NHL Odds: Blackhawks Try To Bounce Back Vs. Devils After Season-Opening Loss
Don't miss the Wild-Ducks matchup
It's the calm before the storm as the NHL gets ready for its first Saturday of the season. That means a relatively quiet Friday night with only three games scheduled. A light slate isn't going to stop us from finding ideal betting spots as we break down a pair of games from Friday's docket.
These are the wagers we're looking at from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Minnesota Wild vs. Anaheim Ducks Moneyline, Total and Odds
Moneyline: Wild -198 | Ducks +166
Spread: Wild -1.5 (+164) | Ducks +1.5 (-200)
Total: 5.5 Over -110 | Under -110
Odds courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk-free for up to $1,000!
Minnesota Wild vs. Anaheim Ducks News, Analysis and Picks
The Ducks aren't getting any credit for what they accomplished in their season-opening win over the Winnipeg Jets. They are again priced as substantive underdogs on home ice, leaving an edge in backing them on the moneyline.
Possession metrics notwithstanding, the Ducks were effective at limiting a potent Jets offense. Anaheim held the Jets to 19 shots and 16 scoring chances during five-on-five action, and was particularly staunch in high-danger areas by allowing just four quality chances.
John Gibson was outstanding in net, stopping 33 of 34 shots faced. We saw similarly impressive metrics from Gibson at the start of last season when he stopped 94.8% of shots faced over his team's opening six games. The former Kitchener Ranger has a good track record at home with a career record of 89-63-21 and a 91.8% save percentage. Gibson also has the Wild's number throughout his career, stopping 93.1% of shots faced across 15 outings.
The Wild aren't a team to push the pace offensively. Minnesota finished last season with the second-fewest scoring chances during five-on-five, only marginally improving to fourth-fewest across all strengths. Shots were equally hard to come by, as the Wild finished with the fourth-fewest shots last season.
It's also worth noting that the Wild have a hard time competing on the road. Minnesota finished last season with negative relative metrics across the board. The Wild were outplayed on even-strength in 16 of 28 road games last season, but still finished with a record above .500, putting them at risk of regression in 2021-22.
A solid defensive presence from the Ducks and a conservative offense from the Wild should lead to a low-scoring game. We also like the Ducks to come out on top as Gibson continues his hot play against a Minnesota team that hopes to figure things out on the road.
The Picks: Ducks +166, Under 5.5 -110
Chicago Blackhawks vs. New Jersey Devils Moneyline, Total, and Odds
Moneyline: Blackhawks +110 | Devils -130
Spread: Blackhawks +1.5 (-245) | Devils -1.5 (+198)
Total: 6.5 Over -102 | Under -120
Odds courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk-free for up to $1,000!
Chicago Blackhawks vs. New Jersey Devils News, Analysis and Picks
No team looked worse than the Chicago Blackhawks in their first game of the season. The Blackhawks will try to get things going against a young and feisty New Jersey Devils team Friday night at Prudential Center.
The Colorado Avalanche exposed Chicago's inefficiencies Wednesday. Chicago gave up 34 scoring chances, 11 of which came from high-danger areas, on five-on-five ? culminating in the worst expected goals-for percentage this season. That questionable defensive zone coverage was even more pronounced across all strengths, as the Blackhawks were trounced for 45 scoring chances, 15 high-danger opportunities, and 36 shots. Those are similar metrics to last year when Chicago finished the season, allowing the most high-danger chances and second-most scoring chances.
We're expecting the Devils to continue to exploit those inefficiencies Friday night. The Devils outscored their opponents 6-0 on five-on-five in a pair of tune-up games this preseason. New Jersey outshot, out-possessed, and out-chanced their opponents in scoring chances in both games, setting the stage for what should be an improved season.
The Devils made progress towards the end of last season, outplaying seven of their final 11 opponents on home ice. New Jersey has one of the youngest teams in the league with an average forward age of 23.8. After another year of development and some key acquisitions this off-season, we should expect a more competitive season from the Devils.
Chicago looks to bounce back after missing the playoffs three of its last four seasons, but look for the Devils to open the season with a win as short favorites.
The Picks: Devils -130
All NHL predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid.
