Thursday's NHL slate offers plenty of betting opportunities, and we're here to break down the best matchups and player props. From a marquee showdown between the New Jersey Devils and the red-hot Los Angeles Kings to an intriguing underdog play with the Chicago Blackhawks facing the New York Islanders, there's value to be found. We'll highlight why the Devils are worth backing despite recent struggles, why the Blackhawks are a sneaky upset pick, and why Jack Hughes is primed to find the back of the net. Let’s dive into the action and uncover the best bets for tonight’s games.
Devils (18-10-3) ML vs. Kings (17-8-3): -150, BetMGM
Pretty Large NHL slate tonight for us to dive into, but I’ll start out here with my favorite wager of the night. I really like New Jersey to get the win at home against the surging Los Angeles Kings, so much so that I am willing to lay some juice here with them to do it. I know this is a steep price, but it is steep for a reason, and I am willing to wager a lot of money will be placed on the Kings at a plus money price.
Los Angeles comes into this matchup having won five straight games and covering in four straight, red hot on both sides of the puck and outscoring their opponents 17-7 in that span. Adrian Kempe has been on fire, scoring three times in their last four games, and veteran Anze Kopitar continues to be a point producing machine. They have been getting great goaltending from David Rittich, who owns a 2.45 GA/G (10th) and .891 SV% (40th), and they have the best defense in the NHL. They are allowing just 24 shots per game, which is simply incredible. I’ve harped on them for years as one of my favorite futures bets, and they will have another great chance this season.
The Devils have lost two straight games to the Avalanche and Maple Leafs, and have scored just a single goal between both games. That is very unlike them, as they are scoring 3.32 goals per game as one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL. This feels like a great opportunity to back them on a cold streak against such a hot team like the Kings. A majority of people are going to see what the Kings have been doing, look at the two straight losses for New Jersey, and take L.A. at plus money. I think that is a terrible strategy in general, as you always want to buy low and sell high. There is a reason that the Devils are favorites here.
I’ll also back Jack Hughes to score a goal here at +200 on FanDuel. He doesn’t lead the team in goals, but he leads them in shots, and we all know how aggressive he is on offense. The Kings do a great job limiting shots, but even they will find it difficult to contain Hughes, and this just correlates with a Devils win.
Blackhawks (9-17-2) ML at Islanders (11-12-7): +160, DraftKings
One underdog that I have already bet for tonight is the Chicago Blackhawks, who I bet yesterday afternoon when the game opened at +170. They are down to +160 for their best price now, and some places are as low as +150. There are several reasons for this that involve both of these clubs.
Chicago fired head coach Luke Richardson, as the team was drastically underperforming and young phenom Connor Bedard was regressing. In comes Anders Sorenson, the first Swedish born NHL head coach, from Rockford which is their AHL affiliate. In his two games as coach, he is 1-1, but I have seen a very noticeable difference in the team. They are actually winning faceoffs at a reasonable rate, and have been far more aggressive, which is a complete contrast to Richardson’s conservative style of play. This team is never going to win this season, so the best thing you can do is develop these young players for the next few years when you could be competitive again.
The Islanders are about as mid of a hockey team as you can get. They can’t score as usual, putting up just 2.53 goals per game, and are winning games based on defense. Ilya Sorokin has been great once again in the net, with a 2.58 GA/G and .912 SV%, but he hasn’t been the brick wall we have seen in the past. It feels like New York is just stuck in the mud with the current roster that they have, and at 11-12-7, I’d be calling for a rebuild if I was the fans. It is much better to be at the top or bottom of the league than the middle.
At huge plus money, I like taking a shot on a Blackhawks team that I think will improve with Sorenson’s coaching and scheme in place.
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