NHL best bets and expert picks
For anyone that tails the “Lazzy Lay,” which is a parlay I give out every Monday on my Twitter account (@jlazzy23), last night was a tough one. We were 6.4 seconds away from hitting a 3-leg, +346 parlay, but that Morgan Reilly tying goal ruined the Under in the Islanders-Leafs game.
Today is a new day, and I am very excited about this busy Tuesday night in the NHL.
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Toronto at NY Rangers (-162, 6.5)
This is always one of my favorite matchups when the Maple Leafs and Rangers get together. I love this uniform battle and the intensity of an Original Six contest.
The Toronto Maple Leafs played to a hard-fought overtime loss last night on Long Island in a game where Ilya Samsonov was the starting net-minder, which means there is a strong chance that Martin Jones gets the nod for the Maple Leafs tonight, considering that Joseph Woll is out due to injury. Jones may not have a ton of playing time this season, but it seems like every time these two teams clash, the game is low-scoring.
For the Rangers, Jonathan Quick has been on fire, but they will most likely go back to Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin is 3-3-0 in his last six appearances, skating to a 3.19 goals against average and a .908 save percentage, while Quick is 4-0-0 in his last four starts, boasting a 2.50 goals against average and a .915 save percentage.
The Rangers are coming off a strong defensive performance against the Los Angeles Kings, which they will look to replicate tonight against an offensive powerhouse in Toronto. That said, the Rangers are only allowing 2.69 goals against per game, while the Leafs have had a very solid month of December thus far in their own end.
Despite allowing four goals last night, Toronto is only giving up 2.75 goals against per game this month.
The last three straight meetings between these teams have stayed Under, and I think that will continue tonight.
Bet: Under 6.5 -118 (play to -130)
Calgary at Vegas (-176, 6)
The Calgary Flames have lost four of their last five games and are coming off a track meet of a game last night in Colorado. The Flames fell short 6-5 to the Avalanche, and now they must go into the Fortress to try and take down the defending Stanley Cup champions.
The Vegas Golden Knights are rolling, as they have won five out of their last six games. Their offense has exploded, and they’re tied for the third-most goals per game in December (4.20).
Not only are the Golden Knights scoring goals, but they’re defending very well, only giving up 2.20 goals against per game in the same span and skating to a 90.9% success rate on the penalty kill.
On the flip side, the Flames have been a disaster in their own end, giving up 4.20 goals against per game this month, and considering that this is their second game of a back-to-back, I don’t expect them to be much cleaner in the defensive zone.
Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault have been on fire for Vegas, just like they were in last year’s Stanley Cup run. In the team’s last five games, Eichel has tallied three goals and five assists while Marchessault has added five goals and an assist of his own.
The Golden Knights are 10-2-2 on home ice, while the Flames are 5-8-2 on the road. I think Vegas will take care of business tonight at T-Mobile Arena.
Bet: Vegas Golden Knights to win in regulation -120 (play to -140)
Winnipeg at San Jose (+180, 6)
This bet will be a little riskier, but I am all over the Sharks right now. They’re one of my favorite stories in the NHL, and if you paid any attention to their recent road trip, you would know that they’re a hard team not to love.
The Sharks are returning home after going 4-2-1 on an East Coast trip that concluded with their most recent game in Vegas, and they might honestly be the most exciting team to watch in all of hockey right now.
San Jose is averaging the most goals per game in the month of December, scoring a whopping 5.20 goals per contest. They haven’t been very good defensively, but they have scored a minimum of four goals in their last five straight games.
The Winnipeg Jets enter this game on a four-game winning streak, which makes this bet risky, but they might be due for a stinker. This is not to discredit to the Jets; they’ve been playing some very strong hockey, and they have solid goaltending, but what the Sharks have done lately is tough for me to completely ignore.
Tomas Hertl and Mikael Granlund have led the way for San Jose. In the team’s last five games, Hertl has five goals and three assists, while Granlund has added two goals with nine helpers.
Tonight will certainly be a challenge for them, but I am all about it.
Bet: San Jose Sharks ML +180 (play to +150)
