With just four games scheduled for Wednesday night's slate, there isn't a ton of value on the board.

Thus, we're going to use both sides and props for the day's best bets. Let's get right to it.

Capitals (-175) @ Flyers (+150)

The Washington Capitals didn't put forth their best effort last time out, but that didn't stop them from getting yet another positive result.

They have posted a 13-2-2 record since early December and they've been full value for it, slotting third across all situations with an expected goals share well above 55%.

What the Capitals have done is nothing short of remarkable considering the injuries they've faced. Key players like John Carlson, T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, and Tom Wilson, among others, have all missed an abundance of time.

Although the former remains out, the three forwards very recently returned to the lineup. Having those guys back gives the Capitals three lines that can score and makes them extremely difficult to match up against.

I don't think the Philadelphia Flyers are well-equipped to slow them down. They don't have much defensive talent on paper and rank near the bottom of the league in terms of preventing shots and expected goals at five-on-five.

The Flyers also give up a lot of opportunities on the penalty kill, which is not ideal against Alexander Ovechkin and Co.

Carter Hart is likely going to be tested early and often in this game, something that finally seems to be catching up to him. He was one of the best goaltenders in the league over the first couple months of the season but his play has really dipped of late.

Hart owns an .893 save percentage over the past month and has conceded five more goals than expected during that stretch.

Bet: Capitals in regulation (-115)

Alex Ovechkin over 4.5 shots (+105)

While I prefer to back Ovechkin on home ice - his floor and ceiling are higher in Washington - the Great Eight is building-proof. In fact, no player has recorded more shot attempts or shots on goal on the road this season than Ovechkin.

But what I really like is this matchup. The Flyers are prone to giving up shots in bulk and, as alluded to above, I expect the Capitals to control the run of play and generate more than their fair share in this game.

Even with some key players returning, Ovechkin remains priority No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 for Washington when it comes to shooting the puck. The superstar winger leads the Capitals in attempts - by nearly 30 - over the last 10 games.

Ovechkin has seen John Tortorella's Flyers twice this season, generating nine and 14 attempts in those games. With that kind of volume, I'm happy to take my chances on Ovechkin coming through at plus money.

Darnell Nurse over 2.5 (-130)

The Anaheim Ducks have been a constant target for shot props all season and there is no reason to get away from that.

Over the last 10 games, they're a distant 32nd in shot attempts allowed per 60 while at even strength and killing penalties. They simply can't stop bleeding shots in any game state.

They have also conceded more shots to defensemen than any other team - yes, even the Blue Jackets - during that stretch.

That should be music to the ears of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, who enters play having gone over his shot total in eight of the last 10 games.

With a mouthwatering matchup and Nurse expected to log around 24 minutes of ice time, he should be able to get the job done once again in Anaheim.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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We suffered a setback Monday night, hitting just one of our three props.

Thomas Chabot was the swing player, finding the target only twice while missing on six attempts. If one more hit the net, we'd be enjoying another winning night but, alas, the margins are slim in this space.

Let's dive into three props that stand out on Tuesday's slate as we look to rebound quickly.

Nikita Kucherov over 3.5 shots (-115)

It's a day that ends in the letter "Y," which means we are targeting the Blue Jackets with a shot prop.

Columbus continues to struggle defensively, ranking 29th in shot attempts against per 60 minutes over the last 10 games.

The Blue Jackets still take their share of penalties as well and are going up against a Lightning team that draws plenty of them; only five teams have spent more time on the man advantage this season.

The matchup is great for Kucherov on paper, as he has gone over his shot total in both meetings against the Jackets this season.

Given his shooting form - only seven players have attempted more shots over the last 10 games - I expect Kucherov to continue throwing pucks on net.

Dylan Larkin over 2.5 shots (-120)

Larkin has gone a little cold of late, recording three shots or more just three times over the past 10 games. There's a lot to like about Larkin in this spot, though.

