The NHL has a stacked schedule tonight after just four games yesterday.
The Avalanche look to bounce back after suffering their worst loss of the season on Tuesday night. Elsewhere, the Kraken will try to win their sixth straight against Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals.
Here are our four top picks for Thursday night. You can find odds for all the games at the NHL’s best betting sites.
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Colorado Avalanche -1.5 at Buffalo Sabres (puck line)
It doesn’t happen often, but the Avs got embarrassed on Tuesday night. Colorado got walloped by Winnipeg 5-0, despite outshooting the Jets 40-23.
The defending Stanley Cup champs aren’t used to that sort of drubbing. Count on them to come out flying against Buffalo. They’ll face a weary Sabres team that will play their third game in four nights.
When teams get tired, they tend to take penalties. The Avalanche own the league’s top power play (32.4%). It could be a long night for Buffalo if its 26th-ranked PK unit has to spend much time on the ice.
Sidney Crosby Over 0.5 Assists
The Penguins are in a bit of a funk. They’ve lost two in a row and can’t afford to slip any further in a tight Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh will look to its leader tonight to get things back on track.
At 35 years old, Sidney Crosby has ten more points (31) than his closest teammate. He has 19 helpers on the year, including two in his last two games. He’s also registered an assist in seven of his last 10 home games.
Expect the Pens to bring their A-game at home against the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights.
Jordan Eberle Over 0.5 Points
The Seattle Kraken have shocked everyone this season with their offensive prowess. We’re into December, and the Kraken own the second-best record in the Western Conference at 14-5-3.
A big reason has been the outstanding play from Jordan Eberle. The veteran winger has tallied 21 points in 22 games and has a team-leading 15 assists.
The 32-year-old caught fire down the stretch in November. He’s coming off a four-assist night and has racked up 11 points in his last seven games. Look for Eberle to start December strong against a mediocre Capitals team.
Mikko Rantanen Over 0.5 Power Play Points
You can expect Colorado to bury a few after being shut out last game. The Avs do most of their damage on the power play, with Rantanen’s 14 PPP leading the way. Buffalo’s weakness is its defense. The Sabres have given up 3.61 goals per game (28th) and have an ugly 73.1 PK rate.
After playing an overtime game on the road last night, you wonder how much they’ll have in the tank against an angry Avalanche team.
