Tag: NHL betting odds lines picks best bets against the spread over-under

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around the Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights Thursday matchup, with NHL odds, spreads and betting lines to exploit.

The Vegas Golden Knights go for the 2-0 First Round lead against the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Puck drops for this 1-8 Western Conference matchup shortly after 5:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Blackhawks-Golden Knights betting odds and lines and make our NHL picks and best bets.

Blackhawks vs. Golden Knights: Projected starting goalies

Corey Crawford vs. Robin Lehner

Crawford, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, remains in net over backup Malcolm Subban, despite what has been a very lackluster postseason performance. He has a .889 save percentage and 3.80 goals against average through five games, including the qualifier. He allowed four goals on 34 shots in Game 1 of this series.

Lehner, Crawford’s former backup in Chicago, stopped 19 of just 20 shots he faced in Game 1. He now has a .915 SV% through his last three games, all wins.

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Blackhawks vs. Golden Knights: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Golden Knights 5, Blackhawks 1

Moneyline (ML)

Stick with the GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-189) after their 4-1 victory in Game 1 in which they outshot the Blackhawks 34-20. It’s important to remember Chicago was the Western Conference’s 12th seed by point percentage after the regular season was cut short.

They moved up to eighth with a qualification round upset of the Edmonton Oilers, but the Golden Knights are a vastly superior opponent. Vegas moved from second in the West to first via the round-robin tournament. This won’t be a long series, and the moneyline price for Vegas will only continue to drop as it goes on.

New to sports betting? A $18.90 bet on the Golden Knights to win Game 2 will return a profit of $10.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The best bet for your bankroll is to get the GOLDEN KNIGHTS -1.5 (+140) to win by at least 2 goals. Chicago was unimpressive in Game 1 and didn’t look like they could hang in this series.

Crawford is outmatched in the goaltending battle against his former backup, and the situation only gets worse for Chicago if it’s forced to pivot to Subban.

Over/Under (O/U)

Betting totals without the half-goal hook is rarely the best play, but an exception can be made Thursday. I like the OVER 6 (-115) but there is concern over the Blackhawks being able to contribute their share.

My predicted goal total was 6 on the nose. I think if this game lands on either side of that it’s to the Over, but a push would be an acceptable result as opposed to a loss on a total of 6.5.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 32-22

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Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Tampa Bay Lightning odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around the Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday matchup, with NHL odds, spreads and betting lines to exploit.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning are back at it for Game 2 of their Eastern Conference First Round series less than 48 hours after finishing the fourth-longest game in Stanley Cup Playoffs history.

The puck will drop shortly after 3 p.m. ET Thursday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, and we’ll see if the two sides can settle things in 60 minutes. Below, we look at the Blue Jackets-Lightning betting odds and lines and make our NHL picks and best bets.

Blue Jackets vs. Lightning: Projected starting goalies

Joonas Korpisalo vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy

Korpisalo set a modern-day NHL record while stopping 85 of the 88 shots on goal he faced in Game 1. Despite allowing three goals in the game, his postseason goals against average dropped to 1.34, and he leads all playoff goaltenders with a .960 save percentage through five games including the qualification round.

Vasilevskiy, a Vezina Trophy candidate, faced only 63 shots in the marathon match and made 61 saves. He has fully rebounded from last year’s playoff disappointment and enters Thursday with a .941 SV% and 1.62 GAA through four games.

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Blue Jackets vs. Lightning: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Lightning 4, Blue Jackets 2

Moneyline (ML)

The second-seeded LIGHTNING (-176) racked up 174 total shot attempts – including blocked and missed shots – against the Blue Jackets’ (+150) 100 attempts. If not for Korpisalo, Game 1 would have been settled much sooner.

Expect Tampa Bay to continue driving possession and the play in Game 2 and through this series. Stick with the higher-seeded team with no changes expected for either side.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Take the LIGHTNING -1.5 (+155) to win by at least 2 goals. They’ll be able to find some more holes in Korpisalo after Tuesday’s shooting gallery. Vasilevskiy’s lighter effort in Game 1 will certainly be a big advantage for the rest of the series.

Over/Under (O/U)

Look at the alternate lines to get the projected total of 5.5 and take the OVER 5.5 (+135). The half-goal hook drastically improves the potential payout from the baseline of 5.

