Tag: NHL Betting Odds

Boston Bruins at Florida Panthers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s Boston Bruins at Florida Panthers sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Boston Bruins (42-13-12) visit the Florida Panthers (33-26-7) Thursday at BB&T Center for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Bruins-Panthers sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Bruins at Panthers: Projected starting goalies

Jaroslav Halak vs. Sergei Bobrovsky

Halak allowed three goals on just eight shots Feb. 22 against the Vancouver Canucks, but he bounced back last Thursday to stop 31 of 34 shots in a win over the Dallas Stars. He’s 17-6-6 on the season with a .917 save percentage and 2.44 goals against average.

Bobrovsky is expected to make his return from a lower-body injury. He is 23-19-6 with a .900 SV% and 3.23 GAA through 48 starts and two relief appearances.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Bruins at Panthers: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 8:55 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Bruins 5, Panthers 2

Moneyline (ML)

The BRUINS (-154) roll into Thursday on a three-game winning streak to remain atop the Atlantic Division. They doubled up the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning by a 2-1 score Tuesday. The Panthers (+125) are home underdogs after losing three in a row. They were blanked 3-0 at home by the Calgary Flames Sunday.

The season series is split 1-1 thus far, with the Panthers winning 5-4 in a shootout in Boston Nov. 12. The Bruins bounced back with a 4-2 win in Florida Dec. 14. The Bruins are 20-10-3 on the road for the season, while the Panthers are a pedestrian 16-14-3 on home ice. Take the visitors, even if Bobrovsky makes his return.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Boost your profit margin by backing the BRUINS (-1.5, +165) to win by at least 2 goals, as they did in the more recent head-to-head meeting. The Bruins are just 16-17 ATS on the road for the season, but the Panthers are a woeful 12-21 ATS at home.

Three of Florida’s last four losses were decided by at least a 2-goal margin. Boston blanked the New York Islanders 4-0 on the road Saturday ahead of Tuesday’s tight affair with the Lightning.

Over/Under (O/U)

Play the OVER 5.5 (-149). Halak is the lesser half of the Bruins’ goaltending duo with Tuukka Rask, and he may show some rust after a full week off. Bobrovsky has been shaky at his best this season, and he’s had nearly a week between starts. The Bruins had scored four goals in back-to-back games before being slowed down by the Lightning Tuesday.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 269-249

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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 at Calgary Flames odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Columbus Blue Jackets at Calgary Flames sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Columbus Blue Jackets (32-21-14) visit the Calgary Flames (34-26-7) Wednesday at Scotiabank Saddledome for an 8:30 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Blue Jackets-Flames sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Blue Jackets at Flames: Projected starting goalies

Joonas Korpisalo vs. David Rittich

Korpisalo is 2-1-0 since returning to the lineup Feb. 24. He stopped 36 of 39 shots faced in a win over the Vancouver Canucks Sunday. He is 19-11-4 with a .911 save percentage and 2.58 goals against average through 33 starts and two relief appearances this season.

Rittich has allowed four goals in three of his last five starts while going 2-2-1. He is 24-16-6 with a .907 SV% and 2.94 GAA through 47 starts on the season.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Blue Jackets at Flames: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 12:20 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Blue Jackets 4, Flames 3

Moneyline (ML)

Both teams are coming off Sunday wins, as the Blue Jackets (+155) topped the Canucks 5-3 on home ice, and the Flames (-189) blanked the Florida Panthers 3-0 on the road. Calgary starts a five-game homestand Wednesday and Columbus begins a three-game swing through Western Canada.

Back the BLUE JACKETS (+145) at good value. While the Flames hold third spot in the Pacific Division and the Jackets are fifth in the Metropolitan Division, Columbus has a better overall record with both teams having played 67 games. The Jackets are 12-9-10 on the road and the Flames are 14-12-4 at home. Calgary earned a 3-0 win in Columbus Nov. 2, but side with the visitors to earn the split in the season series.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Blue Jackets to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $15.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The BLUE JACKETS (+1.5, -167) should be backed with 1 goal of insurance while on the road. They’re 21-10 ATS as visitors this season, while the Flames (-1.5, +140) are just 9-21 ATS at home.

Columbus ranks ninth in the NHL with a Corsi For Percentage of 51.73 at 5-on-5 since Feb. 4. Calgary is 13th with a shot-attempt rate of 50.68.

