The 2022-23 NHL season has crossed the one-month mark as another week of hockey gets underway. A new slate of hockey games opens the door for more betting opportunities, meaning there’s much to know before the new action begins.
There’s a lot of information for bettors to consider ahead of this week. The good news is that we’re here to help with a list of key upcoming games and essential futures betting trends.
NHL Games of the Week: Nov. 14-20
- St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche (Monday, Nov. 14)
We kick off the week with this Central Division showdown between the St. Louis Blues and the Colorado Avalanche. The last-place Blue have won back-to-back games heading into this matchup after enduring an eight-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Avalanche have won four straight games to climb to third in the division.
St. Louis must figure out how to contain potential Hart Memorial Trophy candidates Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. MacKinnon has 11 points during the Avalanche’s four-game win streak, and Rantanen has 12.
As far as Hart odds go, oddsmakers have MacKinnon tied with Leon Draisaitl for the third-best odds at +900. Rantanen isn’t far behind his teammate in the MVP race, sitting at +1300 (No. 6).
Though some rivalries can be competitive, that hasn’t been the case here lately. The Avalanche have dominated the Blues, going 10-3-0 straight up in their last 13 meetings (including the postseason).
Not surprisingly, Colorado is a -205 home favorite on the moneyline at sportsbooks, while St. Louis is a +168 road underdog. Oddsmakers favor the Avalanche by 1.5 goals on the spread in a game with a projected total of six goals. For reference, the total has hit the Over in nine of the last 12 games between these two teams.
- Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Minnesota Wild (Thursday, Nov. 17)
Marc-Andre Fleury faces the team that drafted him when the Minnesota Wild host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
Both teams have failed to meet expectations this season, playing an average brand of hockey. Pittsburgh is 6-6-3, while Minnesota enters the week at 7-6-2.
If the Wild want to change their luck at home (where they’ve won only two games so far), Fleury needs to have a strong performance. Unfortunately, that might be easier said than done. He’s struggled against his former team, going 4-3-0 with a 3.06 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage in seven all-time starts against the Penguins.
Pittsburgh has also won six of its last 10 matchups against Minnesota. The total has also hit the Over in seven of those instances, as the two sides combined for an average of 7.1 goals per game.
Though the spread is unknown at the time of writing, it will be interesting to see which way it goes. On the one hand, the Wild are 1-6 against the spread (ATS) at home this season. On the other hand, the Penguins are 2-6 ATS in their last eight road matchups.
Regardless, it’s always emotional when Fleury gets to face his old team. Only time will tell if he and Minnesota will emerge as the victors this time around.
NHL Futures Odds Update
Bruins, Hurricanes Co-Favorites to Win Eastern Conference
- Boston Bruins (+500)
- Carolina Hurricanes (+500)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (+700)
- Florida Panthers (+700)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (+700)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (+800)
Before the season began, the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maples Leafs were +500 co-favorites to win the Eastern Conference. The odds have shifted over the last month due to the Boston Bruins’ red-hot 14-2-0 start to the campaign.
After starting at +1500 odds, the Bruins are now tied with the Hurricanes at +500 to win the conference. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have fallen to +700 odds due to a lack of consistency in the first month.
The New Jersey Devils are certainly a team to keep an eye on. They didn’t even crack the top-8 odds in September but now sit eighth at +1000 after going 12-3-0 through their first 15 games, winning nine in a row heading into the week.
Other teams that have seen notable movement since the last update include the Florida Panthers (+600 to +700) and New York Islanders (+1600 to +2000).
Western Conference Odds See Big Changes
- Colorado Avalanche (+200)
- Calgary Flames (+500)
- Vegas Golden Knights (+500)
- Edmonton Oilers (+700)
- Minnesota Wild (+1200)
- Dallas Stars (+1400)
Unlike out east, there’s no question about who the current Western Conference favorite is. The Colorado Avalanche were favored at +185 to win the west back in September, and while those odds have slightly lengthened, they’re still +200 odds-on favorites in the middle of November.
However, things have changed a bit for the other contenders in the conference. Both the Calgary Flames (+750 to +500) and Vegas Golden Knights (+800 to +500) have jumped up into a tie for the second-best odds. Even the Edmonton Oilers’ odds slightly improved from +750 to +700.
There have also been a few falls since September. Struggles at home have moved the Wild down from +850 to +1200. However, few teams saw more significant drop-offs than the St. Louis Blues (+1200 to +3000) due to the eight-game losing streak mentioned earlier.
With how the Western Conference odds have changed so much, it’s safe to say things are far from settled.
Shesterkin Remains Vezina Favorite
- Igor Shesterkin, NYR (+450)
- Jake Oettinger, DAL (+550)
- Ilya Sorokin, NYI (+550)
- Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (+650)
- Connor Hellebuyck, WPG (+1300)
- Linus Ullmark, BOS (+1500)
Igor Shesterkin continues to remain one of the NHL’s top goaltenders. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is favored at +450 odds to win the award again, only slightly down from his +340 mark in September. So far, Shesterkin is 8-2-2 in 12 starts, posting a .915 SV% and a 2.40 GAA with one shutout.
The Dallas Stars’ Jake Oettinger has seen his odds skyrocket lately. Beginning the season at +2000, Oettinger now sits at +550 as he leads the league in both SV% (.938) and GAA (1.80) through his first nine starts. Considering that this is only his third NHL season, he may still have room for improvement as he gains experience.
Ilya Sorokin’s odds have also improved. The New York Islanders goaltender is on pace for a career year, going 7-4-0 with a .932 SV%, a 2.17 GAA and one shutout in 11 starts. His terrific performance has improved his award odds from +750 to +550.
This year’s Vezina race has also seen many odds plummet. Juuse Saros (+1000 to +1500), Frederik Andersen (+1800 to +2200), and Thatcher Demko (+1500 to +2900) have all seen their odds notably worsen as the season has progressed.
