Toronto's Auston Matthews has scored ten goals in his last nine games against Boston and has scored in three of his last four trips to the Garden
Thursday has a loaded slate of NHL action with 12 matchups that should be action-packed and have hockey fans on the edge of their seats with sports bettors sweating their lucrative bets.
The most intriguing matchups are the Leafs looking to prevent their seventh straight loss to the Bruins, the Flames look to burn the Lightning on the road and the Oilers look to acclimate Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to Edmonton’s winning culture in a favourable matchup against the Blue Jackets.
It could be an exciting night of NHL action and if you want to get in on all the action, here's a breakdown of the matchups with some insights for potential betting opportunities that could win you some cash.
All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.
Bet: Auston Matthews anytime goal (+105)
We don’t see too many days where Auston Matthews is listed at plus money to score but he is tonight as he takes on the Bruins and their sixth-best home defense that is allowing just 2.56 a game. Matthews has a dominant history in this matchup with ten goals in his last nine games against Boston and has scored in three of his last four trips to the Garden.
It hasn’t helped bring the Leafs much success in this matchup however, as the Bruins have beat the Leafs in six straight matchups. Toronto had a chance to exercise their demons in their last matchup on Monday, where the Bruins came in ice cold yet still found a way to down the Buds with ease. They will want to redeem themselves from their pitiful loss Monday and if they do find a way to secure the victory, it’ll likely be with a Matthews goal.
Bet: Canadiens +1.5 (+100), Nick Suzuki over 0.5 points (-175)
The Canadiens have been one of the hottest betting teams as of late with just five wins over their last 15 games but a subtle 12-3 record against the spread during that span, which some hockey fans may not notice. Montreal has covered in seven of their last eight games and the Hurricanes haven’t been as lucky with a 4-7 record in their last 11 games against the spread but haven’t lost to the Habs in regulation since 2018.
It will be a tough game to call but one thing we will be sure of is that if the Habs want to win, they will need their captain Nick Suzuki to lead the way. He’s been impactful when it comes to the Habs covering the puck line with 12 goals and 19 points since the start of February but does have a pitiful history in this matchup with no goals and one assist in ten career games against the Canes. He will need to overcome this rough history and help his team stay competitive in this one.
Bet: Adam Henrique over 0.5 points (-120), Both teams to score in First Period (+130)
Edmonton fans will get to see the first action of new acquisitions Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick tonight as they get a very favourable first matchup with their new team against the Blue Jackets, who they’ve beaten in seven of their last 11 matchups. Henrique has been one of the few bright spots for the Ducks this season with 18 goals and 42 points in 60 games.
He’s been heating up lately with three goals and nine points in his last 11 games and should see an additional boost with his placement on the Oilers second powerplay unit and the team’s third line with wingers Warren Foegele and fellow veteran Corey Perry. The Oilers have been decent as of late with seven goals combined over their last 11 games.
The Oilers and Blue Jackets are both teams that love to score early with the two ranking fourth and 11th in first period goals respectively. They should both get out on the forecheck early and put the pressure on early.
Bet: Nazem Kadri anytime goal (+175), Flames over 2.5 goals (-160)
The Lightning were known for a long time at playing crushing defense that allows next to no goals thanks to their elite defense and one of the best netminders of the last decade in Andrei Vasilevskiy. This hasn’t been their story this season as they are 21st in home defense allowing 3.13 goals per game, which has them behind the likes of the Blackhawks and Islanders.
The Flames are an underrated offensive team with the fifth-best road offense that averages 3.33 goals per game and have a history of scoring in bunches against the Lightning with three or more goals in ten of their last 12 matchups. They should see some offense from centre Nazem Kadri, who has six goals and 15 points in his last 12 games.