Tuesday brings a nine-game slate to the National Hockey League, including a couple of matchups with playoff implications for both teams. Read on for our top NHL best bets for Tuesday based on the best NHL odds.
A coveted Eastern Conference playoff spot is in sight for both the Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Capitals as they meet Tuesday in D.C.
The Capitals are two points out of the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with two games in hand on the Florida Panthers. Detroit, meanwhile, is four points out with a whopping five games in hand, so Detroit and Washington still have legitimate playoff hopes.
Here are our best NHL picks for Tuesday's schedule (odds via DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM, and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Check out our NHL picks.
Tuesday's NHL schedule and odds
(odds via DraftKings)
- St. Louis Blues (+280) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (-340)
- Anaheim Ducks (+410) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (-520)
- Montreal Canadiens (+290) vs. New Jersey Devils (-350)
- Detroit Red Wings (+125) vs. Washington Capitals (-145)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (-170) vs. Buffalo Sabres (+145)
- Vancouver Canucks (+140) vs. Nashville Predators (-165)
- Los Angeles Kings (+110) vs. Minnesota Wild (-130)
- Vegas Golden Knights (-295) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (+245)
- Philadelphia Flyers (+250) vs. Edmonton Oilers (-300)
Tues day's NHL best bets
- Moneyline: Kings (+110 via DraftKings) vs. Wild ????
- Spread: Hurricanes -1.5 (-120 via BetMGM) vs. Blues ????
- Total: Canucks-Predators Over 6.5 (-125 via Caesars) ???
- Prop: Patrick Kane Anytime Goal (+250 via PointsBet) ????
Saturday's NHL top picks
The Kings have put to rest any suggestion that they're not as good as their record.
Having racked up the second-most one-goal wins in the league this season (17) hasn't exactly done wonders for their goal differential – but they're finally back on the plus side of the ledger thanks to a four-game winning streak during which they have outscored foes 23-10.
It's the culmination of a terrific offensive stretch for a Kings tea m that ranks fourth in the NHL since December with a 3.60 goals-per-60 average. That runs in stark contrast to the slumping Wild, who are 31st with a 2.46 goals-per-60 rate in that span.
The Wild are coming off a 4-3 win over Nashville on Sunday but are still just 5-7-1 in their past 13 games – and that victory over the Preds was their first in regulation since Jan. 17.
These trends make the Kings a lively underdog in this matchup. They are priced at +110 on the moneyline at most of our top-rated sportsbooks, though FanDuel (+105) is less appealing.
This is one of the few times I just have to take a puckline play at a minus number.
The Hurricanes have been a juggernaut, with one regulation loss in the past 14 games. Seven of those 13 wins have been by a margin of more than one goal (in fact, all seven victories have come by three or more goals. Stunning.)
None of this is by accident, with Carolina controlling 60.9% of score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals during five-on-five play – the only team in the league above 56% in that measure. The Hurricanes also rank No. 1 in shots and expected goals against per 60 minutes.
That matches favorably against a Blues squad that is in full-blown fire-sale mode. Vladimir Tarasenko, Niko Mikkola, Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari have all been sent packing, with more moves expected prior to the March 3 trade deadline.
The mass exodus has left the Blues with an understaffed NHL roster – and it shows. St. Louis is just 3-7 in its past 10 games, with each of those seven losses coming by a margin of two goals or more (including back-to-back losses to Colorado and Ottawa heading into this one).
BetMGM is the preferred location for this wager, char ging -120 for the Hurricanes -1.5 on the puck line. DraftKings is at -135 while Caesars and PointsBets sit at -140, with FanDuel at -142.
Consistenly bad goaltending for Vancouver has meant consistently great results for Canucks Over bettors – and I'm sticking with that trend Tuesday.
The Canucks have hit a total of seven goals or more in each of their past 10 games, and have an absurd 33-16-7 O/U record for the season despite routinely seeing totals at 6.5 or even 7 in some cases of late.
Goal prevention has been a season-long issue for the Canucks, who rank rank last in the league with a .872 save percentage. And while the Predators (26th in goals-per-60-minutes) aren't exactly lightning the world on fire, the Canucks' defensive and goaltending vulnerabilities offer the hosts a chance to play a higher-scoring game .
Still, given the Pr eds' low-scoring tendency, this game gets three stars from me.
Caesars, BetMGM, and PointsBet are all offering Under 6.5 at -125, which is more appealing than FanDuel (-128) and DraftKings (-130).
Kane might be the most sought-after asset at the trade deadline despite having struggled to generate offense for most of the season.
Maybe that should have been no surprise given a weak supporting cast and likely declining motivation while playing for a Blackhawks team far outside of the playoff picture. However, with a deal all but certain, Kane has shown that he is still an elite offensive performer.
He has tallied five goals in his past two games – obviously not a sustainable pace, but he also has 26 shots on goal in his past eight games, and that's encouraging for future production.
Kane faces the Vegas Golden Knights o n Tuesday – and while Vegas has been a solid defensive team, that reputation might take a hit Tuesday with Laurent Brossoit in goal.
The 29-year-old has been stuck in the AHL this season, posting a .909 save percentage in 23 games; he has a .905 save percentage in 106 career NHL games. He's a perfectly fine NHL backup – but that might not be good enough to contain a red-hot Kane.
As expected, bettors will find a wide range of prices for a Kane anytime goal. PointsBet at +250 is the best among our top-rated sportsbooks, followed by DraftKings (+245) and BetMGM (+240). There is massive variance when comparing those books to FanDuel (+194) and Caesars (+160), so it obviously makes sense to shop around for the best price.
NHL best bets made 2/21/2023 at 11:15 a.m. ET.
Here are our best sportsbooks:
- 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.
Related pages
- Best betting sites