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Things are heating up in the NHL with some of the top teams in both conferences struggling lately. Teams from the middle of the standings see that as opportunity to jump in the standings while teams from the bottom halves are pushing hard to keep their playoff dream alive.
Thursday night will bring us 12 games around the league, and we have our game breakdowns and NHL betting trends for four of them.
The defending champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, are visiting the best team in the East, the Boston Bruins, who are coming back from after a West Coast road trip. The Arizona Coyotes have the longest active losing streak in the league and are hoping to turn things around when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Carolina Hurricanes look like a team that can be competitive against anyone in the league in a seven-game series and are major favorites when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Vancouver Canucks and the Los Angeles Kings are teams that have had many ups and downs lately, and for one of them, the crisis will continue.
Let’s take a deeper look at the NHL betting trends for these four games.
Vegas Golden Knights vs Boston Bruins
The Vegas Golden Knights are fifth in the Western Conference with a 33-19-7 record. After losing three consecutive games, the defending champions won 6-2 against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. The Golden Knights are fourth in the league with a 91.4 save percentage and ninth with 2.80 goals per game. Offensively, Vegas is 14th in the NHL, scoring 3.19 goals per game. Mark Stone leads the team with 52 points, while goalie Adin Hill leads the league with a 92.7 save percentage and is ranked second, allowing 2.26 goals per game.
The Boston Bruins have dropped to third place in the Eastern Conference with a 34-12-14 record. The last six Bruins’ games have ended in a tie in regulation, and Boston lost the last three. They are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Seattle Kraken, which was the last game of their four-game West Coast road trip. The Bruins are third in the league with a 91.6 save percentage and fourth with 2.70 goals per game. On the other side of the ice, Boston is tenth in the league, scoring 3.32 goals per game. David Pastrnak is having another impressive season, being in the top 4 in the league with 38 goals and 85 points in total.
Vegas Golden Knights vs Boston Bruins: NHL betting trends
Eight if the last 11 overall games between these two teams and 4 of the last 5 played in Boston have finished under the total goal line. The Bruins have played under the total goal line in 10 of their last 15 games overall and in 7 of the last 10 games against teams from the Pacific Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
Both teams have high aspirations this season, and it is a Stanley Cup or a bust for the Bruins. Both teams have been struggling lately but are still in a solid position to finish the regular season among the top seeds in their respective conferences. Both Vegas and Boston are in the top 5 teams when it comes to save percentage, and there will not be many goals tonight, meaning that going under 6 is the right choice for this one.
Arizona Coyotes vs Toronto Maple Leafs
The Arizona Coyotes have the longest losing streak this season in the NHL, which is 13 games at this point. It’s been more than a month since their last win, and they are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The Coyotes are currently 13th in the Western Conference with a 23-30-5 record. They are ranked 23rd in the league, scoring 2.86 goals per game and allowing 3.31. Clayton Keller leads the team with 52 points so far this season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 33-17-8 record. After winning seven consecutive games, they lost 6-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights in the last one. The Maple Leafs lead the league with 3.66 goals per game and 29.1% power play conversions. Defensively, they are 21st, allowing 3.17 goals per game. Auston Matthews leads the NHL with 52 goals, while William Nylander leads the Maple Leafs with 79 points, which ties him for sixth place in the NHL.
Arizona Coyotes vs Toronto Maple Leafs: NHL betting trends
Toronto is 7-1 SU in their last 8 games overall and 10-1 SU in the last 11 games against teams from the Western Conference. Arizona is 0-13 SU in the last 13 games overall, and 0-5 SU in the last 5 road games.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Arizona Coyotes are losing ground under their feet after losing the last 13 games. It is a fact that sooner or later they will win a game, but that is pretty unlikely to happen tonight in Toronto. The Maple Leafs have the best offense in the league, with Auston Matthews leading the league in goals scored. This will be a one-way game, with the Maple Leafs constantly attacking the Coyotes, who have no confidence or quality to avoid another loss.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Columbus Blue Jackets
The Carolina Hurricanes are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 35-18-6 record. They have won five of the last seven games and are coming off a 3-2 road win over the Minnesota Wild. The Hurricanes are fourth in the league, converting 27.2% of their power play situations, and are 12th in scoring 3.27 goals per game. Defensively, Carolina is sixth, allowing 2.73 goals per game. Sebastian Aho is the best player on the team, with 61 points.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 19-29-10 record. They have lost three of the last five games and are coming off a 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers. The Blue Jackets are 22nd in the league in scoring 2.95 goals per game and second-to-last in allowing 3.67. Johnny Gaudreau is leading Columbus with 42 points so far this season, and only 8 of those are goals.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Columbus Blue Jackets: NHL betting trends
Carolina has won 9 of the last 11 games against Columbus. They are 10-4 Su in the last 14 games overall and 10-1 SU in the last 11 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. Columbus is 6-12 SU in the last 18 games overall.
Prediction and Conclusion
The season is already lost for Columbus, and it seems like the Blue Jackets started to play better with no pressure to try to climb the standings. Winning 3 of the last 6 games and playing pretty well in the last win over the Rangers gives them a standing chance against the Hurricanes. Carolina is in the top four in the conference and is trying to go even higher as the season progresses. They are excellent on both ends of the ice and will have no problem adding another win against the bottom team in the East.
Los Angeles Kings vs Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are on top of the Western Conference with a 38-16-7 record. They are going through a difficult period of the season, losing four of the last five games and coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Canucks are third in the league, scoring 3.62 goals per game, and eighth, allowing 2.75. JT Miller leads the Canucks with 81 points, which ranks him sixth in the league.
The Los Angeles Kings are seventh in the Western Conference with a 29-19-10 record. After winning four consecutive games, the Kings have lost three of the last four and are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Calgary Flames. The Kings are third in the league, allowing 2.67 goals per game, and are 19th in scoring 3.03. Adrian Kempe is the best player on the Kings with 51 points this season.
Los Angeles Kings vs Vancouver Canucks: NHL betting trends
The Canucks have won 9 of the last 12 games against the Kings. Vancouver is 1-5 SU in the last 6 games overall, 12-4 SU in the last 16 home games and 10-5 SU in the last 15 games against teams from the Pacific Division. Los Angeles is 5-11 SU in the last 16 road games and 2-5 SU in the last 7 games against teams from the Pacific Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Canucks have been on top of the Western Conference for the entire season, but recent struggles have put the top seed in jeopardy. The Kings also had a solid start, but their crisis has put them in a position to have to fight for the playoffs. The Kings have excellent defense, and the Canucks will not score as usual, but it is still enough to win this game.
