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It's been a fantastic start to the week, as we followed up a 2-0 Sunday with a big night Monday.

We finished 2-1 with our official plays while also hitting on Leon Draisaitl to score two or more goals at +700 and our trend of the night at +150. If you tailed on those, you raked.

Let's stay on the gravy train.

GOATs and scapegoats

Was there ever any doubt about Draisaitl being crowned Monday's GOAT following his four-goal effort against the Nashville Predators?

Filip Forsberg assumes the role of scapegoat for managing just one shot on goal. We took him over 2.5 shots, which proved to be our only loss of the night.

Tuesday bets

New York Rangers' team total over 2.5 (-130)

The Rangers' playoff hopes took a big hit over the weekend, as they lost a pair of games against the Philadelphia Flyers. New York's goaltending has waned, but the offense hasn't dried up. The Rangers have scored at least three goals in 10 of their last 12 games as they get set to host a St. Louis Blues team that's allowed three or more goals in nine consecutive away contests against Eastern Conference teams. Trust the Rangers' offense in a bounce-back spot at Madison Square Garden.

Tampa Bay Lightning (-120)

It's incredible what a mini-losing skid can do to a team's perception. The Lightning lost four in a row, as well as captain Steven Stamkos to injury, and everyone seems to be down on a club that had been dominating over the last two months. They've proven to be a streaky team, winning 11 in a row at home before their small losing skid. They got back on track with a win Saturday and now host a Boston Bruins team they've won five in a row against in Florida. Give me the Bolts at a discounted price, please.

Minnesota Wild (-130)

If you're a firm believer in a team bouncing back from a miserable display, then this might not be the bet for you. The Predators were humiliated on home ice Monday, but they have the opportunity to quickly put that behind them when they visit the Wild. The issue is Nashville is on a 3-7 run on the road when playing on no rest and is 0-2 this season in away games when playing at home the night before. The Wild are hot, winning five of their last seven, and could climb ahead of the Predators in the playoff race with a win. This is a huge game for the Wild, and it could represent a bounce-back effort of their own after they lost to the Washington Capitals on Sunday night.

Best bet

Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 (+150)

Is this the same Leafs team that lost to the Zamboni driver? It sure doesn't look that way, as Toronto has won three in a row since that harrowing night and is arguably playing its best hockey of the season. The Leafs have won nine of their last 10 road games against Western Conference teams, and all nine of those wins were by at least two goals. The San Jose Sharks are on a mini two-game winning streak on home ice but had lost four in a row before that at the SAP Center, all by two or more goals.

Trend of the night

The Edmonton Oilers are 6-1 this season in the second leg of back-to-backs and 5-1 on no rest when playing on the road. They visit the Dallas Stars after winning in Nashville on Monday, and if you believe in the outstanding hockey the Oilers are playing at the moment, then they're well worth a flier at +150.

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.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

Our weekend betting preview started slow with a 1-2 night Friday, picked up steam with a 2-2 Saturday that returned a small profit, then finished strong with a 2-0 Sunday.

That's the momentum we're looking for heading into a big week.

GOATs and scapegoats

It's hard to pick just one hero from a busy weekend card, but how about the Columbus Blue Jackets' power play? Down 3-1 Sunday night heading into the third period, the Jackets cut the deficit to 3-2 before Zach Werenski and Emil Bemstrom scored power-play goals just three minutes apart to complete an impressive comeback and ensure we finished the day with a 2-0 record.

That came after Jeff Petry crushed our spirit Saturday night. The Carolina Hurricanes had battled back from a 3-0 deficit in Montreal to force overtime, and it looked as though we were headed for a 3-1 night. But with all the momentum on the Hurricanes' side, Petry took a stretch pass in overtime and roofed one to salvage a win for the Canadiens, forcing us to settle for a 2-2 night.

Monday bets

Filip Forsberg over 2.5 shots (-130)

With such a small card Monday, I've turned to player props to expand it. Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg recorded three or more shots in seven of his last eight games and registered 26 shots on goal across his last four games against the Edmonton Oilers, including nine in their most recent meeting in Nashville.

