NHL bets: Two longer odds plays for Saturday on the ice

Today's NHL slate offers quite a few games of intrigue, and we're drawn to two in particular. One has two of the West's best squaring off, and another has two of the league's worst teams meeting in what could be a chaotic type of affair.

We're liking offense to reign supreme in both matchups, and that's where our investments go today for some longer odds look tonight.

.75u: Connor McDavid & Nathan MacKinnon each over 1.5 points (+318 ESPN)

Avalanche vs. Oilers, 10 p.m. ET

This is one of those plays where I barely looked at the numbers. We've got Colorado and Edmonton meeting in what should be an exciting clash of two of the NHL's best teams. These two top lines, led by MacKinnon and McDavid, are rolling, and that should continue in a game I like to go over.

McDavid has 2+ points in 11 of his last 15 games and 10 straight at home (averaging 2.4 points per game in that stretch).

MacKinnon has 2+ points in 11 of his last 14 games, and he's averaging 2.3 points per game in his last 10. He's steady against this line on the road, and the return of Valeri Nichushkin has helped this Avs offense.

Both have big games against each other, and it's just one of those gut-calls. If I like both sides to score 3-4+ goals, logic suggests the two stars lead the way.

.5u: Alexandre Texier & Alex Nylander 4+ shots (+1213 FanDuel)

By all means, bet both of these guys at some of their straight odds for shots, I did. I want to share this combo, however, because I just think the price compared to the situation is way too good to ignore.

Columbus is ripping shots like it's going out of style. It's truly astounding how many SOGs this team is getting lately, and now they get the best possible team they could face in the San Jose Sharks.

The Blue Jackets could push 40 shots here, and I need to be aggressive off that read. Texier has four and five SOGs in his last two games with 10+ attempts in each game. Nylander has five SOG in three straight games with 29 total attempts. 

This is volume I need to back in a smash spot, and at +1213, I absolutely love this play.