When trying to figure out odds for any sporting contest, there are a lot of factors that have to be considered – playing records, injuries, game histories between the two teams and much more.  If it were an exact science, there wouldn’t be any fun in wagering.  Depending on the point of view, even after considering all the facts, choosing a winner doesn’t always result in the correct option, and tonight’s NHL picks for Feb 4 games reflect this better than ever.

NHL Picks Feb 4

The Boston Bruins are taking on the Vancouver Canucks tonight in a road game that has oddsmakers at odds over who will take home the victory.  Both teams are performing well this season, and this could end being a close game.  The Bruins are 31-10-2 on the year, compared to the Canucks at 30-18-5, and tonight’s contest will see Vancouver putting up a solid defense against a league-leading offense.

Boston is favored at -223, due in part to a slower performance on the part of Vancouver recently.  The Canucks have only secured one victory in five games when playing teams in the Atlantic Division.  The Bruins are also ahead in power play goals and shots on goal and should be able to take the win.  Betting on the moneyline isn’t a good play, but taking the Bruins (-1.5, +130) against the spread makes for some good action.  Combine this with an Over 5.5 (-129), and the card gets a little better loaded.  The Over is winning six of seven in the series between these two teams and, with Vancouver ready to give Boston a run for its money, expect both sides to push up the score.

Blue Jackets vs Panthers

The Columbus Blue Jackets will host the Florida Panthers tonight and have proven to be the Cinderella team of the NHL this year.  They’re currently 28-16-9, facing a 29-17-5 team, and have won 9 of their last 11 games.  This is another matchup that has oddsmakers divided, struggling to come to terms with a team that no one thought would be performing this well.

The Panthers are now 4-1 on their most recent road games, 6-1 in the last seven.  Playing at home gives the Blue Jackets a little bit of an edge, but no one can deny the strength of the Panthers squad.  Expect a close battle as both teams are expected to play without their key strikers and stay off the underdog.  Columbus is getting -130 and should be able to walk away with the win.  The 6.5 total deserves an Under bet at -118, as both defenses are going to keep things in check.  A Blue Jackets puckline of -1.5 (at +185) is a good shot, as well, given that Columbus has a winning record against the spread.

Lightning vs Knights

The Tampa Bay Lightning are facing off against the Vegas Golden Knights tonight at home in a game that hasn’t seen goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy take a regulation loss in 16 straight starts.  However, Marc-Andre Fleury is at the other end of the ice and just completed a 19-save shutout as his team went on to beat the Nashville Predators this past Saturday.  Tonight’s game will come down to which goalie is able to better protect the net.

Vegas is at a slight disadvantage against Tampa Bay.  This is going to be the team’s seventh straight road game, with one more to go, and it seems like the energy is starting to fade.  The Golden Knights are 4-5-1 in their last ten games, while the Lightning is looking at a 7-2-1 record over the same period.

At -175 to the Lightning, there’s not a lot of money to be made on a straight-up bet, but taking the Golden Knights (+1.5, -167) is worth a little bit.  Thanks to Vasilevskiy, Vegas will keep the score tight to stay within a goal.  Since the Over/Under sits at 5.5 (+125) and the Golden Knights will keep the Lightning contained, take the Under and score some extra spending money.

That’s it for our picks for Feb 4, check back in tomorrow for more from Sports Intel.