NHL Wednesday betting preview: Blackhawks cruise in Chicago

A disappointing 1-3 record on Tuesday night brought an end to our lengthy winning run, but I'm hardly concerned.

We're right back at it Wednesday.

GOATs and scapegoats

Hats off to Montreal Canadiens forward Lukas Vejdemo, who scored his first NHL goal last night in the third period to cash the over at the Bell Centre. He was sent back down to the AHL after the game, but his efforts were greatly appreciated.

Elsewhere, we were undone by a pair of goalies for very different reasons Tuesday. Tuukka Rask made 36 saves to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers, who deserved a better fate against the Boston Bruins, while Marcus Hogberg was an absolute sieve out west. He allowed five goals on eight shots, completely negating a dominant display from the Senators, and Ottawa lost despite outshooting the Anaheim Ducks 42-15.

Wednesday bets

Winnipeg Jets (+120)

Desperation looks good on the Winnipeg Jets. With a playoff spot looking increasingly unlikely toward the end of February if they didn't pull it together, the Jets have found a real urgency and it has paid dividends. They've won three in a row and four of their last five to pull back into the thick of the wild-card race.

The Edmonton Oilers are playing some decent hockey as well, but have struggled with inconsistency and are just 5-6 straight up over the past three weeks. They narrowly beat the Jets 3-2 in Edmonton at the end of February but lost three in a row at home to Winnipeg before that. Considering the recent play of the Jets, and of Connor Hellebuyck, they offer excellent value at +120.

Best bet

Chicago Blackhawks 3-way moneyline (-105)

The Blackhawks had a couple of days off to stew over a frustrating weekend and now find themselves in a prime bounce-back spot against the San Jose Sharks. Chicago won five of its last six home games against Western Conference teams, losing only to the St. Louis Blues, and has had success at the United Center this season against teams below it in the standings.

The Sharks have lost four in a row on the road and scored two goals or fewer in their last five away from San Jose. They've typically struggled in Chicago as well, scoring two goals or fewer in eight of their last 12 games there. The Blackhawks should be able to comfortably take care of business in this one, but instead of laying -160 on the moneyline, we'll take them at close to even money to win in regulation.

Trend of the night

The New York Rangers have won 10 of their last 11 games on the road.

They're also 6-2 on the road when playing on no rest, with those two losses coming against the Flyers. The Colorado Avalanche have just entered a mini-slump as well, losing three of their last four following a seven-game winning streak. The Rangers can be had at +150 tonight.

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.