February is set to be a very exciting month in the NHL. Wednesday night only contributes as it is the final double-digit slate before the Olympic break. In addition to loaded schedules and international best on best, a flurry of trades is expected as teams look to round their rosters into their final form for the stretch run. The NHL is buzzing right now and this 10-game slate has plenty of can’t-miss hockey.
If you will be tuning in and want to have some action, I’ve picked out my NHL best bets for Wednesday, with lines and odds courtesy of DraftKings at the time of writing. Also, be sure to check out all of our NHL predictions for every game throughout the season, including all 10 matchups today.
NHL best bet: Blue Jackets 3-way ML (+105) over Blackhawks
The Blue Jackets have been one of the hottest teams in hockey since they made a coaching change. Long-time coach Rick Bowness has the Blue Jackets playing excellent hockey. Columbus enters this week 9-1-0 in their last 10 games. In that span, they beat the Mammoth, Penguins, Stars, and Lightning, all of which are in a playoff spot and playing great. Columbus’ goal differential in that span is +14 and they have scored 22 goals in their last 4 consecutive wins. One of those was a 4-2 win over the Blackhawks.
It has been a bit of a different story for the Blackhawks recently. They have had a tough go for the last couple months, let alone the last couple weeks. Chicago enters this game 3-6-2 in their last 11 games as part of 12 wins in their last 37 games dating back to mid-November. Columbus is the better team in better form in a tougher conference. This version of them has already proven to be a difficult matchup for this version of Chicago. The plus-money here is good value.
NHL best bet: Wild vs Predators over 6.5 (+102)
High game totals have been rolling for both the Wild and the Predators lately. The over has hit in 11 out of Minnesota’s last 12 games and in 9 out of their last 10 games played on the road. Those stretches contribute to a 33-23-1 over under record on the season including 16-10-1 on the road. The total has also gone over in 8 out of Nashville’s last 10 games and in their last 5 at home. In their respective last 10 games, the over is 17-3 in those combined 20 games, including 9-0 combining Wild road games and Predators home games.
Head to head, the high totals trends are reinforced. The over has hit in 11 out of the last 16 played between these teams, and in 6 out of the last 7 played in Nashville. Also in that 20-game stretch is a combined 12 wins. Lately, it has not mattered if these teams win or lose. They are both scoring and allowing goals in bunches any given night, and the game totals have reflected that volatility. The pure matchup here bodes well for continuing rampant overs trends.
NHL best bet: Stars -1.5 (-105) over Blues
On what is a great slate with several great games, this one may be the most lopsided. The Blues have been abysmal for the majority of the season, but their current stretch is one of their worst. St. Louis has dropped 7 out of their last 8 games, and they are winless in their last 9 played on the road. The head to head trends do not look great for them either as the Blues have just 1 win in their last 7 games against the Stars, and have lost 6 straight played in Dallas.
The Stars, meanwhile, enter this game winners of 5-straight and 6 out of their last 7. They are also 13-5-2 in their last 20 games played at home as part of a 15-7-3 home record this year. This team makes for a touch matchup against just about every team in hockey. The Blues are certainly no exception. Dallas has strong league-ranks across several key metrics on both sides of the puck both even strength and special-teams. The Blues rank 31st and 30th in the NHL in goals scored and allowed respectively, and 24th and 29th on the power play respectively. St. Louis has their work cut out for them in this one.
Get set for a mega night of hockey with our expert NHL picks for all 10 games tonight!
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