The Calgary Flames are riding high after returning to a playoff spot in their previous game on New Year's Eve. They feel they're in the driver's seat to secure another victory when they host the reeling Utah Hockey Club for the first game of 2025. The Flames are fourth in the Pacific Division and hold the second wild-card spot after their win Tuesday, while Utah is sixth in the Central Division. The teams faced off once this season in October, with Utah dominating at home for a 5-1 victory. The NHL's newest team has cooled off since their first month, which gives the Flames confidence that they can return the favor. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Utah HC-Flames prediction and pick.
Here are the Utah HC-Flames NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Utah HC-Flames Odds
Utah Hockey Club: +1.5 (-245)
Moneyline: -110
Calgary Flames: -1.5 (+200)
Moneyline: -110
Over: 6 (-105)
Under: 6 (-115)
How To Watch Utah HC vs. Flames
Time: 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
TV: Sportsnet West, Utah16
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Utah HC Could Cover the Spread/Win
It hasn't been an easy couple of weeks for Utah, as they've lost five consecutive games after a four-game winning streak. The one positive for Utah is that their last five losses came against the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Seattle Kraken, and Edmonton Oilers. The schedule isn't precisely team-friendly, and the Flames will be one of the weaker teams they've played over this stretch. Utah has already shown success against the Flames this season.
Utah's offense has been letting them down, but their goaltenders have kept them in it over the last few games. Connor Ingram is out of the lineup with an injury, but Karel Vejmelka and Jaxson Stauber have been holding it down with a 3.20 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage over their last five games.
Why the Flames Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Flames caught fire over the holidays, winning three straight games in a limited schedule over the past two weeks. They've been playing their best hockey of the season, so they likely wish they had more games. However, they get the chance to keep the streak going with upcoming games against Utah, the Nashville Predators, and the Anaheim Ducks. The Flames have points in six consecutive games, as their two losses over the last six came in overtime to the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins. Add in their shutout win over the Florida Panthers, and it's easy to see why they are now a playoff team.
The Scotiabank Saddledome has been an excellent place for the Flames to play this season. They've played many games at home and have a record of 13-4-3. It'd be interesting to see where Calgary would be if they hadn't been so dominant. Utah has been better on the road but nowhere near Calgary's success at the Saddledome.
Final Utah HC-Flames Prediction & Pick
The Flames have been in much better form, and they get to play Utah on home ice for this game. Utah dominated the first matchup, but Calgary didn't lose a season against the Arizona Coyotes since 2015-16. The Flames swept the season series in 2023-24 and won eight of the last nine meetings. Take the Flames to return the favor from October's loss in this matchup.
Final Utah HC-Flames Prediction & Pick: Flames ML (-110)