Thursday may very well be one of the crucial vital nights of your entire NHL season.
9 video games are on the schedule, all that includes no less than one staff combating for one thing as we enter the final fortnight of the common season.
Nights like these are at all times rife with betting alternatives, particularly for the reason that market tends to overreact to groups in must-win conditions.
We’ll spotlight just a few of these, plus one other spot value sprinkling on what needs to be a terrific night time on the ice.
Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens
This can be a basic contest between one staff with every little thing to play for and one other that may’t anticipate the season to finish. So, anticipate the betting market to react accordingly.
And whereas it’s laborious to abdomen the concept of betting on the skidding Bruins — a staff with nothing to play for and staring down their first last-place end in 18 years — the reality is that they will be undervalued on this spot.
It might seem to be there’s a giant hole between these two groups as a result of one is the discuss of the league whereas the opposite is sinking into irrelevance, however the actuality is that we’re simply coping with two middling groups — one simply occurs to be within the playoff race.
The Habs are fairly the story and have a vivid future, however they’re on tempo to complete with 87 factors. Don’t overreact simply because they’re in a must-win state of affairs on Thursday night time.
The choose: Bruins +150 (BetMGM Sportsbook).
Colorado Avalanche at Columbus Blue Jackets
Just like the Habs, the Blue Jackets had been anticipated to complete close to the basement of their division however have flipped the percentages and now discover themselves within the thick of the playoff race.
Colorado, in the meantime, is simply ready for the common season to finish. The Avalanche are all however assured to complete within the No. 3 spot within the Central Division and have little or no to realize or lose from their ultimate six video games.
That is additionally a tough schedule spot for the Avalanche, who had been in Chicago on Wednesday and can be enjoying their third recreation in 4 nights throughout three time zones.
The Jackets are a flawed staff that may be uncovered in their very own finish, however they’ve the offensive chops to skate with the Avs, particularly if Colorado just isn’t at its greatest.
Columbus is coming off an eight-goal outburst in Nashville and appears reenergized with Sean Monahan again within the lineup.
Whereas the Habs-Bruins line seems like an overreaction to the narrative, this seems like a spot the place you’d wish to be on the identical aspect because the staff with every little thing at stake.
The choose: Blue Jackets +138 (Fanatics Sportsbook).
Pittsburgh Penguins at St. Louis Blues
The Blues had been irrelevant for the primary 4 months of the season, however a 10-game successful streak on the excellent time has modified every little thing.
As soon as a playoff lengthy shot, the Blues are actually locked into the primary wild-card spot and appear to be an actual risk to make some noise within the playoffs.
That being mentioned, these odds are simply manner too broad.
Betting on the NHL?
St. Louis is in a significantly better place than Pittsburgh proper now and will very nicely blow the doorways off the leaky Pens, however the guests are enjoying some respectable stuff currently.
Pittsburgh is 6-3-1 in its previous 10 and has wins over Minnesota, Vegas, St. Louis, the Devils, Columbus, and Ottawa in that span.
All of these groups are headed to — or combating for — the playoffs.
Don’t be shocked if Pittsburgh is the staff to finish the Blues successful streak.
The choose: Pittsburgh +176 (Bet365).
