NHL Thursday best bets: Maple Leafs to cool off streaking Bruins

Headlined by a pair of inner-conference battles between teams expected to contend for the Stanley Cup, we have a juicy slate of games ahead of us on Thursday night.

Let's look at the best ways to attack them.

The Bruins are off to a remarkable 8-0-1 start and haven't missed a beat following the notable offseason losses of Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Tyler Bertuzzi.

While they remain one of the top teams in the league, this is a good opportunity to sell high.

The Bruins will be without star defenseman Charlie McAvoy due to suspension. It's hard to overstate how big of a hit that is to the Bruins.

McAvoy logs nearly 24 minutes per game against top competition each night. He doesn't just win those minutes; he dominates them. McAvoy owns a 57% expected goal share at five-on-five and has helped the Bruins outscore their opponents by six goals in that state.

The Bruins have only beaten opponents by a pair of goals without McAvoy on the ice, and their xG share is 7.5% lower. They are nowhere close to as good without McAvoy.

Although the Maple Leafs don't have a ton of depth, they have a pair of lethal duos in the top six. The Bruins will have a much tougher time slowing them down without McAvoy in the lineup.

This is also a spot where I expect the Leafs to have their fastball. They are coming off a complete dud of a performance against the Kings and will be looking to get back on track - and make a statement - against one of their biggest rivals.

The Leafs know they'll have to fight tooth and nail with the Bruins all year long in order to get to where they want to go. They'll put their best foot forward in this game, and without McAvoy, it should be enough.

Bet: Maple Leafs (-110)

The Oilers are a much better team than their record indicates. They have controlled better than 56% of the expected goals share at five-on-five this season, which is one of the best marks in the league.

Although that hasn't yet translated to results, it's a recipe for success over the long haul - especially when coupled with one of the league's most dangerous power plays.

The Stars are a handful to deal with, but there are some things working in the Oilers' favor here. For one, the Stars played on Wednesday. That means their tanks won't be full, and, more importantly, they won't have Jake Oettinger between the pipes.

Oettinger has saved more than six goals above expectation through six starts. That's elite-level goaltending.

His tandem mate, Scott Wedgewood, has allowed a pair of goals above expectation through two starts. It's a small sample size, sure, but we've seen a massive drop-off when Oettinger isn't in net.

That should be problematic going up against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the high-powered Oilers attack.

The Oilers have been out of action since Sunday, meaning McDavid's had a handful of days to rest up and get closer to full health.

He knows how important it is for the Oilers to right the ship following their dreadful start (record-wise), and he knows this is a big measuring stick game against one of the best teams in the league.

I think McDavid will turn things up a notch and lead the charge en route to an important home win.

Bet: Oilers (-140)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.

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