Daily NHL Odds and Betting Trends – 08/30/20
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.
Avalanche vs Stars | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Avalanche -127 Favorites
The Avalanche got back on track Wednesday with a 6-4 win over the Stars as -150 favorites in Game 3 of their series, and they will try to even things up as small chalk again in Game 4. Colorado saw a 3-1 lead turn into a 4-3 deficit midway through the third period of Game 3, but the team rallied with three consecutive goals in the final eight minutes to cover the puckline in addition to pulling off the victory.
The Avalanche have closed as favorites in all 11 games of the playoffs so far, and the OVER is on a 6-0 run in their games going back to the first round. They have been outscored 14-11 by the Stars in losing two of the first three games of this series, as goalie Pavel Francouz has yet to really shine in replacing the injured Philipp Grubauer. Francouz did outplay counterpart Anton Khudobin in Game 3 though, stopping 33 of 37 shots. Khudobin had his worst game of the playoffs, so you have to wonder if playing full-time with Ben Bishop out is starting to take its toll. Both teams are in the same situation, so the high-scoring games could continue as the minutes and shots pile up for Francouz and Khudobin.
Flyers vs Islanders | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Islanders -111 Favorites
The Flyers will be looking to tie up their series with the Islanders following a disappointing 3-1 loss in Game 3 on Saturday. Philadelphia is now in danger of falling behind 3-1 in the series on Sunday despite scoring the first goal in Game 3, with Tyler Pitlick scoring his second goal of the playoffs at the 14:18 mark of the first period. This was the second straight game the Flyers scored first only to give up the lead, although they were fortunate to go to overtime and win as a -115 favorite in Game 2 on Wednesday.
New York closed as a -120 favorite in Game 3 though and has been the better team throughout the series behind the goaltending of Semyon Varlamov, who rebounded from a poor Game 2 to make 26 saves. Meanwhile, Philadelphia will have a tough decision to make between the pipes, as Carter Hart has struggled, and the team will be playing on back-to-back days. The Flyers are 4-8 the last 12 times they have played the second game of a back-to-back, and they might give veteran Brian Elliott the nod in net.
Golden Knights vs Canucks | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Golden Knights -208 Favorites
Very similar to the performance of Varlamov, the Golden Knights have decided to ride Robin Lehner in the first three games of this series against the Canucks. The results have been two shutouts in three games for Lehner, who blanked Vancouver with a 31-save performance in a 3-0 victory in Game 3 on Saturday as a -200 favorite to give Vegas a 2-1 lead. All four career wins for Lehner versus the Canucks have been shutouts, but it would not be surprising to see the Golden Knights turn to Marc-Andre Fleury here in the second game of a back-to-back situation.
Fleury is 12-2-2 all-time against Vancouver, and Vegas is 7-1 the last eight times the team has played the second game of a back-to-back situation. The Canucks have dropped three of four in the same scenario and will likely continue with their netminder Jacob Markstrom.
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