Hockey betting fans will get a nice treat this Saturday with two big matchups in the Hockey Night in Canada doubleheader. Here are two free picks courtesy of your favorite sports betting blog.
Boston Bruins @ Montreal Canadiens
Saturday, January 8, 7:00 p.m. ET
Betting odds: Bruins +106, Canadiens -115
Over/Under: 5
As much as this feels like a storied, back-and-forth rivalry between Northeast Division teams, it hasn't been close of late. The Montreal Canadiens have won four straight meetings and seven of the last eight versus Boston.
However, it's hard to tell what direction the Habs are headed in right now. After beating Boston 5-3 on December 16, they lost five of six games. Since then, they've rallied to win two of three, though they beat the Penguins without Sidney Crosby on Thursday night.
It's easy to see why Montreal's bubble has burst of late. As Carey Price goes, they go, as they're not a very talented team aside from him. Price has allowed at least four goals five times in his last 10 starts. Now that he's cooled off, so have the Habs.
The Bruins seem due. They've lost three of four entering Saturday's action but two of those defeats came in shootouts. They've played just once since Monday so they'll be rested. I like the Bruins to pull the minor upset over the scuffling Canadiens; maybe this is Marc Savard's game to break out of his funk.
Bettors should strongly consider the UNDER in this game. It's 23-10-6 for Boston and 26-11-4 for Montreal, reflecting the stellar goaltending they've had for most of 2010-11.
Free pick: Bruins +106
Detroit Red Wings @ Vancouver Canucks
Saturday, January 8, 10:00 p.m. ET
Betting odds: OFF
Over/Under: OFF
The West's best go to-to-toe in what could be the game of the night on Saturday. Is there any stopping Vancouver right now? The Canucks are first overall with a sparkling 26-6-5 record through Thursday's action. They're the league's most complete team – second in goals, first in faceoffs, second on the power play, fifth in goals against and fourth in penalty killing. If it isn't the Sedins dominating one night, it's Ryan Kesler, then it's Roberto Luongo in goal, and so on. Vancouver had won seven straight games entering Friday's game against Edmonton, scoring three-plus goals in six of those victories.
The Red Wings have done a pretty fine job soldiering on without injured Pavel Datsyuk (hand), winning four of their last six. But this will be a tired team by Saturday night. The Wings, an Eastern-time-zone team, played in Edmonton on Tuesday, Calgary on Friday and then visit Vancouver on Saturday. They're bound to burn out sooner or later and facing the league's top team on the road isn't a recipe for success. Pick Vancouver.
Free pick: Canucks
