NHL Thursday best bets: Flames out for revenge vs. Blues
Wednesday was a winning night for our best bets, as we won two of three plays. We lost our lone side, though, as the Washington Capitals couldn't grind out a result against the Philadelphia Flyers.
We'll look to get back on track with a side, and a total, for Thursday's busy slate.
Hurricanes (-320) @ Blue Jackets (+260)
The Carolina Hurricanes have dropped four consecutive games and have been unusually leaky in that time, conceding 18 goals.
As talented as the Hurricanes are, they have always taken pride in being a hard-working and stout defensive club under head coach Rod Brind'Amour. They'll be looking to get back to those ways in a wonderful get-right opportunity against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
The Blue Jackets have some star power - most notably wingers Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine - but that hasn't been enough for them to create offense with any consistency this season. They rank 30th in goals per game and also slot bottom five in terms of shot generation.
This is a spot where the Hurricanes, the NHL's No. 1-ranked side in shot and chance prevention at five-on-five, should be able to flex their muscles and suck the life out of the Blue Jackets' offense.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are so bruised and battered defensively that they should be on their heels for much of the game. I think the Hurricanes will be able to forecheck them into the ground and spend a lot of time working defenders over down low, keeping the puck far, far, away from their own cage.
The Hurricanes will generate their fair share of chances - and then some. But Joonas Korpisalo has held up extremely well in dire circumstances this season and will offer up real resistance in goal.
Of the 66 netminders to appear in at least 10 games thus far, Korpisalo ranks 10th in goals saved above expected per start. His running mate, Elvis Merzlikins, is last, to offer more perspective on how well Korpisalo has handled himself behind this porous Blue Jackets team.
With the Hurricanes looking to tighten the screws at one end and Korpisalo playing very well at the other, I expect this game to go under the number.
Bet: Under 6.5 (-120)
Flames (-160) @ Blues (+140)
The Calgary Flames let us down last time out against the St. Louis Blues, but I thought the process was strong.
Calgary led 3-1 through 40 minutes of play and controlled nearly 62% of the expected goals share in that time.
The Andrew Mangiapane, Mikael Backlund, and Blake Coleman line in particular feasted on the Blues' depth and seemed to cause problems every shift.
Jacob Markstrom fell apart down the stretch, allowing three goals on nine shots over approximately 21 minutes of play, and that was the difference.
While Markstrom - and the Flames' goaltending as a whole - has been up and down this season, the same can be said of St. Louis' tandem. The Blues rank 26th in total save percentage this season, putting them five slots below the Flames.
Even if the difference is negligible, I'd prefer to back the side doing a better job of both generating and limiting chances, and that is definitely Calgary.
At five-on-five, the Flames rank second in the NHL in expected goals share over the last 10 games. They sit well above 57%, whereas the Blues come in at 45.5%. That's a huge swing.
If the Flames can do a better job of staying out of the box and the goaltending can be respectable for a full 60, they should be able to rebound with a much-needed victory.
Bet: Flames in regulation (+100)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.