If you’ve had your fill of turkey and woken up from a long slumber, it’s now time to turn your attention to college hockey. Friday presents 25 college hockey games, 19 of which are non-conference matchups.
Because of that, you’ll see some lopsided lines (Penn State, a -475 favorite over Lindenwood +325, is the largest spread of a line we remember this season), as well as a couple of very compelling games.
If you’re able to correctly predict an upset this weekend, there’s money to be made. Here is a list of the underdogs of +150 or higher:
- Lindenwood (+325) at Penn State*
- Bemidji State (+240) at North Dakota*
- Michigan Tech (+170) at Minnesota State
- Michigan State (+154) at Minnesota
* Indicates non-conference game – All lines provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Here are some of the bets we like – and ones we advise to avoid – on Black Friday:
Bemidji State (+240) at North Dakota
North Dakota has inherited the title of “number one” in the USCHO.com poll this week, which carries with it the target on the collective backs of the Fighting Hawks. Every number one team this season has lost one of its first three games after reaching the top. Add in the fact that the Beavers are 1-1-1 against North Dakota in the last three meetings, and +240 seems like excellent value. Certainly, there’s a reason that North Dakota is a -330 favorite – they’re playing at home which is one of the best advantages in the nation, but this feels like the perfect time to throw some pizza money on Bemidji State.
Arizona State (+120) vs. Providence
The Sun Devils are a near perfect 9-1-0 at home this season and have a top-five win over Denver on its resume. Providence is coming off a tough weekend against UMass, losing twice to the Minutemen in a home-and-home. We pick Arizona State here as there likely are few times this year that you’ll get plus-money odds on the Sun Devils while they play at home this season.
Penn State/Lindenwood – Over 7 goals
Penn State is averaging 3.46 goals per game and Lindenwood is posting an average of 2.41 GPG. But for Penn State, they’ve combined with opponents to score eight or more total goals over the last three contests. They’ve also played some high-scoring contests in nonconference play when heavy favorite – a 6-4 loss vs. AIC and a 6-5 loss to Alaska Anchorage come to mind. Lindenwood also has surrendered some pretty high totals to another B1G team – Michigan – losing 9-1 and 10-1. Maybe it won’t be that lopsided against the Nittany Lions, but we think there will be plenty of goals scored in this game.
Game to avoid: Michigan (-115) at St. Cloud State (-115)
Best bet of the week: Penn State/Lindenwood – Over 7 goals
