Tuesday was a great slate of hockey. However, my bets were checked into the boards and I took a bath, so it’s time to lace them up again and find our way back into the black with three games on Wednesday’s schedule, including a doubleheader on TNT.
Remember: You can always find my picks, including NBA and NHL wagers not featured here, on my spreadsheet. Always free. Always transparent.
BUFFALO at TORONTO, 7 p.m. ET
The picks:
- Buffalo +1.5 (-155, DK)
- Buffalo ML (+160, DK, 0.5u)
- Alex Tuch o0.5 Pts (-125, DK)
The early game on TNT features a couple of teams searching for vital points. Toronto is holding onto third place in the Atlantic thanks to wins in eight of their last 10 games. Buffalo is on the outside looking in, currently 10 points out of the wild card.
The Sabres have a respectable .500 record on the road this season, but the Leafs cannot say the same for their numbers at Scotiabank Arena, where they are only winning at a .548 clip.
I see value in two plays leaning into Buffalo and the opportunity for the Sabres to take advantage of an inconsistent home team in Toronto. I like Buffalo on the puck line, but I think the value is on the money line as well for a smaller play.
For player props, my pick is pretty simple. Alex Tuch LOVES playing the Maple Leafs. In 13 career games against them, he has 15 points, including torching Toronto for two goals and four assists in two meetings this season.
DETROIT at COLORADO, 9:30 p.m. ET
OTTAWA at ANAHEIM, 10:00 p.m. ET
The pick: Two-leg Yes G.I.F.T. with DET/COL and OTT/ANA (+132, DK)
The remaining games on Wednesday’s schedule provide an opportunity for a GIFT parlay. If you’re new to hockey betting, G.I.F.T. stands for Goal In the First Ten. Basically, you’re betting on one of the teams to score in the first 10 minutes of the game. If you like betting baseball, it’s the same idea as a Yes/No Run First Inning.
Ottawa is a G.I.F.T. machine. It’s happened for the Senators a whopping 72% of their games this season, including an insane 84% when they are on the road. They are an auto-bet for me this season, and we’ve made some good money doing it.
The problem is that the books know it — Ottawa by itself is juiced to -190 — so we need to pair it with something.
There’s plenty of props you could add, or even go cross-sport parlay, but to stay in the G.I.F.T. aisle, we’ll add the second game of the TNT doubleheader and go with the Avalanche hosting the Red Wings for a G.I.F.T. which is also sitting at -190. Detroit is hitting on 60% of its road games, and Colorado is the same percentage at home.
I’ll be in attendance here in Denver. I’ll be rooting loudly for us to cash on this simple two-leg parlay.
BONUS BET — Nathan MacKinnon o1.5 pts (-115, DK/BMGM/ESPN)