Daily NHL Odds and Betting Trends – 08/11/20
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.
Blue Jackets vs Lightning | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Lightning -190 Favorites
The first round of the 2020 NHL playoffs has finally arrived, and the Blue Jackets are back as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference against the second-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning in a rematch of last year’s stunning sweep. Columbus knocked out top seed Tampa Bay a year ago behind goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and an offense that outscored the Presidents’ Trophy winners by a 19-8 margin. Bobrovsky moved on to the Florida Panthers as a prized free agent, but Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella has continued to do a masterful job without him. The key to this series may be the health of a pair of Lightning All-Stars in center Steven Stamkos and defenseman Victor Hedman, who are both dealing with injuries. Replacing Bobrovsky should not be an issue either considering Columbus has two viable replacements in Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins. These teams met only once during the regular season, with Tampa Bay winning 2-1 in overtime as a -155 road favorite.
Flames vs Stars | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Stars -117 Favorites
One of the most intriguing first-round matchups in the Western Conference will pit the sixth-seeded Flames against the third-seeded Stars, who went 1-2 in round-robin play. Calgary took care of the injury-riddled Winnipeg Jets in four games during the qualifying round and finished three points behind Dallas in the regular-season standings. The Stars got here by edging the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues 2-1 in a shootout as a +115 underdog on Sunday, ending a nine-game losing streak dating back to the regular season. The Flames have lost seven of the past nine meetings in the series going back to 2017, but the two wins both came this season on the road.
Hurricanes vs Bruins | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Bruins -152 Favorites
A rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Final will take place in the first round when the fifth-seeded Carolina Hurricanes battle the struggling fourth-seeded Boston Bruins. The Hurricanes have been off since completing a three-game sweep of the New York Rangers in the qualifying round on August 4 as -140 favorites. Carolina got strong goaltending from Petr Mrazek, as the UNDER cashed in each of his two starts. Mrazek lost two games versus the Bruins in last year’s playoffs, surrendering 10 goals on 52 shots (.808 save percentage). Boston went 0-2-1 in round-robin play this year to fall from the top seed down to fourth, which had to be very disappointing considering the team had the best record and most points in the NHL prior to the pause. That said, the Bruins have won six straight meetings in the series, including a 2-0 victory as -150 home favorites on December 3.
Blackhawks vs Golden Knights | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Golden Knights -283 Favorites
The top-seeded Golden Knights will look to continue their domination of the eighth-seeded Blackhawks when they square off in a surprising first-round Western Conference matchup. Vegas went a perfect 3-0 in round-robin play to earn the No. 1 seed in the West despite playing without leading goal scorer Max Pacioretty, who is expected to return here after sitting out with a minor injury. Helping fill that void left by Pacioretty was Alex Tuch, who leads the Golden Knights with three goals followed by Mark Stone, Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore, each with two. That offensive balance for the Golden Knights along with the strong goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner makes them the favorite to play for the Cup for the second time in three years. Meanwhile, Chicago got to this point by upsetting the fifth-seeded host Edmonton Oilers as the No. 12 seed thanks to the outstanding play of captain Jonathan Toews and his team-leading seven points. Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith are hoping to draw on their experience of winning three Cups to pull off another upset, although they have lost eight of the nine all-time meetings with Vegas. Seven of the nine also went OVER the total, but defense could be the difference between them.
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