It’s been a disappointing season so far in Minnesota as well as in Calgary. The Flames deserve a slim favorite position and a max bet of 10/10.
Goalie problems in Minnesota
The Minnesota Wild’s season has been disappointing compared to expectations. Typically profiled in the upper mid-table of the West, the Wild have picked up just ten wins from 26 games. Just in recent weeks, the form has taken a turn for the better. From the previous seven games, the Wild have five wins, one of them against Calgary.
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Goaltending has been a clear weakness so far. Both Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonas Gustavsson have had an up and down season. Minnesota operates with an ineffective offense that won’t deliver wins unless they get at least average goaltending.
What’s more, there is also a gap the size of Jonas Brodin in defense. The versatile Swedish defenseman will be sidelined for a long time, opening a lineup slot for Zach Bogosian, who is ill-suited to the Wild’s style of play.
Underperformers’ Club
The Calgary Flames’ recent weeks have brought one loss after another. The Flames are 1-4-1 over the last six games and have just 11 wins from 29 games overall. In Calgary’s defense, the schedule in recent weeks has been exceptionally difficult. Since the end of November, the Flames have played almost exclusively against Cup favorites. The Flames have kept up well based on scoring chances, and Calgary has also performed solidly on expected goals all season with 52.02% xG 5v5.
Still, there is room for criticism in Calgary’s performance as well. The team is full of underperforming players, starting with Jonathan Huberdeau. The former 115-point winger hasn’t gotten anywhere near the same level since his trade to Calgary.
Starter Jacob Markstrom has also lost his game and carries one of the worst goalie contracts in the league at his current level. Markstrom is suffering from a minor injury, which means a start for either Dustin Wolf or Daniel Vladar. Playing a backup doesn’t necessarily detract much from Calgary’s chances in this situation.
It’s max bet time
Encounters between teams that have clearly underperformed or overperformed are often the most exciting matches in terms of betting. Instead of just results, we need to look at the big picture and the assumed base level of the teams.
I see more underachievers in Calgary and therefore the potential for better performance in the future. The betting market, on the other hand, has reacted strongly to the recent results. Minnesota is marked as the favorite, while I’m willing to give a slim favorite position to Calgary.
This setting opens an excellent opportunity to back the visitors. Unibet has several outstanding odds for Calgary, but what I really love the most is the Tie No Bet in regulation at +143. This bet is voided in case of overtime, and we still make a fantastic profit if Calgary wins in regulation. This is one of the best if not the best selection of the season so far. Time to go for full value with a max bet!
Tip: Tie No Bet – Calgary Flames @ +143
Units: 10/10
The match will start on 12/14/2023 at 8:00 PM EST.
The odds are from the time of publication of the article and are subject to change.
Esa Kostet
X: @konekostet
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