NHL Picks: Betting Advice and Analysis for Games on This Week's Schedule

Schedule Breakdown

Here are the number of hockey games by night. 

• Monday - 6
• Tuesday – 6
• Wednesday – 2
• Thursday – 7

At least three of the four slates carry at least six games. The bad news is some teams that played last week are more or less off this week. 

Then, some teams play back-to-backs, and also below, we look at any three games in four-night scenarios. 

• Anaheim (Monday, Tuesday)
• Tampa Bay (Monday, Tuesday)
• New York Islanders (Monday, Tuesday)
• Minnesota (Wednesday, Thursday)
• Vancouver (Wednesday, Thursday)

Also, we kept the Monday-Tuesday scenario to keep bettors advised that Tampa Bay and Anaheim play two nights in a row. While on the road, Vancouver is on a nasty three-game in four nights schedule. New Jersey entertains Vancouver and Seattle at home. Boston, Carolina, and a few other teams are off until the weekend.   

What To Look Forward To Early This Week in the NHL

The schedule is still a bit fanned out, so please excuse our sports mess. Fortunately, that provides a few opportunities as the schedule is partially jam-packed. That changes a bit next week. 

This will be another goofy week because some teams, like the New Jersey Devils, get two home games on Monday and Thursday before embarking on a road trip. Meanwhile, the New York Islanders welcome newly extended Bo Horvat (eight years, $8.5 million AAV) into the mix with a rivalry game in Philadelphia. The next night they entertain an even more formidable Seattle Kraken team. At least Horvat is familiar with Seattle. 

Could scoring be down this week? That answer remains unknown. Think about it this way: Rust will be an integral part of the vocabulary. It will be heard in many forms and narratives throughout the media landscape. Reality bites, and we understand. So many teams are well-rested, which means thinking back to October for a second, relaxing, and exhaling. 

Now, for offense, Anaheim and Chicago should be a lot of fun on Tuesday. Anaheim gives up its fair share of goals, and the Ducks are on a back-to-back after playing Dallas. Colorado and Pittsburgh could be a wild game. Of course, there is Vancouver. Rick Tocchet and the Canucks make the tri-state trip this week and get to see the aforementioned Bo Horvat. 

Thursday's Schedule Should Be Nuts

There are seven games on Thursday. There should be more. Tampa Bay plays Colorado on ESPN. The Avalanche play two potentially high-octane games this week (Pittsburgh on Tuesday). Expect the pace and goals to be high. 

While Calgary and Detroit are an uncertain matchup, do not sleep on Seattle and New Jersey. The Devils and Kraken combined for seven goals in their previous matchup. Shots may have been a bit low, but chances were not. For some reason, a matchup between San Jose and Florida could be a track meet. These are teams who need help stopping offenses consistently. 

We remembered Vegas and Minnesota for the unknown. The Wild also come out of the break playing three times in four nights. Can Minnesota get back into better form? Honestly, can Vegas find its power play? There are so many questions about those two teams. No wonder placing a small wager on the Golden Knights NOT to make the playoffs is gaining some steam. Hint, it is still good, plus money. Check it out! 

Some Quick Points To Be Mindful Of

• Does Bo Horvat jolt the Islanders finally?
• Tampa Bay plays Florida on Tuesday. That could be chippy
• Also, Tampa Bay and Colorado is arguably the game of the week.
• Erik Karlsson's props and Nathan MacKinnon, too (especially against Crosby on Tuesday).
• Pick on teams like Minnesota and Vancouver this week. It is OK.

Good luck, and once again, thanks for reading! We will carry some more plays on social media as conditions warrant.

Thanks to BetMGM for the great early-week lines and TSN for the convenient schedule.