NHL predictions, odds: Sharks vs. Maple Leafs, Blue Jackets vs. Jets

One of the cold realities of betting on the NHL is that there are going to be plenty of evenings where you have to go dumpster diving to find the best value.

Tuesday night is one of those instances as there seems to be some decent numbers out there on a couple of ugly underdogs. 

There’s plenty of positive momentum surrounding the Maple Leafs right now.

The Buds have won three in a row by a 9-1 aggregate scoreline, they just signed superstar William Nylander to a massive contract extension and goaltender Martin Jones has stabilized the situation in the crease while Joseph Woll is injured. 

Things would figure to continue to get better for the Leafs on Tuesday night as they finish off a home-and-home with the last-place Sharks. Toronto is a massive favorite.

While signs are pointing up for the Leafs, the Sharks are in a bad way once again.

San Jose has lost 11 in a row — all in regulation — and has scored more than two goals just twice in that span. 

None of that sounds like an endorsement for a bet on the Sharks, but one of the best practices in betting (no matter the sport) is buying low and selling high. 

And there are some avenues for the Sharks to be competitive in this game.

As ugly as this current losing streak is, San Jose has put forth some better performances of late and weren’t abject in the 4-1 loss to Toronto on Saturday night.

Additionally, it’s never easy for a team to return home after a long road trip on the other side of the country, so they’re getting the Leafs in a decent spot here. 

Finally, we’ve seen this current group of Maple Leafs lose in these kind of situations countless times over the past few seasons so it’s never a bad idea to give these kind of numbers a hard look against Toronto. 

If you are brave enough to play the Sharks, you can afford to be patient as this number will likely continue to tick up until puck drop.

THE PICK: Sharks ML (+350, DraftKings)

This is a potential banana peel for the red-hot Jets.

Winners of six in a row and currently riding a 12-game point streak (10-0-2), the Jets started the week in first-place in the NHL and have become the talk of the league.

If you’ve been betting on the NHL long enough, you know that once a small-market team like Winnipeg becomes the “talk of the town,” it’s a clear signal to start selling.

Things change fast in this league, but usually by the time the media gets to a story like this we’re already at the peak of the market. 

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The Blue Jackets have not been very good this season and have just four wins in their last 11 games, but they’ve been to overtime seven times in their current 4-3-4 stretch and that indicates that this team is doing a halfway decent job of sticking around against superior opponents. 

While you can’t expect the Jackets to be pretty, they are almost always pesky and have enough young talent to give a team like the Jets plenty to think about in this spot, which sees Winnipeg returning home after sweeping a three-game road trip out West.

THE PICK: Blue Jackets ML (+205, FanDuel)