It’s a busy night in the NHL Thursday night. Count them, 11 different games to bet on — each with multiple betting options. If you’re not quite sure which bets to focus on, then you’ve come to the right place. After scouring the top NHL betting sites, we’ve selected the three NHL bets MOST worth your time and money. Read on to get insight into each below:
Moneyline: Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils
This is one of the better matchups of the night with each having Stanley Cup aspirations. While New Jersey has played up to that all season with one of the league’s best records, Tampa Bay is hoping to “turn it on” come playoff time — which they’re likely capable of doing after three straight Finals appearances. Still, the Tampa-Jersey moneyline odds are pretty close:
The Bolts are struggling extra as of late. In their last 10 games, they’re 3-5-2. Perhaps its biggest issue is what’s been their strength during this run of Finals trips — goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. The former Vezina Trophy winner has a -1.19 goals saved above average in his past 11 starts, which ranks him 47th league-wide in that span. Yikes.
But if there’s hope for Vasilevskiy, and Tampa as a whole, it’s that they whooped the Devils just two nights ago. The game, also played in New Jersey’s arena, ended with a 4-1 win for the Lightning. Vasilevskiy played solid, and Tampa cruised to victory.
We’re of the belief that the recent win gives the Bolts an edge here. You see, they also play again — this time in Florida — later this week so in a way, we have ourselves a mini-series. Who better to learn their opponent’s tendencies in a series than the team that’s gone to the Stanley Cup three years in a row? We’re taking the underdogs here!
Moneyline: Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights
We for the life of us can’t figure out why the Calgary-Vegas moneyline is this close. On the surface, it should be way more lopsided — but it’s not. Take a look at the odds yourself:
We mean, the Flames have flamed out (pun intended) over the last week. The team is fighting for its playoff life, but that hasn’t stopped them from losing to bad teams in the Ducks and Coyotes. These guys are on life support right now.
On the contrary, the Golden Knights have been revitalized since picking up goaltender Jonathan Quick. He was discarded by both the Kings and Blue Jackets but found a home (and starting position) in Sin City. The results so far? A 4-0 record. And Quick is looking like his old All-Star self too. Just a few days ago, he stopped 35 shots in a shutout win against a Carolina team that’s one of the best in the league.
To us, this feels like an easy bet on Vegas. Since the odds are so favorable, we’d even vouch to bet more than usual on this game. It’s a clear mismatch in our book, in favor of the home team.
Over/Under 6.5 Goals: Colorado Avalanche at Ottawa Senators
Alright, we know we have bettors that don’t just want moneyline picks. That’s why we wanted to go the over/under route when Colorado and Ottawa do battle. Bookies have set the total at 6.5 goals, and here are the odds both ways:
The Avs have won three games in a row, but the wind was taken out of their sales this past Monday with yet another injury. This time, it’s forward Artturi Lehkonen, who is out for four to six weeks with a broken thumb. At this point, does the Colorado training room even have enough room to take care of all these injured bodies? The string of bad luck counties for the defending champions.
But the Avs did get good luck in the form of this matchup against a down-trending Senators side. In the last week, Ottawa has been blown out by bottom-feeding teams like Chicago, Vancouver, and Calgary. In the three losses, the Senators were outscored by a whopping 12 goals. Yeah, we’re betting Colorado goes off on them, which makes this game an over.
How To Bet On NHL Games Today?
Ready to place your bets on NHL today? Start with the list of bookmakers below then. Every site you see here is there for a reason — it’s top-rated in our newest sportsbook reviews. At any one of them, you’ll find the full gamut of NHL odds, not just today but for the remainder of the season.
Signing up to gamble at these sportsbooks is a quick and easy process too. Just hit one of the “play now” buttons in the table and you’ll get fast-tracked into the process, which takes a few minutes to complete.
About the Author
Eric is uniquely suited to be a writer for SBS. For one, he's a journalist by trade. Eric spent a large part of his career, covering sports — high school, college, and professional — for newspapers and online-based sites. However, Eric is a bettor himself too. He has first-hand experience hanging out in smoky sportsbooks and casinos, dealing with the ebbs and flows of gambling, and an understanding of how bookies operate. Both these unique qualities make him an expert bet picker for SBS. You'll also see Eric report on the sports betting industry as a whole.
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