Top NHL Pick: Dallas Stars -1.5 PK Line (+115) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Happy New Year to all our NHL followers and happy betting in 2024. With that said, let’s get stuck into the first big NHL odds card of the new year with no less than 13 games taking place across the NHL tonight.
Our three selections tonight are all plus-money bets and combine for an average odds set at +115 in our main offshore sportsbooks.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers
Tuesday, January 02, 2024 – 07:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden
Carolina 3-0 in Previous three Road Games
Although the NY Rangers remain top of the Eastern Conference, there are plenty of teams hot on their tail, one of them being tonight’s opponents the Carolina Hurricanes.
Carolina are 2nd in the Metropolitan division behind the NY Rangers. With six points separating the two teams and the Hurricanes having played two games extra, they are on the back foot if they wish to win the division.
With that said, there’s plenty of reason to believe they will be eager to pick up a win for this matchup on the road. Their recent form has improved over the previous 10 games, as they have had the best record in the Eastern Conference across that span.
The Pick
This is very much a 50/50 game, so give us the underdogs whilst their plus money on the moneyline. as the Hurricanes are currently available to bet at +110. We like this selection and the odds but would advise taking this down to as low as +105, so there is some value to be had here albeit small.
Besides their poor performances in Canada, where they went 0-4 against Canadian teams, the Hurricanes have gone 8-3 in their previous 11 road games.
NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes ML (+110) at BetOnline
Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Tuesday, January 02, 2024 – 07:30 PM ET at PPG Paints Arena
Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
Currently sitting on 829 goals, Alexander Ovechkin is still aiming to become the greatest goalscorer in the NHL, as he is now just 65 goals short of the great Wayne Gretzky’s record sitting at 894.
The Washington Capitals are depleted in the goalscoring department this season and Ovechkin has not been at his best either, scoring only 7 goals in 34 games played. With that said, he has been the team’s joint top points scorer this season with 21 points.
So why do we like Ovechkin chances of scoring tonight?
The Pick
The Washington Capitals have a lot of injuries in the Forward department. They also have struggled to score this season but will have to rely heavily on Ovechkin to start producing goals on this matchup as he did in his previous game.
Ovechkin has plenty of reason to want to get on the scoreboard (firstly to chase that elusive record) and secondly to improve his scoring record this season. Ovechkin has scored 39 goals in 73 appearances against the Penguins in the past.
NHL Pick: Alexander Ovechkin Anytime Goalscorer (+125) at BetOnline
Montreal Canadians vs. Dallas Stars
Tuesday, January 02, 2024 – 08:00 PM ET at American Airlines Center
Dallas Good Value to Cover the Spread
It’s hard not to like the Dallas Stars in this home matchup to not only win but also to cover the spread. On the moneyline, the Stars are laying -140 juice to win this game, although we can get +115 for them to win and cover the spread.
Interestingly we are opposing the trends here, as the Stars rank 30th ATS this season compared to Montreal’s 5th.
With that said, the Canadians are missing seven players through injury and are 1-4 in their previous four road games, compared to the Stars who have won 7 of their previous 8 home games.
The Pick
The Dallas Stars are 6-4 in their previous 10 games on home ice against the Montreal Canadians. During all six victories, they managed to cover the -1.5 spread.
The Stars are just one win away from going top of the Western Conference whilst their opponents are ranked 13th out of 16 teams in the Eastern Conference.
Covering the spread might not be Dallas’s forte this season, but in this scenario on home ice against a weakened Canadian team, we like their chances of doing so.
NHL Pick: Dallas Stars -1.5 PK Line (+115) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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