Imagn Images

Two of the top teams in the NHL square off tonight, hoping to take another step toward clinching its division and gain home-ice advantage for potentially the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

The Vegas Golden Knights host the Winnipeg Jets at 10 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Jets have the NHL's most points this season at 106, thanks to a dominant 51-20-4 record. But they haven't been able to solve the Golden Knights this campaign, losing both of their previous meetings by one goal this season.

While Winnipeg is atop the Central Division and leading the Dallas Stars by four points, Vegas has 98 points and is five ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. No NHL team has clinched a division crown yet, though the largest lead currently belongs to the Washington Capitals in the Metropolitan Division, who are nine points ahead of the next-closest team. 

fanduel logo rectangleRead Review
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets
if Your Bet Wins
21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL IN, KS (in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino), KY, LA (excluding certain perishes), MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Data & text rates may apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit RG-help.com. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL IN, KS (in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino), KY, LA (excluding certain perishes), MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Data & text rates may apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit RG-help.com. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL IN, KS (in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino), KY, LA (excluding certain perishes), MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Data & text rates may apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit RG-help.com. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).

At FanDuel Sportsbook, neither the Jets nor the Golden Knights are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup—or even in the top 3. Vegas is tied for the fifth-shortest Cup odds at +1000 along with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes. The Jets are even further down at +1100, tied for the eighth-lowest odds with the Capitals. The Florida Panthers are currently atop the board at +550.

For tonight's showdown, the Golden Knights are -126 (bet $126 to win $100) on the money line according to SportsLine consensus, while the Jets are +106 (bet $100 to win $106) underdogs. 

Jets left wing Kyle Connor, who is tied for the fifth-most goals in the NHL this season with 38, has the shortest odds at FanDuel to score tonight at +150. Vegas center Jack Eichel has the second-lowest goal odds at +180 and has the shortest odds to record 1+ points in the contest at -240. Eichel has the fourth-most points this season, as he's tallied 27 goals to go along with 66 assists. 

But it'll be tough for any Golden Knights player to get one in the net tonight, as they have to put it past Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck leads the NHL with a .924 save percentage and 2.03 goals allowed, along with posting a league-high seven shutouts. 

Here's a look at the SportsLine model's projections for Thursday's battle between the Jets and Golden Knights. You can see the model's pick for every NHL game along with expert picks at SportsLine.

WINNIPEG JETS at VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS | 4/3 | 10 p.m. ET

Money line
Pick: Jets +105
Winnipeg wins in 48% of simulations, bringing value at these odds

Puck line
Pick: Jets +1.5 (-244)
Winnipeg covers in 71% of simulations, bringing value to these odds

Over/Under
Pick: Over 5.5
The Over hits in 69% of simulations

Projected score: Golden Knights 3.6, Jets 3.4