More hockey betting action on Tuesday as we've got a pair of NHL totals plays. Oddsbay's handicappers have you covered all year long in every season and on every sport!
CALGARY FLAMES AT NASHVILLE PREDATORS --OCTOBER 19, 2010 5:05 PM PACIFIC
The Calgary Flames got a much needed win over the Edmonton Oilers the last time out and also generated some offense. Despite the five goal outburst against the Oilers we expect the Flames to be back to their low scoring ways as they hit the road for a three game trip starting in 'Music City USA'. Nashville and Calgary play a similar style of hockey--good defense, exceptional goaltending although the Predators score goals more consistently. The Flames have dominated the head to head series winning 6 of the last 8 meetings including 4 straight in Nashville. We're still not 100% convinced that all is well in Calgary, however, and so we're not really interested in a side play on the Flames despite the attractive price. Instead, we'll look to play this game UNDER the low total of 5. Both teams have gone UNDER in 3 of 4 games this season and only 1 of the meetings between the Flames and Predators last year saw more than 5 goals scored. With two of the best goalies in hockey--Nashville's Pecca Rinne and Calgary's Mikka Kiprusoff--between the pipes and two solid defensive teams in front of them this should be a close checking, low scoring affair.
PLAY CALGARY FLAMES/NASHVILLE PREDATORS UNDER 5 +105
VANCOUVER CANUCKS AT MINNESOTA WILD -- OCTOBER 19, 2010 6:05 PM PACIFIC
We're not ready to conclude that the Vancouver Canucks' early season troubles are completely behind them, but with goaltender Roberto Luongo taking a much deserved night off and some reshuffled lines on offense they looked better than they have all season earning a 5-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. The 'canes still outshot Vancouver 33-28 but looked like they were moving in slow motion much of the night. Vancouver showed good energy, went 2-5 on the power play and a perfect 6 for 6 on the penalty kill. We'd still like to see the Canucks generating more shots than they allow, but with Luongo back in the pipes as long as they're scoring goals in front of him they'll start winning.
Minnesota doesn't play well into our anti-Canucks (at least in the early season) sentiments. They enter this game at 1-3 on the year and since they were one of the four teams that opened the season in Europe they've not really played enough to establish an identity yet. Historically, the Canucks have had little trouble with the Wild winning 9 of 12 including 4 of 6 in Minnesota. So what we're going to do is take advantage of the line value provided by Vancouver's early season scoring woes and play this game OVER the total. 7 of the last 11 meetings between the teams have gone OVER and last year after the first game of the year saw only 3 goals scored the remaining five games had goal totals of 7, 7, 7, 8, 7. Vancouver certainly has the talent--even with Alex Burrows out--to score a ton of goals so we'll look for the revamped lines to continue to click and expect a relatively high scoring game.
PLAY VANCOUVER CANUCKS/MINNESOTA WILD OVER 5' -105
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