NHL Picks: Overloaded Schedule Gives Plenty of Betting Opportunities
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The NHL sets up like last weekend. Several teams on Sunday will be in a third game in four nights scenario.
NHL betting options might pop up on Sunday, so let's survey the landscape to see what's out there.
Schedule Breakdown
Let us do this by the number of games each day.
- Friday – 4
- Saturday – 13
- Sunday – 7
Saturday goes big again with four late-night games. The games end at a more normal time on Sunday, but we have an exciting contest or two to end the weekend.
Who plays back-to-back this weekend? Here are those teams below.
- Philadelphia (Friday, Saturday)
- Toronto (Friday, Saturday)
- Boston (Saturday, Sunday)
- NY Rangers (Saturday, Sunday)
- Nashville (Saturday, Sunday)
- New Jersey (Saturday, Sunday)
- Tampa Bay (Saturday, Sunday)
- Minnesota (Saturday, Sunday)
- Vancouver (Saturday, Sunday)
- Winnipeg (Saturday, Sunday)
Now, this is easy enough. The first game is on NHL Network between Detroit and Colorado on Saturday. The Penguins and Rangers play on ABC in primetime. Sunday night features the third matchup between New Jersey and Tampa Bay in a week.
Friday Hits With A Quick Haymaker
Friday night gives us an eventual playoff preview of sorts. At the very least, playoff-like hockey will be displayed in Toronto as the Maple Leafs battle the Carolina Hurricanes. Both teams are missing significant cogs on offense. Toronto is without Ryan O’Reilly, and Carolina will miss Andrei Svechnikov (torn ACL).
Again, Carolina is in a race with New Jersey to win the Metropolitan Division. Toronto is trying to hold off Tampa Bay to get home ice for their inevitable first-round matchup. Carolina can play a lot like the Lightning. It should be an excellent test for the Maple Leafs, who want to prove they can advance in the playoffs come late April. Ilya Samsonov projects to face Frederik Andersen.
Toronto comes in as a 1.80 betting favorite, according to BetMGM. The draw option (meaning extra time) is intriguing, but risking the Maple Leafs at 2.20 in regulation carries some pull. Again, the Maple Leafs can create more scoring chances at home.
Saturday Could Be Wild
Saturday sees a Florida Panthers team coming off a crazy nine-goal outburst against Montreal, scoring seven times in the opening 20 minutes, taking on New Jersey. The Devils' high-octane offense comes into town trying to get back on track after losing twice to Tampa Bay this week. The Over on this game will likely be 7, but it could be 7.5.
Also, Pittsburgh plays the New York Rangers on ABC Saturday night. The Penguins still need wins to make the playoffs. The Penguins match up poorly against the Rangers' top-six but have enough firepower (Malkin, Crosby, Letang, etc.) to upend the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Saturday Is Jammed With Action
Saturday features 13 games, including four late-night clashes again. The late games include a suddenly resurgent Vancouver Canucks team trying to spoil the Los Angeles Kings’ division run. A battle between the Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames headlines it. No one expected Calgary to be in a tussle for their playoff lives, but here we are. Dallas has been struggling of late without Tyler Seguin in the lineup.
Even Chicago and Arizona play in the “Connor Bedard Bowl.” With the lottery, anything is possible. These are two of the worst teams in the NHL. They still play an entertaining brand of hockey.
Don't sleep on the “Battle Of Ontario” as Toronto and Ottawa face off. Throw the records out the window. Then, there is Montreal and Tampa Bay. So, the Canadiens are without their top four centers. Injuries have caused the team to field an AHL-level roster. Tampa Bay figures to be licking their chops as the Over should be something else here.
Even Edmonton and Seattle could feature some big fireworks. Can Seattle slow down Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl? The chances of that happening are low as both teams can pile up the goals.
Oh, There’s Sunday Action Too!
Hockey bettors get more nice games on Sunday, too! An NHL Network day-night doubleheader is excellent, which gives us the Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild at 2 p.m. ET. Can the Wild win without Kirill Kaprizov? The answer, for the most part so far, is yes.
Tampa Bay and New Jersey meet in a big conference clash on Sunday night. New Jersey does not want to lose to the Lightning for the third time. The Devils lead the league in road wins with 24.
Finally, Vancouver and Anaheim cap off Sunday with another contest that expects to see goals in waves.
Here at gambling.com, we have you well taken care of with the latest.
Some Quick Points To Consider
- With one headline game, do not sleep on that Columbus-Anaheim game. Again, these “Tank Wars” games have been entertaining lately.
- Toronto and Ottawa. Toronto is on the back end of a back-to-back, and Ottawa is in a must-win situation.
- Remember, eight teams are unrested Sunday, and most are on a third game in four nights.
- Can Nashville rebound this weekend after a damaging loss at home to Chicago on Thursday?
- Timo Meier scored twice Thursday night. New Jersey will bounce back quickly if Meier and Jack Hughes get going.
- Do goaltenders like Jake Oettinger and Vitek Vanecek start to get their form back?
Good luck, and once more, thanks for reading! Expect a few more plays and tips via social media later.
Thanks to BetMGM weekend lines. TSN and ESPN.com give us easy-to-follow schedules.
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