Thursday night's NHL action gives us eight games to choose from, so I have picked four matchups that I feel hold great value for NHL bettors. Check out my NHL picks for four of tonight's games, as we try to maxamize out our NHL betting payouts.

Lets check out some of tonight's biggest games and cover the NHL picks I find to have the best chance of in cashing for us as the sportsbooks.

Buffalo Sabres @ Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL Odds: Over/Under 5.5 

Both the Sabres and Leafs can’t get a lick worth of goaltending these days. Toronto gives up the sixth-most goals per game at 3.21 while Buffalo is 11th-worst at 2.94. But those numbers have been even worse lately as the Leafs have given up 33 goals in their last nine games (3.67) and the Sabres have given up 23 in their last five (4.6). 

These two teams have played over in each of the last three meetings including the one last Friday when the Sabres outlasted the Maple Leafs 5-4. Given how the goaltending has been for both teams, the over looks strong once again.

NHL Picks: Over

 

Detroit Red Wings @ Calgary Flames

NHL Odds: Sportsbooks still have not released the odds for this game, but we will post the NHL betting lines as soon as we get them.

The Red Wings were outplayed and outworked on Wednesday night in Vancouver and they’ll continue their Canadian west coast trip in Calgary on Thursday. While the red hot Canucks were too much to handle, the Flames should be much more manageable.

These west coast trips don’t both Detroit too much as they are now 14-3-3 in their last 17 games in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton combined. Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff was undressed by the Red Wings in four games last season, losing all four times while giving up 15 goals in those games. Amidst an early-season slump they lost 4-1 at home to Calgary but bounced-back with a 5-3 win on November 23rd. 

The Flames have lost four of five overall and it should be five of six after Thursday. 

NHL Picks: Red Wings


Anaheim Ducks @ Los Angeles Kings

NHL Odds: Kings -170 

The Anaheim Ducks are still a gong show as their current losing streak now has them with losses in five of their last six. 

The Kings are trying to turn their bad momentum around and it could happen on Thursday. They’ve won two of three and will be debuting new head coach Darryl Sutter, so it’s a good bet that the Kings will be focused to give a strong effort.

On top of that, Mike Richards has been upgraded to ‘probable’ for Thursday and that might be the cherry on top as far as good news goes.

The Ducks have lost 12 straight on the road while both goaltenders Jonas Hiller and Dan Ellis are coughing up nearly 3.6 goals per game. The offense has mustered two goals or less in nine of those games. 

Adding it up, the Kings are the play in this spot.

NHL Picks: Kings

Minnesota Wild @ Edmonton Oilers

NHL Odds: Oilers -125 

Slumping meets bad on Thursday night as the Wild, who are 0-3-2 in their last five, visit the Oilers, who have lost nine of their last 11. 

For Edmonton, they just can’t get any decent goaltending. Nikola Khabibulin has one win in his last nine starts after starting the season 7-0-2. 

Niklas Backstrom was given the night off on Tuesday as the Wild lost in Calgary so he’ll be fresh. Backstrom is 3-0-0 with a 1.24 GAA against the Oilers this season and he’s 6-2-1 with a 2.46 GAA in 11 career starts against them. 

The Wild are the better team and getting them as a dog is good value, so take them in this spot. 

NHL Picks: Wild