Blackhawks' outdoor curse in Winter Classic and this week's NHL betting predictions and picks
Jason Logan
The Chicago Blackhawks have struggled in their past Winter Classic matchups, and are +105 underdogs heading into this one against the Boston Bruins.
The calendar flips to 2019 in a big way, with the NHL ringing in the New Year with their annual Winter Classic on January 1. That kicks off a busy week of NHL betting action. If you?re dropping some bucks on the pucks, here are the highlights on the hockey board.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
The NHL holds its Winter Classic, the league?s 26th outdoor game, on New Year?s Day, with the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks doing battle at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Looking back at the previous 25 outdoor events, the road team has gone 15-10 SU, with those contests producing a 11-10-4 Over/Under count ? including 6-3-1 to the O/U over the last 10 games.
Chicago is dubbed the home team for this Original Six matchup, having lost all but one of its previous five outdoor games, going back to 2009. The Blackhawks were outscored by a total of 20-9 in those showcase games but head into 2019 with momentum, having picked up victories in five of their last six contests and outscoring foes 20-14 (allowing only 2.3 goals per game) in that span.
Boston, which is 1-1 in outdoor games all time, has four wins in its last six games before a brief break heading into the Winter Classic. The Bruins suffered through a two-game skid, allowing 10 total goals, before getting an impressive 3-2 overtime win at Buffalo Saturday.
The forecast in South Bend is calling for rain New Year?s Eve with that stopping overnight, leaving cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 30s for the 1 p.m. ET puckdrop.
WAKING UP IN VEGAS
The Los Angeles Kings open 2019 in Las Vegas but won?t get to enjoy the Sin City party since they play in Colorado on New Year?s Eve. The Kings take on the Avalanche at 8 p.m. ET Monday and then hit the ice the next night ? New Year?s Day ? for a 9 p.m. ET matchup with the rival Golden Knights.
Los Angeles is expected to start promising goaltending prospect Cal Petersen, who may be playing in his final start for the big club before getting sent back to the minors with Jack Campbell returning from injury. Petersen allowed three goals in Vegas in his most recent start, a 4-3 overtime win for the Kings on December 23, and has given up nine goals on 107 total shot since No. 1 netminder Jonathan Quick returned to action.
The Kings are 2-2-1 with a 4-1 Over/Under mark in the second of back-to-back games this season and 2-5 in their last seven matchups with Vegas.
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
The Pittsburgh Penguins are starting to look like Stanley Cup contenders again, after a slow start to the 2018-19 season. Pittsburgh has won five in a row heading into a New Year?s Eve battle with the Minnesota Wild, totaling 18 goals and allowing only five against during this streak.
Pittsburgh comes to the Big Apple to take on the New York Rangers on Wednesday ? the lone home stand for the Blue Shirts in a six-game span that sends N.Y. out West following this matchup with Pittsburgh. The Rangers have hemorrhaged goals in recent games, allowing an average of 3.9 per game in December and have played Over the NHL betting total in all but two of their 11 games so far this month.
Surprisingly, this is the first meeting between Pittsburgh and New York this season, with the teams playing Over the number in all four of their head-to-head clashes last season, posting a collective average of 7.5 goals scored in those contests.
GOALIE PROFILE
Robin Lehner, New York Islanders
Lehner is both a feel-good story and cautionary tale for young NHLers, having overcome alcohol and pill addiction to remain sober for nine months. The Islanders netminder has been fantastic between the pipes, helping New York post a 7-2-1 record in its last 10 contests. Since November 29, Lehner has started six games, allowing only seven goals against in those outings, heading into his New Year?s Eve reunion with his former club the Buffalo Sabres. The Isles have played Under the total in all six of those starts for the Swede, who owns a 2.21 GAA and .926 save percentage on the season. After Monday?s game with Buffalo, New York takes on Chicago at home Thursday and plays at St. Louis on Saturday.
INJURY UPDATE
Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets: The Jets will be missing their top two-way player for about a month with Byfuglien suffering an injury to his left leg in Saturday?s loss to Minnesota. Byfuglien is not only the Jets? emotional leader but its best scoring defenseman, recording four goals and 25 assists on the season. Winnipeg leads the Central Division with a 24-12-1-1 record and has earned +4.25 units for NHL moneyline bettors this season. The Jets? second-ranked power play will absolutely miss Byfuglien, scoring at a 28.6 percent clip on the man advantage. That could give value to the Under in upcoming Winnipeg games.
HAT TRICK TRENDS
The Tampa Bay Lightning are 50-24 in their last 74 road games and open a three-game West Coast run at Anaheim on New Year?s Eve. The Bolts are 30-7-2-0 on the season (+14.9 units) and don?t present much value on the moneyline at home, but should be more affordable on the road this coming week.
The Vancouver Canucks are the best puckline bet ? hockey?s version of the pointspread ? in the NHL, with a 29-12 record when getting or giving 1.5 goals. That?s stacked +13.28 units for NHL puckline players this season. Bettors may want to pump the breaks on the Canucks, however, with a challenging schedule this week. Vancouver is in the midst of a six-game road swing, having won at Calgary and Edmonton last week, and have upcoming games at New Jersey, Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto ? a daunting four games in six nights.
The Penguins are on an 8-2 tear in their last 10 and look like the dominant offense bettors have come to know and love the past decade. Pittsburgh?s Stanley Cup futures opened at 10/1 before the season and dipped to 12/1 just before this current hot streak. Sidney Crosby & Co. will quick climb the Stanley Cup betting odds board if they stay on this pace in January.
