Senators vs. Flames prediction, odds, pick – 12/19/2024
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It’s an All-Canadian matchup on Thursday night when the Ottawa Senators continue their Western road trip with a matchup against the Calgary Flames. The Senators are running the full gauntlet after starting the swing against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night and finishing with the remaining Canadian Western Conference teams. These teams are trending in opposite directions, as they meet in the middle with nearly identical records. The teams split the season series in 2023-24, but Ottawa took the first meeting this season with a 4-3 victory at home. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Senators-Flames prediction and pick.
Here are the Senators-Flames NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Senators-Flames Odds
Ottawa Senators: -1.5 (+195)
Moneyline: -135
Calgary Flames: +1.5 (-240)
Moneyline: +115
Over: 5.5 (-110)
Under: 5.5 (-110)
How To Watch Senators vs. Flames
Time: 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
TV: Sportsnet, TSN
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Senators Could Cover the Spread/Win
Are the Senators finally reaching their potential under their young core? It looked like it could be another lean year for Ottawa through the season’s first two months, but the turn of the calendar to December has seen a brand new team in Canada’s capital. The Senators are 6-1-1 over the month’s first eight games, primarily thanks to the emergence of Linus Ullmark after a slow start on his new team. The Senators have allowed five goals over their six wins, which is a winning formula no matter how good the offense is playing. Luckily, they are averaging three goals per game in December as well.
Anton Forsberg is injured, so Ullmark will likely have to shoulder the load briefly. He is still trying to get comfortable playing more games, as he played mostly in tandem with the Boston Bruins. His numbers didn’t look good at the start of the season, leaving the Senators wondering if his success was due to the Bruins’ system. Those concerns have mostly quieted as he improved his numbers to a 2.39 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
The Senators should control the goaltending matchup here. The Flames’ goaltenders have been abysmal despite their 2-2-1 record over their last five games. Calgary’s goaltenders combined for a 4.20 goals-against average and a .843 save percentage. Dan Vladar could be back in the net for this game after an injury scare kept him out of the crease for the past two games.
Why the Flames Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Flames haven’t been playing as badly as their record suggests. Although they had a losing stretch through the end of November, they now have a 2-2-1 record over their past five games. They started the run with a loss to the Dallas Stars before beating the Nashville Predators, which has been nothing to be proud of with how they’ve played this season. The Flames suffered another setback in an 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning but defeated the Florida Panthers 3-0 and lost 4-3 in overtime to the Boston Bruins. Calgary had a 3-1 lead heading into the third period against Boston but could not hold on.
Final Senators-Flames Prediction & Pick
It’s challenging to see how the Flames will score in this game if Linus Ullmark starts and stays on his pace since the start of this month. The Flames have a below-average offense, and the Senators will also outscore them with their recent hot streak. It could be time to start believing in the Senators and hope that it doesn’t backfire.
Final Senators-Flames Prediction & Pick: Senators ML (-135)
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