The NHL’s All-Star Game is back, and it once again takes the form of a tournament in which the All-Stars are grouped by division. The tournament starts Saturday, February 4, as the Metropolitan Division meets the Atlantic Division in one semifinal, and the Central Division and the Pacific Division meet in the other. The winners will meet in the final, but for sports betting purposes, our preview will cover the two semifinals. Read on to find out our predictions as you consider your weekend NHL wagering options.
NHL News: All-Star Game Betting Preview
→ Saturday, February 4
Central (-124) All-Stars vs Pacific (+102) All-Stars (O/U 13.5) (3:00 pm ET)
These two teams have split their last four All-Star showdowns. The Pacific Division has Connor McDavid, arguably the best player in hockey right now. In 50 games, he already has tallied 41 goals and 51 assists. Leon Draisatl will be alongside him, and he has 29 goals and 47 assists of his own. Calgary’s addition of Nazem Kadri adds yet another scoring element. Youngsters Chandler Stephenson and Kevin Fiala make their All-Star debuts and could fly in under the radar.
The Central Division has Roman Josi, one of the top defensemen in the league, skating for Nashville. Defense is not a feature in the All-Star Game, but Josi is a terrific scorer from the blue line. Nathan MacKinnon, one of the sport’s top playmakers, returns for his fourth All-Star game. Mikko Rantanen (2nd), Kirill Kaprizov (2nd) and Cale Makar (2nd) will all skate as well. Dallas’ Jason Robertson makes his All-Star Game debut with 32 goals and 33 assists for the Stars, and Josh Morrisey of Winnipeg has 10 goals and 43 assists from the blue line for Winnipeg, so he could add to eh scoring as well.
Final Prediction: Pacific Division to win
Metropolitan (+110) All-Stars vs Atlantic (-134) All-Stars (O/U 11.5) (4:00 pm ET)
The Metropolitan roster has a lot of experience – and a lot of youth. So you will see the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, skating in his eighth All-Star Game, and Sidney Crosby, who will play in his fifth. Such new stars as Johnny Gaudreau and Jack Hughes will also take the ice. Hughes put on a dynamic show in his All-Star debut last season, and Gaudreau is now competing as part of a new division. Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox are both playing in their first All-Star games, as are Andrei Svechnikov and Brock Nelson. If Hughes can repeat his magic from a year ago, and Gaudreau can fulfill his reputation as a playmaker, then the stage could be set for a big win. Ovechkin and Crosby will likely absorb the defensive attention, but if you look at the over/under total (or if you have ever watched an NHL All-Star Game), you know that defense is at a minimum, as checking is almost nonexistent.
The Atlantic roster will have Nikita Kucherov in his fourth All-Star GAme, along with Dylan Larkin (3rd) and Mithcell Marner (2nd). Marner has emerged as one of the NHL’s top playmakers. David Pastrnak (3rd) and Nick Suzuki (2nd) are also top scoring threats. Tage Thompson was supposed to make his All-Star debut, but an upper-body injury has him listed as questionable. Matthew and Brady Tkachuk will appear on the same team for the first time, and they are a rarity among All-Stars as they are known for their hitting. Kucherov and Pastrnak are dangerous scorers, and the Tkachuk brothers have speed to go with their physicality, so they can skate in and snipe in a hurry.
Final Pick: Atlantic to win, take the over
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