All but two skaters dressed for Game 1 played over 20 minutes from Tuesday afternoon into the night. Blue Jackets Ds Seth Jones and Zach Werenski played 65:06 and 61:14, respectively. Expect a drop off in defensive effort Thursday.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 32-22

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Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around the Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday matchup, with NHL odds, spreads and betting lines to exploit.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Vegas Golden Knights begin their Western Conference 1-8 first-round matchup Tuesday at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Puck drop is set for 10:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Blackhawks-Golden Knights betting odds and lines and make our NHL picks and best bets.

Blackhawks vs. Golden Knights: Projected starting goalies

Corey Crawford vs. Robin Lehner

Crawford, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, was largely unimpressive in the qualification round series upset of the Edmonton Oilers. He posted a .891 save percentage and 3.75 goals against average in four games. He went 1-1 against Vegas in the regular season with eight total goals allowed on 79 shots.

Lehner’s expected to have the edge over veteran Marc-Andre Fleury against one of his former teams. The 29-year-old posted a .920 SV% and 2.89 GAA across 36 total games for Chicago and Vegas in the regular season. He stopped 56 of the 62 shots he faced over two round-robin starts.

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Blackhawks vs. Golden Knights: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 7:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Golden Knights 5, Blackhawks 2

Moneyline (ML)

The miracle run for the Blackhawks (+170) begins to end Tuesday against the GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-200). Vegas already had little trouble scoring goals in the round robin with a total of 15 through three games. They’ll now get back their scoring leader from the regular season in LW Max Pacioretty (32 goals, 34 assists in 71 games) for the beginning of Round 1.

Vegas took two of three against Chicago in the regular season, including a 5-1 victory in the most recent meeting in mid-December. The Golden Knights finished the regular season as the NHL’s best team by Corsi For Percentage – rate of total shot attempts, including blocked and missed shots – at 5-on-5 at 54.76%. The Blackhawks were just 22nd at 48.45%.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Go to the alternate lines for the half-goal hook and back the GOLDEN KNIGHTS -1.5 (+135) to win by at least 2 goals. Even while beating the Oilers three games to one in the qualification round, the ‘Hawks lost Game 2 by a 6-3 score.

Vegas won both of its first two games of the round robin by two goals.

Over/Under (O/U)

The projected goal total of 6.5 is the highest on Tuesday’s four-game Stanley Cup Playoffs slate. It’s still a conservative number for the talent both teams have up front and the style of hockey they each played in the qualification round.

Take the OVER 6.5 (-106). Vegas topped that projection in all three of its round-robin games. Chicago went 3-1 in favor of the Over against the Oilers.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 24-21

Get some action on this NHL matchup in CO, IN, NJ and WV. Place a legal sports bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.

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Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Tampa Bay Lightning odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around the Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday matchup, with NHL odds, spreads and betting lines to exploit.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning meet in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight year. Game 1 is Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. It’s the first of four NHL games on the day. Below, we look at the Blue Jackets-Lightning betting odds and lines and make our NHL picks and best bets.

Blue Jackets vs. Lightning: Projected starting goalies

Joonas Korpisalo vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy

Korpisalo had an interesting qualification round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 26-year-old recorded shutout victories in Games 1 and 5, but he was pulled after allowing three goals on 15 shots in Game 3. He finished his first playoff series with a .956 save percentage and 1.45 goals against average.

Vasilevskiy greatly improved on last season’s playoff disappointment. He posted a .921 SV% and 2.29 GAA while going 2-1 in the round robin. He had a .856 SV% in last season’s first-round sweep by the Jackets.

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Blue Jackets vs. Lightning: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 7:35 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Lightning 3, Blue Jackets 2

Moneyline (ML)

The LIGHTNING (-176) may be without C Steven Stamkos and D Victor Hedman in the series opener against the Blue Jackets (+150). I’m not expecting it to factor into the end result as head coach Jon Cooper’s crew avenges last season’s embarrassing first-round loss.

Vasilevskiy has started the postseason strong and needs to turn the page on last year’s playoff exit, for which he took a large share of the blame. Korpisalo was one of the stories of the qualification round, but things won’t get any easier for him as he goes from the Eastern Conference’s third-ranked offense of the Maple Leafs to the top-ranked Lightning.

Back the LIGHTNING (-175) as rightful heavy favorites in this Eastern Conference 2-7 matchup.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Lightning to win in regulation or overtime would return a profit of $5.68.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The two teams met just once in the 2019-20 regular season after last year’s playoff series. The Lightning squeaked out a 2-1 overtime win with star RW Nikita Kucherov scoring both goals. The goaltending matchup featured backups Curtis McElhinney and Elvis Merzlikins.

