As the 2020 calendar year begins the third week, the NHL schedule has surpassed the halfway point. Numerous top games are in store for January 16, with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins battling in Boston leading the way.
Pittsburgh Penguins versus Boston Bruins
The Penguins enter with the 2nd best record in the Metropolitan Division. They take their 12-7-2 road record to Boston to take on the top team in the Atlantic Division. Boston is 15-2-9 at home and has a +29 to +27 edge on the Power Ranking Indicator. On the Team Strength Oscillator, the Bruins are “burning hot” compared to “average up” for the Penguins. Best to avoid betting the “over/under” in this one considering the teams are trending on opposite sides of the line according to the Totals Predictor. Both teams have been relatively stable at +6 and +7, respectively on the Team Volatility Oscillator. Boston won the first meeting between the teams by a 1-0 score at home. Expect much of the same in this one. Boston should win a very competitive, tight game, perhaps in overtime.
Montreal Canadiens versus Philadelphia Flyers
Neither teams is playing their best hockey at the moment. Montreal is 6th in the Atlantic Division with an 11-9-3 road mark. They are +3 on the Power Ranking Indicator and “dead” status. Philadelphia is 5th in the Metropolitan Division, 15-3-4 at home, +8 and “ice cold up” status. Betting the “over” is probably a wise chose with the Flyers playing in games well over the line lately. They are the more stable team at +7 to -2, so don’t consider Montreal’s favorite/underdog status highly when considering your bet. Philadelphia has won both meetings between the teams this season in overtime. I see the Flyers winning again, this time in regulation.
Vegas Golden Knights versus Ottawa Senators
Vegas is 10-8-3 on the road and enter 4h in the Pacific Division. They won the first meeting between the teams by a 1-0 score at home. Ottawa has a solid 11-7-3 mark at home but is just 7th overall in the Atlantic Division. The Golden Knights have a +20 to 0 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator and “average” versus “dead” on the Team Strength Oscillator. The Senators are the more stable team coming in at +14 compared to +4 on the Team Volatility Oscillator. Expect a high scoring contest, so betting the “over” should be an excellent bet. There is little to indicate the Senators will win this one, so go with Vegas by two goals.
Buffalo Sabres versus Dallas Stars
Dallas has the 2nd best record in the Central Division and 15-6-2 at home. Buffalo has struggled to 7-13-4 on the road and 5th in the Atlantic Division. The Sabres are “ice cold down” and +4 on the Power Ranking Indicator, compared to “burning hot” and +28 for the Stars. Buffalo has been the more stable team, meaning they are performing more consistent with their favorite/underdog status. They took the first meeting between the teams this season by a 1-0 score. It’s best to avoid the “over/under” in this one with the teams trending on opposite sides of the line. Dallas is a clear favorite and should come away with an easy victory.
San Jose Sharks versus Colorado Avalanche
The Sharks are currently 6th in the Pacific Division with a road record of 8-11-3. They head to Colorado to take on the Central Division’s 2nd best team. Colorado is 11-7-3 at home and +16 on the Power Ranking Indicator. San Jose is +9 and “average” on the Team Strength Oscillator versus “ice cold down” for the Avalanche. The teams are performing on opposite sides of the over/under line, so avoid betting on that in this one. Be aware of the fact that Colorado is very unstable at -3 on the Team Volatility Oscillator. Therefore, don’t consider their favorite/underdog status too highly. In this first meeting between the teams this season, I will go with an upset and take the Sharks by a goal.
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