Daily NHL Odds and Betting Trends – 08/31/20
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.
Bruins vs Lightning | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Lightning -120 Favorites
The Lightning can become the first team to advance to the conference finals if they can earn a fourth consecutive victory against the Bruins in Game 5 on Monday. Tampa Bay has outscored Boston 14-5 in the last three games since falling 3-2 in the series opener. The Lightning are coming off a 3-1 win over the Bruins on Saturday in a pick’em matchup, and they are getting support here with a chance to eliminate their opponent.
Boston goaltender Jaroslav Halak is starting to wear down, surrendering 11 goals in the last three games, including eight on the last 43 shots he has faced. Unfortunately for the Bruins, they could really use regular starter Tuukka Rask in this situation, but his absence inside the bubble has left them only with unproven Dan Vladar. Boston will likely continue to ride Halak in this spot despite his struggles, putting Tampa Bay in excellent position to move on as long as the team is not too overconfident early.
Stars vs Avalanche | OddsShark Matchup Report
Opening NHL Odds: Avalanche -150 Favorites
Similar to the Bruins, the Avalanche are fighting to stave off elimination versus the Stars and have goalie issues of their own heading into Game 5 of their series. Colorado netminder Pavel Francouz has been abysmal since taking over for the injured Philipp Grubauer, giving up four goals or more in each of his three starts, capped by a 5-4 loss to Dallas in Game 4 as a -135 favorite on Sunday. Francouz gave way to Michael Hutchinson after allowing all five goals on 26 shots by the halfway point of the third period, and it has become increasingly difficult for the Avalanche to rally when they are dealing with such early deficits like the 3-0 hole they were in at the end of the first period.
Regardless, it is unlikely that Colorado would opt for Hutchinson, although playing back-to-back days makes this situation even tougher. The Avalanche have lost two straight when playing the second game of a back-to-back, and the Stars have dropped three of four under that scenario as well. The OVER has cashed in the last seven games for Colorado along with the past five for Dallas, so that trend might be the best bet to continue.
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