Leon Draisaitl to score anytime (+120)

While Forsberg has been shooting the puck a ton against the Oilers, Leon Draisaitl has done the same against the Predators - only he's made those shots count. The league's leading scorer has eight goals in his last four games against Nashville. He's in top form right now and is a steal at plus-money to add to his 39 goals on the season tonight. You can also get him at +700 to score two or more goals, which he's done in four straight meetings with the Predators, including both games in Nashville last season.

Best bet

Colorado Avalanche/Detroit Red Wings under 5.5 (+110)

The Avalanche have won their last six games and eight in a row on the road. Defensively, they've really tightened up, and it's been a key component to their success. Colorado is on a 12-1 run to the under and has hit seven straight unders on the road. That's largely down to the fact that the Avs allowed just 10 goals in their last eight road games while scoring 15 in their last six games overall. Meanwhile, the Red Wings scored just 14 goals in their last 10 games on home ice. Furthermore, only one of the last eight meetings between these teams in Detroit went over six goals. All signs point to a low-scoring affair in Motown.

Trend of the night

Colorado has allowed just eight goals in its last six games.

The team's impressive defensive record extends further back, having allowed just 23 goals in its last 14 games. If you exclude games against the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning, the Avalanche have allowed just 16 goals in their last 12 games. There are worse bets to make than the Red Wings' team total under 1.5 at +150.

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.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

No excuses after we slumped to a 1-3 night on Tuesday - in maddeningly frustrating fashion.

We've had a bit of tough stretch, hovering at or below .500 for the bulk of the past week following a pretty lengthy winning run. Let's get back to our old ways, starting tonight.

GOATs and scapegoats

Brayden Schenn scored 33 seconds into last night's game, setting the tone for the St. Louis Blues' 6-5 win as their contest against the Chicago Blackhawks sailed over the total for our lone Tuesday win.

It really shouldn't have been our lone win, though. In fact, it's sickening that it was. We had over 5.5 goals for the game in Raleigh. After the Dallas Stars jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead and held a 4-1 advantage just over 10 minutes into the second frame, we needed one goal in the last 27 minutes of action. Literally just one goal. We got nothing, despite the Carolina Hurricanes firing 18 shots on goal in the third period. Thanks a lot, Anton Khudobin.

Wednesday bets

Buffalo Sabres/Colorado Avalanche under 6 (-105)

The Avalanche have changed their approach slightly in the absence of Philipp Grubauer, playing stingier defensive hockey. As a result, the under is 4-1 in Colorado's last five home games. Pavel Francouz has also played well between the pipes. The Czech netminder has posted a .938 save percentage in February while allowing two or fewer goals in each of his starts, with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning the lone exception. With all due respect to the Sabres, Buffalo is no Tampa.

The Sabres have scored just six goals in three road games against Western Conference teams in the 2020 calendar year. The over is 1-1-1 in those contests, but none of those tilts saw more than six goals. This total feels a bit too high.

Best bet

Edmonton Oilers' team total over 2.5 (-110)

This is a tough spot for the Oilers, who are playing the second leg of a back-to-back in Vegas after losing in Anaheim in overtime last night. But it's a spot in which they've managed to excel all season. Edmonton is 5-0-0 in road games played on zero days' rest this season and 6-0-0 on no rest overall, scoring at least three goals in every one of those contests.

The Golden Knights have been playing good hockey, winning six in a row, but they still have issues on defense. Vegas has allowed three or more goals in six of its last eight games. At such a short price, how could you not back the Oilers' streak to continue?

Trend of the night

The Pittsburgh Penguins have scored at least four goals in each of their last four road games against Western Conference teams. They've done the same in six of their last seven on the road against non-conference opponents, and eight of their 11 total contests in that situation this season.

