In this article, I’ll outline the most noteworthy odds, news, and betting notes from the marquee matchups from Tuesday’s 10-game NHL slate, and I’ll also offer up my best bet.
Best bet-Utah Mammoth moneyline: -130
Utah Mammoth moneyline
Tuesday’s matchup between the Utah Mammoth and Buffalo Sabres will carry a little bit of added intrigue, as these two teams completed a blockbuster deal in the summer. The Mammoth acquired JJ Peterka for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan, a deal that seems to be working out well for both sides so far.
Doan and Kesselring both featured tremendous underlying metrics last season and have proven those that argued they were a better package than most people thought correct in the early stages of the season.
The Sabres have stabilized with a record of 5-2-3 in their last 10 games, and Doan’s play in particular has been a key reason things are looking up in Buffalo. Still, the Sabres hold a 48.9% expected goal share over the last 10 games and have looked more mediocre than overly impressive.
The Mammoth, meanwhile, have become one of the more exciting teams in the league to watch this season and look to be fully worthy of their 8-4-0 record. While head coach Andre Tourigny’s side now has some serious offensive upside, they have still often featured the same well-structured, fundamentally strong game that they have become known for in the previous two seasons.
Utah has generated 3.50 goals per game, and it seems fair to expect similar production all year. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz offer an elite offensive duo on the top line, while young stars Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and Peterka form an excellent second line.
While it’s easy to like Utah’s offensive punch, it has played quite respectably from a defensive perspective this season. It ranks 14th in xGA/60 and has received solid play in goal from Karel Vejmelka, who holds a +2.5 GSAx rating after finishing last season with a +14.2 GSAx.
Sabres forwards Jiri Kulich and Jason Zucker are both considered doubtful ahead of this matchup. Kulich had been skating as the team’s number-one centre recently and would be a significant loss.
The Sabres have stabilized recently, but these teams still do not appear to be as close as the current number suggests, particularly if Kulich and Zucker miss this matchup. At -140 or better, I see value in backing the Mammoth to earn a road win.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers
| Hurricanes moneyline odds | -130 |
| Rangers moneyline odds | +110 |
| Game total | Over 5.5 goals (-115), Under 5.5 (-105) |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
- The Hurricanes are currently playing without three important skaters on the back end. Number-one defender Jaccob Slavin, power-play quarterback Shayne Gostisbehere, and K’Andre Miller are all unavailable due to injury.
- Those absences have opened up a larger role for highly touted rookie Alexander Nikishin, who has quickly become a fan favourite for his physical play and solid offensive upside. Nikishin has put up six points in 11 games played this season.
- The Rangers are 0-4-1 on home ice this season. Their most recent game on home ice was an embarrassing 6-5 overtime loss versus the San Jose Sharks on October 23rd.
- After opening their road trip with a 5-1 loss in Calgary, the Rangers rattled off three consecutive victories.
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Montreal Canadiens
| Flyers moneyline odds | +140 |
| Canadiens moneyline odds | -165 |
| Game total | Over 5.5 goals (-120), Under 5.5 (+100) |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
- With three straight wins and a record of 8-2-0 over their last 10, the Canadiens are currently on top of the Atlantic Division. They are 4-1-0 on home ice this season.
- Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is making a strong case for a spot on the Canadian Olympic team with his incredible start to the year. Suzuki has 18 points in 12 games played and has been excellent defensively.
- The Flyers completed a five-game homestand Sunday with a regulation loss versus the Calgary Flames and are now 6-5-1. They are 0-2-1 on the road this season.
- Trevor Zegras leads all Flyers skaters with 13 points in 12 games.