For one, the Jets give up a lot of shots to opposing centers. Only eight teams have conceded more to the position on a per-game basis.

Winnipeg has struggled in that regard for a while now, and Larkin has shown the ability to take advantage. He generated 13 shots on goal over two games against the Jets in the calendar year of 2022.

Beyond a strong positional matchup, Larkin should benefit from reinforcements. Tyler Bertuzzi is expected to return from injury and will rejoin Larkin on the top line. Lucas Raymond has been reunited with Larkin as well.

With his usual two running mates by his side and better supporting talent to work with, the Red Wings should be able to control more of the play with Larkin on the ice, opening up more offensive zone time and opportunities to shoot.

Miro Heiskanen over 2.5 shots (+105)

Heiskanen is firing on all cylinders right now. The star blue-liner - no pun intended - has registered three shots or more eight times over the last 10 contests, and the numbers beneath the surface suggest that's no coincidence.

He has attempted 65 shots in that span, slotting him behind only Jason Robertson among Stars players.

League-wide, Heiskanen ranks fourth among all blue-liners these past 10 games. Roman Josi, Cale Makar, and Dougie Hamilton are the only defensemen to attempt more shots.

Heiskanen finds himself in a good spot against an Islanders team that ranks bottom 10 in suppressing shots versus opposing rearguards. Look for him to stay hot.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have been firing on all cylinders with the shot props of late. Let's keep the ball rolling as we look to kick off the week with some winners.

Thomas Chabot over 2.5 shots (-115)

Thomas Chabot is on a nice little shooting run, especially on home ice. The skilled blue-liner has registered at least three shots on goal in six of the last nine games played in Ottawa. He finished with two shots each time he fell short so, put simply, he is always on the doorstep and giving himself a chance to go over the number.

This is a matchup where he should be able to get the job done. At five-on-five, the Nashville Predators rank 31st in attempts against per 60 over the last 10 games. They also take penalties at a pretty healthy rate, offering Chabot extra time in the offensive zone to get over the number.

These teams met about a month ago. In that game, Chabot hit the over while attempting seven shots. I expect similar results this time around in the comforts of his own building.

Filip Forsberg over 2.5 shots (-140)

The Ottawa Senators are a surprisingly strong shot-suppression team. Their Achilles heel, if you will, is opposing left wingers. That is the one position they seem to struggle with on a nightly basis.

Only the Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes - two teams in the mix for Connor Bedard - have allowed more shots per game to left wingers this season. Enter Filip Forsberg.

The dynamic offensive winger has attempted 63 shots over his past 10 games, slotting him 15th among all forwards during that span. Almost every guy ahead of him routinely has their shot prop line set at 3.5, if not 4.5. So you're getting top-end volume from Forsberg - in an advantageous matchup - at a reasonable price.

For what it's worth, Forsberg hit in all three meetings against the Senators during the calendar year of 2022 and capped things off in December with a nine-attempt performance.

Anze Kopitar over 2.5 shots (+125)

Death, taxes, and backing Anze Kopitar against the Edmonton Oilers. The Los Angeles Kings' captain absolutely feasted on them last season, recording three shots or more in 10 of 12 meetings (playoffs included).

That's not hard to believe considering the Oilers gave up a ton of shots to centers. Unsurprisingly, they remain very vulnerable in that regard. Only two teams have conceded more shots per game to centers this season.

With Kopitar, I generally need two things working in his favor to back him: home ice and a good matchup.

The Kings are at home in this game – Kopitar averages 1.1 more attempts per contest in Los Angeles - and, as mentioned, the Oilers bleed shots to centers.

Kopitar took advantage of the Oilers time after time a year ago. With a very similar roster and the same coaching staff in place, I think it is fair to expect more of the same.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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We are starting the week off with a fun little four-game slate. Let's take a look at a couple of home sides worth backing.

Predators (+100) @ Senators (-120)

The Nashville Predators enter play on a three-game winning streak. I don't see them extending it to four against the Ottawa Senators.

