Break out the brooms, ladies and gentlemen, we're coming off of a perfect 3-0 night with last night's best bets! Let's try to stay hot and navigate tonight's five-game NHL slate. Here are my three favorite NHL bets for Wednesday.
Wednesday's NHL Best Bets
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Washington Capitals (-125) at New York Rangers (+104) | O/U 5.5 (-130/+106)
The action opens up in the Big Apple, where the Rangers (31-26-4) are set to host the Capitals (39-14-8) in a Metropolitan Division tilt. This marquee matchup is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden in New York, NY.
While the Caps (86 points) are in the running for the Presidents’ Trophy, the truth is that they simply haven't been playing great lately. Washington is in the midst of a 1-3-0 stretch, and it took a shootout effort to beat Ottawa (5-4) last time out. It's been their defense that's been struggling recently, where they've conceded an average of 3.8 goals per contest during the four-game stretch.
Meanwhile, the Blue Shirts are heating up, going 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. They've won back-to-back games, out-scoring their opponents 8-0 during the sample size. Being that New York is at home (16-3-2 at home this year) and trending upward, I think it's worth a flier on them with a plus-money payout.
Bet: Rangers Moneyline (+104)
Toronto Maple Leafs (+120) at Vegas Golden Knights (-144) | O/U 6.5 (+110/-134)
Let's head out to Sin City for the other TNT game of the night, where the Maple Leafs (38-20-3) are set to square off against the Golden Knights (36-18-6). Both teams sit atop their respective divisions, and this matchup is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
T-Mobile Arena has truly become a fortress for the Golden Knights. They're an impressive 22-6-3 (70.1% win rate) on home ice this season, and they've won their last three home games. I'm fine with laying the juice with Vegas in this spot.
I don't have a ton of anti-Toronto data, mainly because they’ve been playing exceptional, championship-caliber hockey under Coach Craig Berube. However, two areas of weakness could expose them tonight. First, it's their penalty-killing unit, which is a pedestrian 15th in the NHL (79.44%). That's not terrible, but with Vegas boasting the third-best power-play unit (28.47%), it could ultimately be the difference maker.
The other issue I have with the Leafs is that they're 29th in defensive-zone giveaways (392), and if they're not making smart plays to exit the zone, then this opportunistic, veteran Knights bunch will likely take advantage. I'll ride with the home team in this one.
Bet: Golden Knights Moneyline (-144)
Anaheim Ducks (+195) at Vancouver Canucks (-240) | O/U 5.5 (-118/-104)
The Ducks (27-26-7) are fresh off of a 6-2 rout of the Oilers last night, and they'll try to keep things rolling when they make the trip southwest to take on the Canucks (27-22-11). This Pacific Division clash is set for 10:30 p.m. ET from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC.
Anaheim rode with Lukas Dostal in last night's win over Edmonton, which means it'll very likely be John Gibson's turn to handle the goaltending responsibilities in this one. However, there's not much that separates these two, as Gibson has logged an impressive 2.81 GAA and identical .911 SV% this year. Overall, Anaheim is seventh in team SV% (.904), which is pretty solid considering they're constantly under siege in their own zone.
There's a chance that it's a relatively light night for Anaheim's defense tonight. They're taking on a Vancouver squad that's just 28th in scoring (2.7 GPG), 27th in high-danger shots (186), and 31st in expected goals per 60 minutes (2.63). On the other hand, the Ducks are 29th in scoring (2.6 GPG) and 31st on the power play (12.42%), and they're squaring off against a Canucks team that has faced the fourth-fewest high-danger shots (190). All things considered, I think it's best to play the under in this divisional contest.
Bet: Under 5.5 Goals (-104)