- While head coach Rick Tocchet may get much of the credit, Dan Vladar’s play in goal so far is likely the greatest reason for the Flyers’ year-over-year improvement. Vladar has played to a +4.2 GSAx rating in seven appearances this season, which has been massive for a Flyers side that received the worst goaltending in the league last year.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars
| Oilers moneyline odds | +105 |
| Stars moneyline odds | -125 |
| Game total | Over 6 goals (-115), Under 6 (-105) |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
- The Oilers have beaten the Stars in back-to-back Western Conference Finals. This will be the Stars’ first opportunity of the season to extract a small amount of revenge.
- The Oilers will be playing back-to-back after an ugly collapse Monday night in St. Louis. Calvin Pickard started Monday, so number-one goaltender Stuart Skinner should get this start.
- Given that the Oilers are playing back-to-back and have not yet looked to be in top form, the betting prices on this matchup may look surprisingly close. The Stars will be without three critical players, though, as Matt Duchene, Roope Hintz, and number-one goaltender Jake Oettinger will miss this matchup.
- Jack Roslovic has started to produce more effectively while playing in more noteworthy roles, with three goals and five points over the last five games.
Jack Roslovic to score vs. Stars
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche
| Lightning moneyline odds | +125 |
| Avalanche moneyline odds | -150 |
| Game total | Over 6 goals (-120), Under 6 (+100) |
| Time | 9:30 p.m. ET |
- The Avalanche currently rank first in the NHL at 7-1-5, and the majority of analysts would likely agree in power-ranking them first in the NHL.
- The Lightning’s shaky start to the season was quite surprising because they have plenty of roster continuity, and head coach Jon Cooper also remains in charge. Suddenly, they have rattled off five straight wins and are 6-4-2. Over the last six games, the Lightning also hold an expected goal share of 63.56%, the highest mark in the NHL.
- Jake Guentzel leads all Lightning skaters with 12 points, while Anthony Cirelli ranks second with 11 points. The two skated together at even strength on the second line in Saturday’s win over Utah, and will likely remain together Tuesday after combining for two goals and three points.
Detroit Red Wings vs. Vegas Golden Knights
| Red Wings moneyline odds | +160 |
| Knights moneyline odds | -190 |
| Game total | Over 6 goals (-115), Under 6 (-105) |
| Time | 10 p.m. ET |
- At 9-4-0 entering this matchup, the Red Wings have gotten off to another strong start. Naysayers will point out that they have done so in each of the previous two seasons, but it does feel like there is a little more substance behind Detroit’s start this year, mainly due to its much-improved defensive play.
- The Red Wings have allowed 3.21 xGA/60 this season, as trusting their youth movement on the back end has proved effective compared to the last two seasons when their blue line has been marred by aging veterans.
- Patrick Kane is out for the Red Wings. Mason Appleton has overtaken his role on the second line, while rookie Emmitt Finnie has grabbed his spot on the top power-play unit.
- Noah Hanifin and Mark Stone remain on the IR for the Knights, while number-one goaltender Adin Hill has been upgraded to day-to-day.
Winnipeg Jets vs. Los Angeles Kings
| Jets moneyline odds | +105 |
| Kings moneyline odds | -125 |
| Game total | Over 5.5 goals (-120), Under 5.5 (+100) |
| Time | 10:30 p.m. ET |
- Jets captain Adam Lowry is expected to make his season debut Tuesday. Cole Perfetti (week-to-week) and Dylan Samberg will miss this matchup, while Gustav Nyquist is day-to-day.
- Based on game-by-game betting odds, oddsmakers generally haven’t given much credit to the Jets this season. Which is likely in part due to the fact that their underlying profile is not overly convincing (third last in even strength xGF%, -3.4 shots per 60).
- At 9-3-0, the Jets keep finding ways to win, but even for a team with Connor Hellebuyck and some clinical finishing talents, it is concerning that it has become expected that they will not carry that much of the overall run of play.
- It seems quite possible that the Kings will take a slight step backwards in a more crowded Pacific Division this season. GM Ken Holland’s offseason moves were somewhat puzzling, and the team’s lack of depth on the blue-line compared to last year has looked to be an issue.