Although the Predators have played a fairly difficult schedule of late, there are some concerning trends beneath the surface, especially on the defensive side of things.

At five-on-five, only the Anaheim Ducks and Montreal Canadiens have conceded expected goals at a higher rate over the last 10 games.

Ottawa is not an ideal matchup considering those struggles. Despite dealing with injuries to key players like Josh Norris and Tim Stutzle throughout the season, they have not had any issue creating dangerous chances at full-strength. The Senators rank sixth in expected goals per 60 minutes while playing five a side.

They should be able to generate more than their share of opportunities against this exploitable Predators defense. And, if all else fails, this is a strong matchup for the Senators' lethal power play.

The Predators are a below-average team when it comes to avoiding penalties. They also give up a lot of looks while undermanned. For the season, only the Ducks, Canadiens, and Arizona Coyotes have given up expected goals at a higher rate.

Suffice to say, the Senators - who rank top five in expected goals and actual goals per 60 on the power play - are likely to cause real headaches for the Predators.

While an Anton Forsberg start here would definitely be preferable, the Predators are a subpar shot-generating team and rank 26th in goals per game. Cam Talbot should be able to put forth a competent performance if DJ Smith goes with him.

Bet: Senators (-115)

Flyers (+200) @ Sabres (-240)

The Buffalo Sabres are a handful to deal with these days. They are on a 8-2-0 run and have outscored opponents 41-27 in that time.

I expect their success to continue Monday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Flyers are not a good defensive team at all. They have bled shots all season long and, over the last 10 games, rank 29th in expected goals against at five-on-five. They give up a lot of good looks.

Sometimes they can get away with that thanks to Carter Hart. He started Sunday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, though, so the expectation is they'll turn to Samuel Ersson.

He has posted a respectable .905 save percentage through four NHL games. However, those came against the Ducks, San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and Los Angeles Kings. There is only one playoff team in that group and none of the offenses are overly scary.

The Sabres, who lead in goals per game, are a completely different animal than any team Ersson has seen. Given the Flyers' defensive struggles, he's likely to be tested early and often.

I don't think he's going to hold up against such a potent offense for 60 minutes. Even with Buffalo's mediocre goaltending, I don't see Philadelphia's offense being able to keep up, either.

This Sabres blue line is underrated and fairly solid when healthy. With the likes of Mattias Samuelsson and, more recently, Owen Power returning over the past couple of weeks, the Sabres have the pieces needed to compliment Rasmus Dahlin and provide some stabilizing play behind their potent attack.

Look for the Sabres to take care of business inside 60 minutes.

Bet: Sabres in regulation (-145)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Thursday was another great night for our player props. Alex Pietrangelo, Noah Dobson, and David Pastrnak all came through for us as we swept the board outright.

Let's dive into three plays that stand out on Friday night as we look to stay hot.

Alex Ovechkin over 4.5 shots (-110)

Ovechkin is firing on all cylinders right now, particularly on home ice. The superstar winger has amassed 83 shot attempts and 51 shots on target over his last 10 games in Washington.

Unsurprisingly, such a high volume of attempts is leading to consistency in the prop market. Ovechkin has gone over his total in six of the last eight home games.

Now Ovechkin finds himself with a plus matchup against the Nashville Predators. They have given up a lot of shots to left wingers this season and can be exploited by volume shooters at that position. We saw that first-hand last night when Andrei Svechnikov (8), Max Pacioretty (6), and Teuvo Tervainen (4) all piled up the shots while soaring past their goals.

I don't expect the Predators to allow anywhere close to the same volume as last night (67), but they have been struggling with suppression for a while. Only the Anaheim Ducks have conceded five-on-five shots at a higher rate over the last 10 games. The Predators are also a highly mediocre penalty killing team when it comes to preventing shots; Ovechkin should get plenty of looks there.

