Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Saturday 4/6/19
All but one team in the National Hockey League will take to the ice on Saturday, April 6 as there are just two days left in the regular season. A lot of great games on tap with playoff implications, including the top two teams squaring off when the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Boston Bruins. In other great action, the New Jersey Devils take on the Florida Panthers and the Colorado Avalanche take on the San Jose Sharks.
Lines provided by BetDSI Sportsbook. Get the trends for all National Hockey League Games here.
Featured Game
Tampa Bay Lightning(-110) vs.Boston Bruins(-110)
This is a battle of the top two teams in the NHL as the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team with the best record in the league with 126 points (61-16-4) take on the Boston Bruins, second with 107 points (49-23-9). Tampa Bay is 29-9-2 on the road this season while Boston is 29-8-3 at home. Both of these teams are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games.
Goaltending Matchup:
Andrei Vasilevskiy will be making his last start heading into the playoffs. He is 39-10-3 this season with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. Vasilevskiy has won his last two starts, allowing three total goals in that span. In his last start against Boston, he earned the victory, allowing four goals on 17 shots. The Tampa Bay goaltender is 8-2-0 in his last 10 starts with a 3.10 goals-against average in that span.
Tuukka Rask will also be getting his final tune up before the playoffs. Rask is 27-12-4 this season with a 2.42 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. The Boston goaltender won his last start, allowing two goals on 34 shots and is 6-4-0 in his last 10 starts with a 2.50 goals against average. Rask allowed five goals on 28 shots in his last start against the Lightning.
Stat Pack:
Lightning:
Goals For:3.86
Goals Against:2.69
Power-Play:28.1%
Penalty Killing:84.9%
Bruins:
Goals For:3.14
Goals Against:2.54
Power-Play:26.1%
Penalty Killing:80.2%
Prediction
This is a contest that means more to the Boston Bruins than it does to Tampa Bay. Boston is currently tied with the Calgary Flames for the second best record in the NHL. Should these two teams meet in the finals, the team with the best record will definitely have home ice advantage. That is plenty enough incentive for them to dispatch a Lightning team will likely just be looking to stay healthy.
The total is set at 6.0 for this contest. These two teams have gone under in four of the last six in Boston and have gone under in eight of the last 13 overall. Both goaltenders have looked good in their most recent start so we take the under. The Boston Bruins win, 3-2.
Two Games to Watch
New Jersey Devils(+175) vs. Florida Panthers(-213)
Both of these teams are eliminated from playoff contention. Florida is in 10th in the conference with 85 points (36-32-13), while New Jersey is in 15th with 70 points (30-41-10). New Jersey is 10-27-3 on the road this season, while Florida is 20-13-7 at home. Both teams are 4-5-1 over their last 10 games.
Why New Jersey Wins:
Devils are 5-2 in their last seven games against teams with a losing record.
Panthers are 4-9 in their last 13 games against teams from the Eastern Conference.
Mackenzie Blackwood allowed just two goals on 32 shots in his last start.
Why Florida Wins:
Panthers are 9-3 in their last 12 games on a Saturday.
Devils are 5-13 in their last 18 games overall.
Devils are 1-5 in their last six games on Saturday.
Panthers have won six straight games between these two teams in Florida.
Panthers have won eight of the last 10 meetings between these two teams.
Roberto Luongo has won three straight games for Florida.
What About the Total?
Go under 6.0, because…
Total has gone under in five of the last six meetings.
Luongo has a 2.00 goals-against average in his last three starts.
Blackwood has a 2.00 goals-against average in his last three starts.
New Jersey has gone under in four straight games on the road.
New Jersey has gone under in five of their last six games.
Colorado Avalanche (+135) vs. San Jose Sharks (-165)
Both of these team have earned a playoff spot. The Colorado Avalanche are currently in eighth with 90 points (38-29-14), while the San Jose Sharks are in second in the Western Conference with 99 points (45-27-9). Colorado is 17-15-8 on the road this season and are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games. San Jose is 24-11-5 at home and they are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games.
Why Colorado Wins:
Avalanche are 8-2 in the last 10 games.
Avalanche are 6-0 in their last six games when playing on one day’s rest.
Sharks are 2-9 in their last 11 games.
Sharks are 1-6 in their last seven games at home.
Semyon Varlamov allowed two goals on 29 shots in his last start.
Martin Jones has lost six of his last seven starts and has given up at least three goals in eight straight appearances.
Why San Jose Wins:
Sharks are 8-3 in their last 11 games on a Saturday.
Sharks are 7-2 in their last nine games against Central Division teams.
Avalanche are 16-47 in their last 63 games on the road when facing a team with a winning record home.
Sharks are 23-4 in the last 27 meetings between these two teams in San Jose.
Sharks are 36-17 in the last 53 meetings between these two teams
What About the Total?
Go over 6.0, because…
Total has gone over in seven of the last eight meetings between these two teams in San Jose.
Total has gone over in 16 of the last 23 meetings overall.
Jones has allowed at least three goals in eight straight starts.