Top 2 NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (10/26)
Only six teams take the ice tonight in the National Hockey League and the action gets underway as early as 7:30 p.m. ET. It’s a battle for superiority in New York as the Rangers take on the Islanders on Long Island. Then we head to St. Louis for a clash between the Oilers and Blues before wrapping up out west with the Lightning taking on the Ducks. Below I’ve narrowed in on my top two NHL bets for tonight.
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook
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New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders
The expectations are high for each of these Metropolitan Division foes; however, they’re both riding three-game losing streaks coming into this game. The Rangers were on the wrong end of a shootout loss to the Avalanche last night, while the Islanders lost 3-2 to the Panthers on Sunday. The puck drop for tonight’s game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from UBS Arena.
I am going to back the Isles tonight on the moneyline for several crucial reasons. For starters, New York is coming off of that marathon game last night with the Avalanche. That leads me to believe that Igor Shesterkin will be on the bench tonight, and Jaroslav Halak will step up to handle the goaltending responsibilities. The 37-year-old netminder is 0-2-0 on the year with a 4.04 GAA and just a .852 SV%. Even though we don’t typically associate the Islanders with having a dominant offense, they should be able to secure two or three goals tonight, and I think that’ll be enough to get it done.
Ilya Sorokin will likely get the start in net for the Isles, and personally, I believe this guy to be mildly underrated. He’s just 1-3-0 from a record standpoint, but he boasts a 2.84 GAA and .908 SV%. I think he’s just outside of the top-tier goaltenders with guys like Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy. I expect Sorokin to stonewall the Rangers tonight, and the Isles should be able to drum up just enough offense to get the win. Let’s back the Islanders on the moneyline tonight.
Bet: New York Islanders Moneyline (-110 via Caesars)
Edmonton Oilers vs. St. Louis Blues
Two Western Conference powerhouses go toe-to-toe tonight in St. Louis as the Blues host the Oilers. These teams just played on Saturday, and the Blues came away with a 2-0 victory behind a 23-save shutout from Jordan Binnington. This one gets underway tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET from the Enterprise Center.
I like how this Blues team is shaping up through the early part of the season, and I’m going to lock them in on the moneyline tonight. Binnington has been excellent to start the year and comes into tonight’s game at 3-0-0 with a 1.65 GAA and .940 SV% over three starts. While he’s certainly shown how fantastic he can be between the pipes, he doesn’t deserve all of the credit. St. Louis is very impressive in the defensive zone with Nick Leddy, Colton Parayko, Torey Krug, and Justin Faulk. These veteran defensemen are exactly what you need if you want to beat a team like Edmonton. Their experience and structure is the key to their success. They sent Edmonton to the power play just once on Saturday, and they shut them down. St. Louis is now a perfect 22-22 (100%) on the penalty kill to start the year.
We can expect another low-scoring affair tonight in St. Louis, and I would like for the Blues to collect the two points. As I mentioned, they’re the more structured team and have the physicality to dominate this top-heavy Oilers team. Let’s ride with the home team in this one.
Bet: St. Louis Blues Moneyline (-104 via Caesars)
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