In this article, I’ll outline the most noteworthy odds, news, and betting notes from the marquee matchups from Thursday’s 11-game NHL slate, and I’ll also offer up my best bet.
Best Bet – Vancouver Canucks vs St. Louis Blues: Blues Moneyline -150
Blues moneyline
After bringing in head coach Jim Montgomery last season, the St. Louis Blues were one of the best teams in the NHL down the stretch, before a heartbreaking loss in Game 7 versus the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets.
The Blues played to a record of 21-5-4 in the final 30 games last season and ranked 10th in expected goal share during that span. They were undoubtedly playing above their heads during that late-season tear, but it’s still shocking that a comparably strong roster is off to a 3-6-1 start this year, which has already gashed their hopes of making the playoffs out of a very deep Central Division significantly.
Thursday’s matchup versus a heavily depleted Vancouver Canucks side offers a perfect get-right spot as the Blues look to snap a five-game losing skid, and the Blues’ underlying results do suggest significant positive regression could be on the horizon.
The Blues rank fifth in the NHL with a 55.49% expected goal share. Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer have struggled to the lowest combined save percentage in the NHL, which is an obvious concern entering Thursday’s matchup, but they should be able to offer better results moving forward based on last season.
St. Louis will be without top forward Robert Thomas in this matchup, but the Canucks’ injury list is still drastically worse. Vancouver will be without its captain and best player, Quinn Hughes, leading scorer Conor Garland, second-line centre Filip Chytil, as well as four other skaters that were expected to play meaningful minutes this season.
Even prior to the team’s injury list becoming so significant, the Canucks had not looked overly convincing this season. They hold a 47.87% expected goal share, and even amid an incredible start to the season by goaltender Thatcher Demko, are still just 5-6-0.
Backing the Blues to cover the puck line or win in regulation are both suitable options, as some bettors may not be interested in laying -150. Obviously, I would support those options, but backing teams priced in the -140 to -200 range to win straight up did outperform backing those teams to win in regulation last season.
Calgary Flames vs. Ottawa Senators
| Flames moneyline odds | +135 |
| Senators moneyline odds | -160 |
| Game total | Over 6 goals (-105), Under 6 (-115) |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
- The Flames have scored 11 goals over the last three games, after combining for just 12 goals in the previous 11 games this season. Captain Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman have combined for nine points over the last three games while playing alongside rookie Samuel Honzek on the second line.
- This will be the Senators’ third game in four nights, after splitting a back-to-back set against the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks earlier in the week.
- Number-one goaltender Dustin Wolf has started 10 of Calgary’s 11 games. It wouldn’t be surprising if head coach Ryan Huska finally opted to start backup Devin Cooley, who has performed well across one start and one relief appearance (.925 SV%).
- Tim Stutzle has been on fire since a modest start to the season, racking up 10 points over the last six games.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins
| Sabres moneyline odds | -120 |
| Bruins moneyline odds | +100 |
| Game total | Over 6.5 goals (-105), Under 6.5 (-115) |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
- The second meeting of the season at TD Garden between these Atlantic Division combatants. The Bruins won the previous meeting, 3-1, thanks to a strong performance from goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who was named the game’s First Star.
- The Sabres have stabilized after a horrible start to the year with a 4-1-2 run of play. They hold a 49.81% expected goal share in that span.
- Buffalo is currently offering a more complete lineup than it did earlier on in the season, as Zach Benson and underrated defender Michael Kesselring are now healthy.
Dallas Stars vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
| Stars moneyline odds | +125 |
| Lightning moneyline odds | -150 |
| Game total | Over 6 goals (-105), Under 6 goals (-115) |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
- The Lightning’s 1-4-2 start to the year was quite surprising, given the team’s strong roster continuity, preseason expectations, and that proven head coach Jon Cooper remained in charge.
- Tampa Bay seems to be finding its game entering this matchup, having won three consecutive contests.
- Dallas’s top two centres, Roope Hintz and Matt Duchene, are both day-to-day ahead of this matchup. It is well-situated offensively to handle some absences, but in combination, having both out at the same time is significant.
