NHL Best Bets (Feb. 18): Devils To Find Offensive Success Against Blues
Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Greetings, hockey fans. It's a lighter Tuesday than usual around the NHL following Presidents Day. Only seven games are on tap tonight, with the matchup between the Maple Leafs and Penguins headlining the bunch. As for other games on the schedule with some playoff implications, the Blue Jackets take on the Flyers, and the Hurricanes face off against the Predators.
There's plenty to wager on, but let's take a closer look at two games in particular. Here are my two best bets for Tuesday:
Los Angeles Kings vs. Winnipeg Jets: Jets (-150)
Usually, I don't like recommending a line at -150 or higher on a daily sport like hockey (especially when you can play the puck line), but this line seems a little off. I feel like it should be closer to -190, so there's some value here.
After a brutal final three weeks of January, Winnipeg has turned things around this month. Since the start of February, the Jets are 5-2-1. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who's started seven of those eight contests, is playing at the top of his game right now. He has a 2.45 goals-against average, and a .929 save percentage in February and is poised to start again on Tuesday night against a Los Angeles team that ranks 30th in the NHL in scoring.
Meanwhile, the Kings are a dreadful road team. They have the worst record in the Western Conference and third-worst overall at 9-21-4. Before the Kings' shocking 3-1 win in Colorado on Saturday, they had lost four straight and eight of nine away from the Staples Center.
The Jets, currently on the outside looking in, need a victory here to keep pace in the Western Conference Wild Card race. The Kings are already thinking about the draft lottery. Grab the value and take the Winnipeg moneyline.
New Jersey Devils vs. St. Louis Blues: Devils O2.5 goals (+110)
There's no doubt the Blues are the better team overall, but the Devils are catching them at the right time. New Jersey is playing better of late and are 5-2-3 since the All-Star break. The Blues are struggling. They've lost five in a row and eight of their last ten. They've also had to overcome a scary incident involving veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. He collapsed on the bench one week ago and has since had an ICD heart procedure.
Making the transition back to this game, why is New Jersey's team total over the bet?
The Devils have scored at least three goals in eight of their last ten games. The Blues have allowed at least three goals in 11 of their previous 12 games. Starting goaltender Jordan Binnington has allowed three or more goals in all but one of his starts since January 15.
Given New Jersey's recent offensive success and St. Louis' recent struggles, take the over with plus-odds on the Devils to find a way to pot three in the back of the net.
Season Record: 32-31-1 (-.54 units)
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