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There may be ten games set to take place in the NHL on Thursday night, however two of them stand out as prime wagering opportunities.
The two opportunities are so enticing that PointsBet has gone ahead and offered a boosted parlay featuring these two sides for your consideration.
Below you will find overlays – and the boosted parlay – from tonight’s Canadiens v. Avalanche game and Kings v. Flames game.
For those unfamiliar with the term “overlay,” it simply refers to odds that are higher than an outcome’s true probability.
For example, if an outcome has a 50% chance of happening, the correlating odds would be +100.
If the odds offered on that specific event are +150, or an implied probability of 40%, then the price would represent an overlay.
COLORADO AVALANCHE at MONTREAL CANADIENS (Avalanche -1.5, -200 ML, OU 6.5)
Tonight’s game at Bell Centre in Montreal represents a prime “get right” spot for the Colorado Avalanche following an 8-3 dismantling at the hands of the red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs last night.
Last night’s contest was an all-around poor performance for the Avalanche, but especially so for goaltender Jonas Johansson, who conceded a whopping eight goals on forty-one shots.
With #1 netminder Darcy Kuemper sidelined for the time being with an upper-body injury, Colorado appears likely to start 21-year-old Justus Annunen in net this evening against Montreal.
If Annunen gets the nod, he would be making his first appearance in the National Hockey League.
This may sound like a daunting task and reason to side against Colorado in this instance, however the young prospect has given the impression he will be ready to manage the task at hand.
Annunen was named the American Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Month, sporting a record of 5-1-2, a GAA of 1.83, and a SV% of .937 for the Avalanche’s minor league affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
Debuting on the road may not be ideal but taking on a Canadiens team that has been subpar in every facet of the game this year looks to be as good a team to debut against as any.
If for whatever reason the Avs decide to go back to Johansson following last night’s debacle, there is still a great chance that he can bounce back (he had given up just three goals in two starts prior to Wednesday night).
Based on my projections, assuming Annunen starts, Colorado defeats Montreal by at least two goals 51.3% of the time, a percentage that translates to odds of -105.
If Johansson gets the nod, the percentages do not change dramatically, with just a few tenths of a percent shifting.
The Avalanche’s puck line odds of +130 (implied probability of 42.2%) represent a significant overlay that should not be passed up.
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CALGARY FLAMES at LOS ANGELES KINGS (Flames -1.5, -145 ML, OU 5.5)
The Calgary Flames continue to show themselves as one of the best teams in the National Hockey League, winning five of their last six games including a 2-1 shootout victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night.
As strong as the Flames have been recently, the Kings have been equally as poor, dropping six of their last seven contests.
Los Angeles has been a team of streaks this year, rattling off a seven-game winning streak while also owning multiple losing streaks of at least five.
EDGE Finder tells us that the Kings are just 2-9 (-7.63 units) following a loss this year, indicating they could be in trouble against a Calgary side that I have currently rated as the #1 team in the NHL in my power ratings (by a relatively healthy margin, too).
Look for Elias Lindholm (five points in his last five games) and company to continue firing on all cylinders against the Kings in L.A. this evening.
Based on my numbers, the Flames defeat the Kings by at least two goals 44% of the time (translates to odds of +127).
This contrasts with Calgary’s current puck line odds, which land at +165 (implied probability of 37.7%).
Considering the discrepancy between the two, this is also an overlay that must be considered.
THE PLAYS
Colorado Avalanche at Montreal Canadiens – Avalanche -1.5 (+130)
Calgary Flames at Los Angeles Kings – Flames -1.5 (+165)
Special Offer: Combine these two plays on PointsBet and get an odds boost! Log on to PointsBet.com and check out their NBC Sports Name a Bet section to learn more about this opportunity. Terms and Conditions apply.
https://co.pointsbet.com/sports/name-a-bet/Booster-Odds-Hub/175528
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