Tonight's NHL Betting Guide: Ducks over Blackhawks, Avs to lay a beat down in the desert

With three games postponed, the NHL has a lucky 13 on the slate tonight. We will focus on the Ducks vs. Blackhawks at 8:30 p.m. ET and the Avalanche vs. Coyotes at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Of course, we’ll be using FanDuel Sportsbook to give you all the latest odds for tonight’s games.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Chicago Blackhawks Moneyline, Total, and Odds

Moneyline: Ducks +125 / Blackhawks -150

Spread: Ducks -225 (+1.5) / Blackhawks +180 (+1.5)

Total: Over 5.5 (-114) Under 5.5 (-106)

Anaheim Ducks vs. Chicago Blackhawks News, Analysis, and Picks

The Ducks come into this matchup sixth in the Western Conference and on a two-game losing skid. Anaheim’s previous game was a 7-3 loss to the Wild. Max Comtois and Trevor Zegras had a goal and an assist in that one.

The Ducks have been pretty average on the goal-scoring front. They sit 17th, potting 2.93 goals a night. It’s been a transitional season for Anaheim. The youngsters are starting to take over the reins from the veterans, and it’s showing on the scoresheet. Troy Terry leads the team with 22 goals and 14 assists in 38 games. He’s followed by Zegras with 39 points and Sonny Milano with 25. Captain Ryan Getzlaf is still getting it done at 36 years of age, but this is the kid’s show now. The Ducks could have a few absences, Terry entered COVID-19 protocols on Friday, and Milano left yesterday’s game with an upper-body injury.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks have won three straight but are 14th in West. Chicago’s previous game was a 3-2 overtime win against the Canadiens. Philipp Kurashev had the game-winner. Patrick Kane leads the team in scoring, with eight goals and 25 assists in 33 games. However, Alex DeBrincat has been the team’s primary source of goals. He has 23 goals in 37 games this season. Chicago has been without Seth Jones and Jake McCabe since January 11 and Kirby Dach and Dylan Strome since January 13, due to COVID-19 protocols.

Anaheim is 17th in goals scored per game with 2.93, while the Blackhawks are a dismal 29th with 2.35. Chicago hasn’t been much better at keeping the puck out of the net. It’s 24th in goals against per game with 3.32, while the Ducks are a little better at 15th with 2.85. In addition, the Blackhawks have an awful -33 goal differential, which is 29th in the league. Like the rest of the Ducks’ stats, their +3 goal differential is average, placing them 16th.

Anaheim hasn’t looked like world-beaters this year, but they’re an average team taking on one of the statistically worst teams in the NHL.

The Ducks are 27-13 against the puck line, while the Blackhawks are 19-18.

Despite Chicago’s hot run, we’re recommending the Ducks in this one.

The Picks: Ducks moneyline (+125), Ducks spread +1.5 (-225), Under 5.5 (-106), Alex DeBrincat – Goals: Over 0.5 (+122)

Colorado Avalanche vs. Arizona Coyotes Moneyline, Total, and Odds

Moneyline: Avalanche -410 / Coyotes +315

Spread: Avalanche +106 (-2.5) / Coyotes -130 (+2.5)

Total: Over 6.5 (-130) Under 6.5 (+106)

Colorado Avalanche vs. Arizona Coyotes News, Analysis, and Picks

What can we say about either of these teams you wouldn’t already know? Let’s get the basic stuff out of the way.

Over at FanDuel Sportsbook, the Avalanche are favored to win the Stanley Cup at +550, where Arizona’s odds of making the playoffs are +5000.

Colorado is second in the Western Conference and has the most potent offense in the NHL. The Avs are putting home 4.26 goals a game and have six players above a point a game. Nazem Kadri leads the team with 13 goals and 35 assists. Behind him are all three members of arguably the best line in hockey, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen. Landeskog has missed four games since entering COVID-19 protocols but is slated to return tonight.

Arizona is the second-worst team in the league. The Coyotes score the second-least amount of goals per game with 2.2 and allow on average 3.69 goals, which is dead last. Arizona is in the bottom five teams in almost every significant stat. They take the fewest shots per game with 26.5, allow the fourth-most shots against at 34.1, have the second-worst powerplay at 11 percent, and are 28th on the penalty kill at 73.8 percent. The Coyotes also have zero players with over a point a game. Clayton Keller leads the team with 13 goals and 14 assists in 35 games.

The Avs are 16-18 against the puck line, while the Yotes are 16-19.

The moneyline is so lopsided it’s almost not worth betting on, but Colorado has a real opportunity to blow out Arizona.

We’re looking at the Avalanche to fill up the scoresheet in this one.

The Picks: Avalanche spread -2.5 (+106), Over 6.5 (-130), Mikko Rantanen – Points: Over 1.5 (+142)

All NHL predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid

Odds courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk-free for up to $1,000.