We open up the 2021-22 NHL season on Tuesday night with two very intriguing games. Here’s a quick breakdown of both contests and make sure to check out the betting odds page that includes the best odds for every sport, every day.
Pittsburgh Penguins +180 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning -216
I’m not thrilled about starting the season off with a chalk play, but the home team has won eight of the last 10 meetings between the Penguins and Lightning. That means something when you consider it’s a celebration night for the Lightning. Also, the Penguins are still not at full strength with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin sidelined with injuries. Jake Guentzel is also questionable for this contest after testing positive with COVID. The Lightning are pretty much 100 percent healthy, and that gives them a serious edge in this opener. I’ll lay the juice, but with the line going up, I’m forced to take a stab with the PL.
Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5
Seattle Kraken +216 vs. Vegas Golden Knights -246
The Seattle Kraken should be solid defensively out of the gate, but finding consistent offense could be an issue. Seattle is also going to be very shorthanded in its franchise debut, as Jared McCann, Joonas Donskoi, Marcus Johansson, and Jamie Oleksiak are all on the COVID-19 protocol list. McCann, obviously the biggest blow, as he’s a key piece to the Kraken’s top line. We’ll find out eventually if Vegas is going to be better without Marc-Andre Fleury, but the rest of the pieces are in place for another Stanley Cup push. The Golden Knights have also been a buzzsaw at home, where they’ve won 42 of their last 58 tries. I’m rooting for Seattle to do well, but this is a tough opening spot, especially with a shorthanded roster.
Pick: Vegas Golden Knights -1.5
Randy’s Pick See Above
AUTHOR: Randy Chambers
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