It’s a light night in the NHL this Friday with just three games — but it’s certainly not lacking betting action. If you want to start the weekend off with betting wins, you’ll need these top NHL bets of the night. Keep reading for expert betting advice!
This is the most blockbuster matchup of the day between two perennial Stanley Cup favorites at the most-used NHL betting sites. Oddsmakers have the game almost as a pick ’em, however, Tampa Bay is the slightest of favorites on the moneyline. Here are the current odds:
This is a rematch of the second round of last year’s playoffs — one that ended with Florida being swept despite having won the President’s Trophy. It marked the second straight time that the Panthers’ season ended by the hands of their in-state rivals, the Lightning. In response, Florida overhauled its coaching staff and roster, which so far has amounted to a 3-1 record.
Tampa has started out oppositely, going 1-3. The three-time Stanley Cup participants have struggled to put offense together so far with a meager 11 goals (six of which have come from one player, Steven Stamkos).
Our money is going on the Panthers to win. We just sense this game feels more important to them, who have to prove they can compete. The Lightning? Welp, they’re known to coast until it’s the postseason anyway. And here are two more stats that give us confidence in Florida to win. The first is they’ve won 12 of their last 13 regular-season home games. Two, and perhaps more importantly, the Panthers have a 7-3-2 record over their rivals in previous regular-season games. Florida should have this game in the bag on their home ice.
We’re going to be completely honest: we had to do a double take when further analyzing the Red Wings-Blakckhawks moneyline odds. Not only is the home team at plus-money odds, but they are plus-money coming off of FIVE days’ rest. That’s not common to see unless said home team is complete garbage, which we don’t believe Chicago is. Here are the full betting lines both ways:
Something to monitor before laying money down on this game is the status of Blackhawks defenseman Jake McCabe. The soon-to-be 29-year-old is on track to re-join the lineup — much faster than originally anticipated after a training camp injury. If McCabe were to rejoin the team, he’d beef up a Chicago defense that played well the past two games (yes, they were torched in Game 1 vs. Colorado, but who doesn’t by the champions?).
A McCabe-boosted defense helps the home team here, and so does the fact that Detroit has a lackluster offense as a whole. If you look at the advanced metrics, the Red Wings have a bottom-tier offense that ranks 27th in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60). Detroit is a young and could improve later in the season, but for now, we expect them to continue to “find themselves” per se.
You can probably guess how we’re betting on this game and that’s on a Chicago minor upset. Its rest and home-ice advantage should be enough to put them over the top.
The highest over/under of Friday night is reserved for this clash between Seattle and the defending champs, Colorado. It’s completely warranted given the matchup as we’re about to explain.
The Avs offense has picked up where it left off a year ago (finished fourth-best in goals) and has netted 17 goals in four contests so far. And on the flip side, the defensive woes have continued for NHL’s newest franchise. The Kraken has allowed at least four goals in each of its three previous games, which all ended in defeat.
The over has hit in each of Colorado’s past four games and we’re betting that streak goes to five. Yes, the Avs are scoring, but the defense is struggling to stop the opposition themselves. Colorado went younger and cheaper at the goaltender position this summer — it’s the most major rehaul of the title-winning team — and not surprisingly, it’s a work in progress this early in the year. Over is the smart pick to make here.
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About the Author
Eric is uniquely suited to be a writer for SBS. For one, he's a journalist by trade. Eric spent a large part of his career, covering sports — high school, college, and professional — for newspapers and online-based sites. However, Eric is a bettor himself too. He has first-hand experience hanging out in smoky sportsbooks and casinos, dealing with the ebbs and flows of gambling, and an understanding of how bookies operate. Both these unique qualities make him an expert bet picker for SBS. You'll also see Eric report on the sports betting industry as a whole.
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