NHL Best Bets
What a late-night thriller it was in Vancouver last night if you stayed up to watch the over-hit between the Penguins and Canucks. There was a ton of great hockey on last night. But with only two games around the league tonight, it might not be as exciting. I don’t really love the matchups, but I do love some props in each game for my NHL best bets.
Columbus at NY Rangers (-245, 6.5)
The Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers are set for a rematch after the Blue Jackets ended the Rangers’ 10-game winning streak on Sunday night in Columbus.
Jonathan Quick got the start for the Rangers on Sunday, but Igor Shesterkin will have the net tonight. Shesterkin has been on fire as of late. In his last six starts, he is 6-0-0 while boasting a 1.84 goals against average and a .951 save percentage, but the team in front of him hasn’t been helping all that much.
The Rangers have allowed 40+ shots against in the last five straight games, and they struggled at slowing Columbus down on Sunday, especially off of the rush. In his career, Shesterkin is 13-0-2 when facing 40 or more shots, so he always answers the bell when he gets peppered.
Over their last five games, the Blue Jackets are averaging 33.6 shots on goal per game, so they should be able to get some pucks on the net tonight at Madison Square Garden.
I expect Shesterkin to be tested once again, but I have all the faith in the world that he makes a ton of stops.
NHL Bet: Igor Shesterkin over 27.5 saves -125 (play to -135)
St. Louis at Edmonton (-265, 6.5)
Connor McDavid has now gone 10 straight games without a goal, which is certainly a lot for him, but it’s not due to a lack of trying. McDavid is coming off of a game where he had three shots on goal against the Los Angeles Kings, and he has a combined 11 shots on goal in his last three games combined.
The St. Louis Blues are allowing the eighth most shots on goal against in the last two weeks of the NHL, allowing 34.0 shots on goal against per game.
As a team, the Oilers are generating the fifth most shots on goal per game in that same span, so you have to think that McDavid will be hungry to score a goal tonight. He’s had a bit of a shooting mentality as of late, even after joking with the media that he’s not going to shoot anymore.
McDavid can torment the St. Louis Blues blue line, and I think he will put a ton of pucks on net tonight.
NHL Bet: Connor McDavid over 3.5 shots on goal -130 (play to -140)
February Record: 17-18 (-2.88 units)
2023-24 record: 97–111 (-37.26 units)
