We again closed the week in style, hitting both bets in the weekend preview.
We'll look to pick up where we left off and continue stacking wins as we start anew with a three-game slate Monday night.
Canucks (+100) @ Devils (-120)
The New Jersey Devils are slowly starting to turn a corner. Emphasis on slowly.
They own a respectable 3-3-0 record over the last six games, and their numbers beneath the surface suggest those results don't do the team justice.
New Jersey has controlled 54% of the expected goals at five-on-five during this spell, which slots it just ahead of the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Carolina Hurricanes. Sure, it's a small sample size, but the Devils' advanced metrics have trended upward for a while now.
Two issues caused the losses to pile up anyway. For one, they weren't healthy. Without Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt, both of whom recently returned to the lineup, the team didn't have the star power to convert on the chances they generated. That's no longer an issue. Believe it or not, the Devils lead the league in goals - at five-on-five and overall - over the last six contests.
At the other end, New Jersey can't buy a save, with Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier sidelined. That's long been a problem and remains one. However, the Devils have the talent to outscore their mistakes so long as they continue to control the run of play.
I expect they'll be able to do that against the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks' share of the expected goals is below 47% over the last couple of weeks, and they're playing in the latter half of a back-to-back. New Jersey figures to have the leg up there.
The gap in goaltending talent should also be significantly smaller for the Devils, with Thatcher Demko likely getting the night off. Jaroslav Halak owns a .899 save percentage this season, which is well below average. He should have trouble slowing down New Jersey's red-hot attack.
Bet: Devils (-120)
Anze Kopitar over 2.5 shots (-112)
Anze Kopitar is a beast on home soil. He's averaged 3.2 shots on goal per game in Los Angeles while recording at least three shots in 18 of 27 contests, good for a 66.66% hit rate.
That's a stark contrast from what we've seen from Kopitar on the road. He's averaging nearly a full shot less (2.3 per game) and has gone over 2.5 shots only 42% of the time.
What's especially appealing about Kopitar, beyond home success and an upward trend (he's averaged 3.4 shots over the last 10 contests), is his ability to hit against the best teams.
During this hot spell, Kopitar registered four shots while hosting the Nashville Predators, four shots while hosting the Colorado Avalanche, and six shots at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Boston Bruins are a difficult matchup, but Kopitar's consistency against quality clubs leaves me confident he can come through for us again.
John Carlson over 2.5 shots (-125)
John Carlson is another guy with extreme home/road splits, especially lately. He's averaging just 2.2 shots on goal over his last 10 road games. It's been a much different story in Washington, where he's averaged 3.3 shots over the previous 10 contests at Capital One Arena.
I expect Carlson's home success to continue. He's playing in what should be a high-event game against a Toronto Maple Leafs team that likes to push the pace and force opponents to keep up.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
