College Hockey Picks & Odds: Top Weekend Matchups to Watch Before Conference Tournaments
We're in the home stretch of the college hockey season with most conference tournaments just a month away, so teams on the bubble need to start making their push or holding serve for the time being. There's a strong upset bid I'm keeping an eye on this week, but mostly, I'm rolling with the favorites to cover in what I expect to be lopsided affairs. Let's dig into this weekend's matchups.
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College Hockey Season Clutch Matchups and Tournament Bubble Teams to Watch
No. 4 Western Michigan Broncos vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
The Broncos have endured losses to Omaha and Miami (OH) over the last two series, but they'll look to bounce back this weekend against the Sun Devils, who will be without leading scorer Cullen Potter for the rest of the season. Cruz Lucius hasn't slowed down without Potter next to him, but the Sun Devils have just one win over the last six games while averaging 3.0 goals per game in that stretch. The Broncos may have the best defense they have faced all year, however, as they have allowed more than three goals just once over the last 13 games, winning 11 of those outings. Without Potter in the lineup for the Sun Devils, I see the Broncos dominating this series as they look to start some momentum with less than a month until the NCHC tournament.
Western Michigan -1.5 (-125 DraftKings)
Under 6.5 Goals (+100 DraftKings)
No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio State Buckeyes
The Badgers split with the Buckeyes in Madison back in November, and Wisconsin has won just nine of the past 16 games since that series. Still, the Badgers rank fifth in the nation with a 56.3 Corsi For percentage, which measures high-danger changes, but their goaltending has been brutal. Daniel Hauser has given up 4.0 goals per start over the last month, but he looked fantastic in a relief effort against Notre Dame last Saturday. Still, things have only gotten more difficult with 2025 first-round defenseman Logan Hensler (knee) sidelined. Hensler likely won't return for this game, but fortunately, the Buckeyes don't pose a significant offensive threat, ranking 34th in the nation with 3.0 goals per game. I'm fairly confident in these games going over because Ohio State has a 3.4 GAA this year -- 12th-highest in the league. The Badgers should still have the edge now that Gavin Morrissey and Vasily Zelenov are back in the fold, though.
Wisconsin ML (-140 DraftKings)
Wisconsin -1.5 (Half Unit, +170 DraftKings)
Over 6.5 Goals (-125 DraftKings)
New Hampshire Wildcats vs. Boston University Terriers
Terriers head coach Jay Pandolfo was brutally honest about his team to the media following a 6-2 loss to Boston College on Monday in the Beanpot, stating that the Terriers have struggled to finish and play a full three periods. The Terriers are 1-4-1 over their last six games while averaging just 1.8 goals per game and giving up 3.7 goals per game. However, they draw an intriguing get-right game versus the Wildcats, who are winless in their last seven games while scoring just 1.3 goals per game. The Terriers are clearly the more talented team with top-to-bottom NHL Draft picks, but they're also the youngest team in the nation and are facing predictable struggles as a result. I'm fine with aiming for a split here with the Wildcats paying off as the underdog.
New Hampshire ML (+140 DraftKings)
Under 5.5 Goals (-120 DraftKings)
No. 11 UConn Huskies at Maine Black Bears
Maine went on the road and beat Denver to start the new year, but they've struggled immensely since then, losing three times to Providence and once in overtime to Boston University. They have given up at least three goals in six of their last seven games, scoring just 2.4 goals per game in that span. Meanwhile, UConn hasn't faced very tough competition lately, as the program has faced off against just one ranked team since Nov. 8, as the Huskies decisively beat No. 5 Quinnipiac 4-2 on Jan. 24. Beating Quinnipiac is quite an accomplishment, and it's somewhat surprising to see UConn as underdogs here given their fantastic resume, which features wins in nine of their last 11 contests. They sometimes play down to their competition, but I'm expecting them to make a statement on the road here.
UConn ML (-105 DraftKings)
No. 7 Providence Friars vs. Northeastern Huskies
The Friars have won nine straight games while scoring at least three goals per contest, and goalie Jack Parsons has been absolutely dominant since Philip Svedeback went down with an injury. Parsons now has a .929 save percentage and a 10-1-0 record through 12 appearances. The Friars look like legitimate contenders at this point. I expect them to roll this weekend. While Northeastern has shown some fight this season, their 2.6 goals per game (44th) don't inspire confidence when going up against an offense like Providence.
Providence -1.5 (-110 DraftKings)
Over 5.5 Goals (-120 DraftKings)
No. 8 Denver Pioneers at Omaha Mavericks
Denver always gets hot late in the season, and they're on a heater right now with a 4-0-1 record over the last five games while averaging 3.4 goals per game. The Mavericks have shown some fight this season with a recent big win against Western Michigan, but goaltender Simon Latkoczy can only win so many games by himself. I don't foresee Denver -- who has scored 3.4 goals per game (14th) -- having many issues with this defense, so I'll take the spread even on the road.
Denver -1.5 (+105 DraftKings)
Over 5.5 Goals (-125 DraftKings)