Over/Under (O/U)

Back the OVER 5.5 (-125) with both teams having topped the projected total in eight of their last 10 games.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 266-246

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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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Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Philadelphia Flyers (38-20-7) visit the Washington Capitals (40-19-6) Wednesday at Capital One Arena for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. The Flyers can close within one point of the Caps for top spot in the Metropolitan Division with a win. We analyze the Flyers-Capitals sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Flyers at Capitals: Projected starting goalies

Brian Elliott vs. Braden Holtby

Elliott will spell starter Carter Hart for the first time in five games, as he makes his first start since Feb. 20, when he stopped 28 of 31 shots in a win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The veteran backup is 15-7-4 with a .899 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average through 26 starts and four relief appearances.

Holtby will try to extend his personal win streak to four straight games. He allowed three goals in each of his last three wins, but he made between 30 and 37 saves each time. He is 24-13-5 with a .898 SV% and 3.12 GAA through 44 starts and a relief appearance.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Flyers at Capitals: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Flyers 2, Capitals 1

Moneyline (ML)

Back the FLYERS (+135) at plus-money on the road. They’re 2-0-1 in the season series against their division rival, and Elliott was between the pipes for a 7-2 victory in Washington Feb. 8. Since that win, the Flyers are 8-2 and enter Wednesday on a six-game winning streak with top spot in the division in their sights.

The Caps (-162) are 4-5-1 since the loss to Philly and are barely holding onto a division lead they’ve had all season. Holtby stopped just 18 of 25 shots in the Feb. 8 meeting. Both teams played Sunday, so there’s no rest advantage for either side.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Flyers to win returns a profit of $13.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The FLYERS (+1.5, -200) are just inside my range of being worthy of a bet with one goal of insurance in the event of a loss. Both of Washington’s wins in the season series came by just 1 goal and one of those was decided in a shootout. Just one of Washington’s last four wins was decided by 2 or more goals.

Over/Under (O/U)

There’s no value on the base line of 6.5, so we’ll look to the alternate total line of UNDER 5.5 (+140) in regular time. This is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the two rivals and top spot in the division remains up for grabs. Expect a playoff atmosphere at Capital One Arena with scoring at a premium.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 266-246

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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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Nashville Predators at Minnesota Wild odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Nashville Predators at Minnesota Wild sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Nashville Predators (32-25-8) stumble into Xcel Energy Center Tuesday on the heels of an 8-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers Monday to take on the Minnesota Wild (32-26-7). Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Predators-Wild sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Predators at Wild: Projected starting goalies

Juuse Saros vs. Alex Stalock

Saros draws Tuesday’s start after stopping all four shots he faced in relief of Pekka Rinne Monday. The 24-year-old ‘tender is 14-11-4 through 30 starts and six relief appearances with a .907 save percentage and 2.88 goals against average.

Stalock had a personal four-game winning streak snapped Sunday, allowing four goals on 30 shots in a 4-3 home loss to the Washington Capitals. He has taken over the No. 1 gig in Minnesota and is 18-10-4 with a .909 SV% and 2.64 GAA.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Predators at Wild: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 11:20 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Wild 5, Predators 2

Moneyline (ML)

The WILD (-139) make for an easy play against the reeling Predators (+115). While Saros offers new hope, Monday was an all-around atrocious effort on home ice for the Preds. Minnesota also enters with a stellar 18-11-5 record on home ice. It’s 6-3-1 across its last 10 games, but dropped the most recent game – Sunday’ to the Capitals.

The Predators won 4-0 Oct. 24 in Nashville in the season’s lone head-to-head meeting to date, but the Wild are playing the better hockey right now. Minnesota ranks ninth in the NHL in Corsi For Percentage (rate of total shot attempts) at 5-on-5 since Feb. 3 at 51.91%. Nashville ranks 18th in the same category at 49.39%.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

There’s far greater value in backing the WILD (-1.5, +195) to win by at least 2 goals. The Wild have the home and rest advantages and can leapfrog the Preds in the Western Conference wild-card standings with a regulation win. Expect an inspired effort against a disheartened opponent.

