Let’s dive into two best NHL bets for the five-game slate on Sunday, and be sure to check out the OddsShopper tool for more best bets and odds. In this post we’ll focus on the best Kings bet. We’ll also make our Coyotes-Wild prediction.
Best NHL Bets and Odds
[osoddswidget]
Coyotes-Wild prediction: 1P Under 1.5 (+130, DraftKings)
To kick off Sunday’s slate, there is a Central Division tilt with the sixth-place Minnesota Wild hosting the seventh-place Arizona Coyotes. Both of these clubs have been involved in games with slow starts recently as there have been one or fewer first period goals in eight of Minnesota’s last 11 games and in each of Arizona’s last five, two trends that should continue in this patch between two typically slow-paced teams.
These two offenses have been among the worst in hockey through the first quarter of the season. At 5v5, the Yotes rank last in the league in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) while the Wild rank sixth-last.
Arizona’s lack of offensive production is not surprising in the slightest given that they have the weakest roster in hockey. However, Minnesota’s slow offensive start is a bit more surprising to some.
The departure of playmaking winger Kevin Fiala over the off-season has been detrimental to the Wild’s offensive production, as he was one of the few that could create plays on his own. Kirill Kaprizov can still carry the workload of this team, and often gets some help from Mats Zuccarello, but the depth of the forward group past them is a major concern.
Matthew Boldy is struggling at 5v5 without playing alongside Fiala, evidenced by the fact that half his points this season have come on the power play, which is problematic against Arizona because special teams is the only thing they are decent at. To give Minnesota some credit, their defense has been terrific to start the year.
At 5v5, they rank sixth in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60). Their defensive core is essentially the same as last season, and they finished second in the league in xGA/60.
Meanwhile, the goaltending matchup is expected to be Karel Vejmelka versus Filip Gustavsson, two guys with save percentages north of .913. This game is likely going to be an ugly, low-scoring affair. In turn, our Coyotes-Wild prediction bets for you to look for a slow start at plus money.
Senators at Kings: Best Kings Bet: Moneyline (-150, DraftKings)
The Pacific Division’s Los Angeles Kings host the Atlantic Division’s Ottawa Senators in Sunday’s nightcap. Los Angeles won both of the meetings between these two clubs last season, a trend that should continue in this matchup.
Offensively, this matchup is likely a wash with a slight advantage to Ottawa. At 5v5, both teams rank inside the top half of the league in xGF/60.
The Sens are creating more high-danger scoring chances, although their execution is much poorer than that of Los Angeles. Both teams are missing an important forward in this game with Josh Norris out for Ottawa and Alex Iafallo out for the Kings.
Defense will be the key distinguishing factor in this game, a category where Los Angeles has a clear advantage. At 5v5 this season, the Kings rank fourth in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) while the Sens rank just 21st.
Poor defensive play is a trend carried over from last season under head coach D.J. Smith as Ottawa finished 27th in the league in xGA/60 at 5v5. Under Smith, this club takes a ton of gambles when in the defensive zone, which is a recipe for failure given their blue line.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles boasts one of the deeper blue lines in the league, with all three pairings doing a tremendous job of suppressing high-danger scoring chances. Of pairings that have played at least 200 minutes together, both the Durzi-Roy and Anderson-Doughty pairings are inside the top five in the league in xGA/60.
The difference in this game likely comes down to which defense can slow down the other offense more efficiently, which is where the Kings boast a big advantage.
