This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
Here are your six best NHL bets for tonight! At this point in the season, I'm looking at matchups that feature teams with tons to play for. That's mostly going to be the teams fighting for playoff position whether they're at the top of the standings or vying for one of the Wild Card spots. Every point counts when it comes to seeding at this point, so I expect all of these tilts to have some playoff flare.
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Top NHL Bets Tonight
Predators vs Bruins
The Bruins are 30-3-3 at home this season. Wowzers. No wonder they're a massive -300 favorite on the moneyline. They've also won 7-straight games overall and are on a torrid pace toward solidifying their place as one of the best regular season teams in league history. But the Predators have been pesky on the road since February 1, going 8-4. Most of those wins were from weaker opponents like the Flyers, Sharks, Coyotes, Blackhawks, and Ducks. They went into Madison Square Garden to take on the Rangers - one of the teams primed to contend with the B's in the East - and lost 7-0 on March 19. The B's also handed the Preds a 5-0 loss in Nashville on February 16. Unless the Predators get a miraculous performance in net, I think this one goes to the home team handily.
Bruins PL -125
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Penguins vs Red Wings
The Pens have won just 2 of their last 6 road games and faced a gauntlet of good teams in that stretch, with losses to the Stars, Rangers (twice), and Panthers. They did manage to go into Denver and beat the Avalanche 5-2 on March 22, and they also bested the Bolts 5-4 in Tampa earlier this month. They badly need two points against a team that's not in contention as they try to hang on to the final Wild Card spot in the East. That shouldn't be a tall order since the Red Wings have dropped 3 straight home games and 4 of 6 in March. The Pens have also won 7 of their previous 10 games against the Red Wings dating back to 2018, so I think Sidney Crosby gets his guys going for 2 crucial standings points.
Penguins ML -180
Lightning vs Hurricanes
Are the winning ways of the Lightning finally catching up to them at the most inopportune time of the season? They've gone to 3 straight Stanley Cups. That's so much hockey. They're still one of the best teams in the NHL this year, but they're sputtering right now with 4 straight losses. They head into Raleigh to take on a Hurricanes team that crushed them 6-0 in Tampa on March 5. The Canes also just pushed the Bruins to the brink in a 4-3 shootout loss on Sunday. The Lightning had their own 1-goal loss to the B's just a day prior though, but their 7-2 loss to the Senators last Thursday, their 3-2 loss to the Canadiens last Tuesday, and their 5-2 loss to the Devils on March 19 all look like crushing blows to any confidence. But, the real question is, will the Lightning with the star-studded cast and experience as a perennial powerhouse allow themselves to drop a 5th in a row? Eh…
Lightning ML +120
Kings vs Flames
The Kings are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games. They absolutely smoked the Flames 8-2 in LA just last Monday. The Kings are jockeying for 1st overall in the West while the Flames are 4 points back of the final Wild Card spot in that conference. Calgary's been brutal in their own building of late too, losing 7 of their last 10 home games. All three games these teams have played against one another this season have featured high-scoring affairs with a total of 28 goals being scored combined. The Kings are the underdog as of the time of this writing, and I'm not sure why. If we're going with the eye test, they're anything but.
Kings ML +120
Oilers vs Golden Knights
Both these teams are surging at the right time and have won 8 of their last 10 games respectively. They met in Edmonton on Saturday and the Golden Knights pulled out a 4-3 overtime win. Vegas then had two days off while the Oilers traveled to Arizona to beat the Coyotes 5-4 last night. They had a similar back-to-back in January when they beat the Sharks in San Jose on January 13 and then went into Vegas and beat the Knights 4-3 the next night. The Knights are 8-2 in their last 10 home games and have won 4 games in a row overall, so they're buzzing. But I think the Oilers are buzzing more, even on the second night of a back-to-back.
Oilers ML -115
Jets vs Sharks
The wheels are absolutely falling off the wagon for the Sharks and that is actually awesome for them as they are currently holding onto the lowest points total in the league which would buy them a lottery pick - and potentially the 1st overall selection - in this summer's draft. They're 1-6-3 in their last 10 games and have only won 6 total games at home this season. That last win though? March 6 in Winnipeg against the Jets… Can they pull it off again, even with the Jets playing wobbly .500 hockey of late? Eh…
Jets ML -180
