NHL parlay: Oiler caps off a gusher of goals

Today sure seems like the right time to turn to the ice. There are plenty of games of interest, and we've been watching as goals have been flying all over the board this week. If it makes no difference to you, we wanted to take a shot on a goal parlay tonight. Stake less of a bet here: we just want something fun in the pocket to break up the week. By all means, bet each of the gentlemen straight as well.

Plucking a puck parlay from tonight's program

Roope Hintz goal (+160 FD)

Dallas should have no trouble getting the puck in the net, as they're averaging 4.8 goals per game at home over the past month while Anaheim is allowing 4.2 per game on the road. The top line for the Stars has been rolling, and a big reason why is Roope Hintz, who has four goals in his last three games and a goal in five of his last nine. He's scored in two straight meetings with the Ducks and should have his chances to keep it rolling here tonight.

Mackenzie Weegar goal (+500 FD)

This one is a bit out there, we understand if you'd rather drop it or just bet it straight because Weegar is a defenseman. That is worth noting. However, he's scored in two straight games thanks to a mammoth 18 shot attempts, and he has three goals in his last six against Columbus. The Blue Jackets are allowing 3.6 goals per game on the road over the last month and plenty of shots, so Weegar should stay involved on the offensive end.

Leon Draisaitl goal (+100 FD)

We end with a chalky pick. All signs point to Edmonton scoring 4+ goals here, they average that number at home across the last 30 days while Chicago is allowing 4.1 goals per game on the road. Draisaitl has a goal in six of his last 10 games, but more importantly, he loves facing the Blackhawks. He has scored in an astounding eight straight games against Chicago. Why stop now?

Altogether, this trio comes in at a tantalizing +3020 on FanDuel. We threw a cup of coffee on it, for science of course.

In the news ...

Jim Harbaugh headed to Los Angeles Chargers — After winning the college football championship, it was expected that Jim Harbaugh would be returning to the NFL and that is what he's done, signing on to become the next head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Harbaugh was last in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011-2014, leading them to three straight NFC Championship Games to begin his career and one Super Bowl appearance. The job appeal in L.A. is simple: he has his quarterback in Justin Herbert. It will be on Harbaugh to get the most out of the talented young passer as the Chargers look to make the AFC playoffs and try to usurp Patrick Mahomes's stranglehold on the AFC West. The Chargers are currently 25-1 to win next year's Super Bowl, the 13th-best odds in the league.

Australian Open continues on — We're on to the semis in the men's singles of the Australian Open, which will take place tonight and early Friday morning. We've been watching, and we sometimes forget just how much fun this sport can be to watch and wager on. As we prep for these semifinal matches, there are two bets worth making. Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1, has won 10 AOs and feels incredibly difficult to fade here even against the red-hot Jannik Sinner. The best bet to make is likely a combo on Djokovic winning the first set and the entire match, priced at -120. Elsewhere, we're liking the price on Alexander Zverev to win at +125 over Daniil Medvedev after Zverev took down No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz yesterday. The Women's final is set for Saturday between No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 15 Qinwen Zheng. It's chalky, but Sabalenka to win in straight sets at -150 is likely our best path here.

Injury news ahead of NFL conference championships — It sounds as if Kansas City (+3.5) will be without its Pro Bowl guard Joe Thuney, who suffered a pec injury last Sunday against Buffalo. The 2022 All-Pro's absence will certainly be a big loss for Mahomes and this Chiefs offense, especially with the Ravens so strong defensively. Elsewhere, Deebo Samuel missed practice Wednesday and it's seeming more and more unlikely that he's able to play for San Francisco (-7) this weekend. That definitely impacts things, as San Francisco has averaged 7.1 yards per play this season with Samuel on the field vs. 5.7 yards/play without him. We already liked the Lions to keep this close, and now we like it even more.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll. Follow him on Substack: griffybets.substack.com.