The Phoenix Coyotes will try and keep their playoff hopes alive when they take on the Calgary Flames this Friday night at the ScotiaBank Saddledome. This Western Conference clash is scheduled for a 9 p.m. (ET) start, and the game will be available on NHL Center Ice.

The Coyotes have rallied for five victories in their last seven games, including a 3-1 win over Edmonton on Wednesday night as a +106 road underdog. They are now just one point behind Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. The total has stayed “under” in four of their last five games.

Calgary continues to ride out the string with just three wins in their last 10 games and is coming off a 4-1 loss to Vancouver as a +168 home underdog this past Wednesday night. The total has stayed under in four of its last six games.

Coyotes at Flames Betting Storylines

During its recent run, Phoenix has outscored its opponents 23-12 while posting three or more goals in five of the seven games. This burst of offense has provided a much welcomed boost after averaging just 2.6 goals a game this season. Shane Doan leads the team in both goals (13) and total points (24). Martin Hanzel remains the second-highest goal scorer with 11, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson leads the team in assists with 18.

Mike Smith continues to spend the majority of the time in goal for the Coyotes and is expected to get the start on Friday night. He has allowed a total of just three goals in his last three games and comes in with an overall goals-against average of 2.59. The team as a whole has a GAA of 2.6, which is ranked 16th in the NHL.

The Flames’ fire sale before this year’s NHL Trade Deadline combined with a rather lengthy injury list that includes three different centers have thinned the ranks to a level that has made it extremely difficult for this team to remain competitive on a night-to-night basis. The offense has produced just 10 goals in the last seven games, which is far below a season average of 2.6 goals that is already ranked in the bottom half of the league.

Defensively, Calgary has been ranked at the bottom of the NHL for most of the season with a GAA of 3.5, so it is little wonder that is has allowed 30 goals in its last seven outings. Joey McDonald and Mikka Kiprusoff have taken turns getting peppered in goal during this seven-game slide with the same results. Seeing how each has a GAA of more than three, it really doesn’t matter which one is in goal for this game.

Coyotes at Flames NHL Betting Odds and Trends

Phoenix has been opened as a -143 road favorite on BetOnline’s money line for this game with the Flames listed as +130 home underdogs. The “over/under” line for this game is set at 5.

The Coyotes are 2-8 in their last 10 road games and 3-7 in their last 10 games playing on one day’s rest. The total has stayed under in four of their last six games against a team with a losing record.

The Flames are 0-5 in their last five games against a team from the Pacific Division and 3-10 in their last 13 games following a loss by three or more goals in their previous outing. The total has gone over in seven of their last 10 home games.

Head-to-head in this matchup, the home team is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings, and the total has gone over in three of the last four games played in Calgary. These two split the first two meetings this season, but Phoenix has a 7-3 series edge dating back to the 2010-11 regular season.

Coyotes at Flames Picks and Betting Predictions

It is always a risk to bet against a home underdog, especially given the fact that Phoenix is 5-9-5 on the road this season, but these two teams are clearly going in opposite directions. The Coyotes do not have any more losses to give, especially against a team it is expected to beat, and you get the feeling that the Flames are just killing time until to their dismal season comes to a merciful close.

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Read more articles by Dave Schwab