Thursday's Top NHL Parlay Picks
There are nine NHL games on Thursday night, and those contests come with many storylines, along with more than a few chances to cash in with tonight’s top NHL parlay picks.
Thursday night is usually a busy one in the NHL. There are a variety of games on the docket, from a Washington Capitals-Boston Bruins clash to a battle between the San Jose Sharks and the Seattle Kraken and everything in between. We’re looking at a few favorites and a first-period bet in tonight’s top parlay picks.
Here are my top NHL parlay picks for Thursday’s matchups (odds via BetMGM Sportsbook, and pick confidence is based on a one-to-five star scale).
Top NHL Parlay Picks
Capitals vs. Bruins (-155) ????Panthers-Oilers first period over 1.5 goals (-165) ?????Canadiens vs. Golden Knights -1.5 (-135) ????
SEE ALSO: Examining Florida Panthers Futures
Top NHL Parlay Predictions
Bruins (-155)
The Bruins host the Capitals in a rematch of a game from just 10 days ago. Boston beat Washington 7-3 in that matchup.
Linus Ullmark (13-5-0, 2.52 goals-against average, .917 save percentage) made 27 saves on 30 shots during the previous meeting and will get the nod again tonight for the Bruins. Vitek Vanecek is projected to start for Washington. He allowed three goals on 15 shots in relief of Zachary Fucale last time against Boston.
The Bruins suffered a rare home loss on Tuesday night, with the Hurricanes blowing them out 7-1. Boston hasn't lost two straight games at home this season.
Washington beat the Jets in overtime on Tuesday after Winnipeg tied the game late in the third period. However, the Caps are still just 2-3-2 over their last seven contests. They’re also without John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov on the blue line.
Panthers-Oilers first period over 1.5 goals (-165)
These are two of the league's highest-scoring teams. The Panthers are second in the NHL while averaging 4.05 goals per game, and the struggling Oilers are still ninth-best at 3.29 goals. These two squads are also two of the most friendly to the Over.
Both teams rank in the top three in first-period goals, with Edmonton averaging 2.17 and Florida at 2.13.
The first period Over 1.5 is 27-12 in Florida’s 39 games and 22-13 across Edmonton’s 35 matchups. It's hit in nine of the Panthers’ last 10 games, with the team posting an 18-10 goal differential in that span. Meanwhile, six of the Oilers' last 10 first periods have gone over 1.5, and they’ve been outscored 14-11 in their last 10 first frames.
Sergei Bobrovsky (19-3-3, 2.47 goals-against average, .921 save percentage) has been solid for Florida in net, but Edmonton should come into this game a bit frustrated. Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen (12-7-1, 3.19 goals-against average, .900 save percentage) is bound to give up a few as well, and the Panthers should come out firing.
Golden Knights -1.5 (-135)
The Golden Knights are humongous moneyline favorites at -350, yet they're only -135 on the -1.5 puck line. That's odd because Montreal has suffered multiple-goal losses in the majority of its defeats.
The Canadiens have logged a two-plus goal defeat in 21 of their 30 losses. That includes four of their last five and 13 of the team's 19 road losses. Meanwhile, Vegas has recorded two-plus goal wins in its last three victories.
The Golden Knights have lost three straight games, but they're still playing well. They outshot the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs 65-39 over two contests. They then earned a 3-0 lead against Pittsburgh and blew that in a 5-3 loss. Vegas finally faces an easy opponent in the Canadiens, who miraculously pulled out a win despite getting outshot 51-22 on Tuesday.
Montreal won’t be as lucky in Vegas, and the Golden Knights should finally break through against a bad Canadiens team.
Ride with Vegas and Robin Lehner (15-11-1, 2.95 goals-against average, .904 save percentage), who's posted a much better record than Montreal’s Sam Montembeault (2-6-3, 3.72 goals-against average, .902 save percentage).
Combined Odds: Bruins (-155) + Golden Knights (-135) + Panthers-Oilers first period Over 1.5 (-165) = +457
SEE ALSO: All picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com's community forums and betting tools.
NHL parlay picks made 1/20/2022 at 4:33 a.m. ET.
