NHL best bets: Four bets for Thursday

Nashville is averaging just 2.4 goals per game on the road this season, and the Devils have been one of the stingiest teams all year long. At home, New Jersey is allowing just 25 shots per game and 2.3 goals per game. Vitek Vanacek has been one of the NHL's best goalies this season, allowing just 2.11 goals per game. 

What puts this pick over the edge is special teams. Nashville's PP is one of the NHL's worst, scoring on just 16.3% of their power play chances. The Devils match up well there with a 81.8% PK rate, suggesting to me a rough time scoring for the Preds tonight.

Edmonton-Minnesota over 6.5 goals (-120 FD)

This should be a fun one, and if you had to pick one team to do the heavy lifting with goals, I'd opt for the Minnesota end.

The Wild are scoring 3.4 goals per game at home and the Oilers are allowing 3.6 per game on the road (and on a back-to-back). Minnesota also has a strong PP, while Edmonton is ill-equipped to slow it down.

I considered taking the Wild's team total, but I think there's enough here to feel good about the game's total hitting. Edmonton is notching 3.3 goals of their own per game game on the road, and the Wild have allowed 3.8 per game at home.

Jack Campbell and his 4.04 goals allowed per start are in net for Edmonton, and Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to mind the Wild's net: he's allowed seven goals in his past two starts. Three of the last five meetings between these two teams has exceeded 6.5 total goals,. 

Dallas -1.5 (-115 DK)

This is your classic example of everything stacking up on one side. I like Dallas goals both based on the typical numbers and because of the massive PP edge tonight.

I do not think the Ducks will score very much just by looking at the numbers, and they'll see a steep challenge to find a goal on any PP chances they get.

Instead of taking the Stars' team total over or Anaheim's under, why not just load up Dallas -1.5?

Florida-Vancouver over 6.5 goals (-115 CZR)

Florida and Vancouver are the two most profitable over teams on the season, which is really just a happy discovery at the tail end of circling this spot, as there was plenty before that to support going with the over here in Vancouver.

The Canucks should find 3-4 goals tonight, they average 3.3 per game and Florida allows 3.8 per game on the road. Plus - Vancouver's Power Play scoring rate is one of the NHL's best while the Panthers continue to hand out penalties and struggle to stop teams from scoring once they do.

I'd expect Florida to match Vancouver's output. The Canucks are allowing 3.7 goals per game at home and Thatcher Demko has been one of the worst goalies in the league this season. This high-octane Florida offense should have no issues netting a few. 

Three of the last four games between these two has resulted in the over 6.5 cashing.