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Horse Racing NHL All-Star Weekend Best Bets: Let the Festivities Begin
NHL All-Star Weekend Best Bets: Saturday, February 4th
The NHL will showcase all of their talents this weekend as the All-Star game features the big names in the game today. Our resident pucks expert Ej Garr has the event covered and he is offering a multitude of betting options for the festivities.
The Pacific Division All-Stars will face off against the Central Division All-Stars in the first of two games within the Western Conference, and the Eastern Conference will pit the Atlantic All-Stars against the Metropolitan All-Stars in the second match of the day. The two winners will meet for one more game to decide the champion, and that should make for one heck of a weekend in Florida.
In this article:
- Pacific Division vs Central Division Preview
- Pacific Division vs Central Division Best Bet
- Atlantic Division vs Metropolitan Division Preview
- Atlantic Division vs Metropolitan Division Best Bets
Pacific Division vs Central Division Preview
February 4, 20:00 (UK time)
The Pacific Division and Central Division All-Stars will take the ice in the first of the two games to be played at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, FL this Saturday. First, let me reveal the cast of characters you can expect to see in this match.
Pacific Division Roster:
| position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| F | Leon Draisaitl | EDM |
| F | Kevin Fiala | LAK |
| F | Bo Horvat | NYI |
| F | Nazem Kadri | CGY |
| F | Connor McDavid | EDM |
| F | Elias Pettersson | VAN |
| F | Chandler Stephenson | VGK |
| F | Troy Terry | ANA |
| D | Erik Karlsson | SJS |
| G | Stuart Skinner | EDM |
| G | Logan Thompson | VGK |
Central Division Roster:
| position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| F | Kirill Kaprizov | MIN |
| F | Clayton Keller | ARI |
| F | Nathan MacKinnon | COL |
| F | Mikko Rantanen | COL |
| F | Jason Robertson | DAL |
| F | Vladimir Tarasenko | STL |
| D | Seth Jones | CHI |
| D | Cale Makar | COL |
| D | Josh Morrissey | WPG |
| G | Connor Hellebuyck | WPG |
| G | Juuse Saros | NSH |
One oddity you will notice is that Bo Horvat is still playing for the Pacific Division All-Stars despite being traded on Monday to the New York Islanders. After 9 years with the Canucks, the Islanders are hoping to add a proven scorer and an All-Star caliber forward to the mix as they try to get into the playoff picture.
Well let’s talk about getting some action on the board here, and let me tell you that as I peruse these rosters I think the Central Division is going to find a way to move on to the title game to face the winner of the Eastern Conference battle. Marathon is showing a 1.91 offer on the Central Division to win this game on the Moneyline, and I have no issue with ten bucks worth of juice to have it.
It is an even spread so if I have to pick my poison, the bottle I will drink out of has a Central Division sticker on the jug. We know the format is two 10-minute periods of 3-on-3 hockey, and you’ll notice one little factor to be aware of, Defense.
The Central Division roster has three defensemen with Connor Hellebuyck and Juuse Saros between the pipes, while no other team has more than a single player representing the blue line.
The Pacific Division only has Erik Karlsson as their official defenseman, and we know he loves to press and be involved with the offense.
Pacific Division vs Central Division Best Bet
For me, I believe the NHL wants goals to be scored so the fans can get their money’s worth for attending the festivities. My two offers come with goals in mind, and the team I think will win this first affair is the Central Division All-Stars.
- Selection: Central Division Moneyline
- Best odds: 1.91 (Marathon)
- Stakes: 4/10
- Bonus Tip: Over 13 Goals @ 1.87
More Pacific Division vs Central Division Tips
Atlantic Division vs Metropolitan Division Preview
February 4, 21:00 (UK time)
The Atlantic Division and Metropolitan Division All-Stars will take the ice in the second of the two games to be played in Florida, so let me again reveal the rosters.
Atlantic Division Roster:
| position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| F | Aleksander Barkov | |
| F | Nikita Kucherov | TBL |
| F | Dylan Larkin | DET |
| F | Mitchell Marner | TOR |
| F | David Pastrnak | BOS |
| F | Nick Suzuki | MTL |
| F | Brady Tkachuk | OTT |
| F | Matthew Tkachuk | FLA |
| D | Rasmus Dahlin | BUF |
| G | Andrei Vasilevskiy | TBL |
| G | Linus Ullmark | BOS |
Metropolitan Division Roster:
| position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| F | Sidney Crosby | MIN |
| F | Johnny Gaudreau | ARI |
| F | Kevin Hayes | COL |
| F | Jack Hughes | COL |
| F | Brock Nelson | DAL |
| F | Alex Ovechkin | STL |
| F | Artemi Panarin | CHI |
| F | Andrei Svechnikov | COL |
| D | Adam Fox | WPG |
| G | Igor Shesterkin | WPG |
| G | Ilya Sorokin | NSH |
As I mentioned above, you’ll notice that there is only one defenseman representing each team, and being the Rangers fan that I am I see how aggressive Adam Fox is every night. Expect him to find ways to create more offense in this game, although the two starting netminders are outstanding.
Igor Shesterkin, last year’s winner of the Vezina Award, will square off against the current odds-on leader to win this year’s award. Linus Ullmark is heavily favoured to be honored with the Vezina trophy, and his 4 losses all season justify that. Ullmark’s last start before the break earned him another win and his confidence is sky-high.
The one thing I can’t help but notice is all of the youth and first-time participants from the Metropolitan Division. Seven players are making their first showing in the NHL All-Star game for the Metro Division, while mainstays like Syd Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Johnny Gaudreau offer a wealth of experience between them.
I don’t think there will be much scoring in the first 10-minute frames with Shesterkin and Ullmark starting the game. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ilya Sorokin will be the second-period starters, and that’s when I expect things to open up a bit. I think that is why the total is a goal lower for this game than it was for the first game. I see a straight 12 on the Over/Under being offered, and that will end up as a secondary play for me on Saturday.
I expect the Atlantic Division to move on and face the Central Division All-Stars in the third game, which has me pointing to another reasonable Moneyline offer. Marathon is also issuing a 1.91 on the outright winner for game 2, and once again I will accept that offer.
Atlantic Division vs Metropolitan Division Best Bet
The Atlantic Division All-Stars will end up winning this second game by an 8 – 6 score, so with 14 goals in mind we can squeeze in a play on the Over 12 at 1.87. You know I usually like to keep my odds closer to or above even money, but we can only take what we can get here.
- Selection: Atlantic Division Moneyline
- Best odds: 1.91 (Marathon)
- Stakes: 4/10
- Bonus Tip: Over 12 Goals @ 1.87
Odds as of 9:00 am February 3, 2023. Odds may now differ.
More Atlantic Division vs Metropolitan Division Tips
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