Editor’s Note: Now, all our premium tools for Fantasy, DFS and Betting are included in one subscription at one low price. Customers can subscribe to NBC Sports EDGE+ monthly ($9.99) or save 20% on an annual subscription ($95.88). And don’t forget to use promo code SAVE10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
Hello, and welcome to Thursday all of you hockey bettors out there! It was a good start to the week on Monday as the Wild took care of business, and now I’m looking to ride that winning momentum through tonight’s massive 10 game slate. With a plethora of contests here are a couple I have put aside for my best bets this evening.
Records to Date:
Overall 51-33, Units +14.85
Anaheim Ducks @ Edmonton Oilers 9:00 PM ET
It seems like only a couple of weeks ago us hockey fans had left the Oilers for dead. I guess that was premature, because they have bounced back in big way recently winning seven of their last 10 games. The secret sauce has been a change in coaching, which typically reinvigorates a team and it’s been no different for Edmonton. The Oilers are unbeaten with Jay Woodcroft behind the bench, and it’s been a encouraging stretch in large part because the defense is looking much better having only allowed three goals in three games. I think the recent success continues tonight as the Oilers have been a good road team throughout the season at 13-8-3 and Mike Smith is back tending the net again. Smith has had a rocky tenure with the Oilers, but since returning from injury he has allowed 15 goals in five games, which is a vast improvement from earlier in the season. Then there’s the fact that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl play for this team. The two of them are tied for the NHL lead in total points with 66 apiece. The Oiler offense has also climbed to 3.21 goals per game, which is 12th in the NHL right now. Another stat that has been improving over the past few weeks has been the Corsi score for this team. They now sit with a 52.6% Corsi For score, which is the eighth highest mark in the NHL. If the offense can continue to get in its rhythm and Mike Smith is at least capable, the Oilers could finally be the contender we have been waiting for.
The Oilers being hot is usually reason enough to pull the trigger on a bet, but there’s more reason when you look at their opponent tonight. The Ducks were a great story in the first half of this NHL season, but recently the cracks in this team have begun to show. Their total team offense has fallen to the back half of the NHL with just 2.86 goals per game, and the goaltending hasn’t been much better. They have lost three of their last five road games and six of their past 10 overall. The recent struggles away from California aren’t out of character either as they are 10-10-5 on the road this season. Another issue for them tonight is the fact that they played just last night and will have to travel on short rest to face the Oilers this evening. I am fully confident in the Oilers right now, which has been a rare thing to type out this season, but I like them on the Puck Line tonight to get the job done.
The App is Back! Don’t forget to download the NBC Sports EDGE app to receive real-time player news, mobile alerts and track your favorite players. Plus, now you can check out articles and player cards. Get it here!
Detroit Red Wings @ New York Rangers 7:00 PM ET
Back to ol’ reliable tonight with the Rangers and Under game Totals. It’s no secret that the Rangers are finding ways to win in unconventional methods, but I am not here to pick that apart. Instead, I am dialed-in on their immense success on defense this season. The Rangers have gone Under the game Total at a record of 29-17-2 this season which is over 63% of the time. In a season when it seems like more and more goals are being scored, the Rangers continue to hammer out gritty games thanks to a few different factors. The most important of which is the play of starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who should be the leader in the clubhouse for the Veinza trophy. Shesterkin is second in both key goaltender metrics with a 2.05 GAA and a .938 SV%. Those stats make sense when considering his recent streak of Unders, as in the last 10 games Igor has started the game Total has gone Under in seven of those games. He is also 9-1 in his last 10 starts for those that may want to take the Rangers to win rather than the game Total.
Looking now to the other half of our game Total equation are the Red Wings. I will give this team some credit as I had them pegged for the basement of the league standings, but they have vastly improved this season. That out of the way, this team is just not very good when away from home. Their record is poor, and the offense really struggles on the road as they score 2.52 goals per game, seventh lowest rate in the NHL. Barring an uncharacteristic night from the Rangers, I can only see the Red Wings scoring one or two goals tonight, and knowing the Rangers offense isn’t powerful this one should go Under six goals. I am surprised that the line sits at six goals right now given the trends and stats of these two teams, but hey, I’m not complaining!
The Picks:
Edmonton Oilers Puck Line -1.5 vs Ducks (+115 on PointsBet)
Red Wings & Rangers Under 6 goals (-121 on PointsBet)
Follow me @jwaggs10 on Twitter!
PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links. NJ, IA, IN, IL, CO, MI, VA, WV only. 21+. T&C apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
