This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Betting: Expert Picks and Pucklines for Wednesday, November 23
It's a week of smorgasbords! Many American families will construct obnoxiously extravagant Thanksgiving dinner spreads, complete with booze-fueled banter and sensually arousing stuffing. And the American turkey day holiday also brings about a smorgasbord of NHL games to gamble on. So here's a pick for every single one of the 15 contests here. Hopefully, these bets will help you tell your uncle whom you talk to once every year about how money your hockey betting record has been this season and that he should divest himself from the NASDAQ and start tailing your (my) bets.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Sports betting is officially live in Maryland as of today and if you're located in MD, you can take advantage of the DraftKings Maryland Promo Code that gets new customers $200 in free bonus bets.
NHL Best Bets Tonight
Maple Leafs vs Devils Best Bets
Game of the night! The Devils are rocking a 13-game win streak. Need I say more? But the Leafs have quietly crept up the standings with a 7-1-3 run in their last 10. Vegas expects a close game, which is why it has the Maple Leafs at -205 on the PL. That's not a lot of juice, so they're begging us to take the Leafs at +115 on the ML. It's hard to bet against the Devils though, even though they're testing the waters of the longest win streak (which currently sits at 17) and it's just flat-out hard to win that many in a row. These teams played 11/17 in Toronto and the Devils walked out with a 3-2 win in overtime. Ugh…
- Maple Leafs ML +115
Sports betting is now live in Maryland and MD residents can jump in on the BetMGM Maryland Bonus Code that gets new users first bet insurance up to $1,000 in free bets.
Coyotes vs Hurricanes Best Bets
The Hurricanes have lost 3 in a row in overtime. That won't happen again tonight. Plain and simple.
- Hurricanes PL -145
Bruins vs Panthers Best Bets
If it weren't for the Devils, everyone would be talking about the Bruins which is the only team with a better record than the Devils. They're on a 7-game win streak and are 17-2 on the season. Yet they head to Florida a slight underdog to take on the Panthers. The Cats have lost 4 of their last 5, most recently a head-scratching 5-3 loss in Columbus. Does Vegas just think this is a practical game for the B's to lose? They've gotta lose every once in a while, right? And the Panthers are too good to skid this long, right? And you know what, I love betting against the Bruins in general so…
- Panthers ML -115
Blues vs Sabres Best Bets
The Sabres finally snapped their putrid 8-game losing streak and smoked the Canadiens in Montreal last night 7-2. I even predicted that in my article yesterday so you're welcome for that bet. They head home to snowy Buffalo to welcome a Blues team riding a 7-game heater. Craig Berube's boys are finding their mojo. Who's mojo stays frisky tonight?
- Blues ML -175
Flames vs Penguins Best Bets
These teams are both just playing for pride wins at this point. They're performing far below expectations respectively and need to show themselves they can win big games even when in November against a team from the other side of the continent. The Pens are on a 3-game heater, and the Flames are looking for their 3rd straight W. Who stays hot?
- Penguins ML -120
Jets vs Wild Best Bets
The Jets are a surprise underdog on the road here even though they just beat the Hurricanes and are 7-2-1 in their last 10. I think the book wants you to take the Wild to secure some coins on a big night across the league, but the Jets look like one of the strongest underdogs on the slate.
- Jets ML +135
Sign up at FanDuel using the FanDuel Maryland Promo Code if you're located in MD. With this offer, a $5 bet gets new users $200 in free bonus bets.
Predators vs Red Wings Best Bets
Both of these clubs are actually playing well right now, which is perhaps why Vegas has them both -110 on the moneyline with no favorite or underdog. It's hard to trust the Wings. The Wings are doing most of their winning at home and the Preds are doing most of their losing on the road. It's a game of inches. There's our inch.
- Red Wings ML -110
Canadiens vs Blue Jackets Best Bets
The Canadiens got embarrassed at home last night losing 7-2 to the Sabres. They look to lick their wounds on the road against one of the worst teams in the league in the Blue Jackets. But hey, the Jackets last played on Saturday beating the Panthers 5-3, and just two days before that beat this same Canadiens team 6-4 in Columbus. Will they benefit from this momentum and3 days' rest?
