There are plenty of NHL teams in playoff contention. We've seen that all some teams need to do is get in and make a huge run. Let's break down a couple of games and give you our best NHL bets.
Monday's NHL Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
St. Louis Blues (+140) at Winnipeg Jets (-166) | O/U 5.5 (+105/-125)
Who would have thought a few weeks ago this would be a must-watch matchup? Recently, the Blues have completely changed their season’s outlook. Once considered an outside contender, they have surged up the standings and firmly hold the first Wild Card spot. That's all thanks to their current 12-game winning streak.
They are dominant from both sides of the ice during this streak, scoring 4.25 goals per game (first) and allowing 1.83 (second). During this streak, Robert Thomas leads the league in assists (19) and points (23), while Jordan Kyrou has a leading nine goals. If you go even further down the line, deeper guys like Jake Neighbours and Zack Bolduc each have six goals.
Jordan Binnington has been fantastic during this stretch, allowing 1.84 goals per game. Overall, he has been great since returning from his win in the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, allowing 2.15 goals per game and sporting a .917 save percentage since.
The Jets still have a lot to play for as the season wraps up. There is a threat they lose the top spot in the Western Conference they've held onto all season, as the red-hot Stars are only three points behind, and the Capitals are only one point behind them for the Presidents’ Trophy.
We're not going to all of a sudden consider this team out of contention to win the Stanley Cup, but they have taken a few unexpected losses to Buffalo and Utah.
With two supreme goalies in Binnington and Connor Hellebuyck going head-to-head, this game could turn into a physical and low-scoring affair.
Pick: Under 5.5 Goals (-125)
Tampa Bay Lightning (-148) at New York Rangers (+124) | O/U 5.5 (-120/+100)
The Lightning have fallen down the Atlantic standings as they've lost back-to-back games. The offense has gone cold in the last two games with just three combined goals, but they did have a 55% expected goal share in the loss against the Senators. This is still one of the better offenses in the league. In the previous four games, they averaged 5.75 goals per game.
Last year, the Rangers were the Presidents’ Trophy winners, but this season, it looks like they could miss the playoffs. They still have a chance, being only six points behind Montreal for the last Wild Card spot. A few aspects that made this team a champion last year aren’t there this year.
Last season, the Rangers were third in power play percentage (26.4); this season, they have dropped to 27th (17.2). The blueline has also regressed in shots allowed, which forced Igor Shesterkin to see the most shots in his career. His 2.86 GAA and .904 save percentage are the worst numbers of his career.
This is an excellent opportunity for a bounce-back for the Bolts against a struggling defense.
Pick: Lightning Moneyline (-148)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Monday:
