Will the Rangers continue to dominate the Penguins? Will the Flames and Canucks combine for enough goals to cash the over? Is the total in tonight’s Avalanche and Golden Knights matchup too high? Check out our Wednesday NHL Best Bets.
Tuesday NHL Best Bets Recap
We got off to a good start on Tuesday, with the selections of the Blues (+120) and the over 6 in the Blackhawks versus Utah Hockey Club matchup. The Blues rallied down two goals in the second period to beat the Kraken, 3-2. The Blackhawks and Utah Hockey Club, meanwhile, combined for seven goals in Utah’s 5-2 victory. Granted, we needed a late goal from Utah to get over the hump, but we got it done.
The only loss was ugly. I took the Bruins-Panthers under 5.5 and the teams combined for 12 goals. Whoops. Still, we’ll take a 2-1 record with an underdog cashing. Let’s roll this into Wednesday’s best bets.
Wednesday NHL Best Bets: New York Rangers -140
The Rangers have owned the Penguins, picking up wins in seven in their last 10 meetings with Pittsburgh. Granted, the Penguins did beat the Rangers 5-2 in the final regular season matchup between the two teams last season, but that snapped Pittsburgh’s four-game losing skid versus New York.
The Rangers had plenty of success in Pittsburgh, too. While they did drop the first meeting between these two teams in Pittsburgh last season (a 3-2 overtime win for the Pens), the Rangers shut out the Penguins 1-0 on November 22 of last year and then hammered the Pens 7-4 on March 16 in Pittsburgh.
The matchup and the number is right to back the Rangers tonight.
Wednesday NHL Best Bets: Flames/Canucks over 6
These two teams met six times last season and the over was 2-1-1. The only time the over didn’t cash or push, was on April 16 in Vancouver when the two teams combined for “only” five goals to fall short of the six-goal number. That said, the Canucks scored two goals in the opening period and the two teams combined for two goals in the third period. Had it not been for a one-goal second period, the over was trending in that game, too.
In the last 10 meetings between these two teams, the over is 6-3-1.
Wednesday NHL Best Bets: Avalanche/Golden Knights under 6.5
Oddsmakers love to set the number for this matchup way too high. I get it: Both teams can score in a blink, especially Colorado. But the trends don’t provide optimism for a high-scoring game tonight in Las Vegas.
The under is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between these two squads. In fact, there was a stretch between October 26, 2021 and February 23, 2023 that the under hit six consecutive times when these two teams met.
Given Vegas’ defensive prowess and, at times, its lack of scoring, I see the under cashing tonight between the Aves and Knights.