NHL Outlook, Betting Advice for New Years’ Weekend

NHL Schedule Breakdown

Let us do this first in terms of game allotment. 

• Friday – 4
• Saturday – 12
• Sunday – 5
• Monday – 3

Thankfully, the continuous action and Saturday night hockey on New Years’ Eve never hurts. 

Who plays back-to-back this weekend? Here are those teams below. 

• Edmonton (Friday, Saturday)
• Nashville (Friday, Saturday)
• Chicago (Saturday, Sunday)
• Buffalo (Saturday, Sunday)
• Ottawa (Saturday, Sunday)

Again, this is straightforward, aside from the Winter Classic and some different start times on Saturday.

What To Look Forward To in the NHL This Long Weekend

The biggest thing to look forward to is some of those quirks in the schedule. For example, five teams play back-to-backs this weekend. Those have to be pondered. By the way, both Boston and Pittsburgh get at least one night of rest. One of the oddest things is the New York Rangers playing Thursday in Tampa and Sunday evening against Florida. 

One of the bigger games on Saturday might be Buffalo and Boston set in a matinee. Buffalo came in after a long layoff and scored six times against Detroit on Thursday night. At the very least, the Sabres keep things exciting. If any team can draw Boston into a high-tempo afternoon contest, it is Buffalo.

If there is even better news, there is this. Buffalo plays Ottawa on Sunday night. Ottawa is 8-3-2 in their last 13 games and scored four goals on Thursday against Washington. When the Senators are winning, they are entertaining. That leads to some solid potential on the the Over again. 

The Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets could be a wild one Saturday afternoon. However, from what might have been department is the Toronto-Colorado game Saturday night. At least, there is Calgary and Vancouver on Saturday night as East Coast bettors ring in the New Year. Anytime point and goal props on Elias Pettersson will be heavily bet. Go the other way with the Calgary power play and more. 

Even the Seattle Kraken plays twice this weekend. The Kraken has recently slipped a little in the standings. However, they have two winnable home games against the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders. The games will be challenging, but Seattle has shown an ability to beat similar teams. 

More About The Winter Classic

Hockey goes outdoors on Monday afternoon as the Pittsburgh Penguins go to Boston to play the Bruins. The Bruins have not gone on a losing streak. Can they continue to play at this pace? 

Both teams have a history with the Winter Classic. Pittsburgh won the first classic against Buffalo in a shootout in the snow. Boston split their Winter Classic games but won the only one at Fenway in 2010 in overtime. 

Again, most classics tend to work themselves toward the Under. Watch the weather conditions on Monday. It is expected to be milder with some sun. That means watching for melting ice, etc. Temperatures in the 50s will slow down the ice, decreasing scoring chances and opportunities. Watch for the number, but siding with Boston seems reasonable Monday afternoon.

Some Quick Points To Be Mindful Of

• Pick against New Jersey until it starts pocketing scoring chances.
• Ride the opposite team Overs against Columbus until further notice.
• Canucks-Flames Over 7 at plus-money might not last.
• Will Colorado ever get healthy?
• Expect more goals than usual on Saturday night in the NHL.

Good luck, and once again, thanks for reading! We will have a few more plays on social media as conditions warrant.

Thanks to BetMGM for solid Tuesday lines and TSN for the easy-to-follow segmented schedule.