NHL Betting Parlay: Better Offense, Feb. 18
When it comes to winning championships, we prefer defense. But let’s not kid ourselves. Offense wins games. Many games. That is more true now in the NHL where there are plenty of great offenses mixed with bad defenses. That’s the theme for this NHL betting parlay.
The BetUS online sportsbook has all nine Thursday NHL games covered complete with online sports betting odds. We can stack all our winners into one parlay, but let’s go with a manageable three-team parlay.
Washington All Over Buffalo
Looking at these teams on paper, we could assume both are great offenses with Washington having more of a defense. But we’d be both wrong as neither team is that good on defense and only Washington is good at scoring.
Buffalo has been as cold as its winters lately. Following its 6-1 explosion against the Flyers, the Sabres have scored a league-worst two goals per game. Heck, the goal-starved Ducks and Red Wings are doing better.
Washington, on the other hand, has no issues scoring. They’ve scored at least three goals in nine of their last ten. Even without several of their Russian stars, Washington took Buffalo to a shootout and scored three goals on them.
Add the fact is that Buffalo is still recovering from COVID protocols and is without some key players like D Rasmus Ristolainen. Washington should get a comfortable W here.
Pick: Washington Capitals to win
Philadelphia Shines in Broadway
The Flyers have looked unstoppable in scoring goals this season. At 3.54 a game, only Carolina, Toronto, and Tampa are doing better and that’s mainly due to their power plays. Philadelphia is scoring at will during 5-on-5 despite the corsi.
Philly is scoring 2.46 goals during 5-on-5, which is second in the league behind Washington. They have the lowest corsi for percent (CF%), but have the highest scoring chance shooting percent (SCSH%) at 25.2%. They don’t get as many chances to score, but they’re the best at converting.
On the other end are the Rangers, who are in the bottom-third of the league in most scoring categories including SCSH% (27th) and power play (28th). Like their Western New York counterparts, they’re challenged at finding the back of the net.
The Rangers may have a bit of an edge on defense and 5-on-5 play here, but it’s not significant enough to outdo the Flyers. Philly ousts New York.
Pick: Philadelphia Flyers to win
Blues Go Shark Hunting
Going out west, San Jose is another NHL team that has found it tough to generate offense. The Sharks’ 2.43 goals per game are 25th in the NHL. If you factor in their 29th-ranked defense, it’s amazing they’ve won six games this season.
Outside of centers Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, the Sharks don’t have many scoring threats. W Timo Meier, D Brent Burns, and D Erik Karlsson have combined for just five goals. Like the Rangers, the Sharks are trending in the bottom-third of the league in shooting percentages.
The Blues have problems on defense, but are still scoring 3.19 goals a game despite having the fifth-worst PP in the league. They’re a tier below Colorado and Vegas, but still much better than San Jose.
At some point, the Blues’ chronic defensive woes will bite them in the back, but the Sharks are not the team to exploit it. St. Louis rolls here.
Pick: St. Louis Blues to win
Parlay: Capitals to win, Flyers to win, and Blues to win
A straightforward theme here: back the teams that are more reliable at putting the puck in the net. Washington and St. Louis should take advantage over Buffalo and San Jose, two of the NHL’s coldest teams right now while Philly is just tiers above the Rangers in scoring.
Find these NHL betting picks from the BetUS online sportsbook fully lined with props and alternative lines. Learn more via the sportsbook review page.
