NHL Betting Notes: Apr. 6
I have been providing NHL Betting Notes at Sportsbook Review for a little while, and I like the homework aspect of it to stay on top of each team, but I will be writing more news and features there, so I figured I’d drop betting and fantasy notes here.
There are five games on the NHL schedule Wednesday. The only game involving two playoff teams has the Tampa Bay Lightning visiting the Washington Capitals and neither team has been on its best form lately.
The Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights are both hopeful that they might find their way to a playoff spot but that gets less likely with each passing game.
Here is a closer look at each of Wednesday’s NHL matchups.
Wednesday’s NHL Betting Notes
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Washington Capitals, 7:30 p.m. ET
Trends: Lightning 43-19-7 SU, 31-38 ATS, 35-32 O/U | Capitals 37-22-10 SU, 34-35 ATS, 39-28 O/U
Projected Goalies: Andrei Vasilevskiy (35-15-4, .917 SV%, 2.43 GAA) vs. Ilya Samsonov (19-9-4, .899 SV%, 2.95 GAA)
Key injuries: TB D Ryan McDonagh (upper body); WSH LW Carl Hagelin (eye).
SVA CF%/xGF% Since All-Star Break: Lightning 50.4%/53.3%; Capitals 47.2%/47.1%
NHL Betting Notes: Lightning are 40-14-5 as favorites and Capitals are 10-8-3 as underdogs. Lightning have hit a total of seven goals or more in four straight games, after going nine straight games with a total of six goals or less. Capitals have two regulation wins in their past 11 games and have hit a total of seven goals or more in 11 of their past 13 games. Capitals C Evgeny Kuznetsov has 16 points (7 G, 9 A) in his past 14 games, recording at least one point in 13 of those games.
Best Bet: Lightning (-145 via DraftKings)
Detroit Red Wings vs. Winnipeg Jets, 7:30 p.m. ET
Trends: Red Wings 27-34-9 SU, 29-41 ATS, 41-27 O/U | Jets 33-27-10 SU, 37-33 ATS, 35-30 O/U
Projected Goalies: Alex Nedeljkovic (17-21-8, .900 SV%, 3.31 GAA) vs. Connor Hellebuyck (25-24-9, .912 SV%, 2.92 GAA)
Key injuries: DET RW Robby Fabbri (knee), WPG LW Cole Perfetti (upper body).
SVA CF%/xGF% Since All-Star Break: Red Wings 45.0%/45.3%; Jets 47.0%/48.9%
NHL Betting Notes: Red Wings are 3-7-1 in the second half of back-to-back games and snapped a six-game winless streak by defeating Boston 5-3 on Tuesday. Red Wings have hit a total of seven goals or more in seven of their past eight games. Jets are 3-3 in their past six games but have gone six straight games without a regulation win. Red Wings LW Jakub Vrana has nine points (5 G, 4 A) in his past eight games, with at least one point in six of those games.
Best Bet: Jakub Vrana over 0.5 Points (-120 via DraftKings)
Seattle Kraken vs. St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m. ET
Trends: Kraken 22-41-6 SU, 31-38 ATS, 38-26 O/U | Blues 39-20-10 SU, 39-30 ATS, 34-31 O/U
Projected Goalies: Philipp Grubauer (15-28-5, .888 SV%, 3.19 GAA) vs. Ville Husso (20-6-5, .923 SV%, 2.41 GAA)
Key injuries: SEA LW Jaden Schwartz (upper body), LW Brandon Tanev (knee); STL D Torey Krug (upper body), D Scott Perunovich (wrist).
SVA CF%/xGF% Since All-Star Break: Kraken 49.4%/45.7%; Blues 49.3%/50.3%
NHL Betting Notes: Blues have covered the puck line 60.9% of the time and are 27-10-7 as favorites while the Kraken are 14-36-2 as underdogs. Blues are 4-0-1 in their past five games and have hit a total of seven goals or more in 10 of their past 13 games. Blues C Robert Thomas has 17 points (7 G, 10 A) in his past 10 games, recording at least one point in eight of them and two or more points in seven of those games.
Best Bet: Blues -1.5 (+115 via Caesars)
Vancouver Canucks vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m. ET
Trends: Canucks 32-28-10 SU, 41-29 ATS, 32-36 O/U | Golden Knights 39-28-4 SU, 29-42 ATS, 38-30 O/U
Projected Goalies: Thatcher Demko (28-20-6, .916 SV%, 2.69 GAA) vs. Robin Lehner (22-15-1, .909 SV%, 2.75 GAA)
Key injuries: VAN RW Brock Boeser (arm), LW Nils Hoglander (groin), D Quinn Hughes (illness), D Tucker Poolman (migraine); VGK D Nic Hague (undisclosed), LW Max Pacioretty (undisclosed), RW Reilly Smith (knee), RW Mark Stone (back).
SVA CF%/xGF% Since All-Star Break: Canucks 48.1%/46.4%; Golden Knights 52.7%/53.4%
NHL Betting Notes: Canucks have covered the puck line 55.7% of the time. Golden Knights are 29-15-2 as favorites and Canucks are 21-20-7 as underdogs. Canucks have reached a total of six goals or less in six of their past seven games. Canucks D Oliver Ekman-Larsson has an assist in four of the past five games. Golden Knights C Jack Eichel has at least one point in eight of his past nine home games. Golden Knights D Shea Theodore is on a four-game point streak.
Best Bet: Shea Theodore Over 0.5 Points (+114 via FanDuel)
Calgary Flames vs. Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m. ET
Trends: Flames 41-19-9 SU, 36-33 ATS, 34-30 O/U | Ducks 28-38-5 SU, 41-30 ATS, 34-35 O/U
Projected Goalies: Jacob Markstrom (32-14-8, .924 SV%, 2.19 GAA) vs. John Gibson (17-23-10, .904 SV%, 3.15 GAA)
Key injuries: CGY C Calle Jarnkrok (illness), D Oliver Kylington (upper body), C Sean Monahan (hip); ANA C Ryan Getzlaf (lower body), RW Jakob Silfverberg (leg), RW Troy Terry (eye).
SVA CF%/xGF% Since All-Star Break: Flames 57.7%/56.3%; Ducks 47.2%/49.5%
NHL Betting Notes: Ducks have one win in their past 13 games, Friday’s infamous 5-0 win against Arizona when Trevor Zegras scored a “Michigan” goal and Coyotes center Jay Beagle punched out Ducks winger Troy Terry. Ducks have hit a total of six goals or less in eight of their past 12 games. Flames D Noah Hanifin has six points (1 G, 5 A) in his past six games.
Best Bet: Flames -1.5 (+100 via PointsBet)