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Top NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (3/12)

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The NHL is back with another 10 games tonight, providing us with a ton of different ways to get some skin in the game. Below I've narrowed in on my top three bets for tonight's 10-game slate. 

Our NHL Prop Bet Cheat Sheet assists bettors by comparing lines from leading sportsbooks with our daily projections >>

Tuesday's NHL Best Bets

(Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook)

New York Rangers (+135) at Carolina Hurricanes (-160) | O/U 6.0 (+105/-125)

We have a heavyweight tilt to get the action started tonight as the Hurricanes host the Rangers in a Metropolitan Division showdown. New York is currently in first in the division with 88 points, while Carolina is in second with 84 points. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC. 

The Rangers will likely roll with Igor Shesterkin tonight after using Jonathan Quick in last night's 3-1 victory over the Devils. With that being said, I'm locking in the under while it's still at a flat 6.0 goals. Shesterkin appears to have found his Vezina form, where he's 8-1-1 over his last 10 starts, posting a .948 SV%! As a whole, New York is switching into "playoff mode" considering they've seen six or fewer goals in eight of their last nine games. This should be another tight, low-scoring affair between two sound defensive teams.

On that note, