Who needs the NBA trade deadline? We have seven games on the NHL schedule Thursday, including a matchup of last season's Stanley Cup finalists. Read on for today's NHL Best Bets based on the latest NHL odds.
The Colorado Avalanche visit the Tampa Bay Lightning in a matchup of the last two Stanley Cup champions. The Avs are surging up the standings with one regulation loss in their past nine games, while the Lightning have lost back-to-back games coming out of the All-Star break.
Two other games involve a pair of playoff teams, as the Seattle Kraken take on the suddenly shorthanded New Jersey Devils and the Vegas Golden Knights meet the Minnesota Wild.
Here are our NHL Best Bets for Thursday (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Thursday's NHL schedule and odds
(odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)
- San Jose Sharks (+190) vs. Florida Panthers (-225)
- Edmonton Oilers (-190) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (+160)
- Calgary Flames (-150) vs. Detroit Red Wings (+130)
- Seattle Kraken (+115) vs. New Jersey Devils (-135)
- Vancouver Canucks (+185) vs. New York Islanders (-215)
- Colorado Avalanche (+100) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (-120)
- Vegas Golden Knights (+105) vs. Minnesota Wild (-125)
Thursday's NHL best bets
- Moneyline: Kraken vs. Devils (+115 via BetMGM) ???
- Spread: Islanders -1.5 vs. Canucks (+120 via DraftKings Sportsbook) ????
- Total: Flames-Red Wings Over 6 (-120 via DraftKings Sportsbook) ???
- Prop: Ryan Hartman Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (+102 via FanDuel Sportsbook) ????
Thursday's NHL top picks
The Devils are going to be without leading scorer Jack Hughes, who is week-to-week with an upper-body injury – and that dramatically shifts the value in this pick.
The Kraken and Devils are two of the more analytically-inclined organizations in the league and two of the most improved teams compared to last season.
However, losing Hughes – who has racked up 35 goals and 67 points – creates a big hole in the Devils lineup. While the Devils are one of the top puck possession teams in the league, a player of Hughes' quality is not easily replaced.
It also appears that the Devils will have MacKenzie Blackwood in goal, and that offers little edge against a Kraken goaltending group that ranks 26th with a .891 save percentage.
Seattle has a 16-6-2 record on the road, which could indicate potential value against a Devils team that, even with Hughes, is a mediocre 14-10-2 at the Prudential Center.
The moneyline for the Devils was -160 before news of Blackwood starting and Hughes being out, so there was even more value for the Kraken before that news broke. Ultimately, my preference on this game hinges based on the best player being unavailable.
The uncertainty over the Devils lineup, and how they will adjust without Hughes, is also why this is a three-star pick.
The Islanders are trying to force their way into the playoff picture and have won four straight games, including back-to-back victories since the All-Star break.
Those last two wins have come with newly acquired center Bo Horvat in the lineup and Thursday brings an opportunity for Horvat to play against his former team.
The Islanders have a 16-9-2 record at UBS Arena, with 10 of those 16 wins coming by a margin of two or more goals.
Coming off a 4-3 loss to the Rangers on Wednesday, the Vancouver Canucks are playing the second game of a back-to-back. The Canucks are 4-4-1 in the second game of a back-to-back this season.
Vancouver has gone 10 straight road games without a regulation win and, after a tough game at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, faces a tough matchup with an improving Islanders squad.
There should be plenty of money on the board for the Islanders as Horvat, already signed to a new contract, gets an early revenge game against his former team.
While most of the top-rated sportsbooks have the Islanders on the puck line with a price between +106 and +115, DraftKings is the best option, with the Isles at -1.5 (+120).
Check out our latest Norris Trophy odds!
Depite being average offensively (ranking 16th with 3.09 goals per 60 minutes), the Flames have hit a total of six goals or more in each of their last five games.
Some of that is due to Calgary's own inconsistent goaltending. Backup Daniel Vladar will get the start in Detroit; he has allowed three goals or more in half of his 18 starts.
Goaltending has been an issue for the Red Wings, too.
Ville Husso was signed as a free agent in the offseason, but has not lived up to his 2021-2022 numbers in St. Louis. He has a .900 save percentage and 3.03 goals against average, allowing three goals or more in 12 of 23 home starts.
While neither team is super explosive offensively, the goaltending is hard to trust, so that nudges this game toward the Over.
PointsBet has the best price on the Over at -115 while the rest of the top-rated sportsbooks are not far behind at -118 to -120.
Check out our latest Stanley Cup odds!
Based on this season, Minnesota Wild center Ryan Hartman is not a great source of production.
Hartman has recorded at least three shots on goal in four of 10 home games – but it might be time to reassess, with the veteran forward having moved back to Minnesota's top line between wingers Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello.
Hartman missed 20 games with an upper-body injury but has recorded at least three shots on goal in seven of his past 10 games. That, plus the move to play with Minnesota's best wingers is the reason to back Hartman's shot prop.
The Vegas Golden Knights are getting healthier on the blueline, but have struggled since right winger and team captain Mark Stone was injured. Vegas ranks ninth with 30.9 shots allowed per 60 minutes on the road.
Getting Hartman at plus money under these circumstances is a good play. FanDuel has Hartman going Over at +102. BetMGM has the offering at even money and DraftKings has Hartman Over 2.5 shots at -105. That is enough difference to make FanDuel the best spot for this wager.
NHL Best Bet picks made 2/9/2023 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
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