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Top NHL Odds, Picks, & Predictions: Thursday (2/8)

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We’re back with a brand-new edition of Top NHL Picks! Following the All-Star Weekend held in Toronto, where Auston Matthews scored twice to win All-Star Game MVP in front of his home fanbase at Scotiabank Arena, we’ve got a seven-game slate to enjoy on Thursday night.

The NHL playoff race is officially underway with roughly two months left until the regular season wraps up. There’s no clear-cut favorite to hoist the Stanley Cup as of right now, as several high-caliber teams, Colorado, Boston, and Florida, all lost outright in their first game back from the All-Star break. Of course, this doesn’t mean these aren’t championship contenders. However, it does show the parity in the league and how an extended break, while good for rest, can derail momentum amongst players and teams.

The last time we had a slate to bet, we only managed to go 1-2, as Detroit waited to start their scoring in the second period instead of the first period. The Minnesota Wild also blew a 1-0 lead to Nashville, losing outright at home with a third-period meltdown. Fortunately, we still cashed a Nikita Kucherov anytime goal scorer prop at -105 odds against Arizona to avoid going 0-3.

There are several great betting lines to wager ahead of Thursday's seven-game NHL slate. Make sure to follow Matt MacKay on Twitter to get more free plays and NHL best bets.

Thursday's NHL Best Bets

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

Philadelphia Flyers (+116) vs. Winnipeg Jets (-140) | O/U 5.5 (-115/-105)

We’re starting off with a plus odds wager on the Philadelphia Flyers. Returning home from a successful road trip to Florida, beating the Panthers in a comeback effort after falling down 1-0 in the first period, this Flyers team has gained momentum out of the All-Star Weekend. It allowed Owen Tippett to get healthy, and his presence, although he didn’t record a point against the Panthers, boosts the Flyers’ offense considerably.

Winnipeg is trending downward, as the Jets were shut out by Pittsburgh 3-0 during their first game post-All-Star break. Connor Hellebuyck has surrendered three goals in three consecutive starts and the Jets only rank 16th in goals per game scored, averaging 3.08 per contest. Philadelphia goalie Samuel Ersson has become the primary netminder, holding the Panthers’ potent offense to one goal against 21 shots faced. Ersson also recorded his third shutout of the season on the road against the Jets last month, which bodes well for the Flyers’ outright odds.

Philadelphia has beaten Winnipeg in nine of their last ten matchups at home in front of Flyers fans at Wells Fargo Center. They’ve also beaten the Jets in four consecutive head-to-head matchups, including the road win lats month. At plus odds, we’re obligated to stake a unit on the Flyers to win outright to improve to 2-0 out of the All-Star break.

Bet: Flyers Moneyline (+116)

Florida Panthers (-245) vs. Washington Capitals (+198) | O/U 5.5 (-132/+108)

Florida’s coming off of a bad home loss to Philadelphia and will host the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. The Panthers were outplayed in every facet in the final two periods against the Flyers, but now, they get Sergei Bobrovsky back in the crease, which should boost their overall momentum and confidence.

Most importantly in this game, we’re focused on the porous goaltending Washington rosters. The Capitals expect to start Charlie Lindgren in goal, who has a lackluster 2.70 GAA through 18 starts. Lindgren has surrendered 14 goals in his past three starts, including a 5-2 loss against Montreal on Monday. This plays right into betting on Florida’s leading goal scorer, Sam Reinhart, to get the job done after failing to record a shot in Monday’s loss for only the third time this season.

Reinhart leads the Panthers with 37 goals and has scored in 12 of his last 14 games played. Lindgren is a soft matchup to take advantage of, plus, Reinhart has scored a goal against the Capitals in four consecutive matchups. At +110 odds, we’re definitely making this the top anytime goal scorer prop on Thursday’s slate.

Bet: Sam Reinhart Anytime Goal Scorer (+110)

Tampa Bay Lightning (+105) vs. New York Islanders (-126) | O/U 6.5 (-104/-118)

The third and final game we’re targeting on Thursday features the Tampa Bay Lightning on the road against the New York Islanders. The Lightning swarmed the Rangers on Wednesday night in the opening period, with Nikita Kucherov ripping a shot off of the post, winding up 0-0. Then, the Rangers poured in two second period goals to build an insurmountable lead, resulting in a 3-1 loss for the Lightning.

Tampa Bay hasn’t fared well on the second leg of a back-to-back as underdogs, which they once again find themselves priced at against the New York Islanders. The Islanders recorded an impressive 3-2 win over Toronto on the road in their first game back from the All-Star break. New York is 28-20-2 in favor of the goal total over this season, with the Lightning surprisingly 23-25-3 toward the under.

Six of the past seven games the Islanders have played at home against Eastern Conference teams have gone over the total goals line, which is set to 6.5. It’s the first matchup of the season for both opponents, with the goal total hitting over 6.5 in three of their four previous head-to-head matchups. The Lightning plan on starting backup Jonas Johansson, who has a porous 3.34 GAA and .894 save percentage. Islanders’ goaltender Ilya Sorokin also sits at 3.13 GAA in 29 starts, allowing three-plus goals in four of his past six starts.

The Lightning will be motivated and have a strong offensive attack, plus the Islanders are heating up their own offense following the hiring of Patrick Roy as head coach. Let’s stake a unit and wager over 6.5 total goals in what projects to be an exciting Eastern Conference matchup on Thursday night.

Bet: Over 6.5 Total Goals (-104)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:


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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.

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