Seth Jones over 2.5 shots (-105)

Seth Jones is on somewhat of a shooting heater. He has registered three shots or more in seven of his last 10 games and six of seven on home ice. He is not putting up otherworldly numbers but is consistently doing enough to have success. Jones has attempted at least five shots in nine of his last 10 in Chicago. He's giving himself a legitimate chance of hitting every single night.

I don't see that changing against the Arizona Coyotes. While they have done a better job of preventing shots of late, they give up an awful lot to opposing defensemen. In fact, only the Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets have allowed more shots per game to the position this season.

Jones plays a ton of minutes, the matchup is enticing, and Arizona finds itself in the latter half of a road back-to-back. This is a good spot for Jones to produce.

Timo Meier over 4.5 shots (-110)

Meier appears to be turning a bit of a corner. He has recorded four shots or more in eight of the last nine games and attempted at least seven shots in seven of those contests.

The attempt volume is where it needs to be to hit a line like this with any consistency, as is his usage. Meier is routinely logging more than 20 minutes per night.

That's a big part of what makes him such an attractive play against the Ducks. They bleed shots and are arguably the worst defensive team in the NHL. If a shooter like Meier is going to see that kind of ice time in a good spot, he's going to come through more often than not.

Although Meier is better in San Jose, he has averaged 7.3 attempts per game on the road this season. He is generating more than enough to back him away from home ice.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Wednesday was a great one for our best bets as we swept the board. Despite a surprise start from Brian Elliott, our under of 6.5 goals in Minnesota came through. We also hit both player props.

We'll look to keep the ball moving in the right direction with a pair of sides for Thursday's slate.

Capitals (-200) @ Blue Jackets (+170)

The Washington Capitals are on a roll. They have won seven of the last 10 games and collected at least a point in nine of them.

Their underlying process in that time has been strong, as they slot seventh with an expected goal share above 55% at five-on-five. They are always dangerous on the power play - and the goaltending is potent - so the Capitals are evidently an extremely difficult team to deal with when getting the job done at full-strength.

We have every reason to believe they can deliver Thursday night in Columbus. For one, T.J. Oshie is expected to return and skate alongside Marcus Johansson and Lars Eller on the third line. His presence makes that unit a lot more formidable, giving the Capitals three lines with legitimate scoring threats. He'll give a strong power play an extra little boost.

The Blue Jackets are not a good five-on-five team, especially defensively. Only the Anaheim Ducks have given up Grade A chances at a higher clip than the Blue Jackets.

That's not ideal for a team scheduled to start Elvis Merzlikins. Among all goaltenders with at least 10 appearances this season, Merzlikins ranks last in Goals Saved Above Expected (minus-18) and GSAE per start (minus-1.531).

Joonas Korpisalo is a plus in both categories while dealing with the exact same playing circumstances. Thus, it is fair to say Merzlikins is making a bad Blue Jackets team even worse.

Given the level of play we have seen from the Jackets this season, all the injuries they're dealing with, and the fact a strong Capitals team is starting to get healthy, I expect the latter to take care of business with relative ease inside 60 minutes.

Bet: Capitals in regulation (-130)

Penguins (+105) @ Golden Knights (-120)

Things are not looking good for the Pittsburgh Penguins right now. They have struggled defensively for a few weeks and it has really started to catch up to them. The Pens have dropped five consecutive games, giving up at least four goals in four of them.

With Jeff Petry (injury) and Kris Letang (personal) sidelined, their blue line is having a very difficult time holding up. Given as much, the Penguins are more reliant on goaltending than they generally have been in the past. That's why the recent injury to Tristan Jarry is even more troublesome.

Now the Penguins have to try and right the ship against a very good Vegas Golden Knights team.

Despite dealing with a ton of injuries all season long, the Golden Knights lead the Pacific Division and enter play in strong form.

They own a 6-3-1 record over the last 10 games and have controlled better than 59% of the high-danger chances at five-on-five. That slots them third in the NHL.