Over/Under (O/U)

Lean to the OVER 5.5 (-134) with the odds pushing us in that direction as the most likely outcome. The Wild have gone 6-4 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games, while the Predators are 4-6 in the same span. Backing the Over follows the pick of taking the Wild to win by at least 2 goals.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 262-245

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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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Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Ottawa Senators (23-31-12) visit the Pittsburgh Penguins (37-21-6) Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Senators-Penguins sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Senators at Penguins: Projected starting goalies

Craig Anderson vs. Matt Murray

Anderson has suffered back-to-back regulation losses in which he allowed a total of six goals on 70 shots. The veteran is 9-15-2 through 27 starts and three relief appearances with a .901 save percentage and 3.21 goals against average.

Murray took three straight losses on the road to end February. He has slipped to 17-10-5 on the season with a .900 SV% and 2.85 GAA through 34 starts while splitting time with Tristan Jarry.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Senators at Penguins: Odds, picks and betting tips

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

Prediction

Penguins 5, Senators 3

Moneyline (ML)

The Penguins (-304) have uncharacteristically lost six straight games, including being shut out twice and an 0-4 road trip. They most recently took a 5-0 loss against the lowly San Jose Sharks Saturday. Still, they’re third in the Metropolitan Division and headed for the postseason, as they return home to where they’re 22-6-4 on the season.

The Senators (+240) have won a rare two straight games, but it shouldn’t inspire any false confidence. They had to go to a shootout to earn a 4-3 win over the cellar-dwelling Detroit Red Wings Saturday. The Sens, just 6-18-6 on the road, won’t be upsetting the Penguins. PASS and look to the spread.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Penguins to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of just $3.29. It’s too chalky.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Penguins beat the Sens 5-2 Dec. 30 in Pittsburgh in the season’s first head-to-head clash. Back the PENGUINS (-1.5, -121) to win by at least 2 goals in the second showdown. The Pens are just 14-18 ATS at home, while the Sens are 15-15 ATS on the road, but the Penguins are the better hockey team in every area. Expect a motivated Penguins team in its return home.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the OVER 6.5 (+135) for the total in regular time on an alternate line. There just isn’t enough value in the base projection of 5.5 total goals with the Over paying out at just -154. A similar result to the season’s first meeting is what we’re expecting Tuesday.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 262-245

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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 at Nashville Predators odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Edmonton Oilers at Nashville Predators sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Nashville Predators (32-24-8) host the Edmonton Oilers (34-23-8) Monday at Bridgestone Arena for an 8 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Oilers-Predators sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Oilers at Predators: Projected starting goalies

Mike Smith vs. Juuse Saros

Smith has gone 11-1-3 with a .920 save percentage over 15 games played since Jan. 4. The veteran netminder is 18-10-6 with a .905 SV% and 2.87 goals against average across 34 starts and two relief appearances for his first season with the Oilers.

Saros has taken over the lion’s share of starts for the Predators. He is 14-11-4 with a .907 SV% and 2.89 GAA through 30 starts and five relief appearances on the season.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Oilers at Predators: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 10:20 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Oilers 3, Predators 2

Moneyline (ML)

The Oilers (+120) enter Monday second in the Pacific Division, while the Predators (-143) are fourth in the Central Division and fighting for a wild-card spot for their Western Conference playoff berth. Nashville is coming off a 3-2 home loss to the Colorado Avalanche, and they’ll play their final game of a five-game homestand. Edmonton topped the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 Saturday and starts another three-game road swing.

Back the OILERS (+120) at plus-money as a strong value play. Edmonton has a slight advantage in Corsi For Percentage (rate of total shot attempts), at 49.96% to 48.31% at 5-on-5 since Feb. 1. The Oilers also lead the head-to-head season series 2-0 with wins by scores of 4-2 and 3-2, both in Edmonton.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Oilers to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $12.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

PASS on the spread, as the moneyline is a much more profitable play while backing the Oilers (+1.5, -228). The goal of insurance in the event of a loss for the road dogs results in a profit of just $4.40 on the same $10 wager.

