Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon Sport
The 2024-25 NHL regular season is underway and things are starting to heat up. As usual, there is a long schedule on Saturday, and we are going to see the betting trends for the four more interesting matchups.
The Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs have been among the best teams in the Eastern Conference for a while now, but at the moment they are both in the bottom half of the conference. The Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Red Wings will collide in a matchup between teams with some of the longest active playoff droughts in the league. The New York Rangers, though, have been one of the toughest teams in the league, and the Anaheim Ducks will have a long night in the Big Apple. The Philadelphia Flyers, on the other hand, have a real bad start and hope to change the rhythm when they host the Minnesota Wild.
Let’s take a deeper look at the NHL betting trends for these four games.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins
The Toronto Maple Leafs are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 4-4-0 record, including 1-2-0 on the road. They have lost the last two games and are coming off a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. William Nylander and Mitch Marner lead the team with 7 points each.
The Boston Bruins are 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 3-4-1 record, including 2-2-0 at home. They have lost the last three games and are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. Cole Koepke and David Pastnak lead the team with 6 points each.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: NHL betting trends
The Bruins are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games overall, 2-5 SU in their last 7 home games, and 2-6 SU in their last 8 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. Boston has played under the total goal line in 5 of their last 6 games against Toronto and 6 of their last 7 home games against them while they have gone over in 6 of their last 9 games against teams from the Atlantic Division. The Maple Leafs are 3-11 SU in their last 14 games overall, 4-8 SU in their last 12 games against teams from the Atlantic Division, and 1-5 SU in their last 6 games played on Saturday. Toronto has played under the total goal line in 8 of their last 12 games overall and 5 of their last 6 games on the road.
Prediction and Conclusion
Despite the average start, both teams have everything they need for a successful season. The Bruins have been among the elite teams in the league for a while now, and this mix of experienced and young players looks like the right recipe for success. On the other side, Auston Matthews is still the heart and soul of the Maple Leafs team, and he is under pressure to prove his superstar status and take Toronto to another level. However, Boston is one, if not the best defensive team in the league, and knows how to slow down aggressive offenses like the Maple Leafs. Just like all four games last season, this will be a tight game without many goals, so we go with under 6.5 in total.
Detroit Red Wings vs Buffalo Sabres
The Detroit Red Wings are eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 4-3-0 record, and 2-1-0 on the road. They have won the last three games and are coming off a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat lead the team with six points each.
The Buffalo Sabres are 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 3-4-1 record and 2-2-0 at home. The Sabres have won the last two games and are coming off a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Alex Tuch leads the team with 9 points so far in the season.
Detroit Red Wings vs Buffalo Sabres: NHL betting trends
The Sabres are 5-2 SU in their last 7 home games and 1-4 SU in their last 5 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. Buffalo has played over the total goal line in 6 of their last 8 games against the Red Wings and 5 of their last 6 home games against them while they have stayed under in 10 of their last 14 games against teams from the Atlantic Division. The Red Wings are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games overall, 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road and 5-0 SU in their last 5 games against teams from the Atlantic Division. Detroit has played over the total goal line in 8 of their last 11 games overall and 7 of their last 9 games against teams from the Eastern Conference.
Prediction and Conclusion
Both the Red Wings and the Sabres are coming into the season with the hope of a change of fortune. Detroit actually has their best start in recent years and is currently on a three-game winning streak. It seems like their young roster has finally matured, and we are expecting them to be in the top half of the conference. The Sabres are still one step behind, but since 6 of their last 8 head-to-head games have gone over the total goal line, we go with over 5.5 in this one.
Anaheim Ducks vs New York Rangers
The Anaheim Ducks are 12th in the Western Conference with a 3-2-1 record, and 1-1-1 on the road. After losing two consecutive games, the Ducks won 3-1 against the San Jose Sharks. Trey Terry leads the team with 5 points.
The New York Rangers are on top of the Eastern Conference with a 5-1-1 record, and 1-1-1 at home. After winning four consecutive games, the Rangers lost 3-1 to the Florida Panthers. Artemi Panarin is tied for the season place in the league with 14 points so far in the season.
Anaheim Ducks vs New York Rangers: NHL betting trends
The Rangers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games overall, 9-0 SU in their last 9 games against the Ducks, and 7-2 SU in their last 9 games against teams from the Western Conference. New York has played under the total goal line in 6 of their last 7 home games and 13 of their last 20 games played in October. The Ducks are 6-12 SU in their last 18 games overall. 1-6 SU in their last 7 games against the Rangers and 2-10 SU in their last 12 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division. Anaheim has played under the total goal line in 6 of their last 8 games overall and 4 of their last 5 games on the road while they have gone over in 5 of their last 7 games against teams from the Eastern Conference.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Rangers are a real force at the beginning of the season, and there is no doubt that this year will be a championship or a bust for them. Artemi Panarin has grown into one of the best players in the league and looks unstoppable in the first couple of weeks. On the other side, the Ducks are still in a rebuilding process and have missed the playoffs in the last six seasons. Their defense looks pretty good at the start of the season, as they are in the top 10 in allowed goals per game, but until they find a way to be efficient on the offense, they will barely beat any good team in the league. It’s been ten years since their last win against the Rangers in New York, and that run is not stopping any time soon.
Minnesota Wild vs Philadelphia Flyers
The Minnesota Wild are second in the Western Conference with a 5-0-2 record, including 4-0-1 on the road. They have won the last four games and are coming off a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kirill Kaprizov leads the team with 13 points.
The Philadelphia Flyers are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 1-5-1 record, including 0-2-0 at home. They have lost the last six games and are coming off a 6-3 loss to the Washington Capitals. Matvei Michkov leads the team with 7 points so far in the season.
Minnesota Wild vs Philadelphia Flyers: NHL betting trends
The Flyers are 0-6 SU in their last 6 games overall, 1-6 SU in their last 7 home games, and 1-5 SU in their last 6 games against teams from the Western Conference. Philadelphia has played over the total goal line in 4 of their last 6 games overall, 6 of their last 9 games against the Wild, 4 of their last 5 home games against them, and 4 of their last 5 games as underdogs. The Wild are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games overall, 6-1 SU in their last 7 games on the road, and 5-0 SU in their last 5 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. Minnesota has played under the total goal line in 4 of their last 5 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Philadelphia Flyers are coming off a bad season, and when the Flyers fans thought that things could not get any worse, the Flyers players proved them wrong. Philadelphia is just so bad on both ends of the ice, and the only reason to be optimistic in this game is the fact that every series eventually comes to an end. They are currently on a six-game losing streak, while the Wild have won the last four. Minnesota is coming to Philadelphia on their sixth game of the road trip, and the only series that will come to an end is the Flyers’ three-game winning streak against the Wild.