The only Western road games in which Pittsburgh failed to net four tallies were against the Blues, Dallas Stars, and Vancouver Canucks. The Los Angeles Kings, meanwhile, have allowed three or more goals in seven of their last nine home games and are 2-6-1 over that span. You can get the Penguins' team total over 3.5 at -110 if you're feeling up to it.

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.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

With a busy trade deadline in the rearview mirror, NHL rosters are set and the playoff push is underway, with the quest for the Stanley Cup on the horizon.

There was a flurry of action in the lead-up to Monday's deadline. While some general managers were busy strengthening their teams for the stretch run, others got lost in the chaos, with their respective squads' chances suffering blows as a result.

Here are the updated Stanley Cup odds heading into the final six weeks of the regular season:

Only displaying teams with odds +5000 or shorter.

Buy

Tampa Bay Lightning (+600)

This is a betting article, and for the purposes of winning the Stanley Cup this season, it doesn't matter to us how much teams overpay to add. The Lightning gave up a lot for the likes of Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow, but is anyone going to care about that if they're lifting the Cup come June? Coleman is a smart player who should provide solid depth scoring, while Goodrow makes Tampa a tougher team to play against. And let's not forget Zach Bogosian, who elected to sign with the Bolts over a number of other suitors. Heading a team that just needed some fine-tuning, general manager Julien BriseBois hit a home run.

Washington Capitals (+1000)

The Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Jim Rutherford had a typically excellent couple of weeks leading up to the deadline, but Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan deserves a ton of credit for not just keeping up, but winning their divisional arms race. Brenden Dillon brings experience and toughness to the Caps' blue line, and the addition of a motivated Ilya Kovalchuk is highly intriguing. Each of those players shifts the needle more than the Penguins' addition of Patrick Marleau, which didn't make a whole lot of sense, and the re-acquisition of Conor Sheary. Pittsburgh did well to get Jason Zucker earlier in February, but Rutherford didn't do anything to address the back end, where injuries remain an issue.

The Capitals solidified themselves as the cream of the crop in the Metropolitan Division, and they can be had for the same price as a Penguins team that hasn't much improved since the Zucker trade.

Philadelphia Flyers (+2000)

It wasn't a flashy deadline for Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher, but he did really well given his team's financial restraints. Nate Thompson and Derek Grant won't make a big impact on the scoreboard, but they're the sort of players whose presence is really felt in the playoffs. They offer important grit and depth without disrupting team chemistry. Grant is having a career year and can fill a variety of roles, while Thompson is outstanding in the faceoff circle and should prove an invaluable addition in the room.

Carolina Hurricanes (+2000)

I wrote extensively about the Hurricanes' odds earlier in February, and if you own a Canes futures ticket, you have to be thrilled with the deadline work of GM Don Waddell. Brady Skjei and Sami Vatanen provide a massive boost to a defensive core that's been riddled with injuries, but the real prize was Vincent Trocheck, who gives Carolina legitimately impressive depth down the middle. Injuries in goal are a concern, but Alex Nedeljkovic has had success at every level and there's no reason to suggest he can't fill the void. It's not like Petr Mrazek had been playing lights out, either.

Sell

Colorado Avalanche (+900)

It's not all doom and gloom for the Avalanche, who are still an excellent team with a long window to win, but it feels GM Joe Sakic missed the boat a bit here. There's nothing wrong with being patient, but it seemed like Colorado could have taken a significant step toward the Cup by adding someone like Trocheck, Chris Kreider, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, or Tomas Tatar. Colorado has great organizational depth, and it would have been nice to see Sakic flex some of that muscle to have a real go at it this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs (+2800)

The Maple Leafs suffered a painful loss Saturday, but the one taken by GM Kyle Dubas on Monday might have been even worse. He stood idly by as the rest of an already very strong Eastern Conference got that much better. Dubas wasn't exactly swimming in trade assets, but it was a predicament of his own making, and many would have liked to see him get creative to address any of the roster's multiple holes. On a positive note, you can't get your heart broken in Game 7 if you don't reach a Game 7.

