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NHL Monday Betting Preview: Heavyweight Battle

Surging Teams Clash when Los Angeles Visits Boston

The Boston Bruins looked like a legitimate playoff contender before Brad Marchand was suspended and have looked even better since he returned. The Los Angeles Kings have been one of the NHL’s best teams since two prolonged winning streaks early in the season. Those two teams will face off in Beantown on Monday night in the premier contest of a five-game league slate.

Let’s preview all five games based on the NHL betting lines.

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Ronald Martinez/Getty Images/AFP


Los Angeles Kings vs Boston Bruins

Having won seven of their last eight games, the Boston Bruins might be the hottest team in the NHL, but they’ll have a tough opponent in town on Monday in the Los Angeles Kings. With Jeremy Swayman firmly establishing himself as Boston’s top goalie, the Bruins have been able to go on a run that has them within striking distance of the top teams in the Atlantic Division.

A similar thing could be said with regards to the Kings, who have won seven of nine and are only four points behind the first-place Calgary Flames. Los Angeles is winning with No. 1 Jonathan Quick and No. 2 Calvin Petersen splitting time in goal and with basically everyone on their roster contributing on the offensive end. This Kings’ season really has been an “all hands on deck” situation, which has turned Todd McClellan’s team into a well-balanced group.

Still, the Bruins are big home favorites. Boston is the better team but it’s hard not to consider taking the Kings straight-up at plus-money. That might be the move here. But, if you want to bet on Boston, take the Bruins to win in regulation.

Florida Panthers vs Buffalo Sabres

The Florida Panthers have won two games in a row after a three-game skid and will try to make it three against the Buffalo Sabres. Florida got a pair of strong Sergei Bobrovsky performances in net as the Panthers crushed the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings. Buffalo is coming off a pretty lackluster 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.

Buffalo’s offense had been clicking but the Sabres were shut down by the Kings. The Sabres should have Craig Anderson back in net, but it’s hard to stop the Panthers. who average over four goals per game.

This game could be very high-scoring so the over is a smart take if you’re betting online. Florida is a massive road favorite so there isn’t much value in the Panthers on the puckline even if that’s a good bet.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets could really use a win. Toronto has given up 11 goals in ugly back-to-back home losses while Columbus has lost four of five after winning four straight.

Toronto could start either Petr Mrazek or Jack Campbell in net. Goaltending has been a recent concern for the Maple Leafs, whose offense is still one of the league’s best. However, goal-scoring tends to take a back seat to goaltending in terms of playoff importance so the Maple Leafs need to turn things around.

As expected, the Maple Leafs are big road favorites over the Blue Jackets, who could turn to Jean-Francois Berube after Elvis Merzlikins started Columbus’ last four games. Either way, this is a good bounce-back spot for Toronto so take the Maple Leafs on the puckline. The over is enticing, too.

Colorado Avalanche vs New York Islanders

For just the third time all season, the Colorado Avalanche have lost consecutive games. That’s bad news for the New York Islanders, who likely will face a hungry Colorado team. New York has lost four of six but is coming off an impressive 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues in which Ilya Sorokin had 27 saves.

With the Avalanche starting a back-to-back, Darcy Kuemper — who was pulled in Colorado’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday — should start on Monday with Pavel Francouz going on Tuesday. Despite the recent hiccup, Kuemper has been good this season and should rebound.

Colorado is a huge road favorite against New York. Even with that said, there’s pretty good value in the Avalanche on the puckline and that makes for a good bet. The under is also intriguing with Sorokin in net.

Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames

The Edmonton Oilers are on the verge of another tailspin as they’ve lost five of seven and are tasked with facing one of the NHL’s scariest teams in the Calgary Flames. The Flames had a huge overtime road win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday with backup goalie Dan Vladar in net, so Calgary is riding some positive momentum heading into this game.

Edmonton’s offense has been pretty quiet during this recent slide, producing just nine goals in its last four games. It’s more of the same for Edmonton, which just can’t seem to string together a few good weeks of play without losing focus.

The Flames are sizable home favorites on the BetUS sportsbook. Despite their struggles, the Oilers have so much talent that they have the ability to beat top teams like Calgary, even if the consistency isn’t there. Edmonton is a good pick on the moneyline if you want a value play. If not, consider the Flames in regulation.

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