NHL Best Bets (12/29): Top Game Lines To Target
After a few days of no hockey, we are suddenly three days back into it here as we have a nice 11-game slate to dig into. This time around, I am strictly looking at my five favorite game betting lines for tomorrow as I write this late Wednesday night. I will list the current odds at the best numbers and lines I am finding from right now to the worst odds I would play on them later. Note that I am on the more strict or particularly picky side when it comes to what kind of odds I take, you’ll literally never see a “-180” moneyline favorite as a straight bet on my card. The NHL is fickle, random, and loaded with variance, so I don’t see the point in backing huge favorites, especially if your goal in the long term is to make money.
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NHL Game Lines To Target
Vancouver at Winnipeg, Over 6.5 Goals at +100, to -120
The Canucks come in winners of their last three straight while also the over-total hitting in all those same games, while the Jets are losers of their last three in a row with the under-cashing in all of those same games. The most shocking thing to me is Vancouver holding their last two opponents to only two goals, as this team is downright horrible defensively at five on five. Both teams excel at scoring goals, not defending, and this is the very first play that jumped at me off the page. At plus to slight minus money, I’m banking on these teams to at least somewhat return to form enough here to cash us this ticket.
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Dallas at Minnesota, Under 6 Goals -110, to -125
This one jumped at me but for opposite reasons of the first one as I actually have a lot of respect for what both these teams bring defensively at even strength especially. It is hard to not like the fact that over the last ten games, albeit over the break, both teams rank in the top ten in terms of expected goals allowed per 60. I see the last 6.5’s fading out and this going to six, so if you already got it, congrats to you.
Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche Under 6.5 Goals
The same thing as Dallas and Minnesota in the expected goals in the last 10 games department, I really like that here as well. In fact, the only thing that I can think of that would be very scary news-wise we could hear would be news of a Jonathan Quick start in net for the Kings as he has been downright bad this season so far. I’d not play this under a six here however and would instead look inside this game for some shot props. If that happens to you, I’m going to tell you to look at Rantanen over 3.5 shots instead later when the prop markets open, as he is being leaned on heavily and delivering consistently in putting pucks on the net.
New York Rangers +125 at Tampa Bay Lightning
I’m slightly surprised to see a little meat hanging on the bone here, as one of two scenarios will exist tomorrow night. One is we get Vasi in back-to-back nights or the other is we get the backup Elliot instead. I have this game as close to a flip, so if you see it with +115 or more meat still hanging on it, I think you can justify a unit or less on it.
Buffalo Sabres -1.5 at +160 versus Detroit Red Wings, to -130
I absolutely love narratives like these. Detroit grinds it out in overtime at Pittsburgh tonight then goes to Buffalo where this extremely potent offensive Sabres team is waiting for them. Although the Wings have been decent at hanging around in games this season, to get these odds for the Sabres to finish them off by two or more, I cannot say no.
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