Top 3 NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (4/5)
Just six teams hit the ice tonight in the National Hockey League, with all three matchups having playoff implications. Arguably the biggest game on the schedule sees the Flames (87 points) take on the Jets (89 points) as the two sides battle it out for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
Let's break down all three games and get a trio of best bets locked in.
NHL '22-'23 Record: 19-36 (-18.87 Units)
Today's Best NHL Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Calgary Flames (+110) vs. Winnipeg Jets (-130) | O/U 6.0 (-115/-105)
Calgary fans cannot be in a good mood this morning as they fumbled away an easy two points to the Blackhawks last night in Alberta. They would've moved into a tie with the Jets for the final spot instead of where they sit now, still trailing by two points. The Western Conference foes square off tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET from the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Man.
How can you back the Flames after a pitiful performance like last night? They controlled their own destiny and got embarrassed by the worst team in the league on home ice in a 4-3 losing effort. With Calgary coming in on a back-to-back and apparently not interested in trying to compete for the final spot, I'll gladly take the Jets on the moneyline here.
Connor Hellebuyck has been the backbone of this Winnipeg squad, and he's typically known to show up in these big-time games. The Michigan-born netminder has been exceptional at home this season, going 20-10-1 with a 2.27 GAA and .925 SV%. It'll be a tall task for a Flames team that's currently just 16th offensively this year, averaging 3.2 goals per game. Let's back the fresher team at home in this one.
Bet: Winnipeg Jets Moneyline (-130)
Tampa Bay Lightning (+100) vs. New York Rangers (-120) | O/U 6.0 (-110/-110)
The Lightning and Rangers each come into tonight's matchup in third place in their respective divisions. They're both in safe places in the standings and essentially have their first-round matchups etched in stone at this point. However, we're still in for a heavyweight matchup tonight in the Big Apple, as this is a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Final. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden in New York.
I will take a shot with the Lightning with an even-money payout. Tampa Bay seems to be ramping it up at the right time, winning three straight games and outscoring their opponents 14-1 over the time frame. During the sample, star netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy is 3-0-0, and he's stopped an impressive 98 out of 99 shots.
Interestingly, the Bolts actually have the better offense this season as well, ranking ninth overall (3.4 GPG) compared to New York being 10th (3.3 GPG). Tampa Bay also brings in the third-ranked power play (25.3%), while the home side is ninth (22.8%). This one is a coin flip, but I'll lock in Tampa Bay based on the above reasons.
Bet: Tampa Bay Moneyline (+100)
Edmonton Oilers (-340) vs. Anaheim Ducks (+280) | O/U 7.0 (-115/-105)
The NHL slate concludes out west as the red-hot Oilers enter tonight's game at 10-0-1 over their last 11 games. They'll take on a lowly Ducks team that's dropped eight straight games. This Pacific Division matchup is set for 10:00 p.m. ET from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
What's interesting about Anaheim is that over its current eight-game slide, five of the eight matchups have also seen them lose on the puck line. Furthermore, they haven't pushed any games to overtime, meaning they're also pointless during this skid.
On the other hand, the Oilers are riding high right now, outscoring their opponents 51-27 over their 11-game point streak. Included in that streak is a 6-0 victory over the Ducks on Saturday night in Edmonton, Alta. We're in for a similar outcome to what we saw in that tilt over the weekend.
We obviously all know how dynamic Edmonton's offense is, ranking first in both overall offense (4.0 GPG) and power play (32.7%). But, to put in perspective just how good they are on the man advantage, if they can hold at 32.7% for the next four games, they'll finish as the best power play of all time. They would pass the 1977-1978 Canadiens (31.9%) for the record. Let's not overthink this one and take the Oilers on the puck line.
Bet: Edmonton Oilers -1.5 (-135)
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