings can be thrown out the window as the playoffs approach. Both teams have two incredible centers that can dominate on the man advantage. The teams are mirror images of each other to a point. Both have goaltending that can rise to the occasion but also can be their downfall.
With this being the last regular season getaway night for Edmonton, expect the Oilers to let it all hang out. Look to the usual shot and point props for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. After that, the moneyline is not steep enough to take a plus-money shot.
Siding With The Ottawa Senators
This is where we head into something a little easier. The Ottawa Senators face one of the worst road teams in the NHL in the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. The Devils are 11-25-3 away from home on the season and allow 3.65 goals per game.
Ottawa is also 5-4-1 in their last 10 and winners of three straight while New Jersey has dropped three consecutive games.
New Jersey is also expected to start Mackenzie Blackwood in goal tonight. He has been out a little more than three months with a heel injury. No one seems to know if the injury is fully healed. There is speculation he pushed to get back in the lineup because the team has fallen out of favor with him. It is hard to know what is true and not there.
Blackwood is likely walking into a proverbial hornet’s nest. Ottawa can easily top three goals at home. Joshua Norris and Brady Tkachuk are very dangerous forwards who have burned New Jersey during the season series.
Against New Jersey, Ottawa is around 1.65 to 1.75 currently in the morning odds. Expect that to not fluctuate too much. The Over has stayed at 6.5 and does not expect to budge come game time. This comes down to can New Jersey score enough goals to make that an option. The problem is several Devils players are still not 100% after a flu-like “bug” ran through the team.
Shot prop bets from Ottawa and point props may be a focus even with them as well. Ottawa is dangerous at home. They scored six goals against Montreal with ease and could score a bunch versus New Jersey on Tuesday night.
The Toronto and Detroit Game
Does it happen again? The last time these two teams faced off was that memorable 10-7 game in Detroit where it feels like both teams just prayed their goaltenders could stop something. This time, the scene shifts to Toronto where the Maple Leafs are a much better team. Toronto is 29-8-2 at Scotiabank Arena.
It appears that Detroit is just trying to survive the season. With Dylan Larkin shut down, Tyler Bertuzzi has struggled mightily as younger players see more ice time. Detroit is 4-5-1 in their last 10 but can routinely give up five or more goals on the road in any given game.
Simply, the Over for Ontario Sports Bettors was a big question. It has stayed at 7.0 currently. There was a rumbling or two of a move to 7.5 but that has not materialized. Toronto, who has Auston Matthews in the lineup (he returned Saturday), is a 1.18 to 1.23 favorite. That 1.5-goal puckline is a slightly more attractive 1.55 to 1.60. Watch that number carefully.
Simply, the Over is an astonishing 37-14-7 in Toronto’s last 58 games. For us, the Toronto team over is a good recommendation against a Detroit penalty kill that is tied for the worst in the league at 73.9%. Look to Matthews to score tonight as well. It’s an easy prop to take a small wager on. The Toronto puckline and that win in the regulation option are there as well.
What about Vancouver and Calgary?
Vancouver is playing out the string at home against Seattle tonight. Seattle is tied with New Jersey for the worst road record in the league at 11-25-3. It is hard to tell emotionally where the Canucks will be tonight. A safer bet is to wait to see if Thatcher Demko is rested. This may be a game to wisely stay away from.
Then, there is the Calgary Flames. The Flames have little to play for as well other than to stay in shape and avoid injury. Calgary just lost last Tuesday in Nashville via a shootout by a score of 3-2. Could that Under hit again? It might be something to watch. However, that is up to Nashville. The Predators started well and then let the Flames back in. With the number set at 6.0, it could be Push city here.
The Flames are a team to probably just monitor and not wager on tonight.
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