NHL Betting at Bovada Sportsbook: Friday Night Lines | IXGAMES

It’s another busy night of action on the ice Friday as a slew of teams look to solidify their positions for the NHL playoffs. Let’s start in Winnipeg, where the Jets and Capitals will do battle in a huge game for Southeast Division dominance… 20% Sports Welcome Bonus: Sign up now at Bovada Sportsbook and deposit for your 20% Free Bet Bonus Washington Capitals +105 at Winnipeg Jets -125 Winnipeg’s fading playoff chances could be revived this evening at the MTS Center – a place where the Jets have been dominant this season. At 22-10-4, Winnipeg boasts the fourth best home record in the Eastern Conference, probably the only reason why they’re still hanging around the playoff chase (the Jets are currently in 10th in the East with 74 points, four back of eighth-place Washington.) Speaking of the Caps – they’re on fire! A four-game winning streak has catapulted them back into the playoff picture as they hold a decent three-point lead over Buffalo for the final postseason berth in the conference. The Caps are 7-2-1 over their last 10 and are doing it with some clutch goalscoring by Alex Ovechkin, who finally seems to be rounding into form as the postseason draws closer. Montreal Canadiens +160 at Ottawa Senators -180 This one is interesting. The Canadiens’ season has been over for a while but they’re still plucking away, determined to set things up nicely for next season. This includes returning oft-injured defenseman Andrei Markov really late in the season – he made his season debut against Vancouver last Saturday despite there being just a handful of games left in the regular season. It showed that Montreal wants to make the final 15 games of the season competitive and perhaps give interim head coach Randy Cunneyworth a shot at coaching the team next season. So, where does that leave the Sens on Friday? Well, they’re in a unique position – it seems as though they’re essentially locked into 7th place in the East but with the Boston Bruins fading badly, they could actually move into first place in the Northeast Division and, amazingly, grab second place in the conference. The Sens have 82 points through 71 games (Boston has 81 through 70) so wins are still at a premium even though their playoff position seems set. Chicago Blackhawks +105 at Dallas Stars -125 The Stars are continuing their improbable run up the standings and sit third in the Western Conference – looking down at the Blackhawks, who are in sixth. Chicago is much like Ottawa in that they’re stuck in the playoff picture; there’s little chance of falling out of the race (with 84 points, they’re four clear of eighth) but also little chance of them moving up the ladder (six points back of fifth-place Nashville.) Chicago has rallied of late to win some games without injured captain Jonathan Toews (concussion), so they’re a dangerous team…but the Stars have been great at home (20-12-3) and are looking to further pad their lead atop the Pacific Division. Should be a great game.