Ryan Hodges
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The middle of the week brings an NHL slate that isn’t packed in terms of number of games, but is packed in terms of star power. From 7:00 pm ET through the rest of the night, we get Alex Ovechkin, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl among several stars suiting up. Approaching the midway point of the season with plenty on the line for these teams, there is a lot to watch for.
If you are looking to combine some picks from these games, check out this NHL mega parlay that has +1125 odds with DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Washington Capitals -1.5 (+150) vs Philadelphia Flyers
Nashville Predators vs Toronto Maple Leafs over 6.5 (+100)
Edmonton Oilers win & game total over 6.5 vs Anaheim Ducks (+145)
Parlay odds: +1125
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Washington Capitals -1.5 (+150) vs Philadelphia Flyers
The Capitals will go for a season sweep over the Flyers on Wednesday night and have a good chance to come through. Washington has ridden a 13-2-2 run to a playoff spot as their roster continues to get healthier. The Capitals have won their last 7 games on the road and have outscored the Flyers 7-3 in their head-to-head wins this season. They have played great hockey even without Nick Backstrom and Tom Wilson, while T.J. Oshie and John Carlson have also spent time on the IR. Backstrom and Wilson are finally back and there is a great energy in the locker room. Washington is the better team in better form with a great feeling among their team. They should give Philadelphia a tough time.
The Flyers have had a solid last couple of weeks, but the bar is low. They have wins in 6 of their last 9 games. Their opponents in that span included the Blue Jackets, Sharks, Kings, Ducks, Coyotes and Sabres. Only one of those teams is in a playoff spot and a few are bottom-feeders of the NHL. Washington has done a great job keeping opponents in check to the tune of the 2.1 goals allowed per game over their last 10 and the 7th-best goal prevention in the NHL. The Capitals’ strong form paired with the overall weakness of the Flyers despite their recent wins makes the +150 good value for Washington -1.5.
Be sure to check out our full Washington Capitals vs Philadelphia Flyers predictions.
Nashville Predators vs Toronto Maple Leafs over 6.5 (+100)
The over has been trending for both the Predators and Maple Leafs lately. The total has gone over in 4 of Nashville’s last 6 games, and in 6 of Toronto’s last 8. In their respective last 10 games, the over is 12-7-1. Both teams are playing great as they are a combined 13-4-3 in those 20 games. With both teams in good form and producing at a solid clip, the over has a good look. The over always has a chance when Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene are suited up.
In their last 6 games, the Preds have scored 27 goals for an average of 4.5 goals scored per game. They played 5 of those games on the road and opponents included the Golden Knights, Hurricanes and Capitals. Lately it has not mattered if Nashville plays good or bad teams, or at home or on the road. They are playing well and manufacturing offense. That strong production has yielded wins. If the Predators are going to continue winning, they need to continue scoring. Facing an offensively talented Maple Leafs team, the Preds will likely need to take some chances and play a more aggressive style to keep up with a high-scoring team. The current form and trends of both teams paired with the star power in this game are a good recipe for the over.
Check out our full NHL analysis for Wednesday’s slate
Edmonton Oilers win and game total 6.5 vs Anaheim Ducks (+145)
The Ducks come at a good time in the Oilers’ schedule as Edmonton has gone through a gauntlet of tough opponents. Anaheim beat Edmonton 4-3 in their sole head-to-head matchup this season. But Edmonton is the far better team and in more of a desperation mode. They are clinging to the final wild-card spot by a point and need every win they can get. The Oilers have more high-end talent in the form of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, better overall depth and will be playing with more urgency. The Oilers’ need for points and the Ducks’ need for the first overall draft pick look great for Edmonton in this one.
The Oilers score the 5th-most goals per game in the NHL and have the league’s top power play. Obviously, McDavid and Draisaitl could hit the game total over from their production on their own. Those guys will have their foot on the gas as the Oilers will be looking to run up the score to collect 2 points. Edmonton is vulnerable on the defensive side of the puck as their 22nd-ranked goal prevention has been the primary reason they have underachieved after last season’s Conference Final run. Their strength of their goalscoring and the weakness of their goal prevention is the recipe behind their 26-13-3 over-under record this season. Anaheim should need just a couple of goals for this game to go over the total against this Edmonton team.
Be sure to check out our full Edmonton Oilers vs Anaheim Ducks predictions.
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