Calgary Flames (+3000)

In fairness to GM Brad Treliving, the Flames were backed into a corner following injuries to Mark Giordano and Travis Hamonic. He was never going to be able to replace that pair, but the addition of Erik Gustafsson is underwhelming. In a truly wide-open Pacific Division, it would have been nice to see him roll the dice a bit more. At this rate, there's a decent chance the Flames wind up missing the playoffs altogether.

Florida Panthers (+5000)

The Maple Leafs keep gifting the Panthers a route to the playoffs, but Florida is shockingly reluctant to accept. Not only did the Panthers not improve, but they got worse by dealing Trocheck to a team extremely close to them in the standings. There was nothing to like about Florida's deadline moves, especially with a playoff spot right there for the taking.

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.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

If you're anything like me, you were glued to the screen Monday to follow the chaos that was the NHL's trade deadline.

As the 3 p.m. ET deadline passed, you were jacked up on hockey and ready to bet on some games - only to come to the crippling realization that the NHL had just one game scheduled for Monday night. Letdown.

Congratulations on making it through. As a reward, we have 13 games on Tuesday's schedule to satisfy all our hockey and betting desires.

GOATs and scapegoats

How about Tyler Toffoli registering three points in just his second game with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday? He helped spark a nine-goal outburst on home ice, as his team absolutely dismantled the Boston Bruins. That was a fun ticket to cash at +125.

You know what wasn't fun? Betting on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Not only did I pick them to win the game, but I hammered them live in the second period and again at intermission.

If you don't know how that played out, you've been living under a rock.

Tuesday bets

Vancouver Canucks/Montreal Canadiens under 6

Jacob Markstrom is a significant loss for Vancouver but probably not as big as some are making it out to be. Thatcher Demko is a very promising young goalie, and he's had an excellent season thus far. I have no doubt he's ready to take the reins in Markstrom's absence starting tonight in Montreal. The Canadiens should get another typically excellent showing from Carey Price, especially against his hometown team, as goals should be hard to come by at Bell Centre. The Canucks have lost six straight in Montreal and nine of their last 10 games there, being shutout in five. The Habs are 10-2 to the under this season at home to Western Conference teams.

Toronto Maple Leafs/Tampa Bay Lightning under 6.5

The Lightning have been playing the best hockey in the NHL for some time. All that firepower up front has overshadowed how unbelievably strong they are on the back end and in net. Tampa Bay has won 11 straight at home, allowing just 20 goals over that span. The Maple Leafs will be aiming to put in another bounce-back performance defensively after Saturday's disaster, while it's hard to see them beating Andrei Vasilevskiy too often. Betting the under in a Toronto game can bring cruel and unusual punishment, but this game should be a lot tighter defensively than at first glance.

Chicago Blackhawks/St. Louis Blues over 6

The Blues broke out of their offensive rut over the weekend, scoring nine goals over two road games following a bit of a dry spell on home ice. They return to St. Louis tonight to take on the Blackhawks, who have allowed at least three goals in six of their last seven contests on the road. The last five meetings between these teams in St. Louis have gone over, averaging eight goals per game. Given the recent play of both sides, this one should sail over the number.

Best bet

Dallas Stars/Carolina Hurricanes over 5.5

Alex Nedeljkovic will get the nod for the Hurricanes tonight in the absence of Petr Mrazek and James Reimer, having been called up from the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, and he's actually a very capable netminder. A second-round pick in 2014, he led the Checkers to the Calder Cup title and was named the league's top goaltender in 2018-19. This year, he was named to the All-Star Game. This play isn't based on him starting the game but rather the two teams involved.

The Stars have found a nice rhythm offensively, scoring at least three goals in each of their last seven away games. Somewhat uncharacteristically, however, they've been struggling to keep pucks out at the other end, allowing at least three goals in five of their last eight on the road. The Hurricanes have played to five straight overs at home and will likely need to generate some offense in this one given the injuries and new faces on the blue line. This total is simply too low at 5.5.

