Betting Analysis and Predictions for NHL Games, April 8

Friday night has five games but features one essentially must-win game for the Winnipeg Jets. There is a little extra on the Ontario online sports betting landscape, too, as we look back at what happened with Toronto, Ottawa, and even Montreal from Thursday.

Down the stretch, we come. Let’s dive into the numbers on this get-away Friday. First up, let us peek into that Winnipeg game.

Colorado Avalanche vs. Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets could not have picked a worse time to lose three straight games. Again, that losing streak has knocked down their playoff chances to a mere 0.2%. The chances are slim, to begin with. Now, it is almost a foregone conclusion.

However, they have had their chances and plenty of them. There is a tiny. Colorado comes into this game missing several regulars, including Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Sam Girard, and Ryan Murray.

Now, the question becomes, where is the value here?

Winnipeg’s special teams have been an eyesore all season. Their penalty kill has been particularly ineffective. It ranks just tied for 27th at 75.1%. Worse, the power play is middle of the pack at 21%. For a team with Mark Schiefele, Blake Wheeler, and especially Kyle Connor, that is just not going to do.

Now, Colorado comes in playing its best hockey of the season, arguably. It is 9-1-1 in the past 11 games, allowing just 25 goals. The Avalanche just swept a home-and-home with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh is far from a slouch.

So, the moneyline is enticing and spans from 2.45 to 2.65 here for Ottawa. That makes them a noticeable home underdog.

The Over is staying at 6. That is essential here. The problem is both teams are trending toward the under for different reasons. Winnipeg has trouble scoring and Darcy Kuemper is playing incredibly in goal for Colorado. But…

Ontario betting wagers will notice the last meeting right away. It is why taking a shot at the Over and even moneyline for a tiny pittance could prove fruitful. This is Winnipeg’s last chance to make a stand, and Colorado is one team that can sometimes bring the best out of a downtrodden squad.

Let’s look at what happened with some of the other Canadian teams from last night.

Auston Matthews does it again

As many have said, the easiest bet in hockey is becoming the Auston Matthews anytime goal scoring prop bets. It was nearly even (1.95) on Thursday night as the close of betting.

Naturally, the Maple Leafs center needed just one goal to set the season-record for goals scored in Toronto. One was not enough as Matthews scored twice in the wild 4-3 overtime win.

This game lived up to the hype. Toronto, though, to its credit, dominated even-strength play. If not for Scott Wedgewood, the Maple Leafs likely would have won in regulation. Matthews hit so many props, but the eye-popping number was 12.

That is not a misprint. Matthews had 12 shots on goal Thursday night in Dallas. That gave him a five-game total of 37. He has hit his shot prop every time in April so far.

Matthews, with his two goals last night, has 56 for the season. Now, 60 seems a foregone conclusion. Honestly, 65 may not be out of reach.

Matthews was at 1.33 a month ago when it came to the Rocket Richard race. Now, he is a lock to win.

Some platforms have taken the numbers off the board. That tends to happen when a player scores a goal per game over 50 games. The American-born center keeps dazzling fans and bettors alike. Those dollars keep rolling in. Let’s finish off with Montreal and Ottawa.

Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators Keep Fighting

When it comes to sports betting, there is a time when tendencies just keep repeating. One of them is the Montreal Canadiens.

Montreal is now a dangerous offensive team, with Martin St. Louis coaching the team. It is 12-10-4 in its past 26 games after a 7-4 win in New Jersey on Thursday night.

Naturally, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield scored and smashed right through their point and goal-scoring props on Thursday. That was almost expected. Caufield has 29 points in his past 26 games, by the way.

As for Ottawa, it dropped a 3-2 decision to the Nashville Predators. Anton Forsberg was very good in goal, stopping 31 shots, but the Senators could not repel the Nashville power play as it struck late. Ottawa is a good young team with nice prospects like Mathieu Joseph and especially Josh Norris (Norris has 31 goals this season).

Picking key areas to zero in on and keeping things simple is vital during this final stretch.