NHL Tuesday betting preview: Quenneville back to old stomping grounds

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There are five NHL games on Tuesday night, and you better soak up every second of them because it's tough sledding for the next little bit.

There are just two not-exactly great games on Wednesday before the NHL goes idle for four days during All-Star Weekend. They seriously haven't gotten rid of the break yet?

I don't love the card tonight. Hopefully, we can single out some winners for Tuesday after a quick recap of our Monday bets.

GOATs and scapegoats

With a little help from Nazem Kadri (two goals and an assist), we hit on the Colorado Avalanche team total over 4.5 goals on Monday afternoon (+120). Naz started the scoring for the Avs early in the second period after they were worryingly shut out in the opening 20 minutes. GOAT move, Kadri.

We were also seconds away from nailing our bet on the Avalanche to score exactly five goals at +400 odds. But with Colorado leading 5-3 late in the game, Nathan MacKinnon potted a meaningless sixth goal on an empty net.

Is that seriously how you wanted to score your 30th of the year, Nate? Show some pride.

Tuesday's bets

Vegas Golden Knights (+130)

These two struggling teams are playing well below their potential.

The Golden Knights have recorded just one win over their last six games, all while firing head coach Gerard Gallant and dropping into fourth place in the Pacific Division. Meanwhile, the Bruins are just 8-14 straight up since Dec. 4.

However, Vegas has taken three out of four available points since appointing Peter DeBoer as head coach - showing impressive fight while battling back to earn a point in Montreal on Saturday - and Boston squandered a 3-0 lead in a road loss to Pittsburgh. I like the Knights to build on their momentum here, offering good value at plus-money.

New York Islanders (-105)

This will be the third meeting in nine days between the New York rivals, with the Rangers winning the previous two. Because of that, we get a really deflated price on the Islanders, one that's too good to pass up.

Barry Trotz is an incredibly smart head coach, so trust him to make the necessary adjustments here. The Isles are the better team, and they should play with some real urgency during their last January game before a bye week.

Pittsburgh Penguins/Philadelphia Flyers over 6 (-110)

Brian Elliott starts again with Carter Hart injured, and his recent numbers against the Penguins are concerning. Elliott has allowed 32 goals over eight games during the past three seasons against Pittsburgh, and he's been pulled four times.

There's an average of 6.8 goals scored during Flyers games when Elliott starts, and 7.6 when he's in net against Eastern Conference teams. Philadelphia doesn't struggle to score on home ice, and the club will be dealing with the Penguins likely getting after Elliott.

Best bet

Florida Panthers (+100)

This is the second game in as many nights for the Panthers, but that shouldn't scare you off.

Florida has won four straight in this spot, and four of six on the road in back-to-backs this season. So playing on two straight nights shouldn't impact them much. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are just 6-10 at home since mid-November, and they've fared much better on the road over that span and throughout the season.

This game marks Joel Quenneville's first back in Chicago after the team fired him 14 months ago following a terrific decade-plus as the Blackhawks' head coach. It'll be very meaningful for "Q," and you can expect the motivated Panthers to win one for their coach against his former team.

Trend of the night

The under is 7-1 in the Carolina Hurricanes' eight home games against Western Conference teams this season, with an average of 3.9 goals scored in those clashes.

The Canes tend to play some very low scoring games against the West, which suggests the under is in play. However, a deeper dive into their opponent tonight, the Winnipeg Jets, suggests the opposite.

The Jets are 7-3 to the over on the road against Eastern Conference teams this season, with a remarkable average of 7.1 goals scored in those games. Something's got to give in Carolina.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.