With 2 days and 7 games down in the young NHL season, Thursday gives us an action-packed slate of 9 games. We’re going big and bold with a 3-team mega parlay that has the potential for a rather large payday. But before we dive in, be sure to check out all of our picks and previews for every game tonight. You can also follow Pickswise on Twitter for plenty of daily betting content. While you’re at it you can also follow my personal account.
This parlay is paying out north of 11/1 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Maple Leafs -1.5 (+136)
Islanders ML (+118)
Panthers -1.5 (+136)
Parlay odds: +1114
Let’s break down each of the legs one by one.
Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 over Ottawa Senators (+136)
The Ottawa Senators are in the midst of a rebuild, resulting in very low expectations for the 2021 season. Despite coming into the year with a very promising young core, led by forward Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle, this team is not likely to be competitive at all this year.
Much like a broken record, the Toronto Maple Leafs start the year with unfinished business thanks to another first-round exit in the NHL playoffs last season. With the core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and a healthy John Tavares, this team is once again one of the top competitors in the Atlantic division. Goaltender Jack Campbell is coming off a breakout year in which he had a brilliant 17-3-2 record, allowing just over 2 goals a game. If Campbell can build on that success, this team will be right in the mix come playoff time. Toronto comes into this matchup with not only the better team, but the more consistent goalkeeper. Even without Matthews in the lineup, expect Toronto to win this game without too much trouble.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators
New York Islanders ML over Carolina Hurricanes (+118)
The Hurricanes have turned over a large portion of their team from last year to this year. They let all 3 of their goalies from last year go, as Alex Nedeljkovic, Petr Mrazek, and James Reimer are all with other teams. All 3 posted a save percentage of at least .906 or higher. The new goalies, Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, each posted a below .906 save percentage mark (.905 for Andersen and .895 for Raanta). On top of the worse save percentage, both Andersen and Raanta are older than the players they replaced. The Hurricanes are also now without Dougie Hamilton. With 42 points, he was part of their top defense pairing and pivotal to their power play. They are trying to replace Hamilton with Ethan Bear, a young player who had only 8 points last year, and Tony DeAngelo, who played just 6 games last year.
The Islanders, on the other hand, returned all but one player from their defense and goalie core from last year, which is huge given the defense-first style they play. The turnover in Carolina is too much to ignore.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panthers -1.5 over Pittsburgh Penguins (+136)
The Penguins started off 2021 opening week with a shocking win in Tampa Bay by a score of 6-2. While that will have caught people’s attention, don’t be swayed by one result. Pittsburgh still has a depleted roster that will be without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for an extended period of time, while Jake Guentzel is day-to-day. Following up Tuesday’s performance could be tough given that the Panthers have high hopes for this season and will be looking to start things off on a high note.
The Panthers’ offense figures to be one of the highest-scoring units in the NHL. Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau are veteran leaders who can make things happen in a hurry, while newcomer Sam Reinhart has the ability to find the scoresheet as well. The main question surrounding this team is how will they get along with Sergei Bobrovsky in net? Time will tell, but as far as this game goes, the Panthers’ speed should have the opportunistic skaters for the Pens on their heels.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Pittsburgh Penguins vs Florida Panthers
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