NHL picks: 4 best bets for Thursday
Andrew Berkshire picks out his four best NHL bets for Thursday.
All the latest NHL lines can be found on the Betway sportsbook. Before finalising your online sports betting selections, make sure to check out our expert’s NHL picks and NHL predictions.
Sometimes the schedule throws up days where the underdogs all have decent payouts and better chances to win that you might think. Today is definitely one of those days in the NHL.
Montreal Canadiens to beat Boston Bruins
Listen, the Boston Bruins are a machine. They’ve crushed almost every team they’ve faced this season, losing just 11 games all year in regulation, winning 54 times in 70 games. They’re a force, and the Montreal Canadiens are one of the worst teams in the league. However, getting Kirby Dach and Brendan Gallagher back gave the Canadiens a bit of a boost, and both Canadiens goaltenders have stolen games this season.
When you combine that with the odds given for this game heading into it, this seems like a wise bet if you’re not over-reaching, to me. A small bet could net you a big payout without much risk.
Toronto Maple Leafs to beat Florida Panthers
It’s not often that you can get bets on the Maple Leafs where they aren’t the favourites, but with them playing much worse post-trade deadline and the Panthers playing much better, and with the Leafs also on the road, this makes sense.
All that said, the Leafs lost big in their last game after taking the lead early, and they have to be pretty upset about that performance overall. The Panthers did the same thing in their last game, but they’ve been inconsistent like that all year, so it may not have sit as sour in the room.
Chicago Blackhawks to beat Washington Capitals
The Blackhawks are by no means world beaters, they’re one of the worst teams in the league, but they’ve been playing spoiler for some surprisingly great teams down the stretch here. They’ve beat the Calgary Flames, and even the Boston Bruins.
The Washington Capitals are not even close to the Bruins, they’ve been up and down most of the season, and could easily drop this one against the lowly Blackhawks. Ovechkin and company are definitely the superior team, but they’ve managed to throw away a lot of winnable games this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins to beat Dallas Stars
Are the Penguins actually building momentum again? After a stretch of poor play and poorer goaltending, the Penguins had a statement game just last night against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. On the second half of a back-to-back, they take on another Western powerhouse in the Dallas Stars.
The Dallas Stars have actually been outscored at even strength in their last 10 games, relying on special teams to get the job done. The Penguins have actually lead all teams in expected goals for at 5-vs-5 over their last 10, but they have the second-lowest shooting percentage in the league over that time. If they can keep Dallas off the powerplay, they have a great chance to win two straight.