Things are hitting a fever pitch in the NHL. The trade deadline is on Friday, and somehow the playoff races are getting more crowded with each passing night.
Things should only get more chaotic on Thursday, as 18 teams are in action the night before the deadline.
NHL Best Bets: Thursday, March 6th
Let’s get to some of the best value plays on Thursday’s betting board.
Editor’s Note: Looking for more hockey content? Be sure to check out our NHL player props article, which is updated daily.
Oliver Bjorkstrand HIGHER Than 0.5 Goals Scored
The Tampa Bay Lightning made a big splash on Wednesday by acquiring Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Seattle Kraken for two first-round picks.
While Gourde is a known quantity in Tampa, Bjorkstrand will get the opportunity to play with elite linemates for really the first time in his career.
The Danish scoring winger has been steady as she goes for some subpar teams in Columbus and Seattle, but now will share the ice with the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel, and Victor Hedman.
It may seem risky to back a player making his debut with a new team, but the Lightning are so talented up front that they’ll make Bjorkstrand’s job quite simple and since he’s a terrific finisher, I like his chances (and more importantly, the price) of finding the back of the net right out of the gates with the Bolts.
Dylan Guenther HIGHER Than 0.5 Goals Scored
Detroit and Utah are desperate for points on Thursday night.
After roaring through the past two months, the Red Wings have lost three on the spin and five of their last seven. There were issues for Detroit showing under the cracks, even during their winning streak, but now the Wings aren’t getting elite goaltending and that’s causing a team-wide dip.
That should be good news for Dylan Guenther and Utah HC.
Utah is 6-3 in its last nine contests and now finds itself just four points out of the playoffs.
Guenther has played a big role in Utah’s ascendancy with six goals and a whopping 36 shots on goal in his last 10 games.
We’ll go back to Guenther tonight and hope he continues to pour it on against a team that is having issues on its own end.
Connor McDavid to Score 2+ Goals
The Edmonton Oilers have come unglued since the 4 Nations Face-Off and part of the problem has been the lack of production from Connor McDavid. That may sound unfair to say about a player who has 10 points in his last 10 games, but it’s been a chore for No. 97 of late, especially at 5-on-5.
What we do know is that McDavid will slam out of this “slump” eventually, and when he does it will likely start a spell where he starts putting up points at a Hart Trophy pace.
We’ll bet on that to happen tonight against a Canadiens team that is playing better, but still has plenty of defensive flaws and should have issues slowing down McDavid and Co.