Trend of the night

The Florida Panthers have scored at least three goals in 10 of 11 games away to Western Conference teams this season.

They've also scored at least four goals in eight of those 11 contests and will look to improve on that mark tonight in Phoenix against the Arizona Coyotes. You can get Florida's team total over 2.5 at -140 or over 3.5 at +180. The Coyotes have been playing much better hockey of late though, especially on the back end, so tread carefully.

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.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

Sometimes a game plays out in such disheartening fashion that you can't help but swear off betting a team for a while.

That's what happened Thursday when the Columbus Blue Jackets played so well for 30 minutes against the Philadelphia Flyers to build a seemingly impenetrable 3-1 lead before utterly collapsing and completing the debacle in overtime. All this on home ice, with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance.

That relegated us to a 1-2 finish, leaving some ground to make up heading into the weekend.

GOATs and scapegoats

Frederik Andersen had a nice bounce-back effort last night in shutting out the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Matt Murray did his part to help our cause. At least one game went our way.

The Blue Jackets are a lock for our scapegoats. That was the last time we'll bet on them in this space for at least a couple of weeks - screenshot this if you wish.

Friday notes

The New York Rangers' six-game road winning streak (1.7 goals allowed) will be on the line Friday when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes, who've won four of their last five contests in Raleigh. The Rangers are playing strong defensive hockey and three of their previous four games in Carolina have gone under, as well as four of their last five meetings overall.

Offense has been hard to come by for the New York Islanders, who've scored just two goals in their last four games. However, they return home from their road trip in a great spot to break out against the Detroit Red Wings, whom they've scored 22 goals against in their last four meetings at home. The previous five contests between these teams on the Island have gone over, averaging 9.8 goals.

The Chicago Blackhawks have scored just 10 goals in their last seven games at home against the Nashville Predators, tasting defeat in five of them. The Calgary Flames snapped a five-game home losing skid Monday and are well-rested as they prepare to welcome the streaking Boston Bruins. The Minnesota Wild will aim to build on their impressive record in Edmonton, having won 14 of their last 17 road contests against the Oilers. Similarly, but not to the same extent, the Anaheim Ducks have had the Colorado Avalanche's number of late, with the Avs losing four of their previous five visits to Anaheim and eight of their last 11 against the Ducks overall.

Friday bets:

• New York Rangers/Carolina Hurricanes under 6.5
• Detroit Red Wings/New York Islanders over 5.5
• Islanders' team total over 3.5
• Calgary Flames

Saturday notes

Saturday's festivities begin with a matinee as the Winnipeg Jets aim to snap a seven-game losing skid in Philadelphia, during which they've averaged less than two goals per contest. The Flyers will hope to keep cruising, having won five of their last six on home ice while limiting opponents to one goal or fewer in four of those.

The Hurricanes will dress for a second game in as many nights when they visit Scotiabank Arena, where the Toronto Maple Leafs are on a 10-1 run against opponents playing on no rest. Heading east in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Montreal Canadiens having lost five of their last six to the Habs and scoring two or fewer goals each time.

The Predators host the Blue Jackets on the second night of a back-to-back. Nashville has won two straight on no rest but was defeated in eight of nine in this spot before that, but if you think I'm playing Columbus again, you've lost your mind. I could be talked into betting the Vancouver Canucks, who have, uncharacteristically, lost two in a row at home. They've won seven of their last 10 over the Bruins in Vancouver, though, and Boston will be coming into this game having played Friday in Calgary.

Saturday bets:

• Philadelphia Flyers -1.5
• Toronto Maple Leafs
• Montreal Canadiens/Ottawa Senators under 6
• Vancouver Canucks

Sunday notes

A massive Metropolitan Division showdown is set for Sunday as the Penguins visit the Washington Capitals, each having played Saturday as well. Excluding games against the lowly Red Wings, Pittsburgh is on a 2-7 run in road games on no rest, while the Capitals are 5-3 in the second leg of back-to-backs this season.

