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NHL Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (3/2)

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We have a stacked 10-game slate of hockey on Thursday with some great matchups. Below, I give out my two best bets for Thursday’s NHL slate.

Also, take a look at our other best bets for Thursday:

View 5-star bets and historical prop performance by players with our Prop Bet Analyzer >>

Thursday’s Best NHL Bets

Follow me on Twitter to get all my plays on days without full write-ups.

Ottawa Senators (+143) @ New York Rangers (-175) | O/U 6.5 (-113/-108)

To kick off Thursday’s slate, future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane makes his New York Rangers debut as they host the Ottawa Senators. A dynamic playmaker, Kane rejoins winger Artemi Panarin to re-connect one of the most dominant pairings the league saw back when they both played in Chicago.

Their chemistry was immediate when wearing the red sweater, and Panarin has improved immensely in the years apart. It is uncertain whether Panarin and Kane will re-unite on the same line (most likely), but they definitely will work together on the first power play unit.

That pairing should once again be problematic for Ottawa, a team that ranks 28th in the league in penalty minutes. Additionally, the Senators rank in the bottom half of the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at 5-on-5.

Backing up this defense is goaltender Cam Talbot, who is slated to get the nod between the pipes for Ottawa. A fade-worthy netminder, Talbot ranks just 29th among starting goaltenders in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (GSAx/60) at 5-on-5.

Specifically, we are going to back Panarin to find the back of the net now that he is reunited with Kane against a below-average Senators defense and goaltender. Even if those two are not paired, Panarin is still a great threat to score, registering seven goals over his last nine games and four over his last eight against the Sens.

Best Bet: Artemi Panarin 1+ Goals (+205 via BetRivers)

St. Louis Blues (-107) @ San Jose Sharks (-114) | O/U 6.5 (-106/-115)

In Thursday’s nightcap, there is a Western Conference tilt with the Pacific Division’s San Jose Sharks hosting the Central Division’s St. Louis Blues. Simply put, the Blues are terrible.

At 5-on-5, they rank just 27th in the league in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60) and 29th in xGA/60. While the Sharks are not world-beaters by any means, they rank much higher in each category.

At 5-on-5, San Jose ranks ninth in the league in xGF/60 and 18th in xGA/60. In terms of goaltending, this matchup is a wash between Jordan Binnington and James Reimer.

In fact, they both possess identical save percentages and GAAs. The Sharks are better offensively and defensively and boast a home-ice advantage.

San Jose is a slightly better team than its record indicates, while the Blues are going to continue to tank following their fire sale at the trade deadline, and -114 is too good of a price to pass up for the home side in this contest.

Best Bet: Sharks ML (-114 via BetRivers)

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.