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This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
The National Hockey League has nine games scheduled for Thursday night. We have a pair of games at 7 p.m. ET kicking off the early window, with two games at 10 p.m. ET or later, including the Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks on ESPN+/hulu/Disney+ at 10:30 p.m. ET from SAP Center. We’ll focus on a few Western Conference tilts. Let’s get started.
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The Predators (27-40-8) and Stars (49-21-4) meet at American Airlines Centers at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
These teams have different goals. The Predators have been eliminated from the postseason hunt, while the Stars are just four points behind the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central Division with one game in hand. Dallas is also three points behind the Washington Capitals, and four points behind the Jets, for the most points in the NHL, in a three-horse President’s Trophy race.
The Predators were hammered 8-4 last time out in Columbus, and Nashville has dropped four in a row, while the Under is 5-1 in the past six outings. The Under is 11-2 in the past 13 games for the Preds, too.
For the Stars, they swept another eliminated team, the Seattle Kraken, in a back-to-back at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday and Sunday. Dallas has won six in a row, while going 7-0-2 in the past nine outings, while the Under is 4-2-1 in the past seven games.
Let’s back the Stars on the puck line, while going low on the total.
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The Kings (42-23-9) and the Utah Hockey Club (34-29-12) meet at Delta Center in Salt Lake City at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
L.A. is two points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers for second place, and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, with eight games to go. If the Kings want to go deep into the playoffs, they need to figure out how to win on the road. The Kings are just 14-19-5 away from home, the worst road mark among teams still eligible to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. In fact, only the Kings and the Ducks have losing records on the road among teams not yet eliminated.
The Kings have won the first two meetings, both in L.A., outscoring Utah 8-5 to win both times as a favorite. The Over-Under has split in the two previous meetings.
Utah has rebounded from an 8-0 loss at Tampa Bay March 27, going 2-0-1 in the past three games.
L.A. has won back-to-back games, outscoring the opposition 12-2, including a 4-1 win over the Jets last time out. The Under is 4-1 in the past five outings.
Let’s go with the Kings, based on the series trends, and we’ll play the Under.
The Jets (51-20-4) and Golden Knights (45-21-8) meet at T-Mobile Arena at 10 p.m. ET. The Jets hope the third time is a charm.
Winnipeg sits atop the NHL standings, but it has dropped both previous meetings with Vegas, including a 4-3 loss at T-Mobile Arena on Nov. 29. The Golden Knights won 3-2 in overtime at Canada Life Centre on Dec. 12 in the most recent meeting, too.
In fact, VGK has won nine straight meetings in this series since April 20, 2023, something to remember if these teams happen to meet in the postseason. The Over is 7-3 in the past 10 in this series since April 18, 2023, too.
The Jets lost 4-1 in L.A. last time out, and it is just 4-3-0 in the past seven games, with only two regulation victories. The Under has hit in four in a row, too.
For the Golden Knights, they’re give points clear of the Kings for first place in the Pacific Division with eight games remaining for both. VGK lost 3-2 to Edmonton Tuesday, halting a six-game win streak.
Based on Vegas’ dominance in this series, take the Golden Knights, and go low on the total.
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