The NHL is back in a big way with a huge 12-game slate on Thursday night! The action returned from the Olympic break on Wednesday with 8 excellent games, and it only gets better tonight. It all begins at 7:00 pm ET and goes coast to coast all through the night. If you will be tuning in and want to have some action, I’ve picked out my NHL best bets for Thursday, with lines and odds courtesy of DraftKings at the time of publishing. Also, be sure to check out all of our NHL predictions for every game throughout the season, including all 12 matchups today.
The Blue Jackets are hoping that the Olympic break didn’t fully halt the momentum they had entering the pause. Columbus enters this game with 7 consecutive wins and 11 wins in their last 12. They have also won 5 straight road games. Boston has been solid as well as they have won 10 out of their last 14 games and 9 straight at home. A key strength both teams have in common during that stretch of strong play is an uptick in goal scoring.
Columbus has scored 29 goals in their last 6 games for an average of 4.83 goals scored per game. That is part of a stretch in which the Blue Jackets have scored 4+ goals in 9 out of their last 11 games. While Boston has also been scoring at a solid clip, they have also allowed goals in bunches in recent play. Bruins game totals have averaged 9.67 in their last 3 games and 7.60 in their last 10 games. With that, the over has hit in 8 out of Boston’s last 9 games. The on-paper matchup and recent performances look good for another high-scoring game between these teams.
Read our expert’s full Blue Jackets vs Bruins prediction
The plus money on this line stands out on this slate. The Kraken are in a playoff spot by 3 points over the next team chasing them. They are also just a point out of the third spot in the Pacific and 2 points out of the second spot in the Pacific. Seattle’s goal differential is 50 goals better than that of St. Louis, they score more and allow fewer goals per game than St. Louis, have a better power play, and have won the sole head to head game played between these teams this year.
In addition to Seattle being the better team this season, St. Louis makes for a favorable matchup against just about any team in hockey. They are the second-worst team in the NHL and have just plain had a brutal year on both sides of the puck. To further their woes, the Blues are without key forwards Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway, in addition to minor injuries to Brayden Schenn and Oskar Sundqvist. It just is not the Blues’ year. They are not a good team and are missing important pieces at the moment. Getting plus money on the better team in this game is excellent value, so let’s take Seattle in this one.
The Sharks are a fascinating team to keep an eye on down the stretch, especially in the next couple of weeks approaching the trade deadline. San Jose is just 5 points out of a playoff spot. That is far from insurmountable. But with just 27 games remaining and 3 teams to jump, there is little room for error. This team has proven they are a legitimate playoff contender and will play with the most intensity as they have at any point this season. In a game which they really need 2 points, the Sharks get a nice matchup.
The Flames have dropped 6 out of their last 8 games and have struggled with consistency all season. However, one of their recent wins was over this Sharks team. While results were not much better for the Sharks entering break as they have dropped 4 straight, the 3-week break gave them a nice reset. San Jose is the deeper, better, more talented team in this game that has more to play for. In addition to their advantage on the ice, they will come out with a little extra jam to collect these 2 points and keep pace in the West. Look for a convincing Sharks win.
