NHL Picks: Winnipeg Opens Season, What's the Bet?

Thursday's Schedule was Fast & Furious

Last night was about following so many games. The numbers were coming in fast and furious with all the action and scoring shifts. Staying away from the late Vegas game proved brilliant, with Vegas and Chicago combining for just one goal. Calgary and Colorado were high-scoring, as the teams combined for eight goals.

Some excellent prop bets were missed, but enough hit to make it a good night. As a tip, the one thing with props is spreading tiny wagers on an array of bets. Canadian Sports Bettors should not be throwing large sums of money on whether a player will score a goal in the third period, for example.

OK, let us get back to business. 

New York Rangers at Winnipeg Jets

The Jets finally open their season tonight at home against the Rangers. Now, the question is will the Jets be able to take advantage of a Rangers team playing its third game in four nights? 

New York’s offense has been hot in the first two contests, scoring 10 goals. It routed the Wild 7-3 in Minnesota last night. Igor Shesterkin stopped 33 of 36 shots, Mika Zibanejad scored again, and Artemi Panarin added four points with three coming in the first period. Minnesota had few answers for the Rangers' speed on the perimeter.

Yes, the Jets under Rick Bowness will be different. Did Bowness finally learn something in Dallas? Bettors hope so as his teams were often the kiss of death to the Over. For this game, it is set at 6.0 (1.87). How rusty will Winnipeg be to start the season? Conversely, will the Rangers even be tired at all? It is early. 

When a game is this volatile, choosing what to wager on is essential but opting to bet lighter is prudent. The confidence is not here compared to, say, Calgary and Colorado or even Arizona and Pittsburgh from Thursday night. 

Again, player props may be a fun avenue to explore. His goal prop is at 3.25 to score anytime on Friday. Jaroslav Halak is expected to start in goal for New York. Nik Ehlers at 2.75 is a reasonable wager. Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad Over 2.5 shots are worth a look again. 

Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings

The Canadiens will be fun throughout the season. They were getting around 3.50 on Wednesday night and came through with a 4-3 win in Toronto. Tonight, the Canadiens face an up-and-coming Detroit team. 

Both teams come in after resting last night. The Red Wings had multiple issues keeping pucks out of the net last season, and their special teams were not very good for the middle portion of the campaign. The Red Wings allowed 312 goals which was the third-worst in the NHL. That is something Detroit wants to improve. 

The question is, what did Montreal learn about itself on Wednesday? Games will be helter-skelter, and their middle two lines will be under siege quite a bit defensively. There is little Martin St. Louis can do. New coach Derek Lalonde figures Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi will have to lead the way for Detroit against a Montreal team vulnerable on defense. 

Historical number contest carries little relevance here. The entertainment factor should be higher here. The Over is 1.79 here, set at 6.0 goals. Detroit in regulation is at 1.82, which gets a bit more value than the 1.56 on the Moneyline. That is our plan of attack for Friday, as Detroit is our pick to open the NHL season with a win.

Some Random Wagers For Canadian Sports Bettors Tonight

Here are some early ideas:

• New York and Winnipeg Over 6.0 goals - 1.87
• Montreal and Detroit Over 6.0 goals - 1.79
• Detroit win in regulation - 1.82

Good luck, and take a look at our previews and much more. 

Numbers are via Sports Interaction and BetMGM.