NHL Picks (Today's Free Predictions, Tips, Parlays)

Sharks at Oilers Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 1/22/2013

There isn’t a team in the NHL with more young talent than the Oilers — Eberle, Hall, Nugent-Hopkins, and Schultz are all destined to be stars. The key, though, is that they are incredibly young. Last year they started strong but weren’t yet ready for prime time, and they got to add another top pick in Yakupov to the already loaded cupboards. Now they are that much more experienced, and expectations are that much higher. As they make their home debut in this one in front of what will be a rabid crowd, the question is whether they are ready to make a huge step forward this year or if they are still in a building phase.

Blackhawks at Kings Picks and NHL Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/19/2013

Welcome to the first NHL free pick story of the 2013 season, one that has been shortened to 48 regular-season games -- and all of them intraconference matchups. It should make for an exciting season as losing streaks and injuries will be magnified – GMs really will have their work cut out for them this season in terms of potential trades. The trade deadline has been set this year at April 3 – by comparison, the 2011-12 regular season ended on April 7. The 2013 regular season concludes April 27, with the playoffs starting three days later. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, if necessary, would be June 28. That will give the 2013 champs about 2.5 months off before starting training camp in September.