The 2022-23 NHL season is now at the point where every team is approaching the 20-game mark. The true contenders have begun separating themselves from the pack, while other teams have already started setting their sights on the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
The week of Nov. 21’s hockey betting action brings more opportunities worth exploring. Continue reading to learn about the games you need to keep an eye on as well as a handful of futures betting trends that should be monitored going forward.
NHL Games of the Week: Nov. 21-27
- Edmonton Oilers vs. New Jersey Devils (Monday, Nov. 21)
The Edmonton Oilers have a tall test on Monday when they visit the New Jersey Devils, who’ve won 12 straight games entering the week.
New Jersey has also completely dominated the competition over that stretch, outscoring its opponents 51-22. Five players have recorded double-digit point totals during that time, including Jack Hughes, who leads the way with six goals and 10 assists. Hughes’ recent play has helped improve his Hart Memorial Trophy odds to +2500, ranking 14th-best across the field.
The Oilers are no slouches, though, coming off a 4-3 overtime victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. If they’re going to defeat the Devils, they need a massive performance from Connor McDavid, who’s the +130 Hart Trophy favorite after racking up 23 points in his last 11 games.
As of Monday morning, the Devils are -154 moneyline favorites to defeat the Oilers (+128). It’s worth noting that New Jersey is 7-2 at home this year and is 9-0 straight up in its last nine games against the Western Conference.
The projected total for the game is seven goals, with the under being favored at -144 odds. The total has hit the over in five of the last seven Oilers-Devils matchups, which have averaged 7.7 goals per game.
- St. Louis Blues vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (Friday, Nov. 25)
Two of the hottest teams in each conference will collide on Black Friday when the St. Louis Blues clash with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Blues have won six in a row coming into the week, while the Lightning have won four straight.
Four St. Louis players have averaged at least one point per game during the streak, which has been a genuine team effort. It also helps that goaltender Jordan Binnington has been solid, going 5-0-0 with a 2.20 goals-against average (GAA) and a .936 save percentage (SV%) in five appearances during that stretch.
Tampa Bay has also been firing on all cylinders, averaging 4.5 goals per game over its winning streak. Nikita Kucherov has seven points over that stretch and now sits tied for third in the NHL with 28 points in 18 games played this season.
Despite the Lightning having a home-ice advantage, it’s the Blues who have won five of the last six games against their upcoming opponent. Furthermore, St. Louis has won back-to-back trips to Amalie Arena, having lost to Tampa Bay on the road only once since 2017.
While the game’s odds aren’t available at the time of writing, there are betting trends worth considering. Bettors may want to brace themselves for a high-scoring game, as the total has gone over in four of the Blues’ last six games and six of the Lightning’s last eight at home.
Tampa Bay is also 6-2-1 straight up at home this season, always challenging visiting clubs. On the other hand, St. Louis has won each of its last three road games, outscoring opponents 16-9.
Regardless, this is shaping up to be a battle between an unstoppable force and an immovable object.
NHL Futures Odds Update
Stanley Cup Odds See Plenty of Changes
- Colorado Avalanche (+500)
- Boston Bruins (+850)
- Carolina Hurricanes (+950)
- Vegas Golden Knights (+950)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (+1300)
- Calgary Flames (+1400)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (+1400)
- Florida Panthers (+1500)
- New Jersey Devils (+1700)
- Edmonton Oilers (+1800)
The 2022-23 Stanley Cup odds have taken shape now that we’re over a month into the campaign. While the Colorado Avalanche are still favored since the last update two weeks ago (+450 to +500), things have shifted beyond that.
One of the most significant changes is that the Boston Bruins are in sole possession of the No. 2 spot. The Bruins sat at +1400 odds on Oct. 31 but have since improved to +850 after a 16-2-0 start to the year.
The Vegas Golden Knights have also seen a significant jump, going from +1700 to being tied for third at +950. With that in mind, the New Jersey Devils have seen the most significant jump in the update, improving from +4500 to +1700.
It hasn’t been all positive, though. Teams that have seen their championship odds diminish include the Pittsburgh Penguins (+1300 to +2200), Minnesota Wild (+2000 to +2500) and Washington Capitals (+4500 to +6000).
McDavid Takes Over Rocket Richard Odds
- Connor McDavid, EDM (+155)
- Auston Matthews, TOR (+500)
- David Pastrnak, BOS (+750)
- Leon Draisaitl, EDM (+750)
- Kirill Kaprizov, MIN (+1100)
- Alexander Ovechkin, WSH (+2200)
Connor McDavid is talented enough to do anything he wants. It seems like winning his first Rocket Richard Trophy is on his mind this season, as he leads the NHL with 16 goals in 18 games. On pace for over 70 goals, McDavid is now a +155 favorite to be the 2022-23 leading goal-scorer.
Even though he only has eight goals this season, Auston Matthews sits second with +500 odds. He was the +230 favorite to win the award for the third straight year at the beginning of the season, so Matthews must up his scoring rate before it’s too late.
One player who must be monitored is the Vancouver Canucks’ Bo Harvat. Only McDavid has more than Horvat’s 14 goals this season, putting the latter on pace for a career year. As it stands, Horvat has +7000 odds to be the Rocket Richard winner, making him a decent dark horse pick.
McDavid Remains Heavy Hart Favorite
- Connor McDavid, EDM (+130)
- Auston Matthews, TOR (+470)
- Leon Draisaitl, EDM (+900)
- Nathan MacKinnon, COL (+900)
- Kirill Kaprizov, MIN (+1200)
- Mikko Rantanen, COL (+1300)
Just like he’s favorite to lead the NHL in goals, McDavid is heavily favored to be the 2022-23 season’s most valuable player. The two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner has a league-leading 34 points to begin the year, which explains why his MVP odds have shortened from +175 to +130 over the last three weeks.
Everyone else around McDavid hasn’t really moved, though. Matthews, Kirill Kaprizov and Mikko Rantanen’s odds are all identical to where they were on Halloween morning, whereas Leon Draisaitl and Nathan MacKinnon both only moved from +850 to +900.
As far as sleeper picks go, Hughes is an interesting name, as mentioned before. The fourth-year center has 19 points in 18 games, making him a critical force behind the Devils’ Metropolitan Division-leading 15-3-0 record. Hughes is currently available at +2500 odds to win the Hart Trophy, which is a number that bettors should take advantage of before his odds potentially shorten as the season progresses.
