NHL Monday betting preview: Flames will heat up in San Jose
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This past weekend could have gone a lot better. Three of the four teams we wagered on held two-goal leads and lost, while the team that didn't is the only one that won for us. Watching those bets play out was a good way to take some years off your life.
At least the Detroit Red Wings cashed as +270 'dogs on Sunday, if you followed our trend of the week.
In any case, let's bounce back during this massive week ahead.
GOATs and scapegoats
Given how some of our other weekend bets unfolded, we needed the Colorado Avalanche to come through in a big way on Saturday - and they did. Kudos to Nazem Kadri and Nathan MacKinnon for finding a way to solve Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins, who was looking like he might never allow a goal again.
We followed that up with the Red Wings trend play on Sunday afternoon, and it was looking like we might never lose again after the Chicago Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Place. Well, after leading for 48:49 of game time, Chicago collapsed in spectacular fashion. The Jets scored four goals in the last 11 minutes to win the contest and break our spirit.
Monday bets
Florida Panthers (+120)
The Panthers are in the midst of a small rough patch, but Aleksander Barkov is back and this team has still won five of its last seven on the road. The Philadelphia Flyers are a remarkable 18-5-4 at home, but three of those five regulation losses came in their last seven games. These are two evenly matched teams, so I'll gladly take Sergei Bobrovsky at +120 over Carter Hart at -135. Hart might need a game or two to shake off the rust after not starting since Jan. 13th due to an abdomen injury.
Tampa Bay Lightning (-150)
No team had its pride ripped away during last season's playoffs quite like the Lightning did at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is the first meeting between these teams since Columbus swept Tampa, and we can expect a significant response here in a massive revenge game for the Lightning, who'd won six of their last seven visits to Columbus before that postseason nightmare. Given that defenseman Seth Jones is now sidelined for the home team, I'm comfortable laying the juice.
I'd also play the Blue Jackets' team total under 2.5 in this spot. Tampa's allowed one goal or fewer in five of its last six regular-season visits to Columbus, including three shutouts.
Nashville Predators/Vancouver Canucks under 6 (-105)
This is typically a spot where I'd be all over the Canucks (+105), who had a nine-game home winning streak snapped on Saturday. However, I really like what I've seen from the Predators of late, as they've won six of their last eight on the road. This is an incredibly tight contest to call, so let's focus on the total. Nashville is playing some really strong defensive hockey, while Vancouver's allowed two or fewer goals in seven of its last nine games at Rogers Arena. Take the under in a matchup that has 3-2 in overtime written all over it.
Best bet
Calgary Flames (-115)
Give me a break with this line. Sure, the Flames have lost five of their last seven games, but they're a very different team on the road, where they've won 10 of their last 13. Calgary also put in a terrific showing to win in Vancouver on Saturday, and I expect the team to build on that momentum against a San Jose Sharks side that's not nearly as talented. The Sharks won in Calgary last week and I expect the Flames to return the favor in a game they really have to have.
Trend of the night
The Arizona Coyotes have lost six consecutive road contests for the first time since December 2017
The Coyotes have been outscored 25-8 over those six games while failing to register a single point in the standings. Three of the losses came against Eastern Conference teams - just like Monday's opponent, the Montreal Canadiens. Additionally, Arizona was shut out in two of those three.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.