The NHL has a massive 12-game slate available to bet on Thursday night. It’s an exciting time in the NHL, with most teams competing for playoff seeding during the final third of the regular season. After an extended break due to the 4 Nations Face-Off international hockey tournament, let’s jump right back into the action.
My last NHL best bets from late January went 1-1. The Islanders shut out the Flyers 3-0 to cash their -125 moneyline odds, while Ottawa and Washington engaged in a shockingly high-scoring affair, that saw the Senators record a 5-4 win in overtime, blowing under 5.5 total goals out of the water early in the 3rd period.
I’ve got two wagers to place on tonight’s NHL matchups. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more NHL free bets and weekly analysis.
Thursday’s NHL Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Detroit Red Wings
We’ve got a game with massive playoff implications in the Eastern Conference tonight when the Detroit Red Wings host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both teams currently sit in the two Wild Card seeds and both are coming off of impressive wins against the Wild and Stars.
Columbus ranks fifth in the NHL in goals scored per game (3.29) compared to Detroit, sitting at 2.90 per game. The Red Wings have had the edge with their goaltending and also benefit from home ice tonight. However, the Blue Jackets are 5-0 SU in their last five games and 4-1 ATS playing the Red Wings on the road.
Something has to give here and I’ll give the edge to the superior offense. Let’s bet a unit on Columbus as a sizable underdog tonight in a high-stakes matchup to pull off the road win in Hockeytown.
Pick: Blue Jackets Moneyline (+134)
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Philadelphia just beat the brakes off of Pittsburgh 6-1 at home on Tuesday night. I don’t want to pick a side in this game but there is an edge to exploit in this rematch.
Nedeljkovic just got blasted by the Flyers two nights ago, allowing six goals on 38 shots faced. I expect a bounce-back effort from the Penguins’ goaltender as a home underdog. The Flyers have benefitted from Ersson’s play in the net lately, holding three straight opponents to a combined six goals.
Pittsburgh has scored two goals, three goals, three goals, and one goal in their last four games played. Ersson is going to be tough to get past tonight, even at home for the Penguins, who are playing without much playoff aspirations.
Let’s bet a unit on Ersson to remain solid in between the pipes and limit Pittsburgh to two or fewer goals at +120 odds.
Pick: Penguins Under 2.5 Total Goals (+120)
Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
