With approximately six weeks remaining in the NHL's shortened 2021 season and just over two weeks to the trade deadline, you can expect the next month-and-a-half of hockey to be not only entertaining but tightly contested, as well. As I've mentioned in previous weeks, a quick scan of the evening's boxscores produces a number of results within the one-goal threshold on a nightly basis. Keep that in mind when betting, obviously on the puckline even more so.

Teams are jockeying for position across the league with the playoffs looming, which always makes for some great hockey to watch and, of course, bet on. I say it every week, but I will say it again: make sure you are checking on starting goalies, COVID protocol lists, and getting the right prices before puck drop.

Today's board has seven evening contests and four afternoon matchups to make some cash on, good luck.

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2021 record:

Gold: 3-4
Silver: 5-2
Bronze: 4-3

Side bets: 9-12

Overall: 21-21

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Gold Pick
Edmonton Oilers @ Toronto Maple Leafs – Pick: Oilers +1.5

Guess what? I'm betting on a Maple Leafs game without taking Toronto or the Over! And while this might not exactly be a bold bet by any stretch of the imagination and the odd isn't exactly great, but I see this game being a closely-contested, one-goal affair. The Maple Leafs have looked like a much better team with Jack Campbell in the cage, almost rejuvenated in a sense, which is obviously not what you want to hear if you're Connor McDavid and the Oilers. 

However, this is a massive measuring stick-type game for an Edmonton squad playing its best hockey of the season and closing in on the division lead. The Oilers HAVE to be fired up for this one after getting completely embarrassed in their last three meetings against Toronto earlier in the season. These are two different teams from then to now. The Leafs have been struggling to light the lamp and a once red-hot top-six offensive unit has gone cold at the worst time of year. Whereas the Oilers, led by McDavid's 60 points and Leon Draisaitl's 50, seem to be just hitting their stride with wins in seven of their last 10.

The recent matchups and trends for these two teams obviously point in favour of Toronto, but this feels like a playoff tilt in the making that stays close from start to finish. Edmonton keeps it close in this one, take them on the puckline +1.5 for my Gold Pick of the week.

Silver Pick
San Jose Sharks @ Arizona Coyotes (Over/Under 5.5) – Pick: Over 

You might not exactly circle this one as the "Over of the Day", but here I am. Maybe it's due to the fact that both teams can't play a lick of defensive hockey right now, or maybe it's that neither employ a legitimate No. 1 goalie, or it could just be because the last few meetings between San Jose and Arizona have been absolute gong shows when it comes to the scoreboard.

It's probably all three, but at the end of the day this contest has high-scoring written all over it, especially if third-string option Adin Hill takes the bench for the Coyotes after playing last night, which would mean the NHL debut of fourth-round draft pick Ivan Prosvetov. Back to the recent matchups: the total has gone Over the number in five of San Jose's last five visits to the desert, highlighted by a whopping 31 total combined goals across the most recent four games.

Bottom line, when these two teams lock horns, there are goals a plenty. Lastly, this number is still sitting at a VERY favourable 5.5 at most books, so make sure you are getting it at that number before pregame betting pushes it north to 6. Sharks and Yotes goes Over the 5.5 mark for my Silver play.

Bronze Pick
Winnipeg Jets @ Calgary Flames – Pick: Jets

What is happening in Calgary? For a club that many preseason pundits picked to be sitting at or near the top of the all-Canadian North Division this season, the Flames have been a major disappointment so far. Loses in five of the last six games, including two to the lowly Ottawa Senators, has Calgary in free-fall, as the Flames sit only five points adrift of those very same Sens for last in the division.

Not to completely crap on what Calgary has going on, but it simply has too good of a goalie in Jacob Markstrom and too much young talent to be this mediocre. Something doesn’t smell right in the Cowtown, and that doesn't bode well for a team running out of time to turn its season around. As for the Jets, three-straight wins and points in seven of their last 10 has Winnipeg now tied for the division lead with 44 points alongside Toronto.

Classic case of two teams heading in opposite directions and that is more than enough for me to lay a wager on the more dangerous Winnipeg crew who could be the best team in the division. The Jets keep rolling against a struggling Flames group and improve their recent record against Calgary to 5-2 over their last seven, book it.

Side Bets 

New York Islanders @ Pittsburgh Penguins – Pick: Islanders

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Carolina Hurricanes – Pick: Hurricanes +1.5

San Jose Sharks @ Arizona Coyotes – Pick: Sharks 

Flip Livingstone is a former NHL writer for theScore with past experience at such outlets as Narcity Media, Postmedia, and Hockey Night in Canada. You can follow him on Twitter @FlipLivingstone and @Flips_Picks.