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Expert NHL Handicapping Roundup + Saturday Free Pick for 1/6/2024

by Ryan Cobbett - 1/5/2024

Expert NHL handicapping roundup for Saturday with free pick Auston Matthews Toronto

The holidays are over, and now it is time to turn our attention back to the books and start earning money towards next year’s gift giving season. The representatives for each team have been named for this year’s All-Star festivities as we near another milestone of this year’s campaign. To this point, we have seen some crazy storylines this season and have had some surprise teams show up. William Nylander is rumored to be getting around 90 million from the Maple Leafs, while Connor Bedard continues to live up to the hype as he leads the Blackhawks in goals and points. Let’s take a look at some other trends to watch around the league.

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Sliding Sharks

Another double-digit losing streak for the Sharks. This is the worst team on paper and on the ice, the Carolina Panthers of the NHL. San Jose has lost 10 straight games for the second time this season and have failed to pick up a point since December 12. Tomas Hertl and Mikael Granlund are the only two Sharks players to record more than 20 points at this point in the season, while Hertl and Fabian Zetterlund are the only two Sharks with more than 10 goals. San Jose ranks last in the NHL in GF/G with an abysmal average of just 2.03, while their goaltending also ranks last in the league as they allow 4.03 GA/G. Their PP% ranks 19th while their PK% ranks 28th. There is nothing good to highlight for this club. They are 15-24 ATS this season, which is the 28th best mark in the league. One betting note that San Jose has been somewhat profitable on is the southside of the game total. The Sharks have hit the under in 21 of their 39 games, which is the 8th best mark for game totals. All in all, the Sharks have a long way to go to be a relevant force in this league and on the books.

A Demise in Dallas?

Dallas’ struggles have continued ATS, as the Stars have covered just one game in their last 10 tries. They rank 30th in the NHL ATS as they have covered just 11 of their 37 games on the year. So, does that allude to a downfall for the Stars? No. Recently they have taken a step back in overall performance as their starting goaltender Jake Oettinger, who was named their all-star representative, has been out for the last three weeks. Scott Wedgewood started all 10 games in Oettinger’s absence and has done better than expected and has kept the Stars near the top of the Central Division. This has been a tough stretch for the Stars, but they have somehow managed to go 6-2-2. Once Oettinger returns, the Stars should go on a huge win streak if their offense can continue to maintain its 4 GF/G mark that they have had over the last 10 games. Dallas may have fallen a bit behind the Avs and Jets in the standings, but this team may very well be the best team in the Western Conference and maybe even hockey. Right now, they sit at +500 to win the Western Conference and +195 to win the Central Division, both fantastic numbers for a team that is about to get a lot better when their all-star netminder returns.

Storm Surge in Seattle

This Kraken team has woken up and has been on a complete tear. They struggled out of the gates thanks to injuries, but now the Kraken are getting healthy, and their goaltending has greatly improved. They have won their last six games and have a +10-goal differential over that stretch. Joey Daccord started five of those games in the net and allowed only five goals. The six-game stretch is highlighted by Daccord’s shutout over the Golden Knights in the Winter Classic. The Kraken have also tallied points in each of their last 10 games and have now climbed their way in the division and conference standings. As it stands now, Seattle has the 2nd Wild Card and is only five points behind the Kings for the last guaranteed spot in the Pacific Division. Seattle has been great at pushing games to overtime, as nearly a third of their games require extra time and their nine OTL is the most in the Western Conference and 2nd most in the NHL. The Kraken are 22-17 ATS this season, which is tied for the 6th best mark in the league. Seattle has come back to the playoff caliber team we knew a season ago.

Rocket Richard Outlook

As we near the midway point of the year, it is time to start taking another look at what futures to take on player award. Soon, I will be releasing an article that will go over the odds award by award and feature who I am riding with for the rest of the season. For now, let us take a sneak peek at where things stand for the Rocket Richard. As of now, there is only one right answer. Auston Matthews. He leads the league with 30 goals, with only two other players around the league tallying 25 or more to this point, those being Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov and Florida’s Sam Reinhart. Vancouver’s Brock Boeser has cooled off somewhat after his torrid start and now sits in a tie for 4th in the league with the Rangers Artemi Panarin as the two skaters have 24 goals on the year. Matthews carries -110 odds while David Pastrnak (+360), Kucherov (+600), Connor McDavid (+950), and Boeser (+1200) round out the top five best odds to take home the Rocket Richard Award. As you narrow down your pick, it is worth noting that McDavid’s odds are juiced due to his name. He ranks 4th on his own team in goals and has less than half of the goals Matthews has. Right now, I am with Matthews winning the award.

Saturday Free Pick- Tampa Bay Lightning @ Boston Bruins – Boston Bruins -1.5 +152

Boston has gone a little back and forth as of late losing four and then winning four. They are also coming off a game where Jeremy Swayman showed up about 10 minutes late and was too late in figuring out how to slow down the Penguins. Linus Ullmark is in the net for this one and has allowed only 2.0 GA/G in his last three starts. One consistent trend for the Bruins is their offense as they have scored 23 goals in their last five games. This is an exciting battle that could prelude an exciting playoff series in a few months, but one the Bruins will dominate in front of their home fans. Another quick note is Boston is 13-3-3, which is the best home record in the Eastern Conference.

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