Hockey fans are in for a treat with a massive 14-game slate on Thursday night. With playoff races coming down to the wire in both conferences, Thursday’s matchups could either make the playoff picture a little clearer, or just provide us with more chaotic possibilities. Either way, it is shaping up to be an eventful night in the NHL. If you will be following along and want to have some action, I have picked out my NHL best bets for Thursday — with lines and odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing.
In addition, don’t forget to check out all of our NHL predictions for every game throughout the season, including all 14 games on today’s schedule.
NHL best bet: Kings -1.5 over Canucks (-105)
The Los Angeles Kings find themselves just a single point out of the 2nd wildcard playoff spot with 5 games remaining as they welcome the dreadful Vancouver Canucks to town. A lay up in the schedule this late in the season should be seen as a blessing as every point is crucial for the Kings from here on out. The Kings are known to be a solid defensive team that can limit high-danger scoring opportunities. On the year, LA is averaging 2.95 goals against per game, which is good for the 8th-best mark in the NHL. The Canucks have been among the lowest-scoring teams in the league all season long, and enter this contest ranking 31st in the league scoring just 2.56 goals per game.
In what is Anze Kopitar’s final season, the Kings will be doing everything they can to have one last playoff run with him. Look for LA’s veteran lineup to come out and put on a dominant performance. They should be leading this game late into regulation time, which brings in the chance for an empty net goal if they aren’t already up by multiple goals. Back the Kings -1.5 on the puck line.
Read our full Canucks vs Kings prediction
NHL best bet: Wild vs Stars Under 6 (-105)
It’s already known that the Wild and Stars will face each other in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. That should make for a thrilling series, but each team has to finish out the regular season first. Minnesota and Dallas are set to meet on Thursday night in Dallas, and it will be interesting to see how each side approaches this one.
Both of these offenses are capable of lighting the lamp early and often, but both teams possess strong defensive units that are capable of providing some resistance. On the season, Dallas ranks 2nd in the NHL allowing 2.69 goals per game, while Minnesota isn’t far behind ranking 4th allowing 2.82 goals per game. Both penalty kills have been effective as well, and the Wild enter this matchup having allowed just a single power play goal over their last 6 games. On the other side, the Stars are killing off over 82% of opposing power plays over their last 10 games. Furthermore, with their playoff matchup already locked in, it would be a bit surprising to see extreme offensive urgency from either side in this one. With a total of 6, the under is the play.
Find out our NHL predictions for all 14 matchups today!
NHL best bet: Lightning vs Canadiens Over 6.5 (+100)
The Tampa Bay Lightning will be visiting the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night in what is a potential first round playoff matchup in only a few weeks time. Heading into action on Wednesday night, the Canadiens, Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres are all tied at the top of the Atlantic Division with 102 points. With only four games remaining, winning this game is crucial for winning the division or finishing in 2nd and securing home ice in the first round of the playoffs. With that in mind, I expect both teams to come out firing.
This is a battle between a pair of high-flying offensive teams. The Lightning are 2nd in the league averaging 3.55 goals per game, while the Canadiens are 6th averaging 3.45 goals for per game,. There is no shortage of skill in this game, and even with solid goaltending at both ends of the ice, the offensive firepower on both sides could be too overwhelming. I am anticipating a high-scoring, exciting game between these talented teams as they battle it out for an important 2 points. Give me the over.
Read our full Lightning vs Canadiens prediction
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