by OddsShark (@OddsShark) – Sponsored Post
The Calgary Flames will be looking to build on last season’s qualifying round playoff series win over Winnipeg when they visit the Jets on Thursday night as slim -125 road favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Calgary returns to action listed as a solid -220 wager to make this season’s playoffs at the sportsbooks, but the team still has plenty to prove as they open their schedule with Thursday night’s matchup at Bell MTS Place.

Flames vs Jets | OddsShark Matchup Report

Dogged by controversy throughout last season, both on and off the ice, the Flames finished the campaign as the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, and quickly followed up their first playoff series win in 16 years with a first-round loss to the Dallas Stars in just six games. As was the case during the regular season, spotty goaltending proved to be a major concern against the Stars, with the club surrendering 19 total goals over their four losses to Dallas.
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The Flames hope to have addressed that issue by signing free agent goaltender Jacob Markstrom during the offseason. Markstrom played a key role in Vancouver’s march to the second round of the playoffs. However, the 30-year-old sports a dismal record when facing the Jets, going 2-9-1 in 12 career appearances, including an 0-5-0 record on the road.
That’s bad news for a Flames team that has also struggled in recent dates with the Jets. Calgary has fallen to defeat in three of its last four regular season visits to Winnipeg. The Flames have also been held to a single goal in four of their past six overall dates with the Jets. That extends a steady stretch for the UNDER at online sports betting sites, which has gone 10-3 in the past 13 regular season meetings between these clubs.
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While the Flames look to claim their first opening night victory since 2009, the Jets aim to build on last season’s strong home ice performance when they hit the ice on Thursday as +105 underdogs. Winnipeg ranked third in the Western Conference with 20 home wins last season, and opens the campaign on a six-game win streak at Bell MTS Place.
The Jets have outscored opponents by a wide 23-8 margin during their home win streak, but have opened a season with a home victory just once in four tries since relocating from Atlanta a decade ago.
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