The NHL playoff races continue to heat up with an 11-game slate on Thursday. Read on for the top NHL picks for Thursday based on the best NHL odds.
The end of the NHL season is just a few weeks away and teams continue to battle for playoff position.
The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils face off Thursday in what will likely be a first-round matchup in the Metropolitan Division. Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins take the ice with each team looking for a wild-card spot in their respective conference.
There are a few other games with playoff implications throughout the night as well.
Here are our best NHL picks (odds via BetRivers, DraftKings Sportsbook, and FanDuel Sportsbook, and PointsBet; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Check out our NHL picks.
Thursday's NHL schedule and odds
- Columbus Blue Jackets (+360) vs. Boston Bruins (-450)
- Nashville Predators (+170) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-200)
- Florida Panthers (-195) vs. Montreal Canadiens (+165)
- Washington Capitals (+170) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (-200)
- Philadelphia Flyers (+145) vs. Ottawa Senators (-170)
- New York Rangers (+115) vs. New Jersey Devils (-135)
- Carolina Hurricanes (-215) vs. Detroit Red Wins (+185)
- St. Louis Blues (-145) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (+125)
- Los Angeles Kings (+140) vs. Edmonton Oilers (-165)
- Anaheim Ducks (+275) vs. Seattle Kraken (-330)
- Vegas Golden Knights (-165) vs. San Jose Sharks (+140)
Thursday's NHL schedule and odds
- Moneyline: Rangers ML vs. Devils (+116 via FanDuel Sportsbook) ???
- Total: F lyers vs. Senators over 6.5 (-109 via BetRivers) ????
- Moneyline: Canadiens ML vs. Panthers (+170 via PointsBet) ???
- Moneyline: Golden Knights ML vs. Sharks (-165 via DraftKings Sportsbook) ????
Thursday's NHL top picks
The Rangers opened at +105 but have moved up to between +112 (BetRivers) and +116 (FanDuel) despite 60% of the wagers coming in on them.
New York is hot, with three straight wins and a 9-1-1 record since March 9. The Rangers are a decent road team as well at 22-8-6 on the season.
On the other hand, the Devils have gone downhill recently with a 2-4-2 record since March 14. Granted, they've played a relatively tough schedule during those eight games, but it doesn't get easier with the Rangers coming to town.
The Rangers hold the advan tage in net as well with Igor Shesterkin confirmed to start for New York and Vitek Vanecek likely for the Devils. This game should be closer to a pick 'em, so I'll gladly take +116 on the Rangers.
Check out our Rangers-Devils picks.
This line opened at -110 and hasn't moved despite Carter Hart being ruled out again for the Flyers. It'll be Felix Sandstrom (2-10-2, 3.88 GAA, .887 SV%) against projected starter Mads Sogaard (7-5-2, 3.18 GAA, .894 SV%) for the Senators.
There have been seven-plus goals in three straight games featuring the Senators and six of their past eight contests. The Flyers' scoring slowed down the last two contests after putting up 23 goals in five games, with the Over hitting in each contest. They should bounce back on Thursday given the goaltending matchup.
The line has gone up a little bit at other books, m ost notably at DraftKings (-120). But BetRivers is still hanging -109.
Check out our Stanley Cup odds.
The Florida Panthers scratched out a win in Toronto on Wednesday, and the line is starting to reflect the rest advantage for the Canadiens. Alex Lyon started last night for Florida, and the Panthers' goaltending situation is up in the air for Thursday.
Florida struggles as the visitors (16-19-3) while the Habs are decent at home (16-17-3). More importantly, the Panthers are horrific in the second half of a back-to-back set. Florida is 2-6-3 on no days of rest, including 0-3-2 after a win.
The line has moved a bit in Montreal's favor after opening at +180. But I'll still happily take the Habs at +170 given the Panthers' struggles on the road and without rest.
Check out our Norris Trophy odds
< p class='text-left'>The Sharks only have recorded two wins in their past 16 games, and both came against the Winnipeg Jets. The Golden Knights aren't playing their best hockey recently, but they're winning anyway to the tune of 11-3-0 in March and 17-4-2 since the All-Star break.
This line opened much higher at -185 for the Sharks and is still as high as -180 through BetRivers. DraftKings is four cents lower than Caesars and at least 10 cents lower than most other books.
Vegas is pushing for the top spot in the division, with Laurent Brossoit likely to start after returning from an injury. Meanwhile, the Sharks are just playing out their season with either Kaapo Kahkonen or James Reimer in net. Either way, the Knights are the play here at -165.
Check out our Hart Trophy odds
Thursday's NHL best bets made 3/30/2023 at 12:42 p.m. ET.
Here are our best NHL betting sites:
- FanDuel: No Sweat First Bet Up to $1,000 | Read our FanDuel Review
- Caesars: Earn Up to a $1,250 Bet Credit | Read our Caesars Review
- DraftKings: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets | Read our DraftKings Review
- PointsBet: Earn Five Second-Chance Bets Up to $50 Each | Read our PointsBet Review
- BetMGM: Get a Bonus Bet of Up to $1,000 | Read our BetMGM Review
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
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