Jason Logan
The Chicago Blackhawks have struggled in their past Winter Classic matchups, and are +105 underdogs heading into this one against the Boston Bruins.
The calendar flips to 2019 in a big way, with the NHL ringing in the New Year with their annual Winter Classic on January 1. That kicks off a busy week of NHL betting action. If you?re dropping some bucks on the pucks, here are the highlights on the hockey board.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
The NHL holds its Winter Classic, the league?s 26th outdoor game, on New Year?s Day, with the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks doing battle at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Looking back at the previous 25 outdoor events, the road team has gone 15-10 SU, with those contests producing a 11-10-4 Over/Under count ? including 6-3-1 to the O/U over the last 10 games.
Chicago is dubbed the home team for this Original Six matchup, having lost all but one of its previous five outdoor games, going back to 2009. The Blackhawks were outscored by a total of 20-9 in those showcase games but head into 2019 with momentum, having picked up victories in five of their last six contests and outscoring foes 20-14 (allowing only 2.3 goals per game) in that span.
Boston, which is 1-1 in outdoor games all time, has four wins in its last six games before a brief break heading into the Winter Classic. The Bruins suffered through a two-game skid, allowing 10 total goals, before getting an impressive 3-2 overtime win at Buffalo Saturday.
The forecast in South Bend is calling for rain New Year?s Eve with that stopping overnight, leaving cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 30s for the 1 p.m. ET puckdrop.
WAKING UP IN VEGAS
The Los Angeles Kings open 2019 in Las Vegas but won?t get to enjoy the Sin City party since they play in Colorado on New Year?s Eve. The Kings take on the Avalanche at 8 p.m. ET Monday and then hit the ice the next night ? New Year?s Day ? for a 9 p.m. ET matchup with the rival Golden Knights.
Los Angeles is expected to start promising goaltending prospect Cal Petersen, who may be playing in his final start for the big club before getting sent back to the minors with Jack Campbell returning from injury. Petersen allowed three goals in Vegas in his most recent start, a 4-3 overtime win for the Kings on December 23, and has given up nine goals on 107 total shot since No. 1 netminder Jonathan Quick returned to action.
The Kings are 2-2-1 with a 4-1 Over/Under mark in the second of back-to-back games this season and 2-5 in their last seven matchups with Vegas.
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
The Pittsburgh Penguins are starting to look like Stanley Cup contenders again, after a slow start to the 2018-19 season. Pittsburgh has won five in a row heading into a New Year?s Eve battle with the Minnesota Wild, totaling 18 goals and allowing only five against during this streak.
Pittsburgh comes to the Big Apple to take on the New York Rangers on Wednesday ? the lone home stand for the Blue Shirts in a six-game span that sends N.Y. out West following this matchup with Pittsburgh. The Rangers have hemorrhaged goals in recent games, allowing an average of 3.9 per game in December and have played Over the NHL betting total in all but two of their 11 games so far this month.
Surprisingly, this is the first meeting between Pittsburgh and New York this season, with the teams playing Over the number in all four of their head-to-head clashes last season, posting a collective average of 7.5 goals scored in those contests.
GOALIE PROFILE
Robin Lehner, New York Islanders
Lehner is both a feel-good story and cautionary tale for young NHLers, having overcome alcohol and pill addiction to remain sober for nine months. The Islanders netminder has been fantastic between the pipes, helping New York post a 7-2-1 record in its last 10 contests. Since November 29, Lehner has started six games, allowing only seven goals against in those outings, heading into his New Year?s Eve reunion with his former club the Buffalo Sabres. The Isles have played Under the total in all six of those starts for the Swede, who owns a 2.21 GAA and .926 save percentage on the season. After Monday?s game with Buffalo, New York takes on Chicago at home Thursday and plays at St. Louis on Saturday.
INJURY UPDATE
Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets: The Jets will be missing their top two-way player for about a month with Byfuglien suffering an injury to his left leg in Saturday?s loss to Minnesota. Byfuglien is not only the Jets? emotional leader but its best scoring defenseman, recording four goals and 25 assists on the season. Winnipeg leads the Central Division with a 24-12-1-1 record and has earned +4.25 units for NHL moneyline bettors this season. The Jets? second-ranked power play will absolutely miss Byfuglien, scoring at a 28.6 percent clip on the man advantage. That could give value to the Under in upcoming Winnipeg games.
HAT TRICK TRENDS
The Tampa Bay Lightning are 50-24 in their last 74 road games and open a three-game West Coast run at Anaheim on New Year?s Eve. The Bolts are 30-7-2-0 on the season (+14.9 units) and don?t present much value on the moneyline at home, but should be more affordable on the road this coming week.
The Vancouver Canucks are the best puckline bet ? hockey?s version of the pointspread ? in the NHL, with a 29-12 record when getting or giving 1.5 goals. That?s stacked +13.28 units for NHL puckline players this season. Bettors may want to pump the breaks on the Canucks, however, with a challenging schedule this week. Vancouver is in the midst of a six-game road swing, having won at Calgary and Edmonton last week, and have upcoming games at New Jersey, Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto ? a daunting four games in six nights.
The Penguins are on an 8-2 tear in their last 10 and look like the dominant offense bettors have come to know and love the past decade. Pittsburgh?s Stanley Cup futures opened at 10/1 before the season and dipped to 12/1 just before this current hot streak. Sidney Crosby & Co. will quick climb the Stanley Cup betting odds board if they stay on this pace in January.
