Betting lines are up and moving quickly for the NHL’s six-game slate Friday, and there projects to be some obvious value with what will be three notably chalky plays on this slate. Let’s dive into the three legs of the best NHL parlay on DraftKings.
Tonight’s NHL Parlay Bet | October 28
Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 (+155)
This number is moving fast, as this sets up as a terrible spot for a Vancouver Canucks team that has defended very poorly in the early going and is now short numerous meaningful pieces. Vancouver has allowed 4.25 goals per game this season, and while analytically that number is due for decline, it does not seem likely it will be tonight, with the Canucks icing a lineup without Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser and likely J.T. Miller.
The Penguins have generated the league’s most expected goals per 60 and have been rewarded where it matters with the most goals per game in the NHL. Pittsburgh is on an ideal amount of rest, having last played Tuesday against Edmonton, and after back-to-back losses against the strong Alberta teams, the Penguins seem to be well set up for a bounce back in this spot.
Pittsburgh is going to cover the puck line more often than a long number of +155 suggests, and this is simply an obvious play to move on early.
Bruins-Blue Jackets Over 6.5 (+100)
Backing Blue Jackets games to go over the game total was wildly profitable to bettors a season ago, and that trend seems to have no end in sight at the beginning of this 2022-23 campaign. The over has cashed in 6 of 8 Jackets matchups thus far, with the game total averaging at a sky-high mark 7.25 over that time.
A high combined total simply seems to be likely given the personnel on hand for the Blue Jackets, as the goaltending tandem of Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov projects to play to well below average behind a poor defensive team this season. Patrik Laine playing a key role is always going to make games more likely to trend higher, as he obviously holds a special ability to put the puck in the net but is simply terrible on defense. Defender Erik Gudbranson has struggled this season and is an example of several pieces that could struggle in a matchup against a Bruins offence which has generated 4.25 goals for per game this season.
While Boston’s games are going to be a lower scoring than average this season, this does not set up as a spot for that to continue either. Columbus could take advantage of playing a rested home game against a road team on a back-to-back.
Columbus head coach Brad Larsen will push sharper defensive play after an ugly 6-3 loss to the Coyotes last time out, but the horses may simply not be in the stable for Columbus to keep this high-powered Bruins in check.
Arizona will take the ice at home for the first time this season, playing in front of what could be a notably raucous crowd of roughly 5,000 people from a multi-purpose arena on Arizona State’s campus.
The Jets’ defensive play has improved thus far under new head coach Rick Bowness, yet it still seems to be middling at best, with the 14th-most expected goals allowed per 60 (3.29) through seven games. The roster still holds some lackluster pieces in that department, which could be exposed in time.
More importantly for tonight’s game, the Jets will most likely be starting backup goalie David Rittich, who offers a significant drop-off compared to regular starter Connor Hellebuyck. Rittich played to 7.5 goals saved below expected and an .887 save percentage last year with the Predators, and his tenure with the Jets has started off comparably, with 1.8 goals saved below expected and a .871 save percentage in his only appearance.
Arizona could be well situated to put up some offence in this spot, but it has been one of the worst defensive teams in the league — 3.95 expected goals allowed per 60 and 4.83 actual goals per game. Winnipeg has some very capable scorers and a top-six forward corps that poses a tough matchup for the lowly Coyotes, even with Nikolaj Ehlers remaining sidelined.
