NHL Thursday betting preview: Wild to climb into playoff spot

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We settled for a 1-1 finish Wednesday with a pair of underdogs, but you took home a profit if you followed the trend of the night.

A spectacular collapse from the Columbus Blue Jackets ruined what would have been a perfect 2-0, so hopefully, the betting gods get us back Thursday.

GOATs and scapegoats

Nick Schmaltz and Lawson Crouse scored 2:29 apart in the third period to lift the Arizona Coyotes past the Vancouver Canucks, just when it seemed we were in for more third-period heartbreak. Darcy Kuemper also made 36 saves, so he can share the honor with his two teammates.

We needed that in a big way after Zach Werenski committed a brutal turnover behind his own net to gift the Calgary Flames a goal, kick-starting their comeback and eventual overtime win. Cheers for that, Zach.

Thursday bets

Buffalo Sabres (+145)

You can't possibly feel comfortable laying -160 with the Pittsburgh Penguins right now. They've lost five straight on the road and are struggling to find their game, while the Sabres have ripped off four straight wins on home ice. This Buffalo team has been plagued by inconsistency all season but remains undervalued by oddsmakers and has proven a profitable side to back on home ice. The Penguins are just 2-6 on the road this season when favored by more than -120, with both of those wins coming against the Detroit Red Wings.

Carolina Hurricanes (+120)

The Philadelphia Flyers are on an absolute tear, and I love the look of this team, but this is a good spot to back the Hurricanes. The Flyers have won seven in a row but are 2-3 at home this season when playing without a night off, and 5-7 overall in the second leg of back-to-backs. This is also a letdown spot for them after a huge win in Washington on Wednesday, while the Hurricanes need this victory to keep up the wild-card race

Carolina has won four of its last six games in Philadelphia and is on a 6-1 run on the road when its opponent is playing on no rest and it's had at least a day between games. Trust the Hurricanes to hand the Flyers and Carter Hart a rare home loss tonight.

Edmonton Oilers/Chicago Blackhawks under 6.5 (-110)

There seems to be a perception that these are two high-scoring teams, yet that doesn't match reality. The Oilers are 10-3 to the under this season on the road when the total is set at 6.5, and the Blackhawks are 12-4 to the under on home ice in games with that same number. Chicago has limited opponents to two or fewer goals in five of its last six games, while Edmonton is on a 3-1 run to the under. The last six meetings between these teams in Chicago have gone under, while the last eight have seen fewer than 6.5 goals.

Best bet

Minnesota Wild (-120)

The Wild are on a 6-2 run, with their only losses coming against the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues. They have won five straight on the road and clawed their way back into the thick of the playoff race, and would end the night in a wild-card spot with a win in San Jose. The Sharks have won three in a row at home, which is why we're getting the Wild at such a short price, but I'm not putting too much stock into wins over the New Jersey Devils, a struggling Penguins team, and a brutal performance by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Minnesota has won three of its last five visits to San Jose, against much better Sharks teams than this one. This is also a revenge spot for the Wild, who lost 2-0 at home to the Sharks on Feb. 15, sparking this impressive 6-2 run.

Trend of the night

The Montreal Canadiens have taken a 2-0 lead in each of their last five games, and seven of their last eight. They've been quick out of the gate but that intensity doesn't always last, as they've gone on to lose four of those seven contests.

If you want to bet on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight, who have won five straight over the Habs in Florida and eight of nine against them overall, perhaps hold off and look to get them at plus-money should Montreal open the scoring. You can also look to bet that the team to score the first goal doesn't win the game at +180, as well as Montreal to score first at +130.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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