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A whopping 26 of the league's 32 teams are scheduled to take the ice Tuesday night. Let's waste no time getting to our best bets as we look to bounce back from a 1-2 start to the week.
Wild (+170) @ Avalanche (-200)
The Avalanche could use points right now. They've dropped back-to-back games against Western Conference powerhouses and now sit closer to the No. 3 seed in their division - which would mean starting the playoffs on the road - than to the top of the Central.
They need to right the ship quickly to have any hope of catching the Stars - and I expect them to do just that against the Wild.
The high-flying Avalanche have been electric on home ice all season. Led by Nathan MacKinnon and his ridiculous point production, they sport a 29-8-1 record in Colorado. The Avs are miserable to deal with at altitude and are generally quick to respond following defeat.
Head coach Jared Bednar was critical of his team following its most recent loss, saying they did a lot of "dumb stuff" and essentially handed the Stars free points.
The Avalanche will be determined to respond and put their best foot forward against the Wild.
Colorado's won five of the past six meetings against Minnesota, and four of those five victories came in regulation.
Even without Mikko Rantanen - who's sidelined with a head injury - the Avalanche still have better depth and high-end talent. They're also facing an opponent with nothing to play for. I expect them to take care of business within 60 minutes.
Bet: Avalanche in regulation (-130)
Owen Tippett: Over 3.5 shots
Tippett is a volume shooter whose ceiling depends on the caliber of the opponent. Take the past 10 games as an example. He recorded four shots or more against the Blue Jackets, Sabres, Blackhawks, and Canadiens but failed to reach that mark against playoff-bound clubs like the Panthers, Bruins, Hurricanes, and Maple Leafs. That's been a common theme for Tippett all season.
The good news is he has a mouthwatering matchup against the Canadiens. They're one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL and take a lot of penalties.
Tippett's taken full advantage of the Habs both times he's seen them this season, going over the number in each game while combining for 16 shot attempts.
The Flyers are fighting tooth and nail to try and get into the playoffs. That means they'll rely heavily on their best weapons until the game is completely put to bed.
Expect Tippett to play 18-20 minutes - more than enough time to generate four shots against a putrid shot-suppression team.
Odds: -122 (playable to -140)
Valeri Nichushkin: Over 2.5 shots
Nichushkin has averaged more than three shots per game this season while going over the total at a healthy 61% clip.
His shooting floor and ceiling should be even higher without Rantanen, who has largely stayed healthy over the past few campaigns. But when he's missed time, Nichushkin has consistently stepped up, averaging 3.8 shots on 6.2 attempts per game over five outings without Rantanen.
Colorado is hungry for every point, so Nichushkin should be heading for more than 20 minutes of ice and be an even bigger part of the offense. Look for him to make the most of it and fire at least three pucks on net.
Odds: -145 (playable to -160)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.