- Blue Jackets ML -115
Flyers vs Capitals Best Bets
I barely even want to write this section. The Flyers are so annoying because on one nightJohn Tortorella will yell at them just enough for them to pull out a surprise cover or an even bigger surprise win. And then there's the Capitals. Or should I say taxi squad Hershey Bears with Alex Ovechkin and a few middling full-time NHLers. Both teams are 2-6-2 in their last 10 and have looked uninspiring doing it. So this is just an uninspiring bet to take no matter how you slice it.
- Capitals PL +115
Oilers vs Islanders Best Bets
Would it surprise you to know the Islanders are 12-8? It surprises me to know that, but the Isles are looking much improved at the start of new bench boss Lane Lambert's tenure behind the bench. The Oilers are perhaps the most talented team that would miss the playoffs if the season ended today, mostly due to the fact that Connor McDavid has ascended into new realms of being the best hockey player the sport has maybe ever seen. The Islanders have a better home record than away record, and the Oilers have a better away record than home record.
- Oilers ML +100
The Caesars Sportsbook Maryland Promo Code gets bettors located in Maryland up to a $1,500 bonus on Caesars.
Blackhawks vs Stars Best Bets
I will invoke one of the most referenced sports quotes of all time to update you about the Blackhawks right now: "they are who they thought they were!" They're 2-6-2 in their last 10 and have lost 4 straight. The Stars are look sharp, especially when they play in Dallas. They just dropped a Central Divison match in a shootout to the Avalanche so I think they'll have something to prove in this one.
- Stars PL -120
Senators vs Golden Knights Best Bets
This should be an easy bet. If you just looked on paper, the Golden Knights are dominant, and the Senators are bottom dwellers. The Golden Knights are 7-2-1 in their last 10, and the Senators are 2-7-1 in their last 10. The Senators also are just 1-5-1 on the road. There is precedent for this matchup. The Knights went into Ottawa on 11/3 and came out with a 5-4 victory in a game that saw the Senators rack up 46 shots and rally from a 5-1 deficit to cut it close. So, this may not be an easy bet after all.
- Golden Knights PL +110
Canucks vs Avalanche Best Bets
The Avalanche seem to be figuring it out. They started the season a little slow but are riding a 3-game win streak and have won 7 of their last 8. The Canucks seem to be figuring it out too just in a much different way. They have managed to scrape together 6 wins, but can be pesky enough to hang around, like they did in losing 5-4 to the Golden Knights on Monday, or to outright beat the Kings 4-1 last Friday. Is this one of those where the Avalanche let the Canucks hang around, or can they, as one of my old coaches used to say, step on the throat?
- Avalanche PL +120
Sharks vs Kraken Best Bets
The Kraken are, like, actually, at least sort of, good this year. They're on a 7-2-1 stretch in their last 10 and are sitting 3rd in the Pacific. They're a little wobbly at home though, only going 5-4-2 despite a 5-1-1 away record. The Sharks come into town posting some impressive road wins of late, with a 5-4 win in Dallas on 11/11 and a 5-2 win in Vegas on 11/15. This is shaping up to be a compelling tilt. (full disclosure: I was stumped on this one so I asked my wife "Sharks or Kraken" and she went Kraken because Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is one of her favorite movies).
- Kraken ML -175
Rangers vs Ducks Best Bets
Trap game for the Rangers? Teams seem to stumble into Anaheim just an evening removed from playing up the I-5 in Los Angeles. The Rags eeked out a 5-3 win against the Kings despite being outshot 38-25. That's a lot of rubber. The Ducks may be the worst team in the NHL, but they're 3-4 at home while being 2-9-1 on the road, so it's not as if they just roll over in the Honda Center. This is the perfect example of a game where it smells like a trap, begging you to take the Ducks on the PL… guess what folks? I'm a sucker.
- Ducks PL -165
