The dog days of the NHL season may be upon us but the Anaheim Ducks may already have their sights set on the golf course. The Ducks are in a huge funk by losing 10 straight games and have to try and break this streak against the Winnipeg Jets. The Ducks still sit ninth in the Western Conference but have shown nothing since mid-December that they can go in tonight and pull off the upset.
The Jets opened as -190 favorites with a total of 6.
- The Ducks are 0-10 SU and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games.
- The Jets are third in the NHL in goals per game at home (3.79).
- The UNDER has hit in 7 of the Ducks’ last 10 games.
Ducks vs Blue Jackets Game Center
Ducks Are taking the Term “Streaky” To Whole New Level
The term “mighty” used to be used with the Anaheim Ducks but based on the last month of play, they’re anything but. The Ducks have dropped their last 10 games while being outscored 36-16 in that span and bettors would think that this is an isolated streak but Anaheim has done this before. Back in October, the Ducks got off to a slow start and had a seven-game losing streak and were outscored 25-13.
When a team loses that consistently, you would think they at least steal one at home in front of the supportive crowd but six of those losses were at the Honda Center and their last road win was on December 17 in Pittsburgh. One of the troubling reasons why the Ducks have not been up to snuff is scoring. When Ryan Getzlaf is leading the way with 31 points in 39 games, your team is going to have trouble to winning games.
As for the Jets, they’re a comfortable 16-8 SU in 22 home games this season and have won seven of their last nine games at the MTS Centre. Winnipeg is ranked third in the NHL in goals per game when playing at home and the duo of Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele are leading the charge. Wheeler is second in the league in assists with 49 and is on pace for another 90-point season while Scheifele has 24 goals and 55 points.
Goaltender Matchup
The Ducks’ John Gibson and Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck are projected to get the call between the pipes respectively. Gibson has been the whipping boy for the Ducks during their losing streak and the Ducks have lost his last seven starts. Gibby has allowed 28 goals over those outings to have a .881 save percentage and four of those games saw him give up four goals or more.
Hellebucyck, on the other hand, has had some shaky games over the last month but has won five of his last seven starts when taking home ice. The third-year netminder owns a 2.80 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 19 games at home this season.
How To Bet The Total
The total opened at 6 and while I dumped on the Ducks for their ineptitude, they have been profitable in another way. The UNDER has hit in seven of the Ducks’ last 10 games with an average combined score of 5.2 goals per game. The UNDER has also hit in six of the Jet’s last nine games at home with an average combined score of 5.6 goals per game so taking the UNDER may be the smart play if you can't decide who wins.
My Pick Is…
To take the Jets -1.5 puckline. The Ducks are in complete disarray and haven’t covered the puckline in eight of their last 10 games. Head Coach Randy Carlyle looks to have lost the team and going into a rabid environment like the MTS Centre is not the place I expect the Ducks to turn it around.
