Flames vs. Ducks Game 1 Pick
Will the Anaheim Ducks slip up at home tonight when they host the Calgary Flames at 10:30PM ET in Game 1 of their series?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Ducks are favored at home tonight, as they are getting odds of -155 to win, while the Flames are getting a money line of +135 to win. The over/under total for the game is listed at 5 goals. These two met five times during the regular season, with the Ducks winning four of the meetings.
NHL Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
Anaheim earned the top seed in the Pacific Region after going 46-23-13 on the season or 105 points. The Ducks were 29-8-4 at home, putting up 223 goals this season while allowing 200. Anaheim is one of the hottest teams entering the playoffs, winning eight of their last 10, with the two losses coming in overtime. Ryan Getzlaf led the team this season in points with 73, while Rickard Rakell led the team in goals with 33. John Gibson will get the start in net after going 25-16-9 this season with a 2.22 ERA and .924 save percentage.
Calgary earned a Wild Card spot in the region by going 45-33-4 this season with a 21-16-4 record on the road. The Flames had 94 points as a team, scoring a total of 226 goals on the year while allowing 221. Calgary has lost three of its last four games coming into this series. Johnny Gaudreau led the team with 61 points while Sean Monahan was the top scorer with 27 goals. Brian Elliott was 26-18-3 in net for the Flames this year with a 2.55 GAA and .910 save percentage.
A big part of me wanted to roll the dice on the Flames because of their balance on offense and respectable road record, but Elliott has really struggled against the Ducks in his career, going 1-7-3 with a .884 save percentage. Those are too many bad games to just be a coincidence. Elliott is in over his head against this team and I don’t see him correcting the problems in Anaheim.
NHL PLAYOFFS PREDICTION: ANAHEIM DUCKS -155