NHL Best Bets
Another night with a ton of games across the board in the NHL. Keep an eye on the New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals, who are both competing for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While their opponents might not make for the most exciting game, those are the two teams that I’ll be paying extra attention to tonight for my NHL best bets.
Washington at Buffalo (-130, 6)
The Washington Capitals are currently in the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. A win tonight would allow them to jump the Philadelphia Flyers in the Metropolitan division standings. The Caps have lost two games in a row, but their recent stretch of hockey has been solid overall.
The Buffalo Sabres are 7-7-1 in their last 15 games and have had an insanely inconsistent season. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is tonight’s likely starter for the Sabres and his play as of late hasn’t been as strong as he may like. In his last eight starts, Luukkonen is 4-4-0 with a 3.41 goals against average and a .884 save percentage.
Over the past 15 games, the Capitals have been scoring 3.13 goals per game while their power play has been clicking at a 30% rate, so their recent heat could pose as a struggle for Luukkonen. The Sabres have been allowing that same 3.13 goals against per game, so a guy like Alex Ovechkin, who has eight goals in his last 10 games, has a good chance at finding the back of the net.
Charlie Lindgren is the Capitals expected starter. He has helped turn their season around with his play in goal. In his last nine starts, Lindgren is 6-2-1 with a 2.7 goals against average and a .911 save percentage with a shutout in the mix as well.
I’m always going to lean on the more desperate team, which should be Washington tonight. Personally, I’m surprised they’re the underdog in this matchup with everything they have to play for.
I’m putting my faith in the Capitals.
NHL Best Bet: Washington Capitals ML +110 (play to -110)
Chicago at NY Islanders (-245, 6)
Despite letting a lead slip in the dying seconds of last night’s game, the New York Islanders are coming off a big win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Similar to the Capitals, the Islanders need every point they can get. If they lose this game tonight, it could get ugly on Long Island.
New York is just three points back of the Washington Capitals, but this Blackhawks team has quietly won three out of their last four games. This isn’t going to be easy for New York, but they have won three of their last five games against some pretty strong teams like the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers.
This is a game where Mat Barzal needs to take over. He has three goals and two assists in his last five games. The Islanders need to beat up on a team like the Blackhawks who have a ton of weaknesses. Chicago allows 31.8 shots against per game, but the Islanders haven’t necessarily played with as much urgency as they need. Tonight, there are no excuses. It all comes down to their effort and execution.
If they learned anything from last night’s game, the Islanders need to have their foot on the gas for a full sixty minutes.
NHL Best Bet: New York Islanders to win in regulation -145 (play to -160)
March Record: 29-21 (+4.67 units)
2023-24 record: 129–132 (-28.31 units)
