Ducks-Golden Knights Betting Preview: Will John Gibson Continue to Stand on His Noggin?

Ducks-Golden Knights Betting Preview: Will John Gibson Continue to Stand on His Noggin? article feature image
Credit:

Gary A. Vazquez, USA Today Sports. Pictured: John Gibson

Betting odds: Anaheim Ducks at Vegas Golden Knights

  • Ducks moneyline: +150
  • Golden Knights moneyline: -170
  • Over/Under: 5.5 (+110/-130)
  • Puck drop: 10:30 p.m. ET
  • Channel: NBCSN

>> All odds as of 1 p.m. ET. Download The Action Network App to get real-time NHL odds and track your bets


Anaheim, despite still ranking at or near the bottom of most predictive metrics, is trending up a little bit. The Ducks are still a mess at 5v5 but they really don't need to dominate teams because they have John Gibson in goal.

The 25-year-old netminder has been otherwordly to start this season and leads the NHL with 11.4 Goals Saved Above Average. The Ducks have been banged up to start the campaign and Gibson's stellar performance has kept them in the mix in the Pacific Division.

The same can't be said of Marc-Andre Fleury and the Vegas Golden Knights. Fleury put together a sparkling season in 2017-18 to propel the Knights to the Stanley Cup Final, but the veteran goaltender has come back down to earth in 2018. Fleury owns a -7.45 GSAA and .893 5v5 save percentage through 15 games.

In fact, these teams are pretty much polar opposites this season. Vegas has terrific underlying numbers but subpar results while Anaheim's advanced stat profile is abysmal yet it is hovering around NHL .500. 

I am a little bit skeptical that Vegas will be able to play at this level for much longer. The Knights are without Paul Stastny and Erik Haula and their depth down the middle is concerning. William Karlsson is still pivoting the top line but behind him are Cody Eakin, Ryan Carpenter and Pierre-Edouard Bellemarre. Somehow, coach Gerard Gallant has found a way to get decent performances out of replacement-level players, but I'm willing to bet they'll drop off some.

There is definitely a gap between these two teams and Vegas is right to be a decent favorite, but this number is a little bit too high. The Ducks should continue to improve their overall game as they get healthier and with Gibson in goal they are a live dog in any fight. I'd recommend playing Anaheim at any number above +140. Most books are hanging the Ducks between +150 and +160 at the moment so be sure to shop around for the best number.

The Bet: Anaheim Ducks +150

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