Ice picks: Thursday's best NHL bets
New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers (-145, 5.5)
New Jersey is 4-1 over its last five games but that didn’t stop coach Jacques Lemaire from breaking up his top line of Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner.
Lemaire is looking for a more balanced scoring attack, something that’s proving difficult with star winger Patrik Elias out.
“When I got in I was a little surprised,” Parise said of the shakeup to the Newark Star-Ledger. “But it wasn’t as if we were scoring four of five goals a game. It’s tough when you have a player like Patrik Elias out.”
The Devils are among the lowest scoring clubs in the league. The under is 4-2-1 in Jersey’s games this season and 3-0 the last three times these two rivals have played each other.
Pick: Under
Detroit Red Wings at Phoenix Coyotes (+110, 5.5)
What’s the deal with the Red Wings? The club has been among the NHL’s elite for the last 15 years but there’s been a noticeable decline this season.
Observers say Detroit isn’t playing with as much chemistry as it has in past years. The Wings are sporting three rookies and two late call-ups from last season in their lineup.
“It’s definitely the biggest turnover we’ve had in a long time,” mainstay Kris Draper told the Detroit News. “Every year coming back we’ve always taken it for granted that guys knew the system, knew exactly how we’re supposed to play and how [coach Mike Babcock] wanted us to play. This year, it’s a little different.”
Things won’t get any easier for the Wings Thursday night in Phoenix. The Coyotes are turning heads across the league thanks to their 5-2 start.
Pick: Phoenix
New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers (-145, 5.5)
New Jersey is 4-1 over its last five games but that didn’t stop coach Jacques Lemaire from breaking up his top line of Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner.
Lemaire is looking for a more balanced scoring attack, something that’s proving difficult with star winger Patrik Elias out.
“When I got in I was a little surprised,” Parise said of the shakeup to the Newark Star-Ledger. “But it wasn’t as if we were scoring four of five goals a game. It’s tough when you have a player like Patrik Elias out.”
The Devils are among the lowest scoring clubs in the league. The under is 4-2-1 in Jersey’s games this season and 3-0 the last three times these two rivals have played each other.
Pick: Under
Detroit Red Wings at Phoenix Coyotes (+110, 5.5)
What’s the deal with the Red Wings? The club has been among the NHL’s elite for the last 15 years but there’s been a noticeable decline this season.
Observers say Detroit isn’t playing with as much chemistry as it has in past years. The Wings are sporting three rookies and two late call-ups from last season in their lineup.
“It’s definitely the biggest turnover we’ve had in a long time,” mainstay Kris Draper told the Detroit News. “Every year coming back we’ve always taken it for granted that guys knew the system, knew exactly how we’re supposed to play and how [coach Mike Babcock] wanted us to play. This year, it’s a little different.”
Things won’t get any easier for the Wings Thursday night in Phoenix. The Coyotes are turning heads across the league thanks to their 5-2 start.
Pick: Phoenix