NHL Best Bets
I hope everyone had a wonderful NHL All-Star break and enjoyed the Toronto festivities. It was an incredible weekend if I do say so myself, and I am very fortunate that I was able to partake. The NHL is back in full swing with eight games tonight across the board, including some compelling games for my NHL best bets.
The Edmonton Oilers are looking to win their 17th straight game, and we will see some faces in new places for the first time as Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan are expected to make their debuts with each respective team (Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets).
Vancouver at Carolina (-148, 6.5)
The Vancouver Canucks and the Carolina Hurricanes have been two of the best teams in the NHL but especially since Christmas. In that span, they have each played 14 games, and only one point separates the two in that time.
The Canucks have gone 10-2-2 during that stretch, and while a large part of their success is due to their offensive firepower, it can’t be overlooked how important Thatcher Demko is to this team. In this span, Demko has skated to a 9-1-0 record with a .926 save percentage and a 2.39 goals against average. The team does a solid job defending in front of him, but Demko has certainly put his name into the Vezina Trophy conversation.
As a group, the Canucks are only allowing 2.64 goals against since Christmas, while their penalty kill is skating to an 85.7% success rate.
The Hurricanes have skated to an 11-2-1 record since Christmas, and they have been defending almost just as well as the Canucks. Even though they haven’t figured out who their true number-one goalie is, the Canes are allowing 2.36 goals against and have skated to an 88.1% rate on the penalty kill.
Both of these teams certainly have a ton of weapons offensively, but with the way the goaltenders have been playing consistently on defense, I think this will be a low-scoring game.
I like the Under.
NHL Best Bet: Under 6.5 -120 (play to -130)
Edmonton at Vegas (+130, 6)
The Edmonton Oilers have been humming as they ride a 16-game winning streak heading into Las Vegas tonight. When hockey fans think of the Oilers, the first thing that comes to mind is typically the high-octane offense, but what’s been most impressive during the streak is well the Oilers have been taking care of the puck. Edmonton has been defending incredibly well, only allowing 1.50 goals against per game, while their penalty kill is also at a magnificent 93.6%.
Stuart Skinner has officially taken over the crease in Edmonton, as he has gone 12-0-0 in his last 12 starts. In those games, he has boasted a 1.41 goals against average and a .950 save percentage.
The Vegas Golden Knights haven’t had any issues scoring goals, but one area where they may struggle tonight is on the power play. This team has been riddled with injuries as they’ll be missing Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, Shea Theodore, Pavel Dorofeyev, and William Carrier – so this is certainly a shorthanded group. They have only scored one power play goal in their last five games, going a combined 1 for 11.
Logan Thompson is the expected starter for the Golden Knights tonight, and his last 12 starts haven’t been as successful as Skinner’s. Thompson is 6-5-1 in those games with a .907 save percentage and a 2.86 goals against average.
Connor McDavid has nine goals and 17 assists while skating to a +18 during the streak and Leon Draisaitl has added 10 goals and 13 assists of his own.
You simply can’t bet against the Oilers right now, especially against a team like Vegas with so many injuries.
NHL Best Bet: Edmonton Oilers to win in regulation +110 (play to -110)
February Record: 0-0
2023-24 record: 80–93 (-34.78 units)
