5 Sports Picks On Ice: Betting the NHL

Keep your eye on some defensive-minded NHL teams in big stretches over the next two weeks. Defenses win championships, and two teams got the memo to crack down as we approach the one-third mark of the season.

  1. The Boston Bruins entered the week at an insane 19-3-5 with a 10-game unbeaten streak. Boston has given up a league best 65 goals against.
  2. The Bruins have a chance to fatten up even more this week, hosting the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche.
  3. The following week, the Bruins hit the road for four more. The Bruins have been hitting the under betting total a lot. Solid goaltending, tight checking and back-checking from the forwards have made them tough to beat, especially if they score first. The question is whether they are peaking early.

Hail Caesars! Sign up at CaesarsCasino.com and get a $300 matched sports free bet.

  1. The Arizona Coyotes also fashion strong defense, with just 67 goals allowed. This is an unusual achievement for the team. The Coyotes are 15-9-4 and face four straight road games that will test whether this accomplishment is real or a mirage.
  2. Arizona will play at Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks. It could be a little vulnerable during this stretch. And then they come home for three games the following week.

The NHL defensive styles continue to kick in. Many games are landing on five or six goals. And, what a surprise, that’s where the over-under lines usually are. Look for teams playing back-to-back road games or engaged in a long road trip to see an opening for high-scoring games.

Sweet Deal. Get up to $250 on your first deposit at PlaySugarHouse.com.

Recent Articles

History Playbook

On This Day In Sports History

On June 15, 2011, Boston shut out Vancouver 4-0 in Game 7 at Rogers Arena to capture their first Stanley Cup since 1972. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks held 2-0 and 3-2 series leads before the Bruins rallied. Following Vancouver's devastating defeat, fans rioted downtown, causing widespread damage, injuries, and arrests.

On This Day In Sports History

On June 14, 1949, Phillies star Eddie Waitkus survived being shot in Chicago by an obsessed 19-year-old fan. Despite a collapsed lung and missing the season, he returned in 1950 to play 154 games, leading Philadelphia to the NL pennant.