NHL Odds, Picks, & Predictions: Thursday (4/10)
Thursday night’s NHL slate has a few quality games for fans and sports bettors to enjoy. We’ll dive into two of these matchups and look to bounce back from an 0-2 outing last Thursday.
Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more NHL free bets and weekly analysis during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Thursday’s NHL Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders
The Rangers and Islanders are two of four teams in an Eastern Conference logjam at 79 points. Montreal currently has 87 points in the second Wild Card seed thanks to a six-game win streak. With only four to five regular season games left, it’s go-time for both of these New York franchises.
The Islanders will have Marcus Hogberg in the net tonight. Hogberg has not played well lately, allowing nine goals in his last two starts. He was pulled after 21 minutes during a 7-6 overtime loss to Nashville on April 8th that really hurt the Islanders’ chances of catching the Canadiens.
Igor Shesterkin is expected in between the pipes for the Rangers. He’s also been a bit of a turnstyle lately, allowing three to five goals in four straight starts. The Rangers are 1-3-1 in their last five starts with Shesterkin in the net.
Someone has to win this game and I lean toward the Rangers as slight underdogs on the road at UBS Arena. The Rangers have won all three head-to-head matchups played against the Islanders this season. They won 5-1 at UBS Arena in February and shutout the Islanders 4-0 at Madison Square Garden last month.
The Rangers are riding a three-game losing skid but should be able to get a much-needed win tonight against a team they’ve dominated all season. Let’s bet a unit on the New York Rangers moneyline at -102 odds.
Pick: Rangers Moneyline (-102)
Winnipeg Jets vs. Dallas Stars
Two of the best teams in the NHL go head-to-head tonight when the Dallas Stars host the Winnipeg Jets. The Stars just went through a historic meltdown, blowing a 5-2 lead in the final minute of regulation against Vancouver, winding up losing 6-5 in overtime on home ice in their last game played.
The Jets are expected to start Hart Memorial Trophy favorite Connor Hellebuyck in the net tonight, while Jake Oettinger is confirmed as Dallas’ goaltender. The Stars are 6-1 SU with Oettinger in the crease since March 18th, however, he did lose his last start during a 3-2 overtime loss on the road against Minnesota.
Winnipeg is 2-1 SU against Dallas this season. The Stars defended home ice successfully during a 3-1 win in December, while losing 4-1 both times on the road against the Jets.
Defense and quality goaltending will be on full display between the Jets and Stars tonight. Both teams have plenty of scoring depth and talent but I’m going to recommend betting a unit on under 5.5 total goals at -110 odds. Expect the Stars to clean up their miscues, while Winnipeg hasn’t gone over 5.5 total goals in five straight games.
Pick: Under 5.5 Total Goals (-110)
Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.