- The Stars were able to grind out a 1-0 win over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, with both Hintz and Duchene sidelined, but it was certainly not an impressive showing for the team aside from goaltender Jake Oettinger.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Winnipeg Jets
| Blackhawks moneyline odds | +205 |
| Jets moneyline odds | -250 |
| Game total | Over 6 goals (-105), Under 6 (-115) |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
- At 5-3-2, the Chicago Blackhawks have been one of the NHL’s greatest overachievers early on relative to preseason expectations. This point is well reflected by their results betting-wise, as betting on the Blackhawks to win in each of their 10 games this season would have yielded a +32.7% ROI.
- Connor Bedard recorded the first hat trick of his career on Tuesday versus the Senators. Bedard leads the team with six goals and 12 points this season.
- After being the NHL’s best regular season team by a margin in 2024-25, the Jets are off to a strong 7-3-0 start.
- The Jets rank dead last in expected goal share at even strength. They have proven in recent years to be an underrated team relative to expected goals data, but they have still not typically outperformed expected goal share this significantly.
Connor Bedard to score vs. Jets
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Minnesota Wild
| Penguins moneyline odds | +140 |
| Wild moneyline odds | -165 |
| Game total | Over 6.5 goals (+105), Under 6.5 (-105) |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
- Based on each team’s respective record entering this matchup, the betting odds are certainly quite wide. The Penguins have greatly overachieved their preseason expectations, while the Wild have not yet lived up to last season’s level of play, and oddsmakers appear reluctant to upgrade the Penguins’ power score too significantly.
- The Wild have already lost three games in three-on-three overtime, including a frustrating 4-3 overtime loss to the Jets on Tuesday, in which they carried most of the play in regulation.
- The Penguins’ tremendous one-two punch down the middle of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin is a major reason they have outperformed expectations.
- Sportsnet’s panel discussed Crosby’s early case for the Hart Trophy on Wednesday evening. While Crosby has been excellent with eight goals and 15 points in 11 games, Malkin leads the team with 16 points in 11 games.
- Wild head coach John Hynes adjusted his offensive units Tuesday, splitting top forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy onto two separate units. Kaprizov skated alongside Marco Rossi and Marcus Johansson on the top line.
New York Rangers vs. Edmonton Oilers
| Rangers moneyline odds | +135 |
| Oilers moneyline odds | -160 |
| Game total | Over 6 goals (-105), Under 6 (-115) |
| Time | 9 p.m. ET |
- The Rangers bounced back from a pathetic showing in Calgary on Sunday evening with a 2-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, a game that carried some extra weight in being captain J.T. Miller’s return to Vancouver.
- Considering the Canucks’ skeleton lineup, Tuesday’s matchup was still not an overly convincing showing from a Rangers side that has scored just 2.18 goals per game this season (31st in the NHL).
- It’s been a fairly shaky start for Edmonton, but it has started each of the last two seasons somewhat poorly. At 5-4-2 through 11 games, the Oilers hold a nearly identical record as they did last season at this point (5-5-2).
- Connor McDavid recorded his second and third goals of the season in Edmonton’s 6-3 win over Utah on Tuesday evening. There was talk during the offseason that the game’s best player would be looking to be more selfish in front of the goal this year, but to this point that has not really been the case.
- Head coach Kris Knoblauch continues to shuffle his offensive lines quite consistently, both in-game and in terms of his starting lineup, which has been a concern for prop bettors this season.
New Jersey Devils vs. San Jose Sharks
| Devils moneyline odds | -230 |
| Sharks moneyline odds | +190 |
| Game total | Over 6.5 goals (-115), Under 6.5 (-105) |
| Time | 10 p.m. ET |
- The second and final meeting of the season between these sides. The Devils won the previous meeting, 3-1, last week in New Jersey.
- The Sharks have allowed a league-high 4.60 goals against per game. They have not been remotely effective defensively and have also been plagued by shaky goaltending from Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic.
- The Sharks’ talented young offensive core has been productive, as Macklin Celebrini, William Eklund, and Will Smith have already combined for 35 points. The rest of the lineup has been a mess, and it’s no surprise that online sportsbooks currently have the Sharks priced as the least likely team to make the postseason.
- Jack Hughes has tallied 14 points in the first 10 games of the season and is priced at +140 to record two points in this favourable matchup.