Top 2 NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (12/8)
We have a small five-game slate of hockey on Thursday with some great matchups. Below, I give out my two best bets for Thursday’s NHL slate.
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Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
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Nashville Predators (+160) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (-190) | O/U 6.5 (+100/-120)
The Atlantic Division’s Tampa Bay Lightning host the Central Division’s Nashville Predators on Thursday night. These two teams met on November 19 as the Bolts won 3-2 in overtime.
However, this contest could go differently now that backup goaltender Brian Elliott will get the start instead of Andrei Vasilevskiy. Elliott possesses a .886 SV% and 3.62 GAA through six starts this season.
He has allowed three or more goals in five of those six outings, a trend that could continue considering how Tampa has looked defensively this season. At 5v5, they rank just 21st in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60).
While Nashville’s offense is far from elite, they are due for some positive regression. At 5v5, the Preds rank 27th in the league in goals for per 60 minutes (GF/60) but 18th in xGF/60.
This expected positive regression started to come to fruition in December, with Nashville scoring four goals in each of their last two wins, which were against an elite New Jersey defense and one of the best goaltenders on the planet in Ilya Sorokin. Facing a Tampa defense that has struggled and backup goaltender Brian Elliott, the Preds should be able to keep rolling offensively.
Best Bet: Predators Team Total Over 2.5 (-130)
Winnipeg Jets (-120) @ St. Louis Blues (+100) | O/U 6 (-110/-110)
We have a Central Division tilt with the sixth-place St. Louis Blues hosting the first-place Winnipeg Jets. While St. Louis snapped its four-game losing streak with a 7-4 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday, the defense looks terrible.
The Blues have now allowed four or more goals in eight straight games, a trend that should continue on Thursday night. At 5v5, St. Louis ranks just 24th in the league in xGA/60.
With an aging blue line that is thin due to the pre-season injuries to Marco Scandella and Scott Perunovich, this team bleeds high-danger scoring chances to their opposition every night. Backing up this defense is goaltender Jordan Binnington, who has had a forgettable season thus far.
Through 20 starts, he is 9-11 with a .889 SV% and 3.42 GAA. Based on his metrics, things are not likely to get better for Binnington as he ranks 25th among starting goaltenders in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (GSAx/60) at 5v5.
His poor play may continue tonight, as Binnington has allowed four goals in each of his last two starts against Winnipeg. Meanwhile, the Jets have been cooking offensively, as they have scored four or more goals in five of their last six games.
Best Bet: Jets Team Total Over 3.5 (+130)
Best of luck!
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Tony Sartori is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Tony, check out his archive and follow him @tony_sartori.