Daily NHL betting guide: February 2
Getting a little skin in the game can make watching NHL hockey even more exciting.
During the 2021-22 season, Daily Faceoff will help you become an improved bettor thanks to this betting model and our betting tools.
NHL MODEL PICKS
Each day we will look at each game, the Sportsbook Odds (via PointsBet), and the odds of each team winning based on the model created by Philip Bulsink. Based on those two numbers, we can quickly identify which teams we need to bet on, which teams to avoid and which lines to keep an eye on throughout the day.
You can quickly determine which teams are the best bets by following this simple table:
All “Recommended Bets” are 1 unit wagers.
I will also provide some analysis on the best bets and update this post throughout the day to point out big injury news, lineup changes, and backup goalies starting.
The number to keep an eye on is the “Diff.” which is the percentage difference between the model’s projected Win% and the projected Win% based on PointsBet odds. To find out how odds turn into percentages, use our Odds Calculator.
Model’s Picks
Recommended Bet
Washington Capitals (vs. EDM)
This line opened up with the Oilers around +120 but has moved steadily in their favour, making the Capitals much more appealing at -108.
The Capitals played last night and Vitek Vanecek got hurt. Ilya Samsonov was terrific in relief, making 43 saves on 45 shots. It seems likely that he’ll be back in tonight, against an Oilers team that just lost to a shorthanded Ottawa team.
The Oilers are still searching for their game as they head into the All-Star break, while Washington is coming off of two big wins in Dallas and in Pittsburgh. The most important thing for Washington is that they’re getting healthier on the blueline. They’ll need all hands on deck vs. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Co. on Wednesday.
With the line coming back -108, it’s at the point where the model is recommending a bet.
1 Unit Bet: WSH -108
Tyler Yaremchuk’s Picks
Game Pick
Minnesota Wild in regulation vs. Chicago Blackhawks (-110)
The Wild took down the Hawks twice during the month of January and I think they can do it again tonight. Cam Talbot is expected to start and he’s allowed just three goals in his last two starts with a .928 save percentage in those games. The Hawks also have just one win in their last seven games. The Wild are 8-1-1 in their last 10, with six of those wins coming in regulation.
Prop Pick
Evgeny Kuznetsov over 0.5 assists vs. Oilers (-135)
The Oilers are not great at preventing goals and recently, Kuznetsov has been good at picking up assists. He’s got four in his last five games and has hit this bet in seven of his last 10 games. The payout isn’t great, but Washington should be able to get their offence going tonight so I like taking their top-line center to get an assist.