The NBA and NHL playoff pictures are becoming more certain by the day as the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Rangers were eliminated from contention after losing crucial Wednesday night conference games in their respective leagues. The March Madness bracket also keeps thinning with only 16 teams left on both the men's and women's side. Here are tonight's best bets brought to you by BetOnline.org. Click here to join. All new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
First Pick: Anaheim Ducks Moneyline
Rundown: The Anaheim Ducks (40-27-4) continue their trip in Canada against the Calgary Flames (30-34-7) at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Anaheim now has some wiggle room in the Pacific Division with 84 points on the season–five more than second-place Edmonton. Mikael Granlund led the Ducks with two goals in a 5-3 victory over Vancouver and will look to carry over that momentum into tonight’s contest. Mason McTavish is another force behind Anaheim's excellent hockey, banking in Tuesday’s game-sealing goal. John Carlson was just as impactful with his team-leading three assists. Goalie Lukas Dostal also aims to remain dominant on the ice after thwarting 27 shots.
Meanwhile, Calgary will seek an upset after scraping by Los Angeles at home in overtime, 3-2, off a late shot by Yegor Sharangovich that got past the clutches of goalie Darcy Keumper. Tuesday’s victory brings hope to Calgary’s offensive front as Olli Maatta and Zayne Parekh each found the back of the net for the first time this season. Dustin Wolf is another key Flame to watch as a result of his 23-save performance against the Kings’ skaters.
Despite Calgary’s recent four-game blaze, expect Anaheim to not skip a beat when results can make or break a squad's playoff hopes.
Second Pick: Over 6.5 Goals
Rundown: The Los Angeles Kings (28-25-18) will conclude a two-game road stretch against Vancouver (21-41-8).
The Kings enter Thursday on a three-game skid while ranking fourth in the Pacific with 74 points, good for a cushion of two over Seattle. Regardless of their loss to Calgary, signs point to a resurgence for L.A. after forward Quinton Byfield tallied back-to-back goals, adding to his total of 68. Furthermore, the Canucks rank 32nd in goals allowed, surrendering 246 goals which gives the Kings a major opportunity to re-establish their cadence.
As the division's basement dweller, Vancouver could play spoiler as the postseason draws closer. Center Elias Pettersson logged two assists versus Anaheim and added a 500th career regular-season point to his name. Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk and Drew O’Connor contributed as well, scoring the team’s three goals. Filip Hronek and Evander Kane are other skaters to watch with the pair combining for 71 points thus far.
With a highly favorable matchup, bettors can expect L.A. to return back to the win column.