NHL betting picks & top parlays – Thursday, March 17

There are 10 National Hockey League (NHL) games scheduled for Thursday, with half of those to jointly kick off the action at 7pm EST. Here’s where you should place your bets on the Thursday games, with odds from the top-ranked NHL betting sites for gamblers in United States.

Washington Capitals (-200) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (+170)

Columbus played Wednesday, and Washington is coming off consecutive one-goal wins over the Canucks and Islanders. The Capitals have won two of their three games against Columbus thus far this season, two of which were one-goal games.

Don’t expect a lot of penalties in this one, even with Columbus playing the previous day. Columbus has only taken 457 penalty minutes this season, and Washington has only spent 447 minutes in the box.

The difference in this game will be goaltending; Washington allows just 2.79 goals per game, and Columbus has allowed almost an entire goal more. Take Washington on the moneyline and consider betting on the Capitals to win by two or more at +115. The over/under is set a bit high in this one (6.5), so lean toward taking the under, especially with Columbus having played on Wednesday.

Dallas Stars (-215) @ Montreal Canadiens (+180)

The Stars enter this game on a three-game losing streak, so they really need this one to stay in the playoff hunt. Winnipeg is just one point behind them in the Central Division standings, and the Stars are just one point behind Vegas to be the last wild card in the playoffs.

The Canadiens will be without Christian Dvorak, who scored twice in Montreal’s win over Dallas on January 18. David Savard is also out, and three other Canadiens are listed as day-to-day. Only Braden Holtby is listed as day-to-day for the Stars, so take the healthier of the two teams in this one. Consider parlaying Dallas with Washington to win on the moneyline for +119 odds. And for a moneyline trifecta, consider…

Buffalo Sabres (+210) @ Edmonton Oilers (-260)

The Edmonton Oilers are the biggest favorite of the day for good reason. Buffalo plays in Calgary on Friday, so the Sabres will likely save their best goalie for the Flames, who lead the Pacific Division. That won’t be much of an advantage for Edmonton, but the Oilers don’t really need the advantage to win this one.

The Oilers’ offense has been half a goal per game better than Buffalo’s this season. Also, Buffalo has spent 50 more minutes in the penalty box than Edmonton this season, which could make for at least one Oilers power play goal. The Oilers score on almost 25 percent of power plays.

Take Edmonton on the moneyline and parlay them with Dallas and Washington for +204 odds at Bovada.

Detroit Red Wings (+165) @ Vancouver Canucks (-205)

The Red Wings go to Vancouver having lost six straight games. They’ve allowed 34 goals in those six games and logged an .860 save percentage in their last 10. That’s music to the Canucks’ ears given their 2.89 goals scored per game average this season. They have been better at scoring lately, averaging 4.4 goals per game in their last 10.

Expect Detroit’s decline to continue and take Vancouver on the moneyline. You might also consider betting that fewer than 6 goals are scored in this one given attractive odds (+100) and the unattractive offenses involved. A four-team, moneyline parlay featuring Vancouver, Edmonton, Dallas, and Washington pays +352.

San Jose Sharks (+150) @ Los Angeles Kings (-175)

San Jose hosts Colorado on Friday, but the Sharks have won all three games played against Los Angeles. The Kings are also in dire need of a home win to retain their playoff standing. They lead Edmonton by four points in the Pacific Division but have played two more games.

Don’t expect Los Angeles to win this one with special teams. San Jose has been penalized 520 minutes this season but has killed 87 percent of penalties. The Kings only score on 15.3 percent of power plays, so if they are going to get a win in the season series against San Jose, it’ll be thanks to goals scored at full strength.

Expect the Sharks to be a bit worse than their 3.10 goals allowed per game average with their top goaltender being saved for Colorado’s electric offense. Take Los Angeles on the moneyline, but don’t back the Kings to cover the spread. The over/under is set at 5.5 goals, and none of the previous three games between these two came in under that.

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