This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Picks and Props for Thursday, November 17
BIG board tonight! And we're getting AFTER it, y'all. We went hard for last night's 3-game slate, and I'll admit, it wasn't my best performance. But "tomorrow was always better" is a good mantra for sports betting, and for life in general, so let's make today that better tomorrow. Here's what I've got. 35 big ones.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. If you're a Maryland resident, remember that sports betting officially launches in your state on Nov. 23! Use the DraftKings Maryland Promo Code when you sign up for $200 in free bets
Featured Game Picks
Rangers vs Kraken Best Bets
I'm a Rangers fanboy. I'll admit it. What's not to love? Exciting offense with some bona fide superstars making plays. Aggressive, fast-paced defense with guys who can make things happen on both ends of the ice. And one of the best goaltender talents of this millennium. With that kind of intro, you'd maybe expect more than an 8-6-3 record and a 5-4-1 stretch in their last 10. The Rags just haven't seemed to find their consistency yet. But the potential is there. Tonight they face a Kraken team that has exceeded just about every expectation since they were not attracting such high praise coming into this season. They're sitting at 3rd in the Pacific division right now and are 6-3-1 in their last 10 and are playing inspired hockey. Surprisingly, they're 5-1-1 overall away from Climate Pledge Arena - where they play tonight - and have not held a home-ice advantage yet this season.
- Rangers ML -135
- Vincent Trocheck (NYR) over 2.5 shots on goal
- Oliver Bjorkstrand (SEA) over 2.5 shots on goal -120
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Flyers vs Bruins Best Bets
The Bruins are owners of the best record in the league at the moment with 14-2 overall and are on a 4-game win streak. They've only dropped 1 in their last 12, and are looking even more dangerous with the likes of Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy back in the lineup. They're an offensive juggernaut, holding the high mark for most goals scored at 64 but are also stalwarts on D surrendering only the 2nd-fewest goals so far. So many question marks that even I admittedly bought into - an aging offensive core with sparse forward depth, uninspiring blue-liners, unproven netminders, new coach - have been trumped. They are at home tonight against John Tortorella's Flyers who enter the night losers of 4 in a row. They've shown signs of life and are in the middle-of-the-pack in the East, but also play down to the low expectations tabbed for them this season, especially with 2 losses to the even lowlier Blue Jackets in their last 4 games.
- Bruins PL -125
- Over 6 -115
- Charlie McAvoy (BOS) over 0.5 points -110
Flames vs Lightning Best Bets
Many would've called this a potential Stanley Cup matchup in the preseason, but with the way the first chunk of the campaign has gone for both squads, that's looking unlikely as both would just barely sneak into the final wild card spots in their respective conferences if the season ended today. Despite some up-and-down tendencies, both squads come in on 2-game win streaks. The Lightning, to no surprise, are playing their best hockey at Amelie Arena where they'll suit up tonight, and the Flames have just played 4 games so far on the road and hold a 1-2-1 record. Darryl Sutter's gang looked impressive in their last 2 wins though, dispatching the Western Conference frontrunners Jets and Kings by 1 goal in each contest. This is one of the best matchups on the slate tonight.
- Lightning ML -125
- Over 6.5 +100
- Goal In First Ten, over 0.5 -160
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Ducks vs Jets Best Bets
This is another one of those games where you just have to be a fan of the sport - or either team - to care… unless you're a gambler. Well, folks, we are in at least one of those tiers so, of course, I'm sprinkling some action on this one. The Jets are hot. And the city of Winnipeg doesn't get much heat this time of year unless their hockey team is playing well. They're 7-2-1 in their last 10 and are playing smash-mouth, complete team hockey from between the pipes out. They're beating the teams they're supposed to beat - recently the Coyotes, Canadiens, Blackhawks, and Kraken - and are even pulling off big wins against those that are toss-ups or where they're the underdog, perhaps most impressively a 5-1 home win against the Stars. The Ducks, on the other hand, are looking like the frontrunners to win the Conor Bedard sweepstakes for 1st overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, sitting tied with the Blue Jackets for the worst record in the league. Despite the lopsided matchup, there are still a few juicy bets I like in this one.
- Jets PL +120
- Under 6 +100
- Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) under 27.5 saves -130
Capitals vs Blues Best Bets
If the Caps are on the slate, you already know I'm probably writing about them. They're my favorite team, but even if they weren't, they're chock-full of drama and storylines. The story they're writing of late is one of stress, struggle, and strain. They are battered, especially on offense, and seem to have different line combinations every other shift. They're 3-5-2 in their last 10 and have looked pretty bad in those losses. Yet, they've scraped together rather surprising wins over the Oilers and Lightning recently, and still seem to have enough gas in the tank - and Alex Ovechkin who is still defying Father Time and playing incredible hockey - to surprise some teams (and thus their bettors). The Blues have been on their own stretch of surprises, finally breaking a 6-game losing streak and rattling off 4 wins in a row with their most recent one coming just last night against the Blackhawks. They're trending upwards, while the Caps are trending downwards. The Caps are terrible on the road too at 2-6-1, and Craig Berube's bunch is playing inspired hockey.
- Blues ML -115
- Under 6.5 -115
- Pavel Buchnevich (STL) over 0.5 points -155
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A smattering of other picks and props I like tonight...
NHL Game Picks
Stars PL -155
Red Wings ML +110
Penguins ML -110
Devils ML +125
Coyotes, Golden Knights under 6.5 -115
Canadiens, Blue Jackets under 6.5 -115
Avalanche, Hurricanes over 6 -110
Islanders, Predators under 5.5 +100
NHL Player Props
Jake DeBrusk (BOS) over 2.5 shots on goal -140
Charlie Lindgren (WAS) over 2.5 goals against -155
Kirill Kaprizov (MIN) over 3.5 shots on goal -140
Tristan Jarry (PIT) under 29.5 saves -115
Reilly Smith (VGK) over 2.5 shots on goal -125
Martin Jones (SEA) over 2.5 goals against -125
Timo Meier (SJ) over 4.5 shots on goal -140
Ilya Sorokin (NYI) under 28.5 saves -115
Kyle Connor (WPG) over 3.5 shots on goal -135
Antti Raanta (COL) over 26.5 saves -115