While I like the Lightning to get some revenge and win this game, I’m expecting the defensive style of the Blue Jackets and the play of Korpisalo to keep it close for at least the first game of the series. Go to the alternate lines and take BLUE JACKETS +1.5 (-200) to lose by no more than 1 goal or win outright.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the UNDER 5.5 (-134). Despite scoring 245 goals in 70 regular-season games, the Lightning scored just seven goals in three round-robin games while not at full health. The Blue Jackets played to the Under on Tuesday’s projected goal total in three of five games against the Maple Leafs.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 24-21

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around the Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday matchup, with NHL odds, spreads and betting lines to exploit.

The Toronto Maple Leafs turned the tables on the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday and mounted an incredible comeback of their own to force Sunday’s Game 5 of their Eastern Conference best-of-five qualification round series at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The puck will drop for this final game of the opening round at 8 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Blue Jackets-Maple Leafs betting odds and lines and make our NHL picks and best bets.

Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs: Projected starting goalies

Elvis Merzlikins vs. Frederik Andersen

Merzlikins played hero Thursday by replacing Joonas Korpisalo and stopping all 21 shots he faced in the Game 3 comeback over the Leafs. He stopped another 49 of 53 shots in Friday’s overtime loss, but he wasn’t able to withstand Toronto’s final onslaught and gave up three goals in the final four minutes of regulation.

Andersen has made 33-plus saves in three of four games in this series, including his 36 stops on 39 shots in Friday’s victory. He let Columbus on the board with RW Cam Atkinson’s opening mark just 3:58 into the first period, but he was in peak form when the Leafs needed him the most in the third period and overtime.

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Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Saturday at 10:15 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Blue Jackets 3, Maple Leafs 2

Moneyline (ML)

The BLUE JACKETS (+140) continue to be underpriced underdogs against the high-profile Maple Leafs (-167) despite how close this Eastern Conference 8-9 matchup has been played through four games.

After splitting shutout wins in the first two games of the series, both sides have traded 4-3 comeback overtime victories. This game should be priced as a pick ’em. Take the free value on the Jackets.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Blue Jackets to win would return a profit of $14. The same bet on the Leafs would net a profit of $6.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Also take the BLUE JACKETS +1 (-121) with a push offered with one-goal of insurance in the event of a Columbus loss. I’d even consider backing COLUMBUS +1.5 (-200) with the half-goal hook allowing for a $10 bet on a one-goal loss or outright win to return a profit of $5.

Over/Under (O/U)

The first two games of this series played to the Under and Games 3 and 4 played to the Over.

Play the UNDER 5.5 (-121) in the decisive Game 5 with a spot in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the line.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 18-21

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Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around the Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals Sunday matchup, with NHL odds, spreads and betting lines to exploit.

The Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals play their final game of the Eastern Conference round-robin tournament Sunday with puck drop set for noon ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The two will be playing for the third and fourth seeds entering Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after each lost their first two games of the NHL restart. Below, we look at the Bruins-Capitals betting odds and lines and make our NHL picks and best bets.

Bruins vs. Capitals: Projected starting goalies

Tuukka Rask vs. Braden Holtby

Rask stopped 32 of 35 shots against the Tampa Bay Lightning in his first game of the round robin. The 33-year-old has played 90 career playoff games with a .927 save percentage and 2.20 goals against average.

Holtby has started both games of the round robin but has allowed five goals on a modest 49 shots in the back-to-back losses, though one of those was in a shootout. He played the Lightning twice in the regular season and picked up two wins with a total of four goals against.

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Bruins vs. Capitals: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Saturday at 10 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Capitals 3, Bruins 1

Moneyline (ML)

The Bruins (-125) have looked wholly unimpressive since the puck was first dropped in Toronto and Edmonton last Saturday. C Patrice Bergeron is expected to return to the lineup Sunday, but this may be one of the few times Boston’s top line is outmatched.

The CAPITALS (+105) are a nice bargain at plus-money. They’ve played the closer games thus far. D John Carlson and C Nicklas Backstrom should also return to the lineup with the third seed up for grabs.

The extra edge to remember is that the Bruins went 0-7 in shootouts in the regular season while the Caps went 4-3. These round-robin games feature just a five-minute overtime period before a shootout, unlike the endless overtimes in the qualification series games.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Capitals to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $10.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

There’s still enough profit to be made while backing the CAPITALS +1 (-167) to lose by no more than one goal. Should they lose by exactly one, any bet on the spread would be refunded in full. The bet cashes if they win outright and loses only if Washington loses by 2 or more goals.

