NHL Picks: Early Battle of Florida Highlights Friday's Action

We'll start with the prop bets, then move on to game analysis and picks.

Some Picks And More To Chew On

Now, on to some of these games.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers

It is nice to see Tampa Bay and Florida get to work early. Florida has won three games, but Tampa has not tasted victory once in 2022-23. Maybe, trading away Ryan McDonagh took a bit of starch out of the defense. Early indications seem that Tampa is feeling some effect.

Considerable flaws exist with this matchup on both sides. For one, the Over is set at 6.5 goals. Tampa is home, where the Lightning have had some success against Florida. On the other hand, the Panthers remember the sweep in the second round of last year’s playoffs. These are things that eat at a team. Then, there was Tampa Bay’s home opener. 

The Lightning started that game out against Philadelphia very well. Tampa was up two goals, and the Flyers began to chip away. What resulted was a 3-2 defeat which left more questions than answers. 

Florida is not much better. Granted, it defeated the same Flyers team on Wednesday night. However, the Panthers were rested, and the Flyers were not. Even then, Florida required a late kick and had to hold on for a home-opening win. Also, Florida will be without their best defender, Aaron Ekblad, for at least the next four weeks, if not longer. Ekblad was placed on the LTIR this week due to an injury.

The game is almost Even from a picking standpoint. Honestly, the Under has a little value, especially if it moves up to 7.0. Currently, 6.5 goals at Even money is not that bad, either.

Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks

The old “Norris Division” rivals face off on Friday night in Chicago as the Blackhawks try to upset the Detroit Red Wings. Yes, the Red Wings are 3-0-1 on the season and look like an early contender for a playoff spot. 

Ville Husso and Alex Nedeljkovic have formed an excellent goaltending duo, while the offense contributes some timely scoring. Add in a sprinkle of solid defense from the likes of Mo Seider, and there is a pretty good recipe for success.

The Blackhawks are rebuilding and will purge Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane from their roster. When does that happen? Toews and Kane are playing for the Blackhawks and contributing. Even while down, the Blackhawks are not always out. 

The Blackhawks broke out offensively in San Jose of all places scoring five times. Detroit is a bit more consistent averaging four goals a game (3,5 and 4). Detroit winning in regulation comes in at plus-money, unlike their -125 moneyline. That may be a better road to choose on Friday night.

Good luck, and once again, thanks for reading! We will have a few more plays on social media as conditions warrant.