Moneyline: Minnesota Wild at Columbus Blue Jackets
Here’s a moneyline matchup where both Minnesota and Columbus sorely — and we mean sorely — need a win. The underdog Blue Jackets have lost six of their last seven games. Likewise, the Wild have dropped seven of their last 10 games. Adding to the desperation is both are fighting for their playoff lives. Minnesota is clinging to a postseason spot, while Columbus is in the hunt.
Moreover, this is actually the first matchup between the pair since February 2020. Just think, how much has the world been flipped upside down in the 25 months since that last game? Surely, a lot, which makes this pick all the more interesting to make.
However, we’re choosing the Blue Jackets to prevail. Its home-ice advantage is real. This team has netted a whopping 102 goals whilst at home — one of the highest outputs this season for any NHL team. That should give them the slightest of edges to pull off this upset win.
Over/Under 6 Goals: Las Vegas Golden Knights at Pittsburg Penguins
This might be the most bet-on NHL game at hockey betting sites come Friday. That’s because it features two stud teams that are serious Stanley Cup contenders. The Penguins are tied for second in the Metropolitan division with 77 points, while the Golden Knights are third in the Pacific with 68. With this juicy matchup, we’re immediately drawn to the Las Vegas-Pittsburgh over/under.
Unlike our previous pick, these two teams have met recently. Back in January, they played a thriller, which ended in a 5-3 victory for Pittsburgh. High scoring has been a staple of these head-to-head meetings since the Golden Knights entered the league in 2017. In seven all-time matchups, at least six goals were scored in five of the games.
We have a feeling another scoring outburst is on tap for Friday. We’re especially confident in the home-team Penguins. They’ve played a murderous schedule as of late, battling Tampa, Florida, and Carolina the past three games. Yet, they’ve gotten into the net regularly with 10 goals against them. The Golden Knights are a much easier matchup too, which should open up the scoring further for Pittsburgh. We’re hammering the over in this one!
Over/Under 6 Goals: Winnipeg Jets at New York Islanders
Here’s another over/under of 6 goals matchup that was drawn to, but unlike the previous game, it features two floundering teams. Neither Winnipeg nor New York is in playoff contention whatsoever. The Jets have tallied a mere 60 points this season, while the Islanders are even worse with 50. But what happens regularly when you throw two bad teams against each other? Mistakes can lead to scores.
And not only is their bad play but there should also be fatigue in this one. Both teams played the night before — which ended up as wins for both. Those tired legs, plus travel sluggishness in the case of Winnipeg, will result in more mistakes than usual. We love the over-six goals in this matchup!
Moneyline: Winnipeg Jets at New York Islanders
Wait, we’re not done with this game quite yet. We also have betting advice for the Winnipeg-New York moneyline. We’re picking the Islanders to win straight up — just like they did in the two’s previous regular-season matchup in November (a 2-0 victory for the Isles). New York has played better as of late. Even in a recent loss to a proven commodity like Colorado, they barely lost by a goal. We like them to take care of business as the home team.
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