The alternate line of CAPITALS -1.5 (+280) carries a higher profit margin as a smaller, secondary play. It’s a little riskier than is necessary in a pivotal game for playoff seeding.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the UNDER 5.5 (-106) in another battle of former Vezina Trophy winners and past cup champions.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 18-21

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Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around the Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild Friday matchup, with NHL odds, spreads and betting lines to exploit.

The Vancouver Canucks aim to eliminate the Minesota Wild from their best-of-five Western Conference qualification round series Friday at 10:45 p.m. ET at Rogers Place in Edmonton. We analyze the Canucks-Wild betting odds and lines, with NHL picks and best bets.

Series: Canucks lead 2-1.

Canucks vs. Wild: Projected starting goalies

Jacob Markstrom vs. Alex Stalock

Markstrom has been strong in his first trip to the postseason. He stopped 60 of 65 shots while going 1-1 in the first two games before making 27 saves in a shutout win over the Wild Thursday. His .946 postseason save percentage is even better than his .918 mark from the regular season.

Stalock has regressed as the series has gone on following his 28-save shutout in the opener. He allowed three goals on 29 shots in Thursday’s 3-0 loss. He hasn’t lost three straight starts since losing four in a row from Dec. 17 through Jan. 9, and one of those was in a shootout.

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Canucks vs. Wild: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 5:50 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Canucks 4, Wild 2

Moneyline (ML)

Take the value with the CANUCKS (+100) as even-money underdogs as they enter Game 4 looking to advance to Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wild (-118) are the official home team at the neutral site, but there will be no fan motivation to help fight off elimination.

The Canucks received their first goal from C Elias Pettersson late in Game 3. He’s the best offensive player in this series and he’ll look to continue to heat up as the Canucks advance.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Double down on the CANUCKS -1.5 (+260) on the alternate line to win by at least 2 goals. I expect them to lead for much of the game and doing so could force the Wild to pull their goalie early in search of an equalizer.

Two-plus minutes with an empty net at the other end would give Vancouver the opportunity for that multi-goal win if it’s unable to secure it otherwise.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the OVER 5.5 (+115) as the more profitable side of the line. Outside of the 3-0 shutout victory for both teams in this series, Game 2 resulted in a 4-3 win for the Canucks. Neither side should be getting blanked in the pivotal Game 4.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 12-12

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around the Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks Friday matchup, with NHL odds, spreads and betting lines to exploit.

The Chicago Blackhawks look to complete what would be a shocking upset of the fifth-seeded Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of their best-of-five Western Conference qualification round series Friday. Puck drop at Rogers Place in Edmonton is set for 6:45 p.m. ET. We analyze the Oilers-Blackhawks NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.

Series: Blackhawks lead 2-1.

Oilers vs. Blackhawks: Projected starting goalies

Mike Smith vs. Corey Crawford

Expect to see the veteran Smith return to the crease in the must-win Game 4 after Mikko Koskinen stopped just 21 of 25 shots in Game 3. Smith was dreadful in the series opener, allowing five goals on 23 shots and getting pulled in favor of Koskinen. Head coach Dave Tippett can at least have some measure of trust in Smith’s career .934 postseason save percentage.

Crawford hasn’t been much better than either Smith or Koskinen, but he’s the one backing the team with the 2-1 lead. The two-time Stanley Cup winner has allowed a total of 13 goals through three games, and he has twice made only 25 saves in victory. Still, he’s firmly between the pipes in all but a worst-case scenario for Chicago.

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Oilers vs. Blackhawks: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 5 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Oilers 5, Blackhawks 3

Moneyline (ML)

Despite the fact the Blackhawks (+115) have vastly outplayed the OILERS (-134) in two of three games, it’s difficult to envision Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid letting this one get away from them. The two star forwards put up 110 and 97 points, respectively, in the regular season en route to Edmonton finishing fifth in the West.

I expect Smith to not only play better than Koskinen had the last two games but for another goalie change to spark the rest of the team. The Oilers made it through the regular season outscoring the opposition more often than not. Look for that prowess Friday against the 12th-seeded Blackhawks in forcing a fifth game in the series.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Oilers to win would return a profit of $7.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Take the value on the OILERS -1 (+125) to win by at least two goals. There has been plenty of scoring and many multi-goal swings in this series. The first two games were decided by multiple goals, but there hasn’t been an empty-netter scored yet.

A strong effort from Smith would let the Oilers forwards do what they do best. Look for them to expand on a late lead rather than pulling back into a defensive shell.

Over/Under (O/U)

The best bet in this Game 4 is on the OVER 6.5 (-110). The projected total has risen a full goal from the standard 5.5, but it remains at a number that has been topped in three straight contests.

