Top NHL Odds, Picks, & Predictions: Thursday (3/14)

The NHL is serving up another 12-game slate for us to wager on Thursday night. We’re coming off of a 2-1 record for last week’s edition of this article, as the Pittsburgh Penguins inability to record a goal against Washington cost us a 3-0 sweep.

Carolina fell into an early deficit but then scored four unanswered goals against Montreal to cover their -1.5 puck line at plus odds in a 4-1 win. Then, Boston took care of Toronto at home, winning 4-1 to cash under 6.5 total goals. 2-1 is solid, but now, we’re poised to hit the sweep on another Thursday with tons of value across various NHL betting markets.

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Thursday's NHL Best Bets

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

Florida Panthers (+104) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (-125) | O/U 5.5 (-118/-102)

The last time we saw Florida and Carolina play, it came down to the wire, ending in epic fashion with Sebastian Aho netting the game’s only goal in the waning seconds of regulation. The Panthers scored a goal shortly beforehand, but it was called offsides, flipping momentum in favor of the Hurricanes. Both of these teams have rock solid goaltending, so while the netminders haven’t been confirmed yet, we should feel comfortable wagering the under in the total goals market.

Each of Carolina’s last 11 games against Eastern Conference teams have gone under the total goals line, which is a trend that aligns with this bet. The ‘Canes just lost 1-0 at home to the Rangers, while Florida is due for an under game, entering this contest with six or more total goals in four of their past five outings. We’re getting nearly even odds to take the under, which has been profitable for both of these contenders in 2024, so let’s stake a unit on another tightly contested, gritty, low-scoring matchup in Raleigh on Thursday night.

Bet: Under 5.5 Total Goals (-102)

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New York Rangers (-110) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (-110) | O/U 6.5 (+108/-132)

The New York Rangers extend their East Coast road trip and visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. The last time these two teams met, five weeks ago, the Rangers routed the Lightning at Amalie Arena 5-1. Now, they’ll attempt to record four consecutive wins against a volatile Tampa Bay team that made a bunch of moves at the trade deadline.

The Lightning destroyed Philadelphia 7-0 the last time they were on the ice, which was five days ago. This much rest could wind up being detrimental rather than advantageous for Tampa Bay, who struggles to consistently string together wins. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point are lethal on the first-line attack, but Andrei Vasilevskiy has surrendered three to five goals in every single start, excluding his shutout against the Flyers.

New York is the more complete team and as long as Igor Shesterkin remains in the crease for them tonight, the former Vezina Trophy winner should help will the Rangers to a fourth straight win on the road against the Lightning. Let’s stake a unit on the Rangers moneyline odds since they are being valued as a pick’em at -110 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Bet: New York Rangers Moneyline (-110)

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New Jersey Devils (+150) vs. Dallas Stars (-182) | O/U 6.5 (-110/-110)

Our final game takes us to Texas for a matchup between the New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars. The Devils are the more motivated team due to their standing in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race, currently sitting six points out of both Wild Card seeds. The Stars, however, will look to start hot, as they blew a 3-0 lead at home to Florida, ceding three goals in the third period to wind up with a loss.

Dallas is loaded with talent and has a high-octane offense which has scored three or more goals in six consecutive games. New Jersey is still searching for answers in the net, adding Kaapo Kahkonen at the trade deadline. Kahkonen only allowed two goals in his first start for the Devils, stopping 23 of the Rangers’ 25 shots, which was much better than we’ve seen from his time spent in San Jose. However, New Jersey’s defense is less than stellar, so a matchup against the Stars, who rank second in goals per game (3.6), will be an uphill battle.

There’s several directions we can go in this game, but we’re going to roll with over 6.5 total goals. Each of the Stars last six games at home after a loss have gone over. The last time these two teams played in January, New Jersey was routed at home 6-2. The Devils have been under 6.5 total goals in three straight games entering Thursday’s road trip to Dallas, while the Stars have hit over 6.5 total goals in three of their last four.

Factoring in the motivation from both sides, for different reasons, plus mediocre goaltending and two offenses ranked 12th or better for goals scored, let’s stake one more unit on over 6.5 total goals in this interconference matchup.

Bet: Over 6.5 Total Goals (-110)

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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.