Daily NHL Odds and Betting Trends – 04/02/19

by OddsShark (@OddsShark) – Sponsored Post

Here’s a look at the NHL odds and betting trends for the full slate of games on today’s schedule. All NHL betting lines are as listed at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Predators at Sabres | OddsShark Matchup Report

Opening NHL Odds: Predators -195 Favorites

The Predators are still chasing their second consecutive Central Division title while also trying to move ahead of the St. Louis Blues for second place. Nashville is tied with St. Louis and two points behind the division-leading Winnipeg Jets with three games left. Meanwhile, the Sabres are riding a seven-game losing streak, although three of their last five have come as favorites. That obviously will not be the case here, as the Predators are favored for the fourth straight meeting and have won three of the previous four games in the series.

Bruins at Blue Jackets | OddsShark Matchup Report

Opening NHL Odds: Blue Jackets -115 Favorites

This is a much bigger game for the Blue Jackets, who have moved into the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Columbus has won five games in a row following a 4-0 victory against Buffalo as a -220 road favorite on Sunday and closes out the regular season with two more games away from home. The Bruins have almost locked up second place in the Atlantic Division, and they have the second-most points in the East behind only the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning despite dropping three of their last four games heading into this one.

Penguins at Red Wings | OddsShark Matchup Report

Opening NHL Odds: Penguins -240 Favorites

The Red Wings continue to do an excellent job playing spoilers down the stretch, winning their last five games, with three of them coming as big underdogs versus teams already in the playoffs. This is the opener of a home-and-home series with the Penguins, who have also earned a spot in the postseason but would like to finish ahead of the New York Islanders so that they have home-ice advantage in their likely first-round matchup. Pittsburgh currently trails New York by two points and has one extra game to make up the difference in this spot.

Lightning at Canadiens | OddsShark Matchup Report

Opening NHL Odds: Lightning -139 Favorites

The Canadiens trail the Blue Jackets by two points and the Hurricanes by one in the Wild Card race with just three games remaining, so this is definitely a must-win situation against the NHL’s best team. The Lightning have won the past five meetings and seven of the last eight, and they can set the league record for most wins in a single regular season by taking their next three to close out the campaign. Tampa Bay has won nine of its last 11, with the OVER cashing in six straight and nine of 10.

Hurricanes at Maple Leafs | OddsShark Matchup Report

Opening NHL Odds: Maple Leafs -141 Favorites

The pressure is suddenly on the Hurricanes, who previously held the top Wild Card spot in the East prior to a five-game winning streak for the Blue Jackets. A loss by Carolina here and win by Montreal would drop the former out of the playoff picture with two games left. The Maple Leafs are still stuck in third place in the Atlantic Division, and that is unlikely to change, but they have won three of the past four meetings, with the OVER on a 4-1 run in the series.

Jets at Wild | OddsShark Matchup Report

Opening NHL Odds: Wild -115 Favorites

A loss would eliminate the Wild from playoff contention while the Jets hope to stay two points ahead of both the Blues and Predators for the lead in the Central in the second game of a back-to-back situation. Winnipeg edged Chicago 4-3 in overtime as a -125 road favorite on Monday, and the team is an impressive 6-1 the last seven times when playing the second game of a back-to-back. Minnesota is better on the road (21-17-2) than at home (15-17-7).

Flyers at Stars | OddsShark Matchup Report

Opening NHL Odds: Stars -200 Favorites

The Stars are in good shape from a playoff perspective and can clinch a Wild Card spot with a victory. They currently sit in the top spot with the Avalanche three points behind them with three games to play. The Flyers have already been eliminated after losing their last two games, four of their last five and seven of 10 dating back to March 14. Dallas has won five of the past eight meetings, but the three losses have all taken place in the last five. The UNDER has also cashed in the last four games between the teams going back to 2016.

Oilers at Avalanche | OddsShark Matchup Report

Opening NHL Odds: Avalanche -195 Favorites

The Avalanche can move one step closer to clinching a playoff spot with a victory here while both teams will be playing on consecutive nights. Colorado is coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues as a +145 road underdog on Monday, with the UNDER cashing for the seventh time in eight games. The Avalanche are still 6-0-2 in their last eight games. The Oilers fell 3-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights as +190 road underdogs on Monday, and they have dropped four of five in the second game of a back-to-back, with the OVER going 4-0-1. Colorado has also lost four of five in that situation, although the UNDER is on a 3-0 run.

Kings at Coyotes | OddsShark Matchup Report

Opening NHL Odds: Coyotes -220 Favorites

Another must-win situation for a team fighting to stay alive for the playoffs, as Arizona hosts Los Angeles in a Pacific Division battle. The Coyotes trail the Avalanche by two points for the second Wild Card spot in the West and can pull even with a victory and loss by the latter. They have won seven of the past 10 meetings with the Kings, who are coming off a 7-2 loss to the Calgary Flames as +100 home underdogs on Monday. Los Angeles has lost five of eight when playing the second game of a back-to-back, with the OVER on a 5-1-1 run.

Sharks at Canucks | OddsShark Matchup Report

Opening NHL Odds: Sharks -190 Favorites

The Sharks are locked into a first-round playoff matchup with the Golden Knights, and they will simply try to finish out the regular season strong after losing eight of their last nine games. The lone win for San Jose over that stretch came in overtime against Vegas 4-3 as a -140 home favorite on Saturday. The Canucks have played better recently with two straight wins by identical 3-2 scores, but they have already been eliminated from postseason contention. The UNDER is also on a 4-1 run for Vancouver, also cashing in eight of 10 and 16 of 20.

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