On paper this doesn’t look like much of a matchup. But as we all know the games aren’t played on paper. The Carolina Hurricanes lead the Metropolitan Division with 39 wins and 83 points while the Philadelphia Flyers are sitting in the cellar with 18 wins and 46 points. Still, anything can happen, just ask the Vegas Golden Knights. Philly posted back-to-back wins for the first time in over month with a 2-1 victory over the heavily-favored visitors. The Flyers look to continue their hot streak on Saturday.
The NHL matchup between the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes takes place at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 12, 2022, from PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC and will air live on ABC. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game on the Saturday NHL schedule.
NHL Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Winning consecutive games is a big deal when you’re at the bottom of the league standings. The Flyers did that for the first time in more than a month by knocking off Chicago and Vegas to improve their record to 18-28-10. Only Montreal has fewer wins in the Eastern Conference. Still, it’s been a rough season for the Broad Street Bullies who are one of the least profitable teams in the NHL. They are down $1,650 on the moneyline and have been equally bad on the road as they’ve been at home. They are playing their first road game in nearly a month after going 3-4-1 on their just completed eight-game homestand. They have just seven road wins this season with one of them coming in Carolina back in February, so there’s hope.
The Canes have maintained their lead atop the Metropolitan with consistent play. They started the season winning nine straight games and were 14-2-0 in late November. While they haven’t maintained that level of success, they haven’t been far off. The Canes haven’t lost three straight since early December and avoided matching that last week by beating Pittsburgh in OT. They followed that with another close 3-2 win over Seattle. The Canes average 3.4 goals but they win with a stingy defense. They lead the NHL in fewest goals allowed and boast the top penalty kill. They’ve cashed the UNDER in three straight games and five of their last six.
Philadelphia Flyers
Winning ugly is always better than losing pretty. The Flyers were outplayed and outshot 48-21 by Vegas yet came away with a 2-1 victory. Offense has been a huge issue all season. They average just 2.5 goals per game to rank 30th with some of the problems from a power play that converts just 13.5 percent of the time. That means goalies Carter Hart and Martin Jones have to stand on their head to get a win.
Well, guess what? That’s exactly what Hart did against Vegas stopping 47 shots. He hasn’t gotten much support, but Hart’s been good over his last four starts boasting a 2.29 GAA and .938 save percentage. “Anytime you give up that many shots and come out with a win, it’s probably because your goalie had an incredible night,” said Justin Braun, who scored the game-winner against Vegas.
Carolina Hurricanes
While a bad power play has prevented the Flyers from scoring, a great penalty kill has kept the goals allowed to a minimum for Carolina. These teams are classic examples of how special teams can impact a season. Not only do the Canes boast the top penalty kill in the NHL, they also rank sixth with the man advantage giving them a lofty plus-57 goal differential. That leads to a lot of wins and the Canes have moneyline payouts in nearly 70 percent of their games.
The Canes are $461 in the black on home ice and $762 overall. They will be laying a huge price against the Flyers, who they beat 4-3 and 6-3 in the previous two meetings. And we’ve seen the Canes get scoring from different lines and different players. Sebastian Aho leads the club with 24 goals with half of those coming on the power play.
NHL Odds Pick
The Flyers have to be feeling better after posting wins over Vegas and Chicago. But hitting the road isn’t ideal for them. They’ve struggled in away games while the Canes have been beasts at home with only four regulation losses. And putting the puck in the net is going to be a challenge for Philly against the tightest defense in the league. Staying out of the penalty box is a key for Philly, but even that won’t be enough to get them a road victory.
NHL Odds Prediction: Carolina Hurricanes 4, Philadelphia Flyers 1
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