Even with a better performance from the Oilers netminder, there shouldn’t be a whole lot of sweat over this result.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 12-12

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around the Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets Thursday matchup, with NHL odds, spreads and betting lines to exploit.

The Calgary Flames will attempt to end the Winnipeg Jets‘ Stanley Cup hopes in an elimination game at Rogers Place in Edmonton Thursday. Puck drop is set for 10:30 p.m. ET.  We analyze the Flames-Jets NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.

Flames vs. Jets: Projected starting goalies

Cam Talbot vs. Connor Hellebuyck

Talbot has been as good as he has needed to be through three games with 73 saves on 79 shots. He hasn’t been tested too much, and it’s yet to be seen how he’d measure up against a proper offensive attack. His career playoff save percentage is up to .922 with a 2.40 goals against average.

Hellebuyck, a Vezina Trophy candidate, is yet to play his best – or usual – hockey through three games. He has allowed 10 goals on 93 shots. He stopped 29 of 30 shots in his only start against the Flames in the regular season, and he’ll need to replicate that performance to keep his team alive in this series.

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Flames vs. Jets: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Thursday at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Flames 2, Jets 0

Moneyline (ML)

There hasn’t been much by way of updates on the statuses of Jets Fs Mark Scheifele (leg) and Patrik Laine (wrist) ahead of Game 4. That doesn’t bode well for Winnipeg’s (+150) chances in the win-or-go-home game.

I’m sticking with the FLAMES (-176) despite the steep price for a playoff game. Their two wins in the series have come by an aggregate score of 10-3 while suffering just a 3-2 loss in Game 2.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Get added value on the FLAMES -1.5 (+155) on the alternate puck line. Should they win by two or more goals, a $10 bet will return a profit of $15.50. The same wager on the moneyline would net a profit of $5.00 with the outright win in regulation or overtime.

The Jets (+1, -115) are winning the analytics battle in terms of total shot attempts in the series thus far, but those numbers are skewed by their performance late in games with a multi-goal deficit. The Flames are just a healthier, better-rounded team right now, and they’ll take care of business Thursday.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the UNDER 5.5 (-125). If the Jets have any chance Thursday night and in the series, it’s with a valiant effort from Hellebuyck. I don’t see him getting the required help from the skaters in front of him, though, and Talbot will shut the door on another relatively easy night.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 12-9

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Vegas Golden Knights vs. St. Louis Blues odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around the Vegas Golden Knights vs. St. Louis Blues Thursday matchup, with NHL odds, spreads and betting lines to exploit.

The Vegas Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues jostle for Western Conference playoffs seeding in the second round-robin game for both teams Thursday at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Golden Knights-Blues NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.

Golden Knights vs. Blues: Projected starting goalies

Marc-Andre Fleury vs. Jordan Binnington

Fleury is expected to return to the net Thursday after Robin Lehner drew a bit of a surprise start in Game 1 against the Dallas Stars. Fleury went 27-16-5 with a .905 save percentage and 2.77 goals against average in the regular season. He owns a .911 SV% and 2.59 GAA in the playoffs for his career.

It’s fairly safe to assume there’ll be no change in net for the defending cup champs Thursday. Binnington stopped 36 of 38 shots on goal in the disappointing opening loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

Place a legal NHL bet on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

Golden Knights vs. Blues: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Thursday at 8:00 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Blues 4, Golden Knights 1

Moneyline (ML)

The BLUES (+100) are the play as a discounted even-money underdog. Sure, they lost their opener, but it should have at least gone to overtime if not for a dying-second goal for the Avs. The Golden Knights (-118) used a four-goal third period to get by the Stars in their first game of round-robin play.

The Blues will be well aware of the fact the Eastern Conference’s top seed in the Boston Bruins lost that right with two losses to open the round robin. The champs will feel the extra motivation to stay atop the west and deploy a more aggressive attack on offense.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Go to the alternate lines and back the BLUES -1.5 (+275) for an even greater profit. The Golden Knights (-1, +150) won the regular-season series 2-1, but those two victories came in overtime and a shootout. The Blues’ lone win was by a 4-2 margin in the series opener.

Over/Under (O/U)

Despite predicting a multi-goal win for the Blues, I’m taking the UNDER 5.5 (-129). They’ll bring a sound team effort into their important second game in order to avoid losing their top seed to the Golden Knights or Avalanche. Binnington will outduel the veteran Fleury.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 12-9

Get some action on this NHL matchup in CO, IN, NJ and WV. Place a legal sports bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.

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