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NHL Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Sunday (3/5)

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We have a great slate of games tonight on the ice as a new week gets going. We’ll feature three in our best bets, with each team poised to make a playoff run.

Also, take a look at our other best bets for Sunday:

Sunday’s Best NHL Bets

(All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

New Jersey Devils (-350) vs. Arizona Coyotes (+280) | O/U 6.5 (-114/-106)

The Devils have been excellent all season, but that didn’t stop them from improving. They made a big move by getting Timo Meier, who led San Jose with 31 goals. Unfortunately, he won’t play tonight due to an upper-body injury.

That does not mean they are short of playmakers. Jasper Brett and Nico Hischier have 49 goals between them. Dougie Hamilton is one of the best-scoring defensemen, but it’s all led by Jack Hughes and his 74 points.

The Coyotes were big sellers during the deadline and traded some excellent players, including their two best defensemen, Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakob Chychrun, along with forward Nick Bjugstad. This team will be rebuilding for some time because they are in the bottom ten on offense and defense. This is a massive mismatch and the Devils are excellent enough on both sides of the puck to earn them a multi-goal win.

Pick: Devils -1.5 (-140)

Tampa Bay Lightning (+138) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (-166) | O/U 6 (-105/-114)

Carolina has shown their dominance recently by going 6-2-0 with a +19 scoring differential. Only Sebastian Aho averages a point per game, but this roster runs deep with ten double-digit goal scorers, and they lead the league in Expected Goals Percentage.

This is also one of the more dominant defenses overall. Good luck getting through a blue line allowing 26.2 shots per game, with Antti Raanta and Frederik Andersen allowing the second-fewest goals this season.

Lightning has not struck recently, as they’ve dropped seven of their last nine. The top forward lines have struggled, with just Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov averaging over a point in the previous ten games, along with Steven Stamkos averaging over two shots.

We know that the blue line has struggled all season, but it’s started to impact the goaltending. Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed 3.11 goals in his last seven games, and Brian Elliott allowed 3.96 in his previous three.

Despite the slump, I’ll never count out the Lightning. The last game went to a shootout in a 4-3 Canes win. I’m going with the over.

Pick: Over 6 (-106)

Seattle Kraken (+140) vs. Colorado Avalanche (-170) | O/U 6 (-110/-110)

Seattle had a brutal stretch in the schedule, and it hit them hard. The offense struggled, including guys like Jared McCann and Matty Beniers, who have just six points in their last 13 games. They’ve won three straight against under .500 teams, but they hope that momentum continues into this matchup.

Despite losing back-to-back games, Colorado has played well, going 7-2-1 in their last ten games. The goaltending has been horrendous during these two losses, with Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen allowing 14 goals. With Georgiev starting on Saturday, Annunen will be in the crease today.

Two outstanding offensive teams with multiple playmakers should make a lot of noise. Seattle’s goaltending has been average this year, and Colorado’s has been non-existent lately, with a rookie getting the start.

Pick: Over 6 (-110)

Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section — including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners — or head to more advanced strategies — like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread — to learn more.

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