We have a stacked 10-game slate of hockey Thursday with some great matchups. There are many betting angles to attack as I give out my best bets below.
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Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Toronto Maple Leafs (-130) @ Dallas Stars (+110), o/u 6.5 (-115/-105)
The Atlantic Division’s second-place Toronto Maple Leafs travel to Dallas to take on the Central Division’s fifth-place Stars. This game is the second meeting between these two teams this season, as the Maple Leafs won the first matchup 4-0 a few weeks ago.
Dallas has the opportunity to get revenge on home ice, which is precisely what I think they will do. This is a massive game for the Stars as they are just one point ahead of Vegas in the last playoff spot.
The Stars are a different team at home this season as they are 22-9-1 at the American Airlines Center. On the flip side, 16 of Toronto’s 25 losses have come on the road this season.
As a home underdog this season, the Stars are 5-2. Meanwhile, when priced as the betting favorite, the Maple Leafs are just 5-7 over their last 12 road games.
Best Bet: Dallas Stars ML (+110)
Edmonton Oilers (-130) @ Los Angeles Kings (+110), o/u 6.5 (-105/-115)
We have a Pacific Division tilt as the second-place Edmonton Oilers travel to Los Angeles to take on the third-place Kings. This is the fourth meeting between these two teams this season, as the Oilers have won two of the first three matchups.
That being said, I like Los Angeles to even up the season series in this game. Cal Petersen is the projected starting goaltender for the Kings and solidifies himself as the number one option for the playoffs.
Petersen has allowed two or fewer goals in eight of his last 13 starts, posting a solid 0.908 save percentage. While Edmonton enters this contest amidst a five-game win streak, they are due for some regression in the goals-allowed department.
Over their last five games, the Oilers have given up just 2.2 goals per game despite ranking 23rd in the league in five-on-five expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA) this season. Not only is this a good revenge spot for Los Angeles following their 4-3 loss at Edmonton just last week, but Edmonton could also fall into a look-ahead trap as they host the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
Best Bet: Los Angeles Kings ML (+110)
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.