NHL Thursday betting preview: Blackhawks a steal vs. Blue Jackets

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Welcome to the heater, folks. We ripped off a 5-0 weekend, following a 3-0 sweep last Thursday, and we're back for a big card tonight.

Now I've been betting long enough to know regression is inevitable - we're sure as heck not going to hit 86% all season - but let's try to stay as hot as we can.

Here's what I've got going on Thursday:

Penguins (-110) @ Islanders (-110)

The Islanders got the better of this meeting Saturday, a result the Penguins have been stewing on since. It was the last time we saw Pittsburgh in action, while the Isles played their New York rivals on Monday. The Pens blew a third-period lead and lost on a late Anders Lee power-play goal, but there were plenty of positives to draw from their performance.

Pittsburgh owned 57.05% of the expected goal share at five-on-five and managed to hold a third-period lead despite not getting a single power-play opportunity in the contest. Mike Matheson and John Marino returned to the lineup Saturday and now have a game under their belts as they get back into the swing of things.

A whole week of practice and four full days of rest provides the Penguins with a formidable boost ahead of this revenge spot against an Islanders team they were unlucky not to beat in the first meeting. Let's just make sure Evgeni Malkin, who is questionable after leaving practice yesterday for precautionary reasons, is playing tonight before officially locking this in.

Pick: Penguins (-110)

Blue Jackets (-110) @ Blackhawks (-110)

The only reason I can come up with for this brutal line is the public perception surrounding these teams. The Blue Jackets have been a playoff squad the last couple of years, winning series against the Lightning and Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks were largely looked upon as one of the worst teams in the NHL coming into the season.

However, neither club has fit that billing early in the campaign. Columbus has been absolutely dreadful at five-on-five, ranking 30th in expected goal share at a miserable 41.1%. Chicago has put together a respectable 48.86% mark in that category. The Blackhawks also boast the league's third-best power play and ninth-best penalty kill, with the Blue Jackets ranking 25th and 22nd.

So, where's the edge here for Columbus? It's certainly not in goal, where Kevin Lankinen leads the league with an 8.33 GSAA, compared to Joonas Korpisalo's mark of minus-2.18 (44th in the NHL). The Blackhawks are the better five-on-five team, with significant edges on special teams and in goal, and we're getting them at just -110 on home ice? I couldn't bet this fast enough.

Pick: Blackhawks (-110)

(Odds source: theScore Bet)

Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. 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, loves a juicy puck line, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.