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We are already in the final month of the 2023-24 NHL regular season, and things are heating up in the chase for a spot in the playoffs.
Thursday night will bring us 11 games around the league, and we have our game breakdowns and NHL betting trends for four of them.
The Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers are fighting for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and this game may make the difference in the end. The New York Islanders and the Detroit Red Wings are pushing hard to make it to the top half of the conference, and both teams will show up ready on Thursday night. The Carolina Hurricanes are one of the dark-horse candidates to go deep in the playoffs this season and are favorites in the matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Vancouver Canucks have been struggling lately, and the game against the Montreal Canadiens looks like a real chance to get back on winning track.
Let’s take a deeper look at the NHL betting trends for these four games.
New York Rangers vs Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are on top of the Eastern Conference with a 41-14-15 record, which puts them three points ahead of the Florida Panthers. The Bruins have won five of the last six games and are coming off a 6-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. Boston is third in the league with a 91.6 save percentage, seventh in allowing 2.70 goals per game, and ninth in scoring 3.34. David Pastrnak is fourth in the league with 99 points and 44 goals for the season.
The New York Rangers are third in the Eastern Conference with a 45-20-4 record. They have won five of the last seven games but are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The Rangers are sixth in the league, allowing 2.70 goals per game, and are ranked tenth, scoring 3.33 goals per game. Artemi Panarin is having a fantastic season, being ranked fifth in the league with 94 points and tied for seventh place with 38 goals and 56 assists.
New York Rangers vs Boston Bruins: NHL betting trends
12 of the last 18 games overall and 9 of the last 13 games played in Boston between these two teams have ended under the total goal line. The Bruins have played under in 6 of their last 7 games played on Thursday. The Rangers have played under in 8 of the last 11 games against teams from the Atlantic Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
Both teams have spent significant time on top of the Eastern Conference, and they are still hoping to finish the regular season as top seeds. The Bruins are in slightly better form lately, but the Rangers won the last two head-to-head games. Both teams are among the top 5 defenses in the league, and it will not be easy to score tonight. Nine of the last 13 games between the two in TD Garden ended under the total point line, and this one will stay under 6 as well.
New York Islanders vs Detroit Red Wings
The New York Islanders are tenth in the Eastern Conference with a 29-24-15 record. After winning six consecutive games, they went on to lose the next five and are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Islanders are 20th in the league, scoring 2.97 goals per game, and are ranked two spots lower, allowing 3.27. Matthew Barzal is the best player on the team with 69 points this season, four more than Noah Dobson.
The Detroit Red Wings are eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 35-28-6 record. After losing seven straight games, they won two of the last three and are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jays. The Red Wings are seventh in the league, scoring 3.39 goals per game, and are ranked 25th, allowing 3.36 goals per game. Lucas Raymond is the best player on the team with 59 points for the season.
New York Islanders vs Detroit Red Wings: NHL betting trends
Detroit has played over the total goal line in 4 of the last 6 games overall and in 5 of the last 7 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Islanders have gone over in 13 of the last 17 games against teams from the Atlantic Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
Both teams are still in the playoff conversation, but their recent form does not look promising at all. The Red Wings were on the longest losing streak of the season with seven straight losses, while the Islanders are currently on a five-game skid. At this point in the season, every game matters for the teams in the middle of the standings, and this will be a bar fight. The last two games have seen at least seven goals in total, and this will be another high-scoring one that will go over 6.5.
Philadelphia Flyers vs Carolina Hurricanes
The Philadelphia Flyers are seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 35-26-8 record. They have lost three of the last five games but are coming off a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flyers are 16th in the league, allowing 3.01 goals per game, and 22nd, scoring 2.93. Travis Konecny leads the team with 58 points so far this season.
The Carolina Hurricanes are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 43-20-6 record. They have won seven of the last eight games and are coming off a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders. The Hurricanes are third in the league in converting on 26.4% of power play situations, fourth in allowing 2.62 goals per game, and eighth in scoring 3.39. Sebastian Aho is having another solid season, leading the Canes with 75 points.
Philadelphia Flyers vs Carolina Hurricanes: NHL betting trends
Carolina has won 9 of the last 10 games against Philadelphia. The Hurricanes are 7-1 SU in the last 8 games overall, 17-2 SU in the last 19 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 8-1 SU in the last 9 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Carolina Hurricanes are one of the hottest teams in the league at the moment, having won the last four games, with the last three being on the road. Now the Hurricanes are coming back home to host the Flyers. Philadelphia has had many ups and downs this season but is still hanging on in the top half of the conference. If there is one team that the Hurricanes have been dominating in the last couple of seasons, that is the Flyers. However, the only Flyers win in the last 10 games came on their last visit to Carolina, and the Hurricanes will not allow that to happen tonight.
Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks
The Montreal Canadiens are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 25-31-12 record. They have lost the last three games and are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Montreal is 26th in the league, allowing 3.43 goals per game and one spot lower scoring 2.71. Nick Suzuki is the best player on the team, with 64 points so far in the season.
The Vancouver Canucks are on top of the Western Conference with a 3-18-8 record. After losing back-to-back games, the Canucks won 3-2 against the Buffalo Sabres in the last one. Vancouver is fifth in the league, scoring 3.49 and allowing 2.67 goals per game. JT Miller is the best player on the team, being in the top 10 in the NHL with 56 assists and 89 total points.
Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks: NHL betting trends
Vancouver has won 4 of the last 5 games against Montreal. The Canucks are 5-2 SU in the last 7 games overall, 2-4 SU in the last 6 games and 9-2 SU in the last 11 games against teams from the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens are 1-5 SU in the last 6 games overall and 1-8 SU in the last 9 road games.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Vancouver Canucks are still hanging on at the top of the West, but it will not be easy at all to stay there with only 13 games left in the season. The Canucks have played one game more than the next two teams in the standings and have only a one-point advantage. The Canucks have another disappointing season and are already eliminated from any playoff conversation. The Canucks are among the top teams in every statistical category in the league and will showcase their full power tonight in a comfortable win.
