Top NHL Betting Picks for Saturday, March 19 (2022)
The NHL Trade Deadline is just a couple of days away, and we’ve already seen some teams make some moves to position themselves for a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The NHL is giving us its version of March Madness this weekend with a whopping 11-game slate. If you need a switch from the hardwood, there will be plenty of action on the rink to be had. Here are my favorite plays for Saturday, March 19th.
All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
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New Jersey Devils (+195) at Edmonton Oilers (-230), Total 6.5 goals
The Devils and Oilers will be one of the first games to drop the puck Saturday afternoon. And there could be plenty of goals to be had.
The Oilers have been dynamite as of late, winning four straight and scoring at least four goals in all four wins. They’ll go up against a Devils team that is plenty of capable of putting the puck in the net as well. New Jersey’s offense has picked up as of late and the Devils have scored at least three goals in three of their last five contests.
What’s also interesting is both teams have a hard time keeping the puck out of their own net too. The enigmatic Mikko Koskinen will be between the pipes for Edmonton. Koskinen has a 3.04 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. Plus, he allowed five goals on 35 shots his last time out in a 7-5 win over Detroit.
For New Jersey, Nico Daws will likely man the crease. He hasn’t been great in his first NHL season either, posting a 2.99 goals against average and a .902 save percentage. Daws has given up four goals in his last two outings against Calgary and Vancouver.
I see this game playing out in a similar fashion to how Edmonton’s game with Detroit went. Mediocre teams with a scoring punch can hang around with the Oilers because of their shoddy goaltending. I expect New Jersey to do just that. I’m expecting plenty of goals, and I don’t even mind sprinkling a few bucks on their moneyline price, as Koskinen is as shaky as it comes.
The pick: Over 6.5
Ottawa Senators (+125) at Montreal Canadiens (-137), Total 6
This battle between two Canadian rivals features two teams heading in completely opposite directions. The Canadiens have woken up with new head coach Martin St. Louis at the helm, rattling off eight wins in their last 11. Meanwhile, Ottawa’s 3-1 victory over Philadelphia was its third in 11 tries.
After starting the year as one of the worst teams in the NHL, the Eastern Conference champions (remember that?) have played much better as of late. Montreal still isn’t a good team, as they rank 26th in expected goals for percentage and 22nd in Corsi For percentage. But their improvement as of late can’t be ignored.
While we don’t know who will be between the pipes for Montreal just yet (likely Jake Allen), the Senators will be rolling out backup Filip Gustavsson, and that’s good news for the Habs. Gustavsson has a 3.69 goals against average and an .890 save percentage in 14 appearances. No matter who’s in net for the Canadiens, they’ll have the advantage.
Back Montreal to keep up its winning ways against Ottawa.
The pick: Montreal -137
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