Daily NHL Odds and Betting Trends – 05/16/21


by OddsShark (@OddsShark) – Sponsored Post
Here’s a look at the NHL odds and betting trends for the games on today’s schedule.
All NHL betting lines below are as listed at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Islanders vs Penguins | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Penguins -125 Odds
East Division champion Pittsburgh will try to stay hot in the opener of this first-round playoff series against New York. The Penguins captured the division title by winning their last three games, five of seven and nine of 11 to overtake the Capitals down the stretch. The OVER also went 3-1 in their last four games to close out the regular season. Meanwhile, the Islanders went the other direction, losing four of five and seven of 10 to finish fourth in the East. But New York particularly struggled versus Pittsburgh, losing six of the eight meetings between the teams, including all four played at PPG Paints Arena, with the last two taking place March 27 and 29.
Wild vs Golden Knights | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Golden Knights -175 Odds
Vegas will attempt to beat Minnesota in consecutive meetings for only the second time in 2021 when the teams square off in Game 1 of their West Division first-round playoff series. The second-seeded Golden Knights have not enjoyed much success versus the third-seeded Wild recently, dropping five of the eight meetings, including the last two at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas did close the regular season relatively strong, winning four of five, with the lone loss coming to Colorado for the division title. Minnesota was dominated in its last two games, getting outscored 11-3 in losing a pair to St. Louis on the road. The Wild will be happy not to face the Blues again after losing six of the last seven meetings with them. Minnesota has also been involved in a lot of high-scoring games lately, with the OVER on a 3-1 run and also cashing in nine of 11.
Lightning vs Panthers | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Pick’em -110 Odds
Florida will look to upset Tampa Bay in the opener of their first-round playoff series in the Central Division. The second-seeded Panthers earned home-ice advantage over the defending Stanley Cup champion and third-seeded Lightning by sweeping them in their last two games of the year by a combined score of 9-1 to cap off a season-ending six-game winning streak. Florida also saw the OVER go 4-1-1 in the team’s last six games and 8-2-2 in the past 12. Tampa Bay finished its campaign on a three-game losing streak after winning six of its previous seven. It is worth noting that the Lightning did not lose more than three consecutive games all season.
Flames vs Canucks | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Flames -185 Odds
Calgary visits Vancouver in the first of two road games on Sunday before playing host in the season finale on Wednesday. The Flames routed the Canucks 4-1 as -170 home favorites on Thursday, winning their second game in a row after losing two straight and three of four. The UNDER also cashed for Calgary to move to 5-1 in the team’s last six games. Vancouver rebounded from that loss to defeat Edmonton 4-1 as a +165 road underdog on Saturday, ending a two-game skid, with the UNDER continuing on a 4-0 run. The Canucks have dropped five of the even meetings with the Flames this season, and the UNDER is on a 3-1-1 series run.
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