by Vegas Writer
Saturday, Jan 13, 2024As the NHL reaches a middle point in its season, let's take a look at pertinent numbers you may be able to use in your handicapping, be it sides, totals, puck lines and even player props.
- The only player with more points than Nathan MacKinnon this season is Nikita Kucherov. Per NHL Edge, though, the only player to cover more distance than Kucherov is MacKinnon. Kucherov is averaging 1.6 points per game, while MacKinnon averages 1.5 goals per game.
- Connor McDavid returned to the upper echelon of the scoring race while helping resurrect the Oilers' playoff hopes after a dismal start to the season. A coaching change certainly helped. McDavid has only 16 goals this season, but don't be surprised to see a second-half surge this season.
- Some defensive names to watch for player props include Quinn Hughes, who has 11 goals and 40 assists in 42 games. He holds a three-point edge on Cale Makar (9 goals, 39 assists in 37 games) atop the scoring race among defensemen. Both blueliners are on pace to finish the season with a triple-digit total, which would mark the first season in NHL history to feature multiple defensemen with 100 points.
- Heads up, nine teams that did not qualify for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs either occupy or are within three points of a playoff spot. Vancouver (28-11-3, 59 points) leads the Pacific Division, while Philadelphia (21-14-6, 48 points) and Nashville (22-18-1, 45 points) hold Wild Card spots in the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively, after all three clubs missed the playoffs last season. Six other teams that did not reach the postseason last year are within three points of a playoff spot: Pittsburgh, Detroit, Washington, St. Louis, Calgary and Arizona.
- The top money teams heading into the weekend include: Vancouver (+964), St. Louis (+788), Winnipeg (+659), Rangers (+570), Panthers (+568) and Red Wings (+359). Meanwhile, the Blues and Wild are the only teams to have a four-digit negative profit margin this season. St. Louis bettors have felt a mighty sting to the tune of -1,321, while the Wild are -1,065.
- Strange but true, the best home investment this season, despite its overall net loss, is St. Louis, which ranks No. 1 in the league at +736 when skating on home ice. The Kings have been the worst home investment (-709). The Canucks have been the road team to play this season, as they're +571 away from Vancouver. Meanwhile, show them the way to San Jose, please, as the Sharks are -1008 on the road this season.
- More than 4,000 goals have been scored so far this season, with scoring at 6.3 goals-per-game or higher in consecutive seasons for the first time in 30 years (6.4 through 650 GP in 2022-23). Games involving the Devils have certainly helped those numbers, as New Jersey is 23-8 to the over this season. Vancouver has also turned in plenty of high-scoring games, with 23 of 34 landing high. Surprisingly, the normally high-octane Golden Knights take the cake with low-scoring games, as 23 of 36 have stayed low. The Blues (11-22), Sharks (12-22) and Flyers 13-22) are not too far behind.
- For all of you in-game bettors, nearly half of all games have featured a team overcoming a deficit to win, with the 120 third-period comeback victories tying the most at this stage of a season in NHL history. The 25 third-period multi-goal comeback wins are tied for the third most through 650 games behind 2022-23 (34) and 2019-20 (33). Don't be afraid to invest in a team losing after two periods.