The Penguins have posted a 45% high-danger chance share over the same period and rank near the bottom of the NHL. Their poor share stems mostly from struggles preventing Grade A chances.

The imminent return of Jack Eichel won't make life any easier for Pittsburgh. He leads the Golden Knights in points per game and average Game Score. He is by far the team's most threatening weapon.

Eichel's return will provide some much needed firepower to the lineup and give Vegas more depth at the center position, which will come in handy going up against the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

I think the Golden Knights are underpriced in this spot at home against a vulnerable Penguins side.

Bet: Golden Knights (-120)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Tuesday night was a solid one on the ice. While we split our best bets, two of our three shot props came through - with William Nylander falling one shy of a sweep - to earn us a winning night.

Let's keep the ball rolling with three plays for Wednesday's modest NHL slate.

Lightning (-105) @ Wild (-115)

Though this game features plenty of high-end offensive players, it's the under that stands out.

The goaltending matchup between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Filip Gustavsson is a very good one. Vasilevskiy owns a .921 save percentage through 26 appearances and enters this contest scorching hot. He's conceded two goals or fewer in 10 of his last 12 starts and posted save percentages above league average in the two exceptions.

Vasilevskiy isn't giving opponents any freebies and is keeping the Lightning in every game. With Tampa Bay on the latter half of a road back-to-back, the team will no doubt try to slow things down and let Vasilevskiy take care of the rest.

Gustavsson, meanwhile, has played surprisingly well this year, recording a .920 save percentage through 14 appearances in his debut season with the Wild. He's stopped 0.424 goals above expected per start - good for 14th among 62 NHL goaltenders who have played in at least 10 games.

The goaltending should be sound in this game. But, quite frankly, neither netminder should be tested to the extreme.

Minnesota ranks third in high-danger chance suppression over the last 10 games. Only the Maple Leafs and Golden Knights have been better at five-on-five during that stretch.

Tampa Bay has been stout in its own right, sitting top 10 in high-danger chances against per 60 minutes over the same period.

With both teams limiting Grade A looks and a strong matchup between the pipes, don't expect a ton of scoring in this game.

Bet: Under 6.5 (-125)

Miro Heiskanen over 2.5 shots (-140)

The Ducks are quickly entering Blue Jackets territory when it comes to surrendering shots to opposing defensemen. Anaheim is now giving up more than 11 shots per game to opposing blue-liners, joining Columbus (11.03) as the only other team above that mark.

The Ducks haven't caught up to the Blue Jackets because the latter have stiffened up; Anaheim's struggles have just reached new heights. The Ducks have conceded 12.1 shots per game to defensemen over their last 10 contests, putting them nearly 1.5 shots clear of the next-closest team in that time.

Suffice it to say, Miro Heiskanen finds himself in a mouth-watering spot Wednesday when the Stars visit the Ducks - and he's more than capable of taking advantage.

A dark horse for the Norris Trophy, Heiskanen has recorded 56 shot attempts over his last 10 games. Only seven defensemen - including Cale Makar, Roman Josi, and other elite offensive rearguards - have bested him in that time.

Look for Heiskanen to keep shooting against a putrid Ducks team.

Joel Eriksson Ek over 2.5 shots (-110)

Joel Eriksson Ek - like many we target for shots - is more efficient at generating them on home ice.

The underrated two-way pivot has averaged 5.3 shot attempts per game over his last 10 in Minnesota compared to 4.4 attempts per road game this season.

Furthering Eriksson Ek's appeal in this spot is the stylistic matchup. He doesn't seem to pile up many shots against porous defenses that allow the Wild's top players to embrace a run-and-gun style. He's at his best in slow, methodical, grind-it-out games - which is what we should see in Wednesday's tilt against the Lightning.

Examining Eriksson Ek's recent shot-volume history, he's gotten the job done against the Flames, Stars, and Predators while falling short against less structured teams like the Blackhawks and Red Wings.

