It looks as though the Buffalo Sabres have fallen back to earth, following up a 9-1-2 start with a five-game losing streak, including losing both games in the NHL Global Series over the weekend to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Boston has moved into the Atlantic Division lead with 25 points. Washington leads the Metropolitan Division, and the Eastern Conference, with 29 points, and they are also riding a six-game winning streak. In the Western Conference, the St. Louis Blues have won seven in a row and lead the Central Division with 27 points. The coldest team in the West is the Vancouver Canucks, losers of four in a row, putting them five points behind the Pacific Division-leading Edmonton Oilers. Want to include NHL betting in your sports wagers this week? Check out our top two picks.
Top NHL Betting Picks of the Week – November 11th Edition
Monday, November 11
Arizona at Washington (7:00 pm ET, NBC Sports)
Arizona roared out to a 9-3-2 start on the season but has dropped three straight, each by a goal, losing in Calgary on Tuesday, at home to Columbus on Thursday and then at home to Minnesota on Saturday. In that loss to the Wild, Arizona had a 3-1 lead but then saw Minnesota score three unanswered goals to take the win. Arizona goto early tallies from Michael Grabner and Jakob Chychrun to go up 2-0 in the first period, and then after the Wild halved the deficit, Vinnie Hinostroza added what seemed like an insurance goal. Darcy Kuemper made 20 stops in goal, but it was not enough to salt away the win. If you like Arizona here, you may think that Washington will end up falling prey to a trap game against a team that they may view as less than elite.
Now the Coyotes head to Washington to take on a hot Capitals team. Washington has not lost since October 24, winning the last six games by a combined score of 30-17 — so it’s been more about high-octane offense than shutdown defense. In their last win on Saturday, they beat Vegas at home, 5-2. Evgeny Kuznetsov notched his sixth goal of the season, and Nicklas Backstrom found the back of the net twice. Braden Holtby saved 30 shots, including nine stops while Vegas was on the man advantage. With the Caps clicking like this and Arizona sputtering, I see Washington winning their seventh straight.
Final Score Prediction: Washington 5, Arizona 2
Tuesday, November 12
Pittsburgh at N.Y. Rangers (7:30 pm ET, NBC Sports)
After dropping a pair to Edmonton and Boston, Pittsburgh has won two straight, beating the red-hot Islanders in New York on Thursday and coming home to beat the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, rallying from behind and then winning in a shootout. Pittsburgh had lost ten in a row to the Blackhawks — and lost Sidney Crosby to a lower-body injury in the third period — but still mounted the comeback. In the game, Chicago led 2-0 before Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust scored to tie the game. If you like Pittsburgh here, you see their system prevailing against a New York defense that hangs their goaltenders out to dry way too often.
New York saw a two-game winning streak end at home on Sunday, as they fell to the Florida Panthers, 6-5 in a shootout. Henrik Lundqvist made 30 stops for the Blueshirts, but he could not make up for a Rangers defense that showed a lack of focus. The Rangers led 5-4 after the second period, but a redirected shot from the point made it through to tie the game. If you like the Rangers, you see them taking advantage of a depleted Pittsburgh roster with their frenetic offense.
NHL Betting Prediction: Pittsburgh 5, New York 4
