NHL Betting Guide: Monday 12/6/21
We've got six games to start this week, so let's try to find some value in the betting market.
Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. Please check here to make sure you're seeing the most updated information.
Los Angeles Kings vs Vancouver Canucks
Los Angeles (+118): 2-Star Rating Out of 5
Los Angeles +1.5 (-235): 3-Star Rating Out of 5
The Los Angeles Kings head into this game after an impressive 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. They've been on a roller coaster this season with a losing streak of six followed by a winning streak of seven. That was then immediately followed by a losing streak of five. Tonight, they'll have a chance to climb on the roller coaster and build a winning streak.
The Kings got Drew Doughty back into their lineup -- giving their defense group a much-needed boost. Doughty may not be at his peak, but he is still the Kings' best defenseman and contributing a lot offensively. He has 11 points in seven games this season -- the best rate in the league for blueliners.
Los Angeles is ninth in Corsi For Percentage at even strength, so they are underperforming a bit at only sixth in the Pacific Division. They'll face the team at the bottom of the division in the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. Vancouver continues to struggle mightily, as they just had to make sweeping organizational changes. They announced that Bruce Boudreau would be their new coach last night. While Boudreau has a good track record, one day is probably not enough time to make a huge difference.
One area the Kings can beat the Canucks in is with the power play. The Kings have a 20.5% success rate on the man advantage this season, and much of that is without Doughty. Meanwhile, Vancouver is dead last on the penalty kill and allowed multiple power-play goals once again on Saturday.
The Kings are a better team than the Canucks but at a rest disadvantage. Goaltender Calvin Petersen will be in net tonight, and while he's been the weaker of the Kings' goalie tandem this season, he was one of the better goalies in the league last season. This is a great spot for him to bounce back tonight.
Los Angeles should be able to get the win, so the moneyline bet at +118 is solid. If you want to play it really safe, the puck line of +1.5 goals is not a horrible way to go, either.
Ottawa Senators vs New Jersey Devils
Ottawa (+168): 3-Star Rating Out of 5
Ottawa +1.5 (-154): 4-Star Rating Out of 5
This is a classic "hold your nose" bet that comes up often in the NHL. The Ottawa Senators have not been good in many aspects of hockey this season as they sit dead last in the Eastern Conference. However, there are slight reasons for optimism for them in this spot tonight.
The Senators have won two games in a row and beat two very good teams (the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche) to do so. They have most of their important players back in the lineup including Drake Batherson on their first line. This gives them the proper depth that an NHL team should have compared to a few weeks ago when their lineup was ravaged by injuries and guys on the COVID-19 list.
Ottawa will face the New Jersey Devils on the road. The Devils haven't been a bad team this season but certainly haven't been spectacular. They rank in the middle of the pack in most advanced metrics and have a points percentage of an even .500. They are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games, and they have lost three games in a row.
There aren't many metrics that point to Ottawa being a solid team, but this play is more about the Devils being slightly overvalued in this spot. The Senators have enough talent to keep the game close, so our model liking them to cover the puck line at +1.5 makes a lot of sense. If you're really feeling frisky, Ottawa to win outright also grades well by the model, so that is a fine bet as well.
