The top two teams in the NHL’s Western Conference will clash on Saturday when the Calgary Flames host the Nashville Predators as -130 favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Calgary continued its red-hot play with a 2-0 shutout of the Minnesota Wild on Thursday to extend its current straight-up win streak to four games and reclaim sole possession of the top spot in the Pacific Division standings going into Saturday night’s game at Scotiabank Saddledome.
The Flames’ current surge extends the club’s strong play that comes on the heels of a shaky 5-5-1 start to the campaign. Calgary has gone 13-4-1 in 18 contests since then, and improved to 7-1-1 on home ice during that stretch with its win over the Wild as narrow -135 chalk.
Goaltender Mike Smith has returned to form during the club’s current win streak, posting wins in each of his past five starts while allowing just seven total goals and contributing to the current 3-1 run for the UNDER in totals betting, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
The Central-leading Predators travel to Calgary pegged as a solid +110 wager on the Saturday odds. Sitting atop the Western standings with a 19-9-1 record, Nashville continues to lead the way as a +285 betting favourite to claim a second straight conference title.
However, the Predators have struggled at times since opening their schedule with wins in 13 of their first 16 outings, falling to defeat in seven of their past 13 including five straight losses on the road, and are also winless in each of their past three visits to Scotiabank Saddledome.
Elsewhere on the Saturday NHL odds, the Toronto Maple Leafs look to end a two-game losing streak at TD Garden when they visit the Boston Bruins as -120 road favourites, while the Ottawa Senators look to bounce back from consecutive lopsided losses to the Montreal Canadiens as they take on the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins as +155 NHL underdogs.
The return of William Nylander to Toronto was spoiled by a 5-4 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, which also put the brakes on the Maple Leafs’ five-game win streak.
Toronto has been among the top road teams in the NHL this season, scoring 4.14 goals per game while going 11-3-0 away from Scotiabank Arena, and will encounter a slumping Bruins squad that has potted just eight total goals during a shaky 1-4-0 run.
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