The NHL regular season continues on Wednesday with a small, five-game slate. Our staff of hockey betting experts have dug into the latest odds and identified the best value no the board.
Continue below to see our NHL picks and get full analysis for our NHL best bets and predictions for Wednesday, March 5.
NHL Picks Today: Wednesday, March 5
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 10:30 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. | ||
Senators vs. Blackhawks
By Ryan Sura
Chicago has won back-to-back games, outscoring the Kings and Ducks by a combined 11-4. However, they were outshot by a combined 73-43 in those wins.
In their most recent win against Los Angeles, newly acquired goaltender Spencer Knight had an elite performance, stopping 41-of-42 shots. The Hawks won’t have Knight as their safety net tonight as Arvid Soderblom is set to start against Ottawa, and he has a 3.47 GAA and .890 SV% at home this season.
The Senators have lost seven of their last eight games, but have shown fight in their last two matchups, beating the Sharks and almost coming back to beat Washington before losing in a shootout.
Even though it’s hard to trust a Sens team that’s dropped a lot of games recently, this is a must-win game considering their position in the Eastern Conference standings. The Sens need every win against teams that are below them in the standings.
I expect some offensive regression from Chicago as well. The last two games they are shooting 25% at even strength and have scored four goals above expectation.
To put things into perspective, the Blackhawks are shooting 10.2% at even strength this season. It will be tough to keep up that type of scoring against a Sens team that’s top 12 in scoring chances and high danger scoring chances allowed per game at even strength this season.
I wouldn’t play the Sens to win regulation higher than -140, but public opinion and market will be higher on Chicago after its 5-1 win vs L.A., so I don’t mind Senators -1.5 either.
Pick: Senators 60-Minute Line (-140 or Better)
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Blues vs. Kings
The St Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings will clash on Wednesday night. St. Louis begins the contest with a record of 29-27-6.
The Blues trail the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference by three points. Center Robert Thomas leads the Blues with 16 goals and 34 assists.
LA comes into the contest with a record of 31-20-8. That record is the third-best in the Pacific Conference, trailing the second-place Edmonton Oilers by four games in the division. Adrian Kempe leads the team with 26 goals and 24 assists.
We will sip on the juice tonight and ride with the Kings. If you have followed me this season, you know we have made money on the Kings at home all season. Los Angeles has the best home record in the NHL straight-up (19-6).
Tonight is an excellent spot for the Kings at home after losing four consecutive games.
Pick: Kings Moneyline (-160)
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