Top NHL Betting Picks For Wednesday, February 23rd (2022)

 Top NHL Betting Picks for Wednesday, February 23rd 2022

Two of the best teams in the National Hockey league will be playing Wednesday night. But, in four out of five games on the schedule, the favorite is betting at least -1160 on the moneyline.

Tampa Bay hosts Edmonton. The Oilers have been much better since their coaching changes, but their poor goaltending could make for a difficult night against the lightning. Colorado will be traveling to Detroit as a rare road favorite, with a -300 line. The only matchup we can call a tossup involves two of the worst NHL teams as Buffalo takes on Montreal's Canadiens in an encounter that may be worth a try.

Tonight, I've got a total of two sides on the ice. Let's jump in.

Bet $10, win $200 if Oilers and Lightning Score a Goal

Montreal Canadiens ML (-110; Caesars)

There aren't many reasons to support the Habs this season, but Martin St. Louis has been a huge reason. Just writing that makes me feel old. Last week, St. Louis was one among the most skilled players in the NHL. However, he's now revived the league’s most storied franchise and has helped them recover from the worst start in their history.

St. Louis's tenure at Montreal began exactly as Dominique Ducharme's, with lots of losing. The Canadiens lost the three first games St. Louis was in behind the bench in, but they showed a noticeable improvement in their energy and their footwork. It's because this is exactly how St. Louis made his name as a player in the league. Montreal has won three straight and has not been beaten by any other bottom-feeders in NHL hockey. They beat the Blues in overtime (ironically, St. Louis's first coaching win was against St. Louis), defeated the Islanders in shootouts, and thrashed rival Maple Leafs by 5-2 in an exciting game that opened up some eyes. Cole Caufield is not only awake but also their most important player.

I'm happy to lose a horrible Sabres team against the rising Canadiens. Buffalo is now 2-5-1 in eight of their last eight games, and they have suffered a terrible record in the previous three. They have been outscored by 15-7 in their last three games. Since a win over Nashville, January 13th, they haven't defeated a team among the top 25 for points percentage.

Montreal is on the rise, scoring 11 goals in three of their last wins. It's a perfect storm for a Sabres team that is losing goals. Montreal dropped a meeting with the Sabres a week ago. We don't support the Canadiens very often, but this is the perfect opportunity to do so. They should be beaten to -115

Dallas Stars / Winnipeg Jets Under 6 (-120; BetMGM)

Although this number has been reduced by most bookies to 5.5, BetMGM members still have the option of playing this game at a lower 6 -120. My bare minimum is at -125. I wouldn't recommend betting any other side of that total at 5.5.

If the playoffs started today, neither Stars nor Jets would be participating. Despite this, the game should feel like a playoff matchup because both teams are fighting for survival and trying to avoid being sold at the trade deadline. It is not uncommon for intense, close matches to feature fewer goals. This is why I am on the under here.

Connor Hellebuyck may not have been the Connor Hellebuyck of his youth, but the team that is in front of him hasn't helped much. His save percentage is still at.914, which is.002 less than his career-average, and his goals against score is 2.80. This is 0.15 points lower than his career-average. He also has saved 17.2 goals beyond expectation, which is still fifth best in the NHL. The Jets totals are being slightly overinflated by the hype surrounding Hellebuyck's death. We are not going to give in to that trap, especially considering that he will be playing against a young Dallas goaltender. He has taken over a crowded spot in the Lone Star State.

Jake Oettinger was a first-round selection from Boston University. He is only 23 years of age, but his goaltending coach said that he believes he is good enough. The young netminder is a shining.921 saver with a 2.34 goals against the average. He also ranks in the top 20 in goals saved over expectation, despite sharing the crease for much part of the year with Braden Holly. Oettinger has been a firebrand lately, allowing just three goals in his three last games and stopping 101 out of 104 shots that were sent to him.

The net is not exactly what either team does. Winnipeg is 20th for goals per game (2.88), while Dallas is 21st (2.86). Neither team has been able to light the lamp often lately. The Stars have scored just six goals in their four last games, while only three goals have been scored by the Jets in the two games they played last week.

This season, both meetings between these teams went to overtime. The result is somewhat exaggerated. This is a good under, but you should shop around to find a lower price. Tips for Getting Winning Hockey Picks