NHL Best Bets
The last two months have been in the green, so if you haven’t been riding my NHL best bets since the start of March, I suggest you board the train now. There are 13 different NHL games tonight and plenty of strong ones to pay attention to in regard to playoff implications.
This time of year, the vibe of every single game is completely different. You have to be careful which games or sides you choose because everyone is playing for something different right now. While teams like the Capitals, Red Wings, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers are playing for playoff hopes, other teams like the Arizona Coyotes and Seattle Kraken don’t necessarily have so much to play for.
Let’s get into tonight’s NHL best bets
Ottawa at Florida (-245, 6.5)
While this might not be the best matchup of the night, the Florida Panthers are looking to get going in the right direction as the season winds down. The Panthers could be guilty of peaking too early, as they were considered the unanimous #1 team in the NHL about six weeks ago. Fast forward to now. The Panthers are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games. That said, these two teams met in Ottawa five nights ago. The Panthers beat the wheels off of Ottawa, winning by the score of 6-0.
The Senators are coming off of an overtime win against the Washington Capitals, which was a strong win for them, but tonight, they face a different beast as they seek revenge.
The Panthers are only three points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division, so right now, they’re playing for home ice in what will inevitably be a series against each other. Dating back to last season, the Panthers have won their last four straight contests against Ottawa.
The Senators have been one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL all season. They have a very ugly road record of 14-21-2, while the Panthers have skated to a 22-13-2 record at home. Ottawa has allowed 3.48 goals against per game this season, and their starting goalie tonight is expected to be Joonas Korpisalo, who has had a disappointing season. Korpisalo is skating to a 20-24-4 record with a 3.27 goals against average and a .890 save percentage. The Panthers have a massive edge in the goaltending battle tonight, especially if Sergei Bobrovsky gets the nod, which hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Florida is the much better team from top to bottom, and they have a lot to play for. Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart each have five goals in the team’s last 10 games, so look for those two to impact this game.Â
Florida should be able to smack the Senators just like they did a couple of days ago.
NHL Best Bet: Florida Panthers to win in regulation -155 (play to -170)
Toronto at New Jersey (-102, 6.5)
The Toronto Maple Leafs will play the second leg of a back-to-back after beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime last night. The New Jersey Devils season has been a massive disappointment, but their games have still been pretty entertaining.
The Devils have the sixth-worst goals against average in the NHL as they allow 3.41 goals against per game. They have allowed 20 goals in their last five games combined. Tonight, they face one of the best offensive teams in the NHL in the Maple Leafs, who score the third-most goals per game (3.61). The guy to watch tonight, like most nights, is Auston Matthews.
Mathews has 10 goals in his last 10 games and recorded his 65th goal of the season last night. He is on a quest to become the first NHL player to reach the 70-goal plateau since Alexander Mogilny and Teemu Selanne scored 76 goals in the 1992-93 season. Matthews has scored 15 goals in 16 career games against New Jersey, so it’s fair to say he should be able to get one tonight.
The Leafs haven’t necessarily had the most reliable goaltending this season, either. Ilya Samsonov started last night, so Joseph Woll should be the starter tonight. Woll is 2-3-0 in his last five starts with a 3.02 goals against average and a .891 save percentage.
When these two teams meet, it isn’t necessarily a goaltending duel.
I’m expecting a pretty wide open game with a lot of goal scoring. I’d like to see the stars like Matthews and Jack Hughes put on a show.
NHL Best Bet(s): Over 6.5 -125 (play to -140) | Auston Mathews anytime goal scorer -135 (play to -145)
April Record: 8-2 (+5.90 units)
2023-24 record: 137–134 (-23.41 units)
