It can be difficult to make money betting individual hockey games, but the wide-open nature of the NHL lends itself to many lucrative future wager opportunities. Here are three NHL hockey odds Blues Penguins Sharks to consider this season.
St. Louis Blues Over 95.5 points (-110)
There are many reasons to be bullish on the Blues this year. After all, they missed the playoffs by just one point last year after amassing 94 in total. GM Doug Armstrong loaded this roster for bear in 2018-‘19, trading for Ryan O’Reilly and signing David Perron, Tyler Bozak and Patrick Maroon. That quartet tallied 68 goals combined last year and will also add some physical presence to the forward lines.
The St. Louis blueliners are led by the outstanding Alex Pietrangelo, but they lack depth overall. Goaltending could also be an issue if Jake Allen can’t put together a full season of dependable play. However, when he’s on his game, Allen is top 10 in the league. These drawbacks might stop the Blues from making a prolonged playoff run, but they should be able to push 100 points by overwhelming their opposition on offense.
NHL hockey odds Blues Penguins Sharks
Pittsburgh Penguins Under 103.5 points (-110)
The Penguins showed some cracks in the foundation last year after winning the Stanley Cup in 2017 and 2016. Pittsburgh’s not-so-stingy defense led by an aging Kris Letang was exploited on a regular basis last year, especially in the playoffs. Goaltender Matt Murray, who like his predecessor (Marc-Andre Fleury) is never a Vezina Trophy frontrunner, also showed signs of vulnerability. Pittsburgh is as deep as any team at center, with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Derick Brassard on the roster, but they’re a little too weak at the wings beyond Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist to be considered a 100-point team or better.
The Penguins did little to address their needs in the offseason. In fact, signing the regressing Jack Johnson to man the blueline might have made things worse. Pittsburgh was only a 100-point team last year, and there are no signs that they’re going to improve on that number as constructed.
San Jose Sharks to win the Pacific Division (3-1)
The Vegas Golden Knights shocked the sports world last year by winning the Pacific Division in their inaugural season and making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Vegas’ luck ran out at the very end, and now they’ll have to deal with the loss of James Neal and David Perron in free agency. If the Golden Knights come back down to Earth even a little bit, that opens the door for the Sharks to sneak into first in the Pacific.
San Jose didn’t make any splashes in the offseason, though they get an ‘A’ for effort in the John Tavares sweepstakes. However, their core from last year that put up 100 points returns intact, plus they’ll receive a full year from key deadline acquisition Evander Kane.
Expect the Sharks to pull out all stops at the deadline as long as they’re in the playoff hunt, as they have a ton of contracts coming off the books after this year, including captain Joe Pavelski’s, and may not be able to re-sign everybody. Above are NHL hockey odds Blues Penguins Sharks advice for the upcoming season.
