NHL Best Bets for Thursday: Expert Hockey Predictions for Today's Games - Senators outclass shorthanded Flames

Connor Grootenhuis

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Connor has been covering the sports betting industry in a wide variety of roles for almost five years, and most enjoys writing about MLB, NHL, and college football. He is an avid supporter of #MACtion, and his favorite professional teams are the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings. When it comes to his sports bets, Connor is a firm believer that every loss is a bad beat and every win is easy money.

NHL best bet: Senators 3-Way ML over Flames (-105)

The Senators won the first meeting between these teams by a score of 4-3 in a shootout back on October 30. However, the Flames look a lot different now than they did in that contest. Calgary dealt Rasmus Andersson to the Golden Knights in January and traded Mackenzie Weegar to the Mammoth on Wednesday. Those moves leave the Flames’ defensive core with little depth, and not nearly as experience following the departure of those two veteran blueliners.

Calgary’s 55 points are the 4th-fewest in the NHL, and the Flames have won just 6 of their 20 games since the start of January. They are the lowest scoring team in the league, averaging 2.45 goals per game, and the Senators are not an easy team to play against. Ottawa is still within shouting distance of a playoff spot, so I expect their motivation and sense of urgency to be higher than Calgary’s. With that in mind, I’m backing the Senators to get the job done in regulation in this one.

NHL best bet: Mammoth vs Flyers Under 5.5 (+105)

The Mammoth were already a strong defensive team, and they got even better with the addition of veteran defenseman Mackenzie Weegar on Wednesday. Weegar won’t light up the score sheet, but he brings a great physical presence and plenty of experience to a hungry Utah team looking to make a postseason run. The Mammoth rank 5th in the NHL, allowing just 26.0 shot on goal per game, and life is now a bit more difficult for their opponents with Weegar in the mix. Look for Utah’s solid defensive structure and reliable goaltending from Karel Vejmelka to stymie the Philadelphia offensive attack.

Utah’s offense hasn’t been nearly as effective on the road as at home, as their goals per game average drops from 3.40 at home to 2.94 on the road. The Flyers are a tough team to play against, and they have allowed just 5 total goals over their last 3 games entering this contest. I expect both teams to bring strong defensive structures to this matchup which could result in ice space being limited on both ends. This has the makings of a low-scoring affair.

Read our full Mammoth vs Flyers prediction

NHL best bet: Blue Jackets ML over Panthers (-115)

Columbus enters Thursday’s matchup against Florida having lost 9 consecutive meetings to the Panthers. However, if the Blue Jackets were ever going to snap that streak, this meeting seems like an ideal time to do so. The Panthers are not having their typical season, as their 63 points are the 2nd-fewest in the Eastern Conference. They are well outside of a playoff spot, and enter this contest riding a 3-game losing streak. Compare that with the back-to-back Stanley Cup winning seasons from the past 2 years, and the Blue Jackets should sense some vulnerabilities in this Florida team heading into this matchup.

The Blue Jackets are in the thick of playoff hunt and enter this contest just 3 points back of the Bruins for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Columbus has found a new gear under head coach Rick Bowness, as they are a strong 12-2-1 under the leadership of their new head coach. The previous meeting between these teams back on December 6 resulted in a wild 7-6 overtime win for Florida, but I am expecting Columbus to get its revenge on home ice.

Our experts are 51-34 (60%) on their NHL best bets