Let’s dive into the top betting angles NHL’s 13-game Thursday slate, including two long-shot scorers from sides who also present value on the moneyline with the Calgary Flames and Washington Capitals, and make for good pairings breakdown wise. For more of the best NHL bets and NHL props, be sure to check out the OddsShopper tool.
Tonight’s NHL Best Bets
Calgary Flames Moneyline +110, Adam Ruzicka Anytime Goal +400 (Flames versus Lightning):
Even with Jonathan Huberdeau back in the lineup Monday, Ruzicka remained on the Flames top line Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli.
That seemed somewhat surprising, however considering the extent to which that unit has dominated, it actually made a lot of sense and the results were strong yet again versus the Kings.
In a sample of 34.6 minutes together at five-on-five, Lindholm, Toffoli and Ruzicka have completely owned the play, with a 65.9% expected goals for rate. More importantly for this wager, the line has generated an incredible 4.68 expected goals for per 60.
Adam Ruzicka scored again Monday, and the the Flames top unit has now combined to generate 15 points over the last four games, which is massive for a Flames side needing depth scoring, as it allows coach Darryl Sutter to continue to skate the now healthy Jonathan Huberdeau alongside Mikael Backlund and Trevor Lewis.
Chris Tanev has been completely dominant when healthy this season, and Calgary is now 7-3-0 with Tanev in the lineup, versus 0-3-2 when he is not in the lineup, and will suit up for his third straight contest tonight.
Even without Tanev or Huberdeau in the mix Calgary outshot New Jersey, Boston, and New York 99-55 to end it’s three game road trip last week, and the fact that all of those games ended in fairly undeserved losses leads to a better price on today’s game, and Calgary are primed to break it’s road losing skid.
Washington will head in to St. Louis desperate to take advantage of a St. Louis side on night two of a back-to-back, and snap it’s two game losing skid.
The Capitals put together a furious late push versus Florida Tuesday night, and it’s a reasonable expectation that the Capitals can actually control more of the play altogether tonight versus a thin St. Louis defence core skating in it’s third game in four nights.
Whether Washington goes with Darcy Kuemper or Charlie Lindgren in goal that offers an advantage over Thomas Greiss, who owns a -1.5 goals saved above expected rating and .899 save % this season.
Part of Washington’s furious late push versus the Panthers came from the play of Sonny Milano, who generated a game-high 0.76 expected goals by himself.
Whether on the top unit with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov or on line two with Dylan Strome and Marcus Johansson, Milano will top-six minutes and on the second powerplay unit, and should have a strong opportunity to build on his excellent start to his Capitals career with a third goal in four games.
Aliaksei Protas finished Monday night’s game with Kuznetsov and Ovechkin and should he remain there at the morning skate would be another intriguing target at +520 to score, as well as an interesting DFS option at just 2500$.
