Monday brings five games to the NHL schedule, including a bunch of teams on the playoff bubble scrambling for a spot in the postseason. Here are the NHL best bets for Monday based on the best NHL odds.
Among several intriguing matchups, the most compelling may be in Minnesota, where the Wild host the Florida Panthers.
The Wild sit in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, with 60 points in 52 games. The Calgary Flames, with 60 points in 53 games, are close behind.
Math does not work in the favor of the Florida Panthers. With 58 points in 55 games, they are three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but the Panthers have also played three more games, so there ought to be a sense of desperation.
Here are our best NHL picks (odds via Fa nDuel Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Check out our NHL picks.
Monday's NHL schedule and odds
(odds via DraftKings)
- Calgary Flames (-165) vs. Ottawa Senators (+140)
- Arizona Coyotes (+210) vs. Nashville Predators (-250)
- Florida Panthers (-105) vs. Minnesota Wild (-115)
- Detroit Red Wings (+105) vs. Vancouver Canucks (-125)
- Buffalo Sabres (+130) vs. Los Angeles Kings (-150)
Monday's NHL best bets
- Moneyline: Sabres vs. Kings (+130 via DraftKings Sportsbook) ????
- Spread: Flames -1.5 vs. Senators (+155 via DraftKings Sportsbook) ?????
- Total: Panthers-Wild Over 6.5 (-120 via Caesars Sportsbook) ????
- Prop: Anthony Beauvillier anytime goal (+260 via DraftKings Sportsbook) ????
Monday's NHL top picks
Even though the Buffalo Sabres are winless in three and coming off a 7-2 home loss against Calgary on Saturday, they have been road warriors. In the past dozen games away from KeyBank Center, the Sabres are 9-1-2, the best road record in the league since mid-December.
The Los Angeles Kings are vulnerable. Following a 6-0 home win against Pittsburgh on Saturday, they are still the only team in a playoff spot with a negative goal differential.
While starting goaltender Pheonix Copley gets credit for stabilizing Los Angeles' goaltending, he still has a .901 save percentage in 21 starts, which is below league average.
A Sabres team that ranks third in the league with 3.63 goals per 60 minutes can take advantage of that goaltending.
Our top-rated sportsbooks range between +125 and +130 for a Sabres win on the moneyline. I have thi s game close to a pick 'em, so any of those prices offer potential value, but DraftKings, Caesars, and PointsBet are all at +130, making them the preferred books for this wager.
The Flames have not done a lot to earn faith for a puck line cover, but this scenario plays favorably.
Ottawa was already missing Cam Talbot when goaltender Anton Forsberg left Saturday's loss to Edmonton with injuries to both knees. That leaves the Sens with AHL call-up Mads Sogaard between the pipes and the 22-year-old has a .898 save percentage in 21 AHL games. It's fair to question whether he is legitimately ready to handle NHL shooters.
On top of that, the Sens will be missing rookie defenseman Jake Sanderson, who is playing more than 21 minutes per game and has the best goal differential (29 GF, 34 GA) among Ottawa defensemen that have played at least 500 five-on-five minutes.
While the Flames have won 11 of 28 road games, six of those wins have been by more than one goal, including Saturday's 7-2 win at Buffalo. With the opportunity to earn a big plus money payout, it's worth a look at the Flames against an AHL goaltender.
There was a brief moment when the puck line pushed to +160 for the Flames, but our top-rated sportsbooks range between +150 and +155, with DraftKings and PointsBet coming in at the top end.
Nine of Florida's past 10 games have hit a total of seven goals or more and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky does not inspire confidence. He has a .890 save percentage and 3.46 goals against average in 18 road games, allowing at least three goals in 12 of 16 starts.
Minnesota is running at the other end of the spectrum, with a total of six goals or less in 10 of their past 12 games. However, the Wild run around league average on home ice, ranking 17th in goals for and 16th in goal against per 60 minutes.
Florida's shaky goaltending drives this game to a higher total.
DraftKings, Caesars, and BetMGM are all at -120 for the Over in this game, with PointsBet close behind at -121. FanDuel, at -124, is taking a little bit more from Over bettors, so it makes sense to make this wager at the best price.
One of the ways to find value in the props market is to look for small samples. A player who has played a lot of games in the same situation does not leave as much room for variance as one who is in a new situation.
That brings us to Vancouver Canucks winger Anthony Beauvillier, who was acquired as part of the Bo Horvat trade. Beauvillier has goals in back-to-back games and is not only skating on Vancouver's top line with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, but getting first uni t power play time as well.
This is a much better situation for him than what he was experiencing with the New York Islanders.
The Canucks will take on the Detroit Red Wings on Monday, and the Wings rank 25th in goals against average on the road. Starting netminder Ville Husso has a .895 save percentage and 3.38 goals against average in a dozen games away from Little Caesars Arena.
DraftKings, BetMGM, and PointsBet all have a Beauvillier anytime goal priced at +260, which compares favorably with FanDuel at +240. Caesars is rather stingy on this one at +220.
NHL Best Bets picks made 2/13/2023 at 12:45 p.m. ET.
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