Since there’s only a month left in the online NHL betting season, the opportunities for sportsbook players to bet on NHL regular season games is running thin. The end of the regular season is a bittersweet occasion, since it hails both the end of daily hockey games but also the start of the most thrilling time of the season. This year’s Stanley Cup should prove to be another exciting rendition, and with the start of the postseason just a month away, NHL teams are well aware that these upcoming games are arguably the most important of the season.
One team that will be vying for a spot in the playoffs is the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Winning back-to-back titles in the NHL is easier said than done. In fact, it’s been over 20 years since a club has been able to accomplish that sportsbook feat within the National Hockey League. Nevertheless, that’s what the Penguins set out to do at the start of this season, and so far, they haven’t come up short.
As things currently stand, after competing in 64 games so far this season, the Penguins have racked up a 40-16-8 record that nets the franchise 88 points. With that tally, Pittsburgh ties with the New York Rangers for the No. 3 spot in the Metropolitan Division. There’s enough time in the season for either team to make an online NHL betting push over the other. But considering that most teams in the Atlantic are flirting with 70 points, it seems pretty plausible that both the Rangers and Penguins will be making it into this year’s postseason.
Wednesday night, the Penguins will take the trip to the US’s northern neighbor to face off against the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre. This contest will mark the second and final time both these teams have faced off this season, with the Penguins emerging victorious in the first contest 4-3 in overtime. Will the sportsbooks predict a similar result this time around?
ONLINE NHL BETTING ODDS – REGULAR SEASON – Wednesday, March 8th
Pittsburgh Penguins -1 ½ (+210) 6 ½ (EV) -135
Winnipeg Jets +1 ½ (-250) 6 ½ (-120) +115
The Penguins have indeed been pegged as the odds on favorite, but not by that much, which is surprising considering the Jets’ struggles this season. After competing in 67 contests this season, Winnipeg has amassed a 30-31-6 record that nets the franchise 66 points. That sum ranks the Jets 5th in the Central Division, 8 points away from tying with third-place Nashville.
With the end of the season in sight, it doesn’t seem like Winnipeg will be able to snag a spot in this year’s postseason. The Flames, who have 76 points on the season and rank 4th in the Pacific, will likely end up snagging one of the Wild Card berths from the West. Likewise, it seems more than plausible that the Blues will be snagging the second Wild Card seed from the West. With that in mind, it seems that Wednesday night’s sportsbook underdog will miss out on the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
