We have eleven NHL games on our card tonight, and we are liking almost all the matchup’s in store for us and found it very easy to pick our NHL bets for this Thursdays NHL betting article.
Although our three picks this week are all laying juice, we are confident in finding some winners as we are looking for goals in the Oilers and Sabres matchup.
Boston and New York should play out a tight low working affair in the first period and finally Nikita Kucherov seeks more points in California.
Picks Summary
- Sabres-Oilers Over 5.5 (-125)
- Rangers-Bruins 1P Under 1.5 (-115)
- Nikita Kucherov Points Over 1.5 (-130)
*All odds available at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Buffalo Sabres vs. Edmonton Oilers
Thursday, March 21, 2024 – 09:00 PM ET at Rogers Place
Betting Trends
- On home ice, the Edmonton Oilers are 21-12 to the total over 5.5 goals, while the Buffalo Sabres are 19-16 to the over 5.5 when playing on the road.
- Edmonton are 22-11 on home ice this season, Buffalo are 16-19 when playing on the road.
Lay The Juice For Goals
This is a strange one because we understand why the sportsbooks have set the total line at 5.5 (with the juice towards the over at -125 NHL betting odds) but we can’t look past goals in this matchup, and the fact the over is juiced means the sportsbooks agree. However, we did think it might have been more juiced than we are currently getting.
The Oilers have improved their defense massively this season and recent games show with just 2/3/0/2/3 goals allowed in each game, this is one of the main reasons we believe the sportsbooks didn’t set the line at 6.5 or 6.0 as they might not have faith in Buffalo scoring.
The Pick
The Oilers have gone 3-7 to the over 5.5 in their last 10 while Buffalo have gone 5-5, this is mainly because both teams featured in games where only one team scored the majority of the goals, but we believe tonight’s matchup will be different.
We believe this matchup will have goals and our computer agrees with a predicted scoreline of 4-3 to the Oilers.
NHL Pick: Over 5.5 (-125) at Bet365
New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins
Thursday, March 21, 2024 – 07:00 PM ET at TD Garden
Betting Trends
- The New York Rangers have seen the 7th least amount of 1st-period goals in the NHL this season, having gone 35-33 to the under 1.5 line.
- Boston are ranked first in the Eastern Conference while NY are hot on their tails in 3rd, with just three points less and a game in hand.
Don’t Bank on Early Goals
The previous seven meetings between these two teams saw 0/5/1/1/1/1/1 goals scored in the first period, and on average throughout the entire game, these teams have only put up an average of 5.6 goals per game. If we minus the two high-scoring games, which featured 9 and 11 goals, they have only had an average of 3.6 goals per game in 8 of their previous 10 meetings.
The Pick
The Boston Bruins won’t want to lose this one, seeing as the Rangers can get to within one point of them with a win and a game in hand. While the Rangers will be seeking a win, they should be approaching this one with caution.
We expect a tight first period in this game, and we are happy to lay the juice on this first-period total to go under.
NHL Pick: 1P Under 1.5 (-115) at Bet365
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. San Jose Sharks
Thursday, March 21, 2024 – 10:30 PM ET at SAP Center at San Jose
Betting Trends
- Nikita Kucherov is the league’s top points scorer, having scored 118 points so far this season.
- The San Jose Sharks have allowed the most goals against this season, with 4.0 goals allowed per game.
Shark Tank no Problem for Kucherov
This pick might seem like a no-brainer and that’s because it is, as we are getting the league’s top scorer facing off against the league’s worst defense. Nikita Kucherov should be able to put up 2+ points against this San Jose team who have allowed 8/5/4/6/3 goals in their previous five games and are just 1-14 in their previous 15 games.
Despite Tampa Bay somewhat struggling this season as they are just about inside a playoff position, Nikita Kucherov has helped a lot in their success this year having put up as many points as he has done.
The Pick
Kucherov has impressively scored at least one point in 23 of his previous 25 games, scoring 2+ points in 12 of those 25 games. The Russian is also on a two or more points scoring streak as he heads into the Shark Tank, having had 5/2/4 points in his previous three games.
Our computer is predicting a 4-3 Lighting outcome, and we suspect it could be more like 5-1. Either way, the Lighting should score enough goals to give Kucherov a chance of cashing his total points over 1.5 at -130 NHL betting odds.
NHL Pick: Nikita Kucherov Over 1.5 Points (-130) at Bet365
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