Speaking of back-to-backs, the Jets are a modest 4-4 in second legs this season, but that's a massive step up from the Buffalo Sabres, who've lost 10 of their last 13 home games on no rest. Winnipeg visits Buffalo on Sunday.

The Vegas Golden Knights travel to Anaheim, having won four of five all-time visits there and posting a 9-2 record against the Ducks overall. But that doesn't hold a candle to what the Los Angeles Kings have managed to do against the Oilers in California, as Edmonton has lost 15 of its last 16 games in L.A.

Sunday bets:

• Washington Capitals
• Winnipeg Jets
• Los Angeles Kings

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.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

We were stunned by a third-period outburst in Chicago as we had to settle for a 2-2 showing Wednesday, but that was pushed to 3-2 if you tailed our trend of the night.

If not for a seven-goal third period and a 35-save effort from a former Vezina Trophy winner, we would have swept the board. Such is life.

GOATs and scapegoats

Betting the under in the Colorado Avalanche game last night, our one concern was Pavel Francouz, but he put in the type of performance we needed. He made sure the New York Islanders stayed ice-cold and helped keep the game under the total by making 27 saves on 28 shots.

Sergei Bobrovsky did Francouz one better, making 35 saves on 36 shots for the Florida Panthers. The .972 save percentage was his third-highest single-game mark of the season, ending a rough stretch for the former Vezina winner. And, of course, he did it on a night when we were on the over.

Thursday bets

Toronto Maple Leafs (-115)

This the biggest game of the season thus far for the Maple Leafs. After being embarrassed on Tuesday night, they return home for a rematch against the Pittsburgh Penguins, desperately needing to stop the bleeding. The character of each and every one of these players has been called into question over the last couple days. If they have any compete, this is when they need to show it - lose here and there won't be playoff hockey in Toronto come April.

Florida Panthers, 3-way line (+105)

Laying -140 on the Panthers' moneyline is also an option, but I like the discount we get for them to win in regulation. Florida is on a 6-1 run on no rest and has won eight of its last 11 games on the road. The Panthers have also won five straight away games versus Western Conference teams. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings are losers of five of their six home games in 2020 and just traded away their top goal-scorer and one of their top defensemen in Tyler Toffoli and Alec Martinez, respectively.

Best bet

Columbus Blue Jackets (-120)

Losers of seven in a row, the Blue Jackets have officially fallen out of a playoff spot, while the surging Philadelphia Flyers have moved into third in the Metropolitan Division. Columbus has been playing really good hockey but has found itself on the wrong side of a number of close games. Returning home will be big for the Blue Jackets, and I fully expect one of the game's best motivators in John Tortorella to get a massive response from his team after Tuesday's 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. The Blue Jackets have won 13 of their last 15 home games against the Flyers and I predict that to continue Thursday.

Trend of the night

The Flyers are on a 10-1 run to the over on the road, while the Blue Jackets are on an 11-1 run to the under on home ice.

Good luck making sense of this total.

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.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

We're coming off our first losing night in a while after finishing 1-2 on Tuesday, though we hit on our best bet and also our trend of the night, which would have taken you to 2-2 if you followed (I didn't).

Let's return to winning ways on Wednesday.

GOATs and scapegoats

Andrei Svechnikov is the gift that keeps on giving. We've backed the Carolina Hurricanes several times in this space, and he's produced some big goals for us. Last night was no different, with Svechnikov potting the game-winner in Nashville.

He came through on Tuesday, unlike the Toronto Maple Leafs' or Buffalo Sabres' defense.

Wednesday bets

New York Rangers/Chicago Blackhawks under 6.5 (-110)

This is an awfully high total that's based more off of both team's perceived style and not actual results. The Rangers have won five straight on the road, allowing just seven goals over those games. They're playing great outside of New York, and the Blackhawks are similarly excelling on the road.

However, Chicago is in the midst of a 6-11 run at home while scoring two or fewer goals in six of the team's last eight contests at the United Center. Getting 6.5 is a gift.