Edmonton is 34-31 against the spread overall and a strong 23-11 against the spread on the road. The Preds are just 22-42 ATS overall and a woeful 9-24 on home ice. None of Nashville’s last five wins were by more than a single goal, and two of those went to overtime or a shootout. We’re backing the Oilers to win a close game.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the UNDER 5.5 (+120) as a good value bet. Both teams played to the Over in just four of their last 10 games and their two head-to-head meetings this season played to either side of Monday’s projected goal total.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 261-244

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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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Minnesota Wild at Columbus Blue Jackets odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Minnesota Wild at Columbus Blue Jackets sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Columbus Blue Jackets (31-20-14) host the Minnesota Wild (31-25-7) Friday at Nationwide Arena for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop, as they try to stick around in the Metropolitan Division playoff race. You can catch this game on ESPN+. We analyze the Capitals-Jets sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Wild at Blue Jackets: Projected starting goalies

Devan Dubnyk vs. Joonas Korpisalo

Dubnyk is coming off a loss to the St. Louis Blues Sunday in which he allowed four goals on 26 shots. He is 11-15-2 on the season with a .892 save percentage and 3.34 goals against average.

Korpisalo comes into Friday at 18-10-4 through 31 starts and two relief appearances. He has a .914 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average. He returned to the net Monday to stop 14 of 15 shots in a win over the Ottawa Senators in his first start in nearly two months.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Wild at Blue Jackets: Odds, picks and betting tips

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

Prediction

Blue Jackets 3, Wild 1

Moneyline (ML)

The Wild (+105) are coming off back-to-back wins, including a 7-1 drubbing of the lowly Detroit Red Wings Thursday with backup G Alex Stalock in net. There is reason for concern since they exhausted their goal-scoring efforts heading into Nationwide Arena to face a much tougher BLUE JACKETS (-129) squad. Columbus is just 1-4-5 over its last 10 games, but four of its last five outings went to overtime or a shootout before a 5-4 regulation loss to these Wild Tuesday in the first half of the home-and-home.

Side with the better goaltender and take the Jackets to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout for a $7.50 profit on a $10 bet. No team has more extra-time losses than Columbus this season. It’s a luck-based trend that needs to be bucked.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Get better value by backing the BLUE JACKETS (-1.5, +220) to win by at least 2 goals at home against a tired opponent with a lackluster goaltender. The Jackets dropped the first head-to-head meeting 5-4 with third-stringer Matiss Kivlenieks between the pipes. Korpisalo will turn the tides.

Over/Under (O/U)

Play the UNDER 5.5 (-115) after Minnesota’s goal eruption Thursday. The Red Wings aren’t a good comparison and do little to help measure a team’s success. The Jackets are 7-3 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games while the Wild are 5-5 across the same stretch. Korpisalo has allowed just one or two goals in each of his last five outings dating back to mid-December.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 258-241

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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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New York Rangers at Philadelphia Flyers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s New York Rangers at Philadelphia Flyers sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Philadelphia Flyers (36-20-7) host the New York Rangers (35-24-4) Friday at Wells Fargo Center for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Rangers-Flyers sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Rangers at Flyers: Projected starting goalies

Alexandar Georgiev vs. Carter Hart

Georgiev will get right back in net Friday after stopping 32 of 34 shots in a road win over the Montreal Canadiens Thursday. The 23-year-old has won two games in a row and four of his last five to improve to 16-12-1 through 28 starts and two relief appearances. He has a .914 save percentage and 2.94 goals against average.

Hart’s return from injury has helped push the Flyers back toward the postseason. He has won four of his last five starts and is now 20-12-3 through 35 starts and three relief appearances with a .909 SV% and 2.51 GAA. He becomes one of the best goalies in the league at home with a 17-2-2 record, .941 SV% and 1.65 GAA.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Rangers at Flyers: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 8:50 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Flyers 4, Rangers 1

Moneyline (ML)

The FLYERS (-167) are an easy pick with home-ice advantage against a Rangers (+140) team playing the second half of a back-to-back. The Flyers have won four in a row, including a 4-2 home win over the San Jose Sharks Tuesday, and they’re 22-5-4 at home for the season. The Rangers have won five straight, and they’re 18-11-2 on the road.

