Saturday, May 18, 2024

Betting, Gambling

Team Totals to Bet for the Upcoming NHL Season

The 2021 NHL Season is only days away and hockey fans can barely contain their excitement. With the start of the NHL Season comes the urge to make some prop bets. One of the common prop bets in all sports is Team Totals. The Team Totals in the NHL look at how many points an NHL team will have this season and whether a team will go Over or Under that total. With this in mind, Let’s look at some of the Team Totals to bet on for the 2021 season. With a 56 game season, it will be harder to gauge which teams will do better than others. Regardless, it should be exciting to bet on the Team Totals.

Columbus Blue Jackets Over 63.5

It seems surprising to see the Team Total for the Blue Jackets this low. The Blue Jackets are a better team than many perceive. Two years ago, the Blue Jackets lost Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, and Sergei Bobrovsky to free agency. Since then, the Blue Jackets have rebuilt the roster behind a strong defense and now with the acquisition of Max Domi, they look ready to compete. The Blue Jackets might not win the Central Division but should record 64 points or more.

Carolina Hurricanes Under 71.5

The Hurricanes are poised to be one of the best teams in the Central Division and entire NHL. Sebastian Aho and Ryan Dzingel are part of a great scoring bunch while the defense is led by Dougie Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin. The problem is that 71.5 is a high total and considering the schedule, it would be advisory to bet the Under. Many regard the Central as a weak division but the Hurricanes will have to face the Blue Jackets, Stars, Predators, and most importantly, last season’s Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The ‘Canes are going to be good this season, but expect them to fall Under this high total.

Washington Capitals Over 64.5

Aug 18, 2020; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the third period against the New York Islanders in game four of the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

It comes as a surprise to see the Capitals with a low total like this one. The Capitals have been one of the best teams in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference in recent years and don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. The Capitals will have questions at goaltender with Braden Holtby leaving in free agency and Henrik Lundqvist not being able to play with a medical condition. However, the Capitals have one of the best scorers in the NHL in Alexander Ovechkin. Additionally, the roster is loaded with talent and it’s hard to find any glaring weakness among their skaters. We can expect the low total to go Over as the Capitals contend for the best record in the East Division.

Pittsburgh Penguins Under 69.5

Mar 3, 2020; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (30) and right-wing Patric Hornqvist (72) celebrate after defeating the Ottawa Senators at PPG PAINTS Arena. Pittsburgh won 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Penguins used to be the best team in the NHL, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in the previous decade. The problem is that this roster has been declining and aging for years. The Penguins have great skaters in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jake Guentzel but they don’t have a true goaltender and they have question marks in their roster depth. This Team Total is surprising considering they have been in the middle of the pack the past few years. With this in mind, it would be advisable to be the Under on the Penguins.

San Jose Sharks Over 51.5

The Sharks had everything go downhill last season. After going all-in two seasons ago, the Sharks saw the roster fall apart last season starting with the injury to star defenseman Erik Karlsson. The Sharks were in the 2019 Western Conference Final with one of the most complete teams in the NHL. While the Sharks don’t have some of those key players, they return most of their stars from that season. The Sharks should be able to cover the Over on this low total in a weak West Division.

*The Team Totals are via Fanduel Sportsbook and are subject to change.

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