NHL Friday best bets: Getting Wild in Minnesota
The NHL regular season concludes Friday for 30 of the league's 32 teams. That's right: we have a whopping 15-game slate to look forward to.
Here are our best bets:
Capitals (-115) @ Rangers (-105)
The Washington Capitals still have something to play for. In fact, they have a lot to play for.
With a win - and some help - they could leapfrog the Pittsburgh Penguins, which would mean drawing the New York Rangers in the opening round. The Rangers have been quite good since the deadline but it's safe to say the Capitals - and perhaps any other team in their position - would prefer to avoid the Florida Panthers.
Alex Ovechkin is banged up and it seems senseless to risk further injury by dressing him in this game. Otherwise, I expect the Capitals to be at full strength.
The Rangers won't be. While they are surprisingly reinserting several key players into the lineup, Artemi Panarin, Igor Shesterkin, and Andrew Copp remain out. The top players are also unlikely to get a full workload in what is another meaningless game for New York.
Backing the Capitals isn't as enticing of a proposition as it could've been if the Rangers kept everyone out, but I still see value at this price.
Bet: Capitals (-115)
Avalanche (-115) @ Wild (-105)
The Colorado Avalanche fell to the Nashville Predators on Thursday, taking away any chance they had at claiming the Presidents' Trophy. Their lineup Friday will surely reflect that.
Colorado has dealt with constant injury problems all season. That makes it even harder to imagine a scenario in which they dress their key players in a divisional back-to-back on the road with nothing on the line.
Darcy Kuemper has been one of the league's best netminders in recent months, but he won't play in this game. It seems likely Nathan MacKinnon and some other top Avs regulars will also sit out.
It's a much different story for Minnesota. With a point in this game, they can claim home ice in their opening-round series against the St. Louis Blues. The latter is playing at home to an injury-plagued Vegas Golden Knights team with no motivation. The Wild surely will ice a strong lineup, hoping to take care of their own business and leave nothing to chance.
The wrong team is favored here. This line is going to move in Minnesota's favor sooner than later and the swing has a very real chance of being drastic. Get out in front of it and back the Wild.
Bet: Wild (-105)
Flames (-155) @ Jets (+130)
We successfully backed the Vancouver Canucks in their home finale Thursday, as they snuck by a Los Angeles Kings team that was resting players and had nothing on the line.
We're going to hope for more of the same from the Winnipeg Jets in a very similar spot. They're playing their second-last home game against a Calgary Flames side that is firmly entrenched in its playoff spot.
Like the Avalanche, the Flames are on a road back-to-back with nothing to play for. While Darryl Sutter isn't the type of coach to give players extended rest and have them rusty heading into the postseason, I fully expect him to sit some key players in this game.
Meanwhile, the Jets aren't mailing things in as they play out the rest of their season on home soil - they've won consecutive games by a combined seven goals. I expect to see a full lineup and - hopefully - a fruitful win from the underdogs.
Bet: Jets (+130)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.