We have a loaded NHL slate tonight with 12 games on the docket, so I’ve crafted a few NHL Best Bets. Tonight, we have two moneyline plays, one 60 Minute Line play, and an over/under.
Let's see what we have in store for tonight's schedule, as I share my NHL picks and predictions.
NHL Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our NHL betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:00 p.m. | |
  | 7:00 p.m. | |
  | 8:00 p.m. | |
  | 9:00 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Islanders vs. Bruins
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: I am out on the Islanders.
It’s a never-ending cycle of mediocrity on the ice, and when they got pummeled as they did on Wednesday against the Rangers, they came out saying that they “were the better team.”
No, I don’t care that defenseman Noah Dobson is returning either. Before he went on the shelf, Dobson was one of New York’s worst defensemen, and now he comes in for Scott Perunovich, who ironically was one of the Islanders’ best since being acquired last month.
They come into Boston, where the Bruins haven’t been much better. They’ve been 4-4-2 in their last 10 games, with four straight losses dating back before the 4 Nations break.
Aside from New York’s miscues, another reason why I’m bullish on the B’s is due to their propensity to win at home. It may not seem like it since Boston has lost three in a row at home, but it holds an 18-9-5 record in front of the home fans.
It’s also hard when it’s missing two key defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm. In place, the ball is in Parker Wotherspoon and Michael Callahan’s court. Both have been fine, but missing your top two defensemen is always rough.
However, I don’t think defense should be a problem for Boston. Mason Lohrei, Brandon Carlo, and Nikita Zadorov can hold the fort until McAvoy and Lindholm return, and New York’s offense is in a pitiful state this month.
DraftKings leans New York by a little, and I think it’s incredible value to fade. I think the Isles continue to fall.
Pick: Bruins ML (-108)
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Oilers vs. Panthers
A Stanley Cup rematch is always box office TV, and it was just that when the Florida Panthers slid by the Edmonton Oilers, 6-5 in December.
The difference is that tonight the Panthers will be without Matthew Tkachuk for an indefinite amount of time.
It’s hard to tell if Tkachuk’s injury slowed down the Cats since it's such a small sample size, but they looked just fine when they beat Nashville, 4-1 on Tuesday.
Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, and Carter Verhaeghe have yet to light the lamp since the break, so I’d expect the three of them to get involved expeditiously.
Conversely, do we need to talk about Edmonton? Connor McDavid was the hero of the 4 Nations tournament, but in the three games back, he’s a -7 with two assists. The Oilers also have a -10 goal differential in that timespan.
I feel like this happens every time there’s an extended break for the Oilers. They’ve started the past few seasons slow, and are 3-6-1 in the three games after the past three All-Star breaks,
Edmonton’s flawed, but the dynamic talent up front, and the handful of studs on the blue line make up for the holes in its game.
We’ve seen when these squads go after it, that there’s a potential for the score to run up, and given that over 6.5 goals is at plus-money I’m riding with the juice. Tkachuk or not, there are way too many playmakers in this game for me not to take my chances.
Pick: Over 6.5 (+105)
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Jets vs. Predators
The Winnipeg Jets have been the talk of the town, after securing their 11th consecutive victory last night against the Ottawa Senators.
You can just tell when a team is humming. With crisp passes, traffic in front of the net, clear breakouts, and elite goaltending. Everything is swell in Manitoba, and the whole province will have its eyes on the trade deadline.
However, there’s still hockey to be played, and this battle against the Nashville Predators will have been their fourth match in six nights.
I was a believer in the Preds before the season started, and the hockey gods laughed at me, as they stand 14th in the West. Think about what I just said about the Jets; Nashville is the complete opposite. In the past two games, they’ve been outscored 9-2, and have actually been dreadful at 5-on-5 play.
So, it’s only natural that I pick Nashville to come out on top tonight.
Numbers tell so much of a story, but they don’t tell the whole thing. On two days' rest, the Jets come out and blow the Preds out of the water, but the NHL schedule makers had different plans.
Four games in six nights is tough, and not to mention, they’re flying in from Ottawa the night before. So, they’re probably getting in at 3 a.m. and will skip a morning skate.
If that’s not enough, backup Eric Comrie, who has been strong, is probably going to get the nod. Comrie’s a fine goaltender, but he’s much easier to beat than Connor Hellebuyck.
It just seems like the perfect storm for the Jets to fall in this battle, and lose their illustrious 11-game winning streak.
Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.
Pick: Predators ML (+105)
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Wild vs. Utah
And for my next act, I’m getting a little Wild.
The Utah Hockey Club is finally starting to play solid hockey in front of their home fans, with three straight wins. However, you’ll have to pardon me for being a little skittish.
Before the season, I picked Utah to make the playoffs. Whether that occurs remains to be seen, because of its season-long ineptitude to protect home ice.
This team has what it takes, but something about playing in front of the home crowd has sent them into hiding. With three consecutive home wins, I’d like to think the schneid is behind the Hockey Club. But with the Minnesota Wild coming into town, it may be difficult to keep it going.
If you read my past edition of best bets, I backed the Wild on the road, because they’re the league’s best road team (although Washington is making a case). On Saturday, the Wild went down 3-1 in the third period in Detroit and came back to win it with a 4-3 overtime thriller.
They won’t knock your socks off, especially with Kirill Kaprizov injured, and now Joel Eriksson Ek, but Filip Gustavsson has been a brick wall in net. He’s playing to a .914 SV% and a 13.0 GSAx.
Let’s rock with the Wild in their comfortable away jerseys, and just for fun, I’m going to pick it in regulation because I love that +200 value.
Pick: Wild 60 Minute Line (+200)
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