It is officially one month into the NHL season this Saturday. We have seen our share of surprises such as the Vegas Golden Knights starting the year off 8-4-0. However, we have seen more disappointments, including two preseason Stanley Cup contenders in the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers failing in the early goings of the season. It is still early, though, and there are five months of hockey left to be played.
In terms of a betting perspective, the New Jersey Devils have been the most profitable team in the league at 9-2-0 (entering Friday night). They are followed by the Los Angeles Kings (10-3) and Vegas Golden Knights. As far as the other end of the spectrum, there have been a number of teams that have been costing bettors a pretty penny. The Arizona Coyotes have won just once in 13 tries, the Edmonton Oilers are just 3-8 (entering Friday’s action) and the New York Rangers are just 5-9. If you’re betting those teams, you’re down big time so far this season.
To get November going, the NHL has 13 games scheduled for Saturday. Here are the best bets on the National Hockey League this Saturday.
Toronto Maple Leafs @ St. Louis Blues
Odds: TOR +117, STL -130
The Maple Leafs wrap up their four-game Western Conference road trip with a Saturday night showdown in St. Louis against the Blues. The Maple Leafs offense has cooled off recently and will be hard-pressed to score against St. Louis, who own the second-best defense in the league. The Maple Leafs gave their starting goaltender, Frederik Andersen, the last game off but even a well-rested Andersen may not be enough to propel the Leafs passed the Blues and their stifling defense. Look for a low-scoring affair with the St. Louis Blues slowing down Auston Matthews and the young forwards of the Leafs on Saturday.
Pick: St. Louis
Montreal Canadiens @Winnipeg Jets
Odds: MON +117, WIN -130
The struggling Montreal Canadiens head to Winnipeg to face a surging Winnipeg Jets team. The Jets have found their mojo with Connor Hellebuyck in net. Hellebuyck is 7-0-1 this season with an excellent .938 save percentage and 1.92 goals against average. The Montreal Canadiens have shown some life on offense recently, scoring 16 goals in their last three games. However, Patrick Laine of the Jets looks ready to snap out of his early-season sophomore slump and carry the Jets to a win over the Montreal Canadiens. As long as Connor Hellebuyck gets the start on Saturday, take the Winnipeg Jets to win at home.
Pick: Winnipeg
Columbus Blue Jackets @ Tampa Bay Lightning
Odds: COL +122, TB -135
Two of the best teams in the NHL square off in, what is arguably the best game on Saturday. The league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning host the Columbus Blue Jackets (who are tied for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division) at 7:00 PM EST. The Lightning beat the Blue Jackets earlier this season, behind a stellar performance from their goaltender Andrei Vasilevsky, who stopped 43 shots in a 2-0 victory. The Blue Jackets rank third in shots per game this season, averaging over 36. A 43-shot shutout is difficult to duplicate, and if Sergei Bobrovsky can be just as good as he was in their last meeting, the Blue Jackets are a good bet to pull off the road upset on Saturday.
Pick: Columbus
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Vancouver Canucks
Odds: PIT -141, VAN +127
The Vancouver Canucks open Saturday as the biggest home underdogs of the day. They will be in for a tough game against the Penguin, whom they are just 2-5-3 against in their last ten meetings. The Penguins have been great this season, even in terms of limiting opponents from scoring. Although the Penguins give up the fifth most goals per game, removing the three games in which they allowed 24 goals, the Penguins defence and goaltender has been great, allowing opponents to average only 2.60 goals per game. The Canucks have lost their last two games to the Penguins by a combined score of 7-0. Expect a better effort from the Canucks on Saturday, but not enough to pull off the victory. Take the Penguins on the moneyline.
Pick: Pittsburgh
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