Batherson and Stützle should ignite the Senators against the struggling Flames. Can Calgary shock Ottawa in this high-scoring Canadian showdown?
Thursday’s NHL slate is loaded with 11 action-packed games on the schedule and no shortage of storylines to track. One of the night’s most intriguing matchups features an all-Canadian classic between the Ottawa Senators and the Calgary Flames. Both teams are going in very different directions with the Sens winning three of their last four compared to the last place Flames that have won one of their last nine games.
This showdown offers plenty of betting angles and promises fireworks across the league. We’re looking to ride our early-season momentum and build on the player prop success that powered last year’s run, highlighted by hits on Mitch Marner, Mark Scheifele, Wyatt Johnston, Rasmus Dahlin, Teuvo Teravainen and Connor Hellebuyck.
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Ottawa Senators vs Calgary Flames Best Bets
Flames +1.5 (-170)
Over 5.5 Goals (-154)
Drake Batherson Over 0.5 Points (-182)
When teams sit near the bottom of the standings, they can sometimes become sneaky betting gems, just look at the Chicago Blackhawks, who’ve opened the season with a stellar 9-1 record against the spread (ATS), or the San Jose Sharks. The Calgary Flames, however, haven’t followed that trend. Despite being underdogs in every game to start the season, their early losses were so lopsided that they stumbled to a 1-5 ATS record. That narrative is beginning to shift. Calgary has tightened up defensively and kept games closer, going 4-1 ATS over their last five contests.
Next up, they hit the road to face a Senators squad that’s had their number lately, winning five of the last seven meetings. But Calgary has quietly covered in four of their last five matchups against Ottawa, making them a live underdog with bounce-back potential and a shot at a surprise win.
Devin Cooley will get the start in net for the Flames, though reports suggest the team may be exploring other options beyond the 28-year-old. He’ll face Linus Ullmark, who’s coming off a rough outing against Chicago where he surrendered six goals. Ullmark’s season numbers at a 3.44 goals against average and a .858 save percentage paint a picture of a goaltender in a slump. With two struggling netminders set to start and a history of high-scoring games between these teams (12 of their last 18 meetings have hit six or more goals), this matchup has all the makings of a shootout.
Ottawa's duo of Drake Batherson and Tim Stützle will likely get the Sens on the board as the two have a combined seven goals over their last three games. Batherson ranks slightly ahead with eight points over this three-game hot streak while Stützle sits with seven points. Batherson is listed at a slightly better value in this one and has eight goals and five assists for 13 points over his last 16 games versus the Flames.
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