New York Islanders/Colorado Avalanche under 5.5 (+100)

It's been a miserable week for the Islanders, who probably can't wait to return home. They're 0-3 on their current western road trip while being outscored 8-1. That moves the Islanders to 1-8 in their last nine road games against Western Conference teams, a stretch when they've scored just nine goals. Not coincidentally, the under is 8-1 in those games.

Pavel Francouz will start again for the Avalanche after allowing just one goal in a 1-0 loss when these teams met in New York last month. All signs point to another defensive struggle here.

Minnesota Wild/Vancouver Canucks over 5.5 (-110)

I was really tempted to take the Wild at plus-money in this spot, but sticking with the theme of the day, let's look at the total instead.

Minnesota is struggling defensively on the road while allowing four-plus goals in six of its last nine games, and we know the Canucks can score. The over is 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings between these clubs north of the border.

The Wild hit the road for the first time in close to two weeks here, and getting away from home should benefit a desperate team fighting for its playoff life. Look for Minnesota's offense to bounce back after the San Jose Sharks shut out the Wild on Saturday.

Best bet

Florida Panthers/Anaheim Ducks over 6 (-120)

Give me this over all day and twice on Sundays. The Panthers have allowed three-plus goals in seven of their last eight road games, and they've scored four-plus goals in six of their last seven away clashes against Western Conference squads. In fact, Florida's last seven nonconference road games have all gone over the total, with an average of 8.4 goals scored.

The Ducks are on their own 5-1 run to the over on home ice while giving up four-plus goals in four of their last six in Anaheim. They've scored three-plus goals in seven of their nine home games against Eastern Conference teams this season, and have notched three-plus markers in five straight matchups against Florida, including in a 5-4 away loss to the Panthers earlier this season.

Trend of the night

The Arizona Coyotes have lost 12 straight games against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Arena.

There were a number of pretty overwhelming trends to pick from today, but this one undoubtedly takes the cake. The Coyotes last won in Dallas on Feb. 7, 2012. Arizona has also lost eight of its last nine on the road, scoring two or fewer goals in seven of those games. Laying -160 might be a lot, but the Stars are certainly in play tonight.

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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It was a wild long weekend in the NHL. Trading has commenced as teams load up for the stretch run, and more games from here on out will be played with an intensity that closer resembles playoff hockey.

Let's profit off it.

GOATs and scapegoats

It was a frustrating weekend as we stumbled to a 2-2 finish, with the Ottawa Senators coming within a goal of surpassing their team total and the Columbus Blue Jackets losing in a shootout.

At least the referees appeared willing to help our cause.

Dean Morton's crew were atrocious Saturday night. A pair of botched calls in regulation resulted in Dallas Stars goals, while two missed penalty decisions in overtime denied the Montreal Canadiens power plays - the Habs didn't have one the entire game - and helped the Stars complete the 4-3 comeback, cashing our bets in the process.

The abysmal officiating prompted a tirade from both Brendan Gallagher and head coach Claude Julien postgame, with the latter receiving a fine from the league. And although it speaks to a much larger problem in the NHL, it did work in our favor Saturday. Morton's crew are both our GOATs and scapegoats for the weekend.

Tuesday bets

Toronto Maple Leafs/Pittsburgh Penguins under 6.5 (-105)

Betting an under in a Maple Leafs game is a good way to shorten your life span, but this total just feels too high. Tristan Jarry has been on an absolute tear for the Penguins, especially on home ice. The netminder is 11-3-1 at PPG Paints Arena this season with a 1.86 GAA and .938 SV%. Expect another strong effort from the goaltender and a bounce-back performance from the Leafs' defense after Sunday's debacle in Buffalo.

Buffalo Sabres (-115)

The Sabres are one of the more frustrating teams to back, but they've shown impressive heart over the past couple weeks to not fall completely out of the playoff race. The concern is that they've lost three games in a row against the Ottawa Senators in Canada's capital, but at such a short price, I'm buying into Buffalo's resurgence. The Sens have lost seven straight home contests against Eastern Conference teams, while the Sabres have won three of their last four on the road and four of five overall.