Eriksson Ek has also fared well against the Lightning over the years, generating four shots or more in four of his last six contests versus Tampa Bay.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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With a whopping 11 games scheduled for Tuesday night, there's an abundance of player props to comb through.

Let's take a closer look at three that stand out.

William Nylander over 3.5 shots (+100)

Nylander has hit a new gear when it comes to shot generation. The ultra-talented winger registered at least four shots in 10 of his last 13 games, including six in a row on home ice.

League-wide, only nine players attempted more shots than Nylander during that stretch. He's been generating shots at the same rate as the likes of Auston Matthews, Tage Thompson, Nikita Kucherov, Kirill Kaprizov, and many of the league's best scoring threats. With volume like that, it's no wonder he's been hitting consistently.

What I especially like about Nylander today is that he's playing in Toronto and has a good matchup. He averages 6.9 attempts per game on home ice this season, compared to 5.9 away from Toronto.

The St. Louis Blues are also a highly pedestrian defensive team, and they're now without the likes of Ryan O'Reilly, Torey Krug, and Vladimir Tarasenko. They should spend a lot of time absorbing pressure and, thus, shots in this game.

Thomas Chabot over 2.5 shots (-140)

Death, taxes, and targeting the Columbus Blue Jackets for shots from defensemen. Columbus concedes an average of 11.11 shots per game to opposing rearguards, which ranks dead last in the league.

The Blue Jackets are weak defensively even at full health, and with injuries across the board, there's no reason to expect meaningful improvement any time soon.

That brings Chabot to the forefront. He registered at least three shots on goal in five of the last six games, which is impressive considering he's had two minutes (or fewer) of power play four times in that span. Even though the Ottawa Senators haven't been getting those extra opportunities to help prop up the totals, he's still gotten the job done.

I expect no different Tuesday in arguably the best matchup Chabot could ask for.

Pierre-Luc Dubois under 2.5 shots (-105)

Dubois is someone I consider a matchup-dependent shooter. The ceiling is never very high with him; he generally needs a weak opponent - or a side that allows a lot of shots to centers - to get the job done.

The Calgary Flames certainly don't match that billing. For all their struggles this season, they've defended well - especially of late.

At five-on-five, only the Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes have done a better job of suppressing shots over the last 10 games. The Flames are not a team you want to attack with shot volume in mind.

They aren't just good at limiting shots - they're good at keeping pucks out of the middle of the ice. A lot of what they give up comes from the wings and the point, and it's been that way since Darryl Sutter took over.

Dubois recorded just five shots on goal over five games against Sutter's Flames, generating no more than two in any contest.

With Dubois struggling to generate much volume overall - he went under the total in 10 of the last 15 - I think this line is quite fruitful given the difficulty of his matchup.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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We have a jam-packed 11-game slate Tuesday night. Let's take a look at a couple of home sides that stand out as we try to start the new year on a positive note.

Blues (+220) @ Maple Leafs (-270)

The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing fantastic hockey. They've won seven of their last 10 games and are full value for their success.

In that time, the Leafs picked up marquee wins over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, and Colorado Avalanche - all of whom they beat by at least three goals - and posted some remarkably good underlying metrics.

At five-on-five, the Maple Leafs controlled 61.14% of the expected goal share and 63.54% of the high-danger opportunities during this 10-game stretch. Both of those totals comfortably rank first in the NHL.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize that the Leafs - with all their firepower - will win significantly more often than not when consistently generating more chances than their opponents.

There's every reason to believe that'll be the case against the St. Louis Blues. They rank 27th in expected goal share over the last 10 and recently lost three important players - Ryan O'Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Torey Krug - for the foreseeable future.

Those absences leave the Blues very thin at center and on defense while also taking a lot of life out of their attack.

I expect the Blues will spend a lot of time on their heels in this game, and I don't think their 28th-ranked goaltending is close to good enough to compensate.

Look for the Leafs to pick up a multi-goal victory on home ice.

