Flyers vs. Jets Odds
| Flyers Odds | +155 |
| Jets Odds | -190 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 (-115 / -105) |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
Playing out the string with one eye on next season, the Philadelphia Flyers and Winnipeg Jets are set to square off at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday night.
The Flyers have been out of the playoff picture for months, and are rolling out a young lineup in these final games due to a rash of injuries to their regulars.
And after sweeping the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of last year's postseason, the Jets were pushing for a playoff berth until just a few weeks ago. After going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, they've now fallen out of contention.
With just a few days left in the 2021-22 regular season, here's the latest on both teams, and your best bet for the game.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers will be playing in their fifth different arena in the last nine days when they hit the ice in Winnipeg on Wednesday night. Last Tuesday, they dropped a 5-2 decision in Toronto and Thursday brought a 6-3 win in Montreal. Saturday, they went home for an impressive 4-1 win over Pittsburgh at Wells Fargo Center, but that was followed by a 3-1 loss in Chicago on Monday.
All told, the Flyers are 3-7-0 in their last 10 games, running a roster with six rookies in the lineup due to their extensive list of injuries. Considering those injuries, and their low place in the standings, their recent 5-on-5 possession numbers are not as poor as you might expect: they're 20th in expected goals percentage. Special teams, however, have been brutal — just 2-for-29 on the power play and 23-for-30 on the penalty kill over the last 10 games.
Wednesday's game is the second-last of the season for the Flyers. Carter Hart is now out for the season and Felix Sandstrom took the loss in Chicago on Monday, so Martin Jones should get the nod in net for the Flyers' last two games — in Winnipeg on Wednesday, then back home to Ottawa on Friday.
Winnipeg Jets
After four straight playoff appearances and a trip to the Western Conference Final back in 2018, it's back to the drawing board for the Winnipeg Jets.
The club appeared to be underachieving back in December, when head coach Paul Maurice decided to step aside because he didn't think he was the right voice to take his group further. But circumstances didn't improve under interim replacement Dave Lowry.
The Jets have gone 23-22-6 since Lowry took over. When they needed a late-season surge to grab a playoff spot, they sagged instead.
At a time when scoring is up all across the NHL, the Jets have slipped to an average of just 2.88 goals per game over their last 10 outings — although 45-goal man Kyle Connor still has three goals in his last four games.
An even bigger problem has developed on the defensive side of the puck, where the Jets have allowed an average of 3.88 goals a game, and their penalty kill has been functioning at a league-worst 70% success rate.
Time and time again, the Jets have turned to Connor Hellebuyck in must-win situations. And with the second-most minutes played in the league this season, the 2020 Vezina Trophy winner is poised to finish the season with a goals-against average above 3.00 for the first time in his career, despite a solid 15.6 goals saved above expected.
After missing two games due to illness, Hellebuyck came back strong in his return to action on Sunday, making 30 saves as the Jets upset the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 4-1.
The Jets are wrapping up their season with a three-game homestand. They'll close out the year against the Calgary Flames on Friday.
Flyers vs. Jets Pick
Both the Flyers and the Jets failed to live up to expectations this season, but the gap between the two clubs is still quite significant.
Winnipeg sits 23 points higher in the overall standings, but it's Philadelphia that holds the edge in the season series, after a 3-1 win at Wells Fargo Center right before the February All-Star Break.
All told, the Jets have struggled mightily against Metropolitan Division opponents this season, with a record of 3-10-2.
But with the Flyers mired in one last tough stretch of their schedule, and Hellebuyck back between the pipes and looking sharp, expect to see the Jets eke out a win for their fans in their second-last game of the year.
The -190 moneyline infers that the Jets have a 65% chance of winning Wednesday's game. It's a conservative gamble, but it looks like the smart play in this situation.
Pick: Jets moneyline (-190); play down to -205
