NHL Betting: Expert Picks and Props for Tuesday, November 22
We've got a nice two-game slate to sink our teeth into tonight. This is where we can be deliberate, disciplined, and perhaps even a little diabolical. Why diabolical? Well, in both of these games, I like the underdog. Here's my thinking.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. If you're located in Maryland, sign up at DraftKings using the DraftKings Maryland Promo Code with sports betting launching in the Old Line State on Wednesday.
NHL Best Bets
Sabres 
vs Canadiens
Oy vey to be a Buffalo person right now. They just got hit with what is being termed the "thunder snow" storm which dumped 6+ feet of powder on a town that has an ailing Bills team and an embarrassing Sabres team. The Sabres have lost 8 in a row… in regulation! They have not registered a single point in the last 8 games. That's terrible. Apparently, no playoff team has had such a run in this millennium. The Sabres weren't expected to be a contender, but many expected them to at least take a meaningful step in the right direction and be right in the middle of the pack in the East and in the NHL overall. They started the season on that trajectory going 7-3 before starting this skid. They can no doubt score the puck, sitting at 12th in the league with 62 goals for. But they have surrendered the 8th most goals against and 8 of their 11 losses are by 2 goals or more. They have some precedent heading into this matchup with the Canadiens though. They lost 3-2 when the teams faced off in Buffalo on 10/27. The Habs have been 5-5 since that tilt scoring 37 and surrendering 40 in that process so they're not exactly a model of consistency. Many expected Marty St. Louis's bunch to go through a full rebuilding year and not be as competitive as they've been. Despite the different narratives surrounding each, the Canadiens are only 5 points ahead of the Sabres in the Atlantic Division standings. Both teams are hungry for 2 big divisional points. Will the Sabres change their narrative, or will the Canadiens keep surprising people?
- Sabres ML -105
- Team Total Goals, Canadiens under 3.5 -145
- Cole Caufield (MTL) over 3.5 shots on goal -165
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Rangers 
vs Kings 
This is undoubtedly the more interesting game on the slate tonight. Both of these teams are expected to make the playoffs in their respective conferences and maybe even win at least a round or two. If the season ended today, they'd both get in. The Rangers would just sneak in as the 8th seed in the East. I'd describe their play this year so far as "wobbly." There are times, even in losses, when they look incredible. Fluid skating and puck movement, tons of puck possession and shots on goal, and some exciting plays. But then I wonder how they only beat teams like the lowly Sharks 2-1 despite doubling them up in shots, or how they let the Coyotes outshoot them in Madison Square Garden but still pull off a 4-1 win. They still got those Ws though, which makes them a tricky favorite to bet on even when they're playing, as I said, wobbly. Nevertheless, they are the slight favorite on the road in Los Angeles to take on a Kings team that has been possibly playing some of the most entertaining hockey in that they've scored the 6th-most goals but have allowed the 3rd most. They get into high-flying, or as their coach, Todd McLellan, has said, "high event" contests. This is not a sustainable formula for long-term success, especially in the playoffs, and it also makes them a tough bet. To make this an even tougher pick, both teams are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games… hashtag gambling.
- Kings ML -105
- Trevor Moore (LAK) over 0.5 points -125
- Vincent Trocheck (NYR) over 0.5 points -145