Bet: Maple Leafs -1.5 (-105)

Blue Jackets (+180) @ Senators (-210)

The Ottawa Senators sit well outside of the playoffs, but don't let that fool you - they're a pretty good hockey team.

The Sens are on a nice 7-3-1 run over the last 11 games and have steamrolled opponents at five-on-five during that stretch, ranking seventh with a high-danger chance share above 55%.

A nice bonus for the Senators is that their power play has also been firing on all cylinders. Only the Edmonton Oilers - led by the best offensive duo in the NHL - scored more power-play goals over the last 11 games.

With Tim Stutzle healthy again, the floor and ceiling of this Senators team dramatically increase.

That spells trouble for a bad Columbus Blue Jackets team dealing with an absurd amount of injuries. Although Patrik Laine and Cole Sillinger recently returned to the lineup, the Blue Jackets are still missing a pair of top-six forwards and half of their defensive core. That's problematic considering they weren't a good team to begin with.

Only the Anaheim Ducks conceded high-danger chances at a higher rate than the Blue Jackets over the last 10 games. That means Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Alex DeBrincat, and Co. should be able to generate more than their fair share of good looks.

I expect them to make it count en route to a win inside 60 minutes.

Bet: Senators in regulation (-140)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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We split our best bets Thursday night. The Buffalo Sabres handled the Detroit Red Wings on home soil, but the New York Rangers were unable to hold on to their lead in Tampa Bay and eventually lost to the Lightning in a shootout.

We'll set our sights higher and aim to end the year in style with a couple plays for the weekend ahead.

Predators (-165) @ Ducks (+135)
Dec. 30, 5 p.m. EST

The Anaheim Ducks have a strong case as the league's worst team. They rank dead last in regulation wins, goals against, goal differential, and shot suppression.

Anaheim is outshot by nearly 10 per contest. That clearly makes it very difficult to win games - especially when going up against a high-end goaltender.

That'll be the case Friday against Juuse Saros - or Kevin Lankinen - and the Nashville Predators.

Saros was a Vezina finalist a season ago. While his numbers are down a little bit this year, his .914 save percentage is still way above the league average of .900. Saros also grades out well in goals saved above expectation, having stopped 11.8. That slots him just below all-world goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

If the team elects to rest Saros and go with Lankinen, my confidence remains high. Lankinen only started eight games, but his GSAE per start ranks near the top of the league. Even if there's some regression, he's playing well enough to do the job against Anaheim.

The Predators - like basically every team - should be able to dominate the run of play and get a significant edge in chances.

For the Ducks to prevail, they'll likely have to convert their shots at a high clip. I don't see that happening against Saros or Lankinen. Look for the starter - whoever it may be - to lock things down between the pipes and ensure all the advantages the Predators have are reflected on the scoreboard.

Bet: Predators in regulation (+100)

Wild (TBD) @ Blues (TBD)
Dec. 31, 6 p.m. EST

The St. Louis Blues have come out of another one of their miserable spells and, on the surface, appear to be righting the ship.

They own a 5-2-3 record over the last 10 games and are right back in the thick of the playoff race.

I think this run has largely been smoke and mirrors, though. The Blues controlled just over 43% of the high-danger chances and expected goal share over the last 10 games.

St. Louis ranks 27th in both categories, surrounded by the likes of Anaheim, the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Arizona Coyotes. That's not company you want to be keeping if you have playoff aspirations.

Although Torey Krug isn't the player he once was, he produced at a 45-point pace this season and is one of the only true puck-movers the Blues have on defense. His absence will be felt.

The Minnesota Wild are hardly stomping opponents right now, but they sit at least 10 slots ahead of the Blues in high-danger chance share and expected goal share at five-on-five.

Minnesota also sits third in expected goal generation on the power play over the last 10 games. It's one of the few teams that could really cause problems for the Blues' strong penalty kill.

While the Wild lost a whopping nine of the last 10 games against the Blues, I think they'll leave St. Louis with a result.

Bet: Wild (expected line: -110)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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