There is never a dull moment during the NHL season. And now that the NHL All-Star break is over, the season is back into the full swing of things. The NHL Trade Deadline is approaching and teams are starting to figure out who they really are. With that comes an incredible amount of intriguing storylines to keep an eye on each day. Today we will be examining three NHL predictions and best bets to make for Saturday’s action.
3 NHL Predictions and Saturday Best Bets
Edmonton Oilers Puckline
Our first bet comes in the way of placing some risk down on a puckline. More specifically, betting that the Edmonton Oilers come out with a big win against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon. The exact spread will change from site to site, which is why you should always be using the best NHL betting sites when it comes to placing your wagers down.
However, here is why you should be on the Oilers to win comfortably today. The biggest reason is the Senators are coming off of their mandatory bye week. Historically in the NHL, first games back for teams are games that ended up in losses more often than not. The extended rest makes for slow feet to start the game and hard to keep up with the overall pace. This becomes especially true when the team they play has already played a game since the break.
Not only are the Oilers playing Thursday, but no Josh Norris in the lineup likely means one of Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid will have an easier matchup against Shane Pinto. Mix that with the fact that both Travis Hamonic and Nikita Zaitsev will likely be in the lineup, the speed of Edmonton’s top players may be too much to handle.
The normal moneyline may make you pay some juice, so go with the Edmonton Oilers puckline here.
Read More: NHL Leaders at the Break
New York Rangers Moneyline
Another case where the primary reason is the bye week, the New York Rangers moneyline against the Carolina Hurricanes is likely a good play. It will depend on the book, but it is likely the Rangers will be available at plus value. It is a risky play given how good the Hurricanes are. However, the Rangers have a great mix of playing games since the All-Star break and being nice and rested.
The Rangers played Monday and Wednesday this week, giving them two full days off and most of a third one before playing Carolina. They can use this break to recoup and also get some practice in. Meanwhile, a mandated bye-week for Carolina means the team can’t even organize practices. The extra rest means there is no doubt that Igor Shesterkin will be ready to go, and he should give any bettor confidence as is. Look to find value in the Rangers moneyline.
Over Connor McDavid Shots on Goal Prop
To mix things up a little bit, let’s switch our last NHL Predictions and best bet to a prop bet! Ideally, we want to avoid betting the same game twice. However, this one felt too good to pass up. Connor McDavid’s shots on goal prop bet was set at O3.5 shots earlier this week. If that same value can be found today it feels like a trend you want to follow.
McDavid has only had less than four shots in a game twice in his last 12 outings. One of those times? You guessed it, the Oilers first game back off of their bye week. Which, despite the score, ended up being a somewhat sloppy game for Edmonton near the end. Mix that in with Ottawa just returning and may be a little slow on the defensive side of things, and we should see Connor continue his reign of terror on goalies, just as he has done all year.
If you need any more incentive, the Senators give up the 12th-most shots against per 60 in the league. They’ve also spent the third-most amount of time on the penalty kill per game this year, which is where McDavid will get space to shoot.
That’s all for our NHL Predictions and Best Bets on Saturday! It is a loaded slate of games so be sure to tune in to some exciting hockey.
