NHL Thursday betting preview: Buy a ticket to the show in Vegas
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You can't beat perfect.
Despite there being just three NHL games on Wednesday, we finished 4-0 with our bets to rake in a hefty profit.
Let's keep the good times rolling into a busy Thursday night.
GOATs and scapegoats
It's hard to have a scapegoat when you don't lose a bet. Instead, Wednesday night was full of GOATs: Carey Price and Tukka Rask combined for a .939 save percentage to help us hit the under. Twelve different Los Angeles Kings players registered points in a win over the Calgary Flames. Patrick Kane went over 3.5 shots in the first period, while Bo Horvat needed just two to go over his shot total.
All of these guys are forever in my good books.
Thursday bets
Columbus Blue Jackets (-115)
I can be guilty of looking a gift horse in the mouth. Sometimes, you see a line and it just looks off, so you stay away or even bet the other side. More often than not, you live to regret it.
This feels like one of those instances. The Blue Jackets are playing great hockey right now - riding a 6-1-1 run on the road - while the Buffalo Sabres have dropped five of their last seven on home ice, including losses to the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings. The price on Columbus seems a bit short here given the current direction of both teams, but I'm not going to let it scare me off. The Blue Jackets are the play here.
Dallas Stars (+130)
Frederik Andersen will return tonight for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but that won't sway my stance on this game. A goalie can only mask so many defensive issues. The Leafs have largely struggled at home of late, needing overtime to beat the Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes - the latter coming with the help of a controversial disallowed goal. Those unconvincing wins followed a 2-5 stretch at Scotiabank Arena, during which Toronto also needed overtime to beat the Senators.
This matchup is a significant step up in competition, as the Stars have emerged victorious in seven of their last 10 on the road. They're also riding a 4-1-1 road run versus Eastern Conference teams. Toronto won in Dallas last month, but I like the Stars to return the favor here at a very generous price.
Calgary Flames' team total under 2.5 (+140)
There's no team in the NHL that's struggled more in a particular city than the Flames have in Anaheim. Calgary's won just two of its last 32 road games against the Ducks and has scored two or fewer goals in its last nine contests in Anaheim. This time, the Flames will also be playing the second leg of a back-to-back. They've gone 3-4 on no rest this season, scoring two or fewer goals in five of those seven games while being shut out twice.
Best bet
St. Louis Blues/Vegas Golden Knights over 6 (-105)
Who doesn't love a good show in Vegas? The Golden Knights have allowed four or more goals in five of their last six home games, giving up at least three in all of them. The Blues have allowed three or more goals in nine straight on the road and four or more in six of their last seven. If we're looking at three goals against as the floor for both of these teams, this game should have no issue sailing over the total.
Trend of the night
The Edmonton Oilers are on an 11-2 run away to Eastern Conference teams.
They'll play down south tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are the hottest team in hockey but will be missing Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, and Steven Stamkos. The Oilers are dealing with their own major absence in superstar Connor McDavid, so even at +180, it's going to take some courage to back this trend. Are you feeling dangerous? I know I am.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.