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A Western Conference showdown will be underway later tonight as the Calgary Flames take on the Vegas Golden Knights in what should be an absolute thriller. It is about that time to check out our NHL odds series where our Flames-Golden Knights prediction and pick will be made.
Entering this one playing the second night of a back-to-back, it ended up being Calgary that went down in crushing defeat in a high-scoring affair as the Flames lost 6-5 to the Colorado Avalanche in the Mile High City. Overall, Calgary continues to be sluggish to begin the regular season as they now sit with an 11-14-3 record.
Meanwhile, could the defending champs finally be back on track? After a brutal losing stretch that saw the Golden Knights begin to question their identity out on the ice. However, Vegas has since won five of six games including a 5-4 victory over the San Jose Sharks last time out. Altogether, the Golden Knights are atop the Pacific Division Standings with a 19-5-5 record to go along with 43 total points.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Flames-Golden Knights Odds
Calgary Flames: +1.5 (-152)
Vegas Golden Knights: -1.5 (+126)
Over: 5.5 (-134)
Under: 5.5 (+110)
How to Watch Flames vs. Golden Knights
Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Flames Will Cover The Spread/Win
Article Continues Below
Although the Flames head into this one short on rest, don't count on a Calgary squad that is capable of putting it all together with their backs up against the wall.
Most importantly, the main priority that Calgary has to take care of is shoring up a lackluster defense that apparently has more holes in it than a bagel. Throughout their past 15 games, the Flames have surrendered an average of 3.33 goals per game and struggle mightily to stop high-flying offenses from finding the back of the net. Once again, the defense's porous ways reared its ugly head in the loss versus the Avalanche as allowing a whopping six goals put way too much pressure on the shoulders of a respectable Calgary offense. If the Flames have any plans of getting back on track in the second contest of a three-game contest, then Calgary will need to be up to the task defensively.
Not to mention, but the lack of stellar goaltending play should also have the Flames concerned. Through the first 28 games of the season, Calgary has been forced to turn their attention to some backup netminders after placing starter Jacob Markstrom on injured reserve three days ago. As it stands, goalie Dan Vladar left much to be desired against the Avalanche after he gave up six goals on 37 shots. The sloppy performance was the second time in nine games he's given up at least a half dozen goals and it is obvious that he needs to correct things before it is too late.
Why The Golden Knights Will Cover The Spread/Win
Currently in the midst of an eight-game point streak, it is safe to say that Vegas is officially rolling again! If anyone was expecting the Golden Knights to suffer a major championship hangover to begin the regular season, then they are gravely mistaken.
The one thing that makes this squad so special is the fact that they are as resilient as ever. This is a team that doesn't always score first each game, but they often rally together to overcome any adversity to take care of business on the ice. Even in a game against the lowly Sharks in which the Golden Knights came out flat, they still found a way to the win column in shootout fashion.
Not only is the ability to be resilient a strong suit for this team, but don't be sleeping on the fact that Vegas is absolutely automatic in terms of a suffocating defense that leaves very little room to breathe for opposing offenses. Over the course of their last pair of games, they have only given up a total of five goals and surrendered a minuscule 2.35 goals per contest. In addition, the goaltending play in between the pipes has been off the charts thanks to goalie Adin Hill who has posted flawless numbers across the board. On paper, Hill has recorded a rock-solid .935 save percentage and only allows 1.87 goals per game whenever he gets the start in net.
Final Flames-Golden Knights Prediction & Pick
At the surface level, these are a pair of teams that are heading in opposite directions as of late, and since the Golden Knights are difficult to beat on their home ice with a record of 10-2-2, it is hard to imagine Vegas coming up short in this one.
Final Flames-Golden Knights Prediction & Pick: Golden Knights -1.5 (+126)
