NHL Best Bets For 2/23/23: Expert Betting Picks
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Get NHL best bets and our expert predictions for tonight’s NHL slate of games on (2/23/23) Find best bets for three of the top NHL games tonight.
NHL Best Bets (2/23/23)
A big Thursday NHL slate is here and our NHL best bets are locked in for tonight’s slate of games.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Best Bet
The Oilers have had their share of heartbreak as of late, with recent overtime/shootout losses to the Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings. While that gives me some pause in betting on the team, there’s simply too much talent on the roster and they have a favorable matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. The Pens are on a three-game losing streak right now in which they’ve been outscored 14-8. Tonight’s projected goalie Tristan Jarry has been decent enough statistically this season (.920 SV%, 2.67 GAA), but has gone 1-6 in his last seven starts between the pipes.
Jarry’s going to have his hands full against the Edmonton Oilers, who are leading the league in scoring with 3.76 goals per game. The team’s been scoring even more than usual lately, averaging 4.16 goals in their last six games. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl get all the attention, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman (27 goals each this season) are also consistent scoring threats for the Oilers. I definitely have concerns with the projected Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner, who’s 2.92 GAA ranks 31st in the league. However, with an Oilers team that travels well (17-8-3 on the road), I’m liking the value with Edmonton as short underdogs.
Best Bet: Oilers ML
Author: Anthony Elio
Nashville Predators vs. San Jose Sharks Best Bet
These two Western Conference teams are in very different situations. While the San Jose Sharks are likely to start selling before the trade deadline starts, the Nashville Predators are still in the race for a Wild Card spot. Nashville is currently 5th in the Central Division with 60 points, seven points behind the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche, so they’ll need as many wins as possible down the stretch. They’ll be facing a San Jose Sharks team with a disastrous home record, as the team is now 6-14-7 at the SAP Center at San Jose.
Nashville has one of the best defensemen in the league with Roman Josi (15 goals, 50 points) leading the team in scoring. On the other side, Sharks winger Timo Meier (team-leading 31 goals) is dealing with an injury and is listed as day-to-day, which could limit San Jose’s scoring chances tonight. They’ll still get some scoring help from a resurgent Erik Karlsson (76 points), but it might be difficult to keep up with a Nashville Predators team that’s found its scoring groove. The Preds have averaged five goals a game in the past three matchups, and San Jose goalie James Reimer (.898 SV%, 3.20 GAA) will find it tough to keep up.
Best Bet: Predators ML
Author: Anthony Elio
Boston Bruins vs. Seattle Kraken Best Bet
Boston heads out on a West Coast swing and have shown no real wrinkles in a slide after the all-star break. As for Seattle, they just have won three games since the break but are in a playoff battle. Martin Jones is projected in note who has cooled off and this is a slight disadvantage compared to having Philipp Grubauer in net tonight. Jake DeBrusk is back and healthy, giving the Bruins offense yet another weapon.
Boston’s defense has been tremendous this season, allowing 2.05 GA this season and it stems from the goaltending. Lunus Ullmark is projected to be in net tonight, posting a 29-4-1 record with a 1.88 GAA. Seattle’s offense has struggled a bit lately and run into the buzzsaw of Boston’s defense and goaltending. Look for Boston to continue their dominance, even kicking off the road game in Seattle.
Best Bet: Bruins 60-Min ML
Author: Jason Guilbault
