Mark Lammey
Sandwiched between a 10-game slate and Saturday’s huge 12-game slate is Friday’s light night. Most of the action is actually in the later window, as well, with several games out west. However, I have still found a way to make it worthwhile and boost your bankroll for the weekend. Some of the top favorites to win the Stanley Cup are in action, while the bottom-feeders are also on the ice. It can be difficult to find value in those situations, but I have put together 3 plays to do just that for you.
Along with this NHL mega parlay, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for today’s action.
Seattle Kraken vs Columbus Blue Jackets Over 6.5 (-110)
There’s going to be quite a bit of blue on the ice in this matchup, including some sub-par blue-line play. The Blue Jackets have been one of the worst defensive teams all season, as they allow the 3rd-most goals per game. Therefore it’s no surprise that they have the fewest points in the entire NHL. While we could simply back the Kraken to win this matchup, they’ll be the ones on the 2nd night of a back-to-back after being in Detroit on Thursday.
With that in mind, I’m expecting both teams to find the back of the net. Seattle may not have the household names, but it is vastly improved in just the 2nd season as a franchise and looks playoff bound. Part of that success comes from the fact that the Kraken are scoring the 6th-most goals per game, more than the likes of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. The Jackets may not be good, but they have scored 5 or more goals in 2 of their last 3 games. Rather than trusting either team to win, I’ll just root for goals instead.
Winnipeg Jets 3-way ML over Edmonton Oilers (+200)
Betting against the Oilers recently has been quite a roller-coaster ride. They lost back-to-back games after leading by at least 3 goals, but they also just stomped the Maple Leafs. A more accurate statement would be that betting against Connor McDavid is never fun. He’s other-worldly and has now scored multiple goals in 5 straight games. However, the Winnipeg Jets have one of the few goaltenders that can slow down Edmonton. No one can completely stop McDavid, but Winnipeg has already defeated the Oilers this season by holding them to just a single goal.
That, too,was a game in Edmonton — so they aren’t intimidated by being in Rogers Place. Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is coming off one of his worst performances all year, and I don’t expect a repeat. There’s still a chance for him to lead the NHL in saves made for the 5th straight season. Winnipeg won the first meeting with Edmonton last season, as well, and although it lost the other 2, it has only allowed more than 2 goals once in the last 4 games against the Oilers. It’s going to be a tough task, but with the Jets needing to continue winning for their postseason spot I’ll back the upset.
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Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 over Arizona Coyotes (-120)
Speaking of the postseason, one team no one wants to see is the Carolina Hurricanes. They are surprisingly coming off back-to-back losses but still hold the top spot in the Metro Division. After taking on the Pacific-leading Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night, they are now facing off against one of the bottom teams in the Western Conference. The Coyotes are coming off a multi-goal loss to the Dallas Stars, and each of their last 3 losses have come by multiple goals.
Another surprising aspect of this matchup is that it will be a revenge game for the Hurricanes. They let their guard down and were upset by the ‘Yotes earlier this season. However, the last time they were in Arizona they won by multiple goals. Given how stout the Carolina defense has been, I don’t expect the Coyotes to be able to find the back of the net enough to keep this game close. Given they also recently traded away arguably their best player, Jakob Chychrun, I’ll trust the ‘Canes to get their revenge.
Friday’s NHL mega parlay (3/3)
Kraken vs Blue Jackets – Over 6.5 (-110)
Jets 3-way ML (+200)
Hurricanes -1.5 (-120)
Parlay odds +950
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