Will the Blues’ struggles continue in Philadelphia on Thursday night? Will the Canadiens-Capitals matchup turn into a high-scoring affair? Can the Oilers overcome the injury to Connor McDavid for one night? Check out our NHL Prediction & Best Bets for Thursday night.
Thursday NHL Prediction: Philadelphia Flyers (-135), 7:00 p.m. ET
I backed the Blues on Tuesday night in Ottawa and they got their ass handed to them by the Senators, 8-1. St. Louis beat Toronto last Thursday in its first game without top-line center Robert Thomas but has since dropped two straight. The Blues weren’t competitive in either game either, as they were also hammered by the Canadiens, 5-2. Their depth is being tested and they were an average team coming into the season.
As for the Flyers, they dropped six in a row at one point, but have played better hockey of late. They too lost to the Canadiens 4-3 on October 27, but sandwiched victories around that defeat. They beat the Wild 7-5 on October 26 and in their latest contest, shutout the Bruins 2-0 in Boston.
Thursday NHL Prediction: Canadiens-Capitals over 6, 7:00 p.m. ET
In the last 10 meetings between these two teams, the over is 8-2. They met twice in February of last season and the teams combined for seven goals in each contest. Montreal has been cashing the over for bettors consistently this season. The Habs have cashed five straight overs dating back to their 4-3 shootout loss to the Islanders on October 24. They just allowed eight goals to Seattle and have surrendered at least three goals in four out of their last five contests. They’ve also scored at least three goals in three out of their last five contests.
On the other side, the over has hit in three out of the Capitals’ last five games, including in their last 5-3 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday.
Thursday NHL Prediction: Edmonton Oilers +110, 8:00 p.m. ET
The Oilers lost Connor McDavid for two to three weeks with an ankle injury. The shock of losing McDavid may have played into their 6-1 loss to the Blue Jackets on Monday night. That said, I expect Edmonton to rebound tonight in Nashville. The Oilers are 8-2 in their last 10 games versus the Predators. They just met in Nashville on October 17 and the Oilers won 4-2 as a -120 moneyline favorite. Losing McDavid is a huge blow, but I expect the Oilers to rebound.