Blues to extinguish struggling Flames on Thursday night

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We have a huge slate of games ahead of us on Thursday night, including several with playoff implications.

Let's take a closer look at a couple with our best bets.

Flames (+115) @ Blues (-135)

The Blues are a flawed team that is largely propped up by excellent goaltending. But I don't think they're getting enough respect on Thursday night.

The Flames traded the likes of Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev before the deadline. They completely gutted their roster, and it has shown, as the team owns a 2-7 record since deadline day and has been outscored 37-20.

Conversely, the Blues are 6-2-1 over the same period. Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer give the team top-tier netminding. Meanwhile, Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, and Jordan Kyrou are providing their goaltenders with enough support at the other end.

Look for the in-form Blues - who also have home ice - to take care of business and pick up another much-needed two points as they try and hang around in the wild-card race.

Bet: Blues (-135)

Kings (+130) @ Oilers (-150)

The Oilers are back home on Thursday after a somewhat rocky road trip. They dropped the first two games in ugly fashion and blew a 3-1 lead in the third, needing overtime to see their win through.

A home game against the Kings could be just what the doctor ordered to get the Oilers back on track. They've been borderline unstoppable at home this calendar year, owning a 14-2-2 and plus-34 goal differential.

They've also had their way with the Kings over the last few years. The Oilers won seven of the past 10 regular-season meetings and bounced them from the playoffs in back-to-back runs.

The Kings are grinding out plenty of wins right now, but a lot of that stems from their ability to limit shots and insulate their goaltenders. I don't think they'll be able to protect Cam Talbot nearly as well against this Oilers team.

Edmonton leads the NHL in expected goals and scoring chances in 2024. It will be very difficult - if not impossible - for the Kings to hold the Oilers to the ballpark of 25 shots they've routinely given up of late.

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman will also be taking a healthy chunk of said shots - a very tall order for Talbot.

Look for the Oilers to take care of business inside 60 minutes and gain some separation from the Kings in their quest to lock up home ice.

Bet: Oilers in regulation (-105)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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