Philly won the season’s first head-to-head meeting 5-1 at Wells Fargo Center Dec. 23. The Flyers rank seventh in the league in Corsi For Percentage (rate of total shot attempts) at 5-on-5 since Feb. 1. The Rangers are just 26th.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Based on the lopsided possession metrics and the season’s first head-to-head result, back the FLYERS (-1.5, +155) to win by at least 2 goals. Philly’s last two victories came by 4-2 scores and three of their last four wins were by multi-goal margins. The Rangers are 22-9 against the spread on the road, but the Flyers are 22-9 ATS at home.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the UNDER 5.5 (+125) as the more profitable side of the total bet. The Flyers are 7-2-1 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games but the Rangers are just 5-5 across the same span. Trust in Hart to shut the door at home as the Flyers do most of the scoring against a tired Georgiev.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 258-241

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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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Washington Capitals at Winnipeg Jets odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s Washington Capitals at Winnipeg Jets sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Washington Capitals (39-18-6) visit the Winnipeg Jets (32-27-6) Thursday at Bell MTS Place for an 8 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Capitals-Jets sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Capitals at Jets: Projected starting goalies

Ilya Samsonov vs. Connor Hellebuyck

Samsonov took the loss in regulation in each of his last three starts with a total of 12 goals allowed. He has dropped to 16-5-1 for his rookie campaign but still has a .916 save percentage and 2.41 goals against average.

Hellebuyck dropped two straight on the road against the Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres. He is 26-20-5 through 50 starts and two relief appearances with a .918 SV% and 2.72 GAA.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Capitals at Jets: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Jets 3, Capitals 2

Moneyline (ML)

The JETS (+125) have dropped two in a row, including the first half of this home-and-home with the Capitals (-154) Tuesday, but they shouldn’t be such big underdogs after going to a shootout two days ago. Winnipeg is 6-4-1 over its last 11 games, while Washington has won two in a row after snapping out of a season-high four-game losing skid.

The Jets are a lackluster 16-14-3 at home for the season and the Caps are 21-9-1 on the road, but the value’s on the hosts at plus-money.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Jets to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $12.50 while the same wager on the Caps nets just $6.50 in profit with a win for Washington.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Double down on the JETS (+1.5, -200) with the goal of insurance. The Jets are just 15-18 against the spread at home, but the bulk of those games came with them being favored and needing to win by at least 2 goals for the cover. The Caps (-1.5, +165) are 21-10 ATS on the road.

Just two of the Jets’ last eight losses came by multi-goal margins. Only one of the Caps’ last three wins was by 2 or more goals.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the UNDER 6.5 (-150). The Over (+125) is far more profitable, but the Jets are 4-5-1 against the O/U across their last 10 games and the Caps are 5-5 against the O/U across the same span.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 253-241

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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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New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

The New York Rangers (34-24-4) visit the Montreal Canadiens (29-27-9) Thursday at Bell Centre for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. Both teams remain well outside the playoff picture, but the Rangers have won four straight games. We analyze the Rangers-Canadiens sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Rangers at Canadiens: Projected starting goalies

Alexandar Georgiev vs. Carey Price

Georgiev is 3-2-0 over his last five outings and is coming off a win over the rival New York Islanders Tuesday in which he stopped 42 of 45 shots. He is 15-12-1 on the season with a .913 save percentage and 2.98 goals against average.

Price is nearing the end of a season that will stand out as an anomaly in his likely Hall of Fame career. He has gone 2-1-2 over his last five games with one shutout but a total of 15 goals allowed. He is 26-22-6 on the season with a .911 SV% and 2.74 GAA while facing a league-high 1,640 shots on goal through 54 games played.

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Rangers at Canadiens: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 8:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Rangers 3, Canadiens 2

Moneyline (ML)

The RANGERS (+115) are a strong value play at plus-money against the struggling Price. Montreal (-139) is just 4-4-2 across its last 10 games and coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday. Home ice advantage, you say? The Habs are just 13-15-6 at Bell Centre for the season while the Rangers are 17-11-2 on the road.

New York is 8-2 across its last 10 games and is riding the aforementioned winning streak. The Blue Shirts are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Isles Tuesday. The season series is tied at a game apiece with each team having won on the road.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Rangers to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $11.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

I prefer the more profitable moneyline play for the Rangers, but NEW YORK (+1.5, -222) should also be taken with 1 goal of insurance in the event of a loss. The Rangers are 21-9 ATS on the road, while the Habs are just 12-22 ATS at home. Both of the first two meetings of the year were played within a single goal.

Over/Under (O/U)

Make the contrarian play and take the OVER 5.5 (+125). The last meeting played to a total of just 3 goals in a 2-1 win for Montreal. Both teams are 4-6 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 253-241

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