NHL Picks Tonight: Best NHL Bets for Thursday, February 9

NHL Picks Tonight: Best NHL Bets for Thursday, February 9

This article is part of our NHL Picks series.

Seven games in the NHL tonight, and you know I've got a bet for every single one of them!

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NHL Expert Picks Today

Kraken vs Devils

The Devils were playing incredible hockey heading into the All-Star break and got off on the right foot with an overtime win over the Canucks on Monday to kick off the latter half of the season slate. They're 8-1-1 in their last 10 and have been one of the NHL's best in 2023 so far. The Kraken come to town after getting walloped in their first outing after the All-Star break, falling 4-0 to the Islanders on Long Island even though the Isles had played the night before. That was an uncharacteristic road loss for the Kraken who are one of the NHL's strongest road teams at 16-6-2. They have an opportunity to capitalize on the Devils being without superstar Jack Hughes tonight too. The only other time these teams met this season, the Kraken gutted out a 4-3 overtime victory in overtime at Climate Pledge Arena last month. I think this one is close again, but I like the road team to get back on track.

Kraken ML +115

Sharks vs Panthers

The Panthers came out of the All-Star break with an eye-popping 7-1 win over the Lightning in Sunrise on Monday. Their opponent tonight, the Sharks, then followed that with a 4-3 overtime win over the Bolts in Tampa on Tuesday. Both teams have won 2-straight games so 1 will play spoiler to the other's small hot streak this evening. The Cats will be without all-star captain Aleksander Barkov, but I still like them to come out on top tonight. The question is though: will the Sharks play well enough to keep it close?

Sharks PL -125

Oilers vs Flyers

I'm going with my gut...and also my lifelong prejudice against professional sports teams from Philadelphia. Check the stats. The Oilers are so hot right now. Let's get some juice!

Oilers PL +145

Flames vs Red Wings

Neither team won their first game coming out of the All-Star break this week. The Flames lost 5-4 in overtime visiting the Rangers, and the Wings dropped a home contest 5-2 to the Oilers. Both of these teams have been tough for me to call this year. The Flames are a much stronger team on paper than their record which puts them just outside the Western Conference playoff picture suggests. The Red Wings might not be in contention just yet, but they have tons of young talent that can give any opponent a good game on any given night. For this one, I think the Flames are due for a victory and I expect their heavy, smashmouth style to outweigh the finesse and skill of the Wings. 

Flames ML -155

Avalanche vs Lightning

The last time the Avalanche played in Tampa, they lifted the Stanley Cup last summer. The Avs come into tonight's matchup playing arguably the most consistent hockey they've played all season and are looking for a bounce-back win following their 2-1 overtime loss in Pittsburgh despite smothering the Penguins for most of the night. What sucks for them tonight is the Bolts are also looking for a bounce-back victory after dropping 2-straight coming out of the All-Star break this week. I don't like their chances to lose a 3rd in a row, especially on home ice where they've only lost 6 times all year. 

Lightning ML -140

Canucks vs Islanders

Bo Horvat takes on his former team tonight on Long Island. The Isles have won back-to-back games this week and are looking for their 5th straight overall as they take on the Canucks tonight. Vancouver played just last night at Madison Square Garden and lost 4-3. The Isles dominated the Canucks the last time they played on January 3, taking that contest 6-2 in Vancouver. The Canucks have played 3 good games in a row, with a 5-2 win over the Blue Jackets just before the All-Star break and then 2 1-goal losses to the far superior Devils and Rangers this week on the road. Yet, they're on the 2nd leg of a back-to-back, and the last time they played on the road for the 2nd time in 2 nights, they got trounced 6-1 in Seattle. I'm feeling the juice on this one. 

Islanders PL +120

Golden Knights vs Wild

I'm going with inverse theory here, or whatever it is that I call "inverse theory." The Golden Knights have been one of the best road teams this year, posting a 16-5-4 record heading into tonight's away game in Minnesota. Yet, they've lost 4 of their last 5 road games. I think that ratio will flip back to their norm at some point, and I like that to start happening tonight as they take on the Wild who played in Dallas just 24 hours ago. That's some mad scientist ish for your cheeks there. 

Golden Knights ML +105

Happy hunting y'all!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grant Leonard
Former Junior B ice hockey player, and current believer that the Washington Capitals' aging core still has another Cup run left in the tank. Writing about hockey and sports betting for RotoWire since 2022.
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