NHL Best Bets
I don’t want to get too cocky, but we are on fire right now! Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs were never a doubt last night, as well as the Florida Panthers. It’s a bit of a lighter night tonight in the NHL, with only three games being played, but there is one matchup to look forward to between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers, and it is my NHL best bet.
Vegas at Edmonton (-120, 6)
The Vegas Golden Knights have now lost back-to-back games in which they have let multiple goal leads slip away. Tonight, they’re taking on an Edmonton Oilers team without Connor McDavid, who is listed as day-to-day. The Golden Knights have faced some injury issues themselves, but not having McDavid is too big of a hole to fill for the Oilers.
The Oilers are 0-2-0 without McDavid this season.
Logan Thompson is likely to get the nod tonight. He is 5-2-0 in his last seven starts. Thompson is boasting a 2.46 goals against average and a .921 save percentage. The Oilers have been swapping their goalies as of late, but it should be Stuart Skinner’s turn in the blue paint. Skinner has a solid record lately as he is 4-1-1 in his last six starts, but his numbers aren’t as impressive as he is skating to a 2.98 goals against average and a .895 save percentage in that span.
Jack Eichel has scored eight goals in his last 10 games. Tonight, the Golden Knights will get another look with Tomas Hertl, who they acquired at the trade deadline. Hertl recorded an assist in his first game with the team and is looking to ease into his new role.
Edmonton’s playoff seeding is essentially set as the second team in the Pacific Division. With a win tonight, the Golden Knights could actually jump the Los Angeles Kings to move into third place in the division. This means these two teams would potentially meet in the first round of the playoffs, so tonight’s game should have some fireworks to it.
This is a perfect bounce-back spot for the Golden Knights, and I can’t trust the Oilers without McDavid.
NHL Best Bet: Vegas Golden Knights ML +100 (play to -110)
April Record: 11-2 (+8.90 units)
2023-24 record: 140–134 (-20.41 units)