Best bet

Carolina Hurricanes (+100)

The Nashville Predators have won back-to-back games on home ice and are coming off a great weekend, during which they beat the St. Louis Blues twice. It seems everyone has suddenly forgotten that the Predators had previously lost five of six at Bridgestone Arena. They'd also scored two or fewer goals in seven of their last eight home contests.

It's hard to consider backing the Predators at this price based on a three-game resurgence. Instead, take the Hurricanes as short 'dogs. Carolina is playing some very good hockey, winning seven of its last 10, and is on an 8-2-1 run away to Western Conference teams.

Trend of the night

The over is 10-1-1 in the last 12 meetings between the Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers in Philly.

With a total of 5.5 tonight, the over is worth a look. However, given the recent play of Elvis Merzlikins and Carter Hart, it's hard to feel fully confident. I'm passing on this one.

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.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

We couldn't quite follow up a perfect Wednesday with an unbeaten Thursday, but we did take home a slight profit despite a 2-2 record with our official bets.

We also improved to 7-3 on our last 10 best bets, though our trend of the day was a loser. It was a case of two steps forward, one step back.

Moving forward, there are a ton of games this weekend, so let's have at it.

GOATs and scapegoats

There are a number of GOATs we could pick from the St. Louis Blues-Vegas Golden Knights matchup that soared over the six-goal total, but Zach Sanford takes the cake with his four-goal effort. A player scoring four times when you bet the over is pretty spectacular.

Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets let us down. They held a 2-0 lead late in the second period before losing 4-3 in overtime. Matiss Kivlenieks allowed three goals on the Buffalo Sabres' final 10 shots of regulation. That one hurt.

Weekend bets

Saturday: Edmonton Oilers

Sooner or later, you'd expect Joel Quenneville to pull the Florida Panthers out of their funk, but until we see signs of a turnaround, let's keep taking advantage of them. The Panthers have now lost five of their last six, including three in a row on home ice, while the Oilers are still playing some very good hockey in the absence of Connor McDavid. Edmonton's on an 11-3 run in road games against Eastern Conference teams and should be targeted on Saturday at plus-money.

Saturday: Dallas Stars

The look-ahead line for this game at Bell Center has the Stars at -115. The Montreal Canadiens will first play Friday night in Pittsburgh, so we could see goalie Charlie Lindgren start Saturday, though with the Habs' playoff hopes hanging by a thread, it's possible Carey Price starts both games. Regardless, Montreal has been struggling on home ice and seems to be running out of steam while being hit hard by the injury bug. The Stars have won eight of their last 11 on the road and should comfortably take care of business Saturday night. Don't hesitate to grab them at such a short price.

Sunday: Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets have won nine of their last 10 games at Prudential Center, with the New Jersey Devils hardly lighting the lamp in those contests (more on that later). Elvis Merzlikins owns a .947 save percentage in 2020 and should have no problem leading the Jackets to continued dominance over their Metropolitan Division foes.

Best bet

Saturday: Ottawa Senators' team total over 2.5

You might be surprised that the Senators have won eight of their last 10 home games against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ottawa has scored at least three goals in 10 of its last 11 contests versus the Leafs in the nation's capital, including 10 goals combined in the two meetings there last season. Toronto's defensive issues don't seem to be improving, and with the Leafs in action on Sunday as well, we could see Jack Campbell start the first game of the back-to-back - a move coach Sheldon Keefe's been making of late. Regardless of the starter, Ottawa's the play.

Trend of the night

The Devils have scored just 12 goals in their last 10 home games against the Blue Jackets. They've scored one goal or fewer in seven of those 10 contests.

Meanwhile, Merzlikins is in top form and the Blue Jackets are conceding very few goals these days, so a play on the Devils' team total under 2.5, as well as under 1.5 - which can likely be had at around +200 - are both in the cards for Sunday's game.

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.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.