Ryan Hodges
The week is nearing its end and Thursday night’s NHL slate is a great bridge to Friday. We are treated to 11 games, almost all of which have at least one playoff contender. Each time slot has an appointment television game for hockey fans regardless of whether or not your team is suited up. If you’re looking to combine a few plays that have value, check out this NHL mega parlay that has +1013 odds with DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing.
New York Rangers -1.5 (-110) vs Montreal Canadiens
New Jersey Devils -1.5 (+165) vs Washington Capitals
Ottawa Senators ML (+120) vs Seattle Kraken
NHL parlay odds: +1013
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New York Rangers -1.5 (-110) vs Montreal Canadiens
This needs to be a get-right spot for the Rangers. They have won just 2 of their last 8 games, and have won 1 of their last 5 on the road. That does not sound great for the Rangers winning by 2+ goals, but it reinforces their urgency in a game in which they have significant advantages. The Rangers are just loaded with depth and talent. With each game that goes by, New York’s chemistry with their new-look roster gets better and better. They must snap out of this slump eventually, and bettors will want to be on them when they do. Why not break out of a slump against a bad team? The Rangers are already the far superior team and will come out with added urgency to collect the 2 points.
Fortunately for the Rangers, the Canadiens are not exactly setting the world on fire. Montreal has dropped 4 straight games and 5 out of their last 6 games. The Rangers are 19-12 against the spread on the road, which is better than the Canadiens’ 16-15 home record against the spread. New York both scores many more and allows many fewer goals per game than Montreal, they have better specials teams than the Canadiens, and have better numbers at 5-on-5. At some point, even if the better team is not in great form, the depth and star power can become too much for the weaker opponent to handle. The Rangers should break out on Thursday.
Check out today’s best NHL predictions for Thursday’s slate
New Jersey Devils -1.5 (+165) vs Washington Capitals
The Devils continue to be one of the best, most consistent teams in hockey. They got even better at the trade deadline by acquiring Timo Meier, and are getting more and more familiar with their already-good, upgraded roster. New Jersey is 6-2-1 in its last 9 games and has won 12 out of its last 18 games. In that current 9-game stretch, the Devils had an ugly one-off loss to the Canadiens. Their other losses were a 4-3 game against Vegas that went beyond regulation and a 4-3 loss to Toronto, so even their losses have been close, competitive games. The Devils are the better team in this game and also in better form. They should take care of business just fine.
The Capitals have really seen better days. They have won only 3 of their last 11 games and 1 of their last 6 at home. They have played themselves out of a playoff spot and likely out of playoff contention for the season. The 3 wins in that 11-game stretch came against a slumping Rangers team, a weak Ducks team and a weak Sharks team. Aside from those wins, the Capitals cannot get the job done lately regardless of the quality of opponent. These teams are trending in very different directions. This +165 number to take a hot team to cover -1.5 against a slumping weaker team is great value.
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Ottawa Senators ML (+120) vs Seattle Kraken
As this season has progressed, the Senators have quietly become one of the NHL’s most exciting teams. They are on fire and have played themselves into legitimate contention for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot. At the turn of the calendar, it would have seemed crazy for the Senators to be buyers at the trade deadline. But they got even better by acquiring Jakob Chychrun. That is how well they have played since the turn of the calendar. Ottawa has won 5 of its last 6 games and the loss was a 5-0 shutout at the hands of the Blackhawks. That has to be a fluke. If the Blackhawks beat just about any team in the league for the rest of the season, it is a fluke. The Senators can brush it off and regroup.
The Kraken are playing good hockey, but there is not enough separating these teams right now to make this +120 outright for the Senators unattractive. For the most part, this comes down to current form, value and the overall jump in the Senators’ game right now. There is a great feeling in that locker room, and they are playing a free style as if they have nothing to lose. That, along with their youth and skill, makes them dangerous. Seattle has won 5 straight games over the Blues, Red Wings, Blue Jackets, Avalanche and Ducks. With one exception, that is not exactly a gauntlet. In a game between a couple of good teams, take value with the Senators.
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