NHL Thursday betting preview: Take advantage of these mispriced lines
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We're on a heater and there's no end in sight.
We needed just one more goal from the St. Louis Blues to sweep the board on a quiet Wednesday but will settle for 3-1, including a pair of lucrative plus-money winners. And if you rode with our trend of the night, you also would have hit on a pair of gems at +220 and +575.
Let's keep the gravy train rolling into Thursday.
GOATs and scapegoats
Corey Crawford might not be the same caliber of goalie he once was, but he took care of business in his hometown Wednesday. The Montreal native made 32 saves (we had over 28.5) in a Chicago Blackhawks win (we had them at +160), limiting the Montreal Canadiens to just one goal (we recommended the under on the Habs' team total at 2.5, +220, and 1.5, +575). The truest GOAT.
The same can't be said for Jakub Voracek, who scored in overtime to lift the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. We needed the Blues' team total over 3.5 to sweep the board on Wednesday, but Voracek threw our brooms into the fire.
Thursday's bets
Philadelphia Flyers (-130)
This price is highway robbery. The line should be closer to -160, but we get a significant discount with Carter Hart injured and Alex Lyon making his first start of the season after being called up from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he's posted a 2.56 GAA and .916 save percentage this season. It's an obvious downgrade between the pipes, but the Canadiens' lack of offensive firepower (especially with their injuries) mitigates the concern.
This is the second game of a back-to-back for both teams. Montreal is on a 5-13 run playing on the road with no rest, while the Flyers are 4-2 in their last six in the second leg of a back-to-back, including a win in Montreal earlier this year. The Habs have also lost 15 of their last 17 games in Philadelphia.
New York Rangers' team total under 2.5 (+100)
We had the over in this game on Monday night and it hit thanks to an offensive outburst from the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, but this is a different team away from home. I fully expect Barry Trotz to make the necessary adjustments to stifle the Rangers' offense, which has been held to two or fewer goals in eight of their last nine road games against the New York Islanders. The Isles are defensively sound on home ice, holding opponents under 2.5 goals in 14 home games this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins (+120)
We simply can't trust the Boston Bruins right now, who are firmly entrenched in a lengthy tailspin. They're 7-13 straight up since Dec. 5 and just lost starting goalie Tuukka Rask to a concussion. The Penguins have Sidney Crosby back and are 8-1 on the road since the start of December. They've lost 11 of their last 12 in Boston, but given the current trajectory of the two teams, this is a great price to back them to pick up a rare win at the Garden.
San Jose Sharks (+180)
There's too much value to pass this up. The Colorado Avalanche are a great hockey team stuck in a bad rut and until we see them play their way out of it, there's value to be had in fading them. Colorado has lost four in a row and nine of its last 12, while the Sharks are hovering above .500 (4-2-1) in 2020.
Best bet
Vancouver Canucks (-115)
The Arizona Coyotes have been a popular public side since acquiring Taylor Hall despite just a 7-7 record. They actually have a significantly worse winning percentage since the trade, yet their stock has inflated. They shouldn't be close to even money at Rogers Arena, where the Canucks are 14-5-3 this season. Vancouver has won six straight on home ice and nine of its last 11, while the Coyotes have lost four of their last five on the road, scoring just three goals in those four losses. There's way too much value with the Canucks tonight at such a short price.
Trend of the night
The under is 8-0 this season when the Dallas Stars are home to an Eastern Conference opponent.
They host the Buffalo Sabres tonight, who just scored five goals in their most recent road game against the lowly Detroit Red Wings, but managed just five goals from their previous four away from home. This is a play at under 5.5 (-120).
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.