Our resident gambling guru offers his best bets for Monday's NHL action
The 2021 NHL regular season is nearing the finish line, as the playoffs are just a week away.
There are still nine games on Monday’s schedule, giving us a lot of options from a betting perspective.
I’ll be going over my best bets for today’s games and provide reasoning for my picks.
All odds are courtesy of Circa Sports. As always, please play responsibly.
Edmonton Oilers (-116) vs. Montreal Canadiens (+106)
Best bet: Oilers money line (-116)
The recent exploits of Oilers forward Connor McDavid are downright unfathomable.
He has tallied 31 points across his last 11 games, including a four-point outburst on Saturday. He now has 100 points in just 53 games this season, a scoring pace that seems like it was transported from the 1980s.
Not only has the individual success been outstanding, but the Oilers have also found their groove. They are 11-4-1 across their past 16 games and have won five straight contests on the road.
Barring a colossal collapse, the Canadiens are still going to be a playoff team. They have looked painfully average for well over a month, however, going 7-12-0 since April 7.
Perhaps I am banking too heavily on trends, but recent form suggests the Oilers are deserving road favorites. I am going to ride with the guy that is scoring like he is in a video game right now.
New York Islanders (+148) vs. Boston Bruins (-163)
Best bet: Under 5.5 goals (-135)
We have two teams here that already know they will be in the postseason. Despite that, there is still playoff positioning on the line, as the Islanders could pass the Bruins in the standings with a win.
This leads me to believe that it will not be a lackadaisical May game, which makes me side with the under.
The Bruins also gave up five goals in Saturday’s loss to the Rangers, so I can see head coach Bruce Cassidy enforcing the importance of team defense.
Even with the loss, this video of Kevin Miller interacting with his daughter before the game makes up for it.
Across the last 13 meetings between these two teams, dating back to 2018, the under is 10-3. The Islanders are the best team in the NHL at goal suppression this season (2.22 GA/GP) while the Bruins are fourth (2.41 GA/GP).
If this line came in as low as 5, I would stay away. At 5.5, I am happy to cheer for uneventful hockey.
Happy betting!