Top NHL Picks and Predictions Today (Favorite, Underdog, and a Total for March 28)
We had a heartbreaker of a night in the NHL. The UNDER came through in the Wild vs. Avalanche game, but my big long shot bet of Coyotes +225 fell through in overtime. So close, yet so far away. The Panthers also fell to the Maple Leafs, but as a Toronto fan, I'm a little bit more comfortable with losing that bet.
With that being said, let's get back on the winning side of things tonight.
Here are my top 3 bets for Monday night's slate, with all odds listed coming from WynnBET Sportsbook.
Hurricanes vs. Capitals Prediction and Pick
Don't be fooled by the Capitals latest hot streak, they're just 21st in CORSI percentage, 19th in expected goals for, and 11th in expected goals against in their last 10 games. The Hurricanes, whose record may not be as shiny over that span, rank first, second, and third in those three stats respectively.
It's important as bettors to remember that the box scores don't always indicate how a team truly performs, and the Hurricanes and Capitals are perfect examples of that as of late.
It's worth noting that Carolina ranks 29th in shooting percentage over that span, which has been a big reason for its losses, but shooting accuracy is largely a volatile stat in the NHL and it shouldn't be a cause for concern considering their season long numbers.
No brainer here, give me the Hurricanes.
Pick: Hurricanes -135
Canucks vs. Blues Prediction and Pick
I've been harping all year that I think the Blues are one of the most overrated teams in the NHL, and I'm not going to back off that take quite yet. They continuously overperform based on their advanced analytics, and I expect regression to come for this team even more so than it already has.
For example, over their last 25 games, they're scoring 3.47 goals per 60 minutes but their expected goals per 60 minutes is 2.85. You'll typically see those numbers get a lot closer as time moves on and teams begin to regress to their true level of play.
Ville Husso is set to get the start between the pipes for the Blues tonight, and he's struggled as of late, allowing at least four goals in three of his last five starts.
With all of that in mind, I'm going to take a shot at the Canucks as road underdogs tonight.
Pick: Canucks +110
Coyotes vs. Oilers Prediction and Pick
We just barely missed out on a big Coyotes moneyline bet last night, and while I won't be backing them to win again tonight, I am going to bet on their game in some fashion. Tonight, I'm looking at the OVER 6.5 at -105 odds.
Like I mentioned yesterday, no team ranks higher in shooting percentage than the Coyotes, who find the back of the net on 12.54 percent of shot attempts. Pair that with the fact that they're playing one of the best offenses in the NHL in the Edmonton Oilers, and I think we're going to see a plethora of goals tonight.
Give me the OVER tonight.
Pick: OVER 6.5 (-105)
You can track Iain's bets on BetStamp here.