Saturdays are for hockey, and with 14 games, this Saturday is a busy one in the National Hockey League. With so many games scheduled, there are many wagering options. A few home favorite stick out as the best to wagers for this Saturday addition of NHL games. Here are the best picks for this coming Saturday of NHL hockey.
Florida Panthers @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Odds: FLA +162, PIT -180
The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Florida Panthers on Saturday night, in what could be labelled as a trap game. Over their last ten games, the Penguins are 7-1-2 against Florida. In their previous two meetings, Pittsburgh is 2-0 against the Panthers, outscoring them 9-1. Florida has not won in Pittsburgh since January of 2014.
Florida’s offense ranks second in the NHL with an average of 41.00 shots per game. The sheer volume of shots the Panthers are taking could help keep this game close. The Penguins have given up an NHL worst 22 goals this season. Removing the ten goals they gave up against Chicago, brings their goals against average down to just 3.00. This puts them right around 16th in the league or closer to where you should expect the Penguins to be over the entire season. Look for the Panthers to keep it close against the Penguins, but for Pittsburgh to pull out their second victory at home this season. It’s a big line with the Pens in this spot but they’re our play. You can consider betting them on the puck line if you want to knock down some of that chalk.
Pick: Penguins
Nashville Predators @ Chicago Blackhawks
Odds: NAS +113, CHI -125
The last time these two teams played, the Nashville Predators were celebrating a first-round sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks. Now the two teams play for the first time this season, with the Chicago Blackhawks looking for some revenge on Saturday night. These two teams have a streaky history. Chicago went into last year’s playoffs having won four straight versus the Predators. Now the Predators have a four-game winning streak against the Blackhawks entering Saturday night’s game.
The Blackhawks have outplayed the Predators to this point of the season. Chicago leads the NHL in goals scored with 23 and have scored three or more goals in four of their five games this season. The Predators goaltending has taken a bit of a hit this season. Nashville is giving up an average of 4.00 goals per game on the road this season and has allowed at least four goals in three of their four games to start the year. With how good the Blackhawks offense has been to start the year and the revenge factor, take the Blackhawks to win on Saturday night. There’s a little bit of juice to lay here but it’s worth it as the Hawks seem to have a clear edge in this spot.
Pick: Blackhawks
New York Islanders @ San Jose Sharks
Odds: NYI +131, SJ -145
Making their lone trip to the Bay Area this season, the New York Islanders will try to beat the San Jose Sharks. San Jose was 2-0 against the Islanders last season and is an impressive 6-2-2 against the Islanders over their last ten meetings. Neither team is off to a sizzling start, with the Sharks sitting at 1-2-0, while the Islanders are a point better at 1-2-1 going into Saturday’s game.
The Islanders struggles on the power play to start the season cannot be overlooked entering this game. The Islanders have yet to score a goal on the power play this season. Last season the Islanders finished 28th on the power play. San Jose is 22nd in the NHL on the penalty kill, meaning the Islanders could break out of their slump on Saturday. Breaking out of their power play slump may not be enough to beat the Sharks. The Sharks are just 1-2-0 at home this season but were a great home team last season going 26-11-4. They were even better at home against Eastern Conference teams, finishing the year 12-2-2. Take the Sharks to continue their strong play against Eastern Conference foes this weekend. There’s a little bit of juice here but they should cash in for us.
Pick: Sharks
The 2017-18 odds to win the Stanley Cup have been posted. Click here to get the latest lines from BetDSI, including moneylines, totals, props and futures!
