NHL Betting: Are The Calgary Flames Worth a Preseason Bet?

NHL Betting: Are The Calgary Flames Worth a Preseason Bet?
Tue 8th December 2020

The Calgary Flames and head coach Geoff Ward did well in recovering from the controversial mid-season firing of Bill Peters, as the team defeated Winnipeg Jets in the Stanley Cup qualifier and reached six games against the eventual Western Conference champion Dallas Stars. The team added to its roster this offseason, and Ward has enough familiarity with the Flames to where he can lead the team a little more clearly.

The Flames have a +2900 line to win the Stanley Cup. These NHL odds may be interesting to people who want a challenge, especially since the Flames are stronger than what the sportsbooks suggests.

Exciting Additions

The Flames brought in several great additions this offseason. The most noteworthy acquisition is Jacob Markstrom, the team’s new goaltender. The Flames have been struggling to find a quality goaltender since Miikka Kiprusoff retired in 2013. Markstrom is a ten-year veteran coming from Vancouver Canucks and has seen increasing returns in the last few years. His save percentage has progressively risen to about 92 percent.

Josh Leivo is also moving from Vancouver to Calgary. Leivo will add third or fourth-line depth to an already robust offense. Joakim Nordstrom is also coming to the Flames from Boston Bruins.

A Thorough Offense

The Flames have one of the best offenses in the NHL. The team scores about three goals per game on average, one of the league’s best totals. The best part of this is that the team has a diverse array of players who can contribute on offense without being top-heavy.

The Flames had five players tallying forty or more points last season. Elias Lindholm had 29 goals, while Matthew Tkachuk had 23 goals. Johnny Gaudreau had a bit of a drop-off in quality last season, as his shooting percentage went under ten percent. Gaudreau regularly averages in double-digits on that stat, so expect him to work towards getting back to his usual self this season.

A Change In Defense

The acquisition of Chris Tanev on defense from Vancouver will help the Flames’ defense, especially when it comes to Mark Giordano. Giordano had 74 points in 2019, but that number fell to 31 points in sixty games last season. Giordano will need a quality defensive partner to help him get back up to strength, and Tanev may be the right solution. Rasmus Andersson adds some quality to the second line.

Our Verdict

The Calgary Flames are among the best upset choices to find for your NHL betting plans. We recommend investigating at the Flames when you’re looking for a surprise pick, as the team has a strong offense with plenty of useful options. The team has also built itself up on defense and goaltending to be a greater contender this year. All of these points, alongside Geoff Ward having more experience in coaching the team, will make the Flames one of the top bets to find for the 2021 NHL season.

*Odds are correct at time of writing.

While the latest season of the NHL may be still a little while off, if you want your fix of information, make sure you check out our NHL hub page!

Image by: Resolute

SportsTips covers all the latest betting, odds, picks & predictions news when it comes to major American sports like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL. If you want to stay up to date with the latest information, SportsTips has you covered!