NHL Games Betting – Lopsided Matchups Key To Wagering On Hockey This Week
With the college basketball betting madness already underway, the focus will shift from the ice to the hard court, but there are at least a couple of contests that players can still look forward to in the NHL. The top teams in both conferences will face favorable matchups, while a couple of teams just outside the playoff picture in the East face off for the chance to move one step closer.
Philadelphia Flyers @ Florida Panthers
Tuesday, 7:30 PM ET
The first-place Flyers will try to stay a game ahead of the red-hot Washington Capitals in the Eastern conference standings with a win over the Panthers. Philadelphia has lost five of its last seven and really struggled with consistency, and while there is a level of understanding as to why a team so comfortable may be battling complacency at this time of the year, their grip on the top spot is now on the line. The Flyers are without veteran defenseman Chris Pronger, one of their top minutemen and a key piece to their back end. Pronger had missed the past couple of games with a hand injury, and after getting a second opinion elected to have surgery to make sure that he will be at full strength for the postseason. With their top defenseman out and in the midst of a tough skid, a game against one of the weakest teams in the conference appears to be just what this team needs.
NHL Betting Pick: Philadelphia Flyers
Phoenix Coyotes @ Calgary Flames
Tuesday, 9:30 PM ET
Just two points separates the Coyotes and Flames in this year’s Western conference playoff race, a gap that can be traced back to Calgary’s 3-0 loss to Phoenix last Thursday. Before that the Flames had won eight of 11 to gain some serious ground in the push to the postseason, but consecutive losses have them holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the West by just a single point. Phoenix has won back-to-back games to climb into a tie for fifth in the conference with the Los Angeles Kings, but it won’t be easy to keep that run going against one of the best home teams in the league.
NHL Betting Pick: Calgary Flames
Toronto Maple Leafs @ Carolina Hurricanes
Wednesday, 7:00 PM ET
The Maple Leafs’ playoff chances took another sports betting bonus hit with a 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night, but they can take a step back in the right direction with a win over a Carolina team that has been awful lately. The Hurricanes have lost four straight games to fall four points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern conference, and only two points separates these teams in ninth and 10th.
NHL Betting Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs
Colorado Avalanche @ Vancouver Canucks
Wednesday, 10:00 PM ET
In the most lopsided matchup of the NHL sports betting week, the hottest team in the west will take on the coldest team in the conference when the Canucks host Colorado on Thursday. Vancouver has won six in a row and has the best home record in the league, while the Avalanche have lost eight straight and look like a shadow of the team that made the postseason just a year ago.
NHL Betting Pick: Vancouver Canucks
