With the first quarter of the 2017-18 NHL season in the books, it’s a good time to take a look at which NHL teams have been the biggest disappointments from a betting perspective. While the Vegas Golden Knights have been among the most pleasant surprises when it comes to teams that will have made you money if you bet on them, there are a number of teams that have underachieved. Here is a look at the NHL’s least profitable teams to bet on so far this season.
Montreal Canadiens
ATS Record: 7-18
Montreal ranks 30th in the NHL with an average of 2.4 goals per game this season. While they weren’t expected to have an elite offense, nobody expected the Canadiens to rank 26th in the league with an average of 3.2 goals allowed per game with Carey Price between the pipes. Price is 2-0 since returning from a lower body injury with just one goal allowed over his last two games. It will be interesting to see whether he can turn his season around and lead Montreal to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. For now, the Canadiens remain the most disappointing team in the NHL to bet on. Montreal is 10-12-3 straight up with a league-worst 7-18 record against the spread. The Canadiens have the talent to turn things around. Time will tell if Montreal could put together an extended run and reverse the trend of being the most disappointing team to bet on in the NHL this season.
They did get Carey Price back in the lineup on Saturday and have since won two straight games. Maybe that’s the catalyst they needed to get back on track and start playing like playoff-capable team once more.
Ottawa Senators
ATS Record: 7-15
The Habs aren’t the only Atlantic division team that has disappointed so far this season. Ottawa is 8-8-2 straight up but has been the second-worst team to bet on against the spread with a 7-15 ATS record so far. The Senators rank in the top-12 in goals per game this season but their inability to keep pucks out of their own net has been their biggest issue as they have allowed an average of 3.2 goals per game. Ottawa will need Craig Anderson to play better but they will also need to play better as a team in front of their veteran goaltender the rest of the way. As is the case with Montreal, the Senators have the talent to be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference but need to be more consistent in order to turn things around.
Pittsburgh Penguins
ATS Record: 9-17
One of the biggest surprises this season has been the poor play of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins this season. Pittsburgh is 13-10-3 but they have consistently underachieved as sports betting favorites including a number of blowout losses. The Penguins have three losses this season by six goals or more. Pittsburgh also owns the third-worst record against the spread in the NHL with a 9-17 mark. Expectations are high for a proven Stanley Cup contender that is loaded with talent. However, the Penguins have underachieved throughout the first quarter of the year and rank among the worst teams to bet on so far this season.
San Jose Sharks
ATS Record: 9-13
San Jose actually leads the NHL with an average of just 2.2 goals allowed per game so far this season. However, a severe lack of offense has really hurt a Sharks team that ranks just 28th in the league with 2.6 goals per game. San Jose is 12-8-2 straight up but 9-13 against the spread. The Sharks haven’t been able to take care of business as betting favorites more often than not and their 9-13 record ATS is enough to rank among the bottom four teams in the NHL in terms of betting profitability at the quarter mark of the year. Every single team on this list has the ability to turn things around. However, the fact that these teams are expected to succeed will only make it more difficult for them to become better teams to bet on as the season continues.
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