Friday may be a short day for sports betting fans, but there are still plenty of highlights to look forward to on the night! Here's what Cappers Mall has its watchful eyes looking at to kick off your weekend.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Fliers 6:00 ET: Your NHL betting night gets started an hour earlier than usual on Friday when the Fliers play host to the Canadiens. Even though these two squads are only separated by a point in the standings, the hosts are -180 favorites at 5Dimes Sportsbook. Montreal has won three of its L/4, including a shocking 6-5 overtime win over the scorching Capitals at home on Wednesday evening. Philly is coming off of back-to-back wins over the Devils. The Fliers haven't conceded more than two goals in a game in their L/6 and in nine of their L/10. The Habs have taken three straight against Philly in this series.
Nashville Predators vs. New Jersey Devils 7:00 ET: A pair of slumping teams duke it out on the ice just three days before the Winter Olympics get underway in the Garden State, where the Devils will face on the Predators. Jersey has dropped three in a row and seven out of nine to fall dangerously close to the Penguins. It still holds its division lead coming into Wednesday, but a slender one-point lead could be gone by night's end. The Preds are still fighting for a playoff berth in the Western Conference, and losses in eight of their L/10 leaves them just barely inside of the postseason window. Back in November, Nashville took out the Devils 3-2 in a shootout, largely thanks to C Jason Arnott's two goals in regulation.
Siena Saints vs. Niagara Purple Eagles 8:00 ET: The perfect MAAC record for Siena will be on the line in what could be a tricky game at Buffalo on Friday night. The Saints appear to be marching towards the NCAA Tournament with or without the automatic bid from the Metro Atlantic, but the likelihood that they don't get the free ticket isn't great. Siena is 14-0 SU and 8-6 ATS in conference play, averaging winning those 14 by an average of 13.0 points per game. The Purple Eagles have underachieved all season and will fall below .500 with a loss. This is their Super Bowl though, and F Bilal Benn and the bunch should be up for the challenge. Still, after winning 83-65 on their home court back in January, there's a good reason that Bookmaker Sportsbook is featuring a CBB betting line of the Saints -3.5.
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Pittsburgh Panthers 9:00 ET: What a great way to kick off your college basketball wagering weekend! The Mountaineers and Panthers engage in a Top-25 battle in the Steel City on Friday night, and this rivalry couldn't be any tighter. WVU has to be enraged over its poor performance against Villanova in Morgantown on Big Monday (L 82-75). U-Pitt appears to have bounced back from its stretch of four losses in five games, as it is coming off of sizeable wins against both Seton Hall (83-58) and Robert Morris (77-53). The 'Neers won by 19 when these two teams met just nine days ago, but now that they're back in Pittsburgh, the oddsmakers are expecting a closer game. WVU is only -1.5 according to Bodog Sportsbook.
Phoenix Coyotes vs. Colorado Avalanche 9:00 ET: When the Coyotes and Avalanche meet on Friday night at the Pepsi Center, NHL betting fans could be watching a playoff preview. Both of these teams think that they have a legitimate chance of lifting Lord Stanley's Cup, and if recent form is any indicator, they're both right. The 'Yotes are 8-1 in their L/9 and are coming off of a 3-2 win in Minnesota on Wednesday as short underdogs. Colorado has taken three straight and outscored those foes by a 12-5 margin. The Avs have scored at least three goals in five straight games, and for that reason, they get the slight -130 nod from the linesmakers at The Greek Sportsbook.
