Anaheim Ducks at Vegas Golden Knights 1/14/21: NHL Hockey free preview, analysis, prediction, odds and pick against the spread.
2021-01-14 22:00:00 EDT
The Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights meet Thursday in NHL action at the T-Mobile Arena.
The Anaheim Ducks have missed the postseason each of the last two years and have seen their win total drop each of the last four years. The Ducks lose Erik Gudbranson and Michael Del Zotto, while they add Kevin Shattenkirk through free agency. The Ducks aren’t in the easiest division in the world and have offensive concerns, but they also have one of the best goalies on the talent in John Gibson, and he gives Anaheim a shot every night they take the ice. The Ducks could be an interesting squad if players like Trevor Zegras, Sam Steel and Max Jones take a step forward and provide a shot in the arm offensively. The Anaheim Ducks could surprise some folks, but they could also have another year of being in the middle of the pack.
The Vegas Golden Knights have been highly competitive through their first three seasons and ended last year with a conference finals trip. The Golden Knights lose Paul Stastny, Nate Schmidt and Deryk Engelland, while they added Alex Pietrangelo and Carl Dahlstrom. The Golden Knights are once again a legit Stanley Cup favorite, as they check every box with Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith and Marc-Andre Fleury leading the way. The Golden Knights will make the playoffs and once again will be a tough out. However, there is a lack of depth at the center position and minor goalie question marks that could hold this club back in the postseason.
The Ducks are 7-19 in their last 26 Thursday games and 2-6 in their last 8 vs. Western Conference. The Golden Knights are 15-5 in their last 20 home games and 1-4 in their last 5 overall. The over is 4-0 in Ducks last 4 road games. The under is 7-0-1 in Golden Knights last 8 overall. The Ducks are 0-4 in the last 4 meetings in Vegas and 1-7 in the last 8 meetings.
The Vegas Golden Knights have won eight of the last 10 meetings against the Anaheim Ducks and six of those eight victories were decided by two or more goals. The history here speaks for itself and the Ducks usually cave when playing above average competition. Give me Vegas and the PL for max betting value.
