NHL best bets and expert picks
Last night was one that most sports bettors live for. A night where you can watch your picks and not have to sweat the entire game. I had a feeling going into last night that it would be a good one, and I have the same vibes about this fine Friday evening.
There aren’t a ton of games to pick from around the NHL, but there are certainly a few matchups that stand out on this evening’s slate.
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Boston at NY Islanders (+110, 5.5)
The New York Islanders have been on a bit of a hot streak as of late, they’re riding a four-game winning streak going into tonight’s contest. Perhaps a team as good as the Bruins can bring them back down to Earth a bit.
To the Islanders’ credit, they’ve put together a great stretch of hockey over the course of the past month. In their last ten games, the team has gone 7-1-2, but there have been little lapses here and there that they’ve had to crawl out of.
The Boston Bruins have lost two of their last three games and are coming off of a tough overtime loss at the hands of the New Jersey Devils. That said, in December, the B’s have gone 3-1-1 and have played very sound defensively, so they’re the perfect candidate to try and slow down this Islanders offense.
This month, the Bruins are allowing 2.40 goals against per game and have been a perfect 100% on the power play. Boston has become known for their strong goaltending considering that they have what is arguably the best tandem in the entire NHL.
Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark typically split time in the blue paint, and they have both played in 14 contests each this season. Swayman has skated to a record of 9-1-3 while boasting a .933 save percentage and a 2.07 goals against average. Ullmark has been nearly just as good, skating to a 9-4-1 record with a .917 save percentage and a 2.71 goals against average.
Boston hasn’t confirmed their starter yet.
For the Islanders, Ilya Sorokin will be in between the pipes. Even though Sorokin has been winning games, his performances haven’t been all that outstanding. He is 3-1-2 in his last six appearances and is skating to a 3.05 goals against average in that span.
The Bruins are 8-3-3 on the road and can certainly catch the Islanders tonight.
Bet: Boston Bruins ML -130 (play to -150)
San Jose at Arizona (-210, 6.5)
The San Jose Sharks have been one of the most interesting teams in the NHL as of late. After having what was arguably the worst start imaginable to a season, the Sharks have now gone 6-2-2 in their last 10 games.
In December, the Sharks have gone 4-1-1 and are scoring the most goals per game in the NHL, scoring 4.67 goals per game.
The Arizona Coyotes have struggled as of late. They’re entering tonight’s game on a four-game losing streak, and they have struggled to find ways to score goals. They’ve only scored eight goals in their last four games and have gone 5-5-0 in the team’s last ten overall.
Tomas Hertl and Mikael Granlund have been lighting up the score sheet for the Sharks as of late. In the team’s last five contests, Hertl has put up five goals and two assists in that span, while Granlund has added two goals of his own with seven helpers.
The Sharks have something magical going on right now, and I want to keep riding it while it’s hot.
Bet: San Jose Sharks ML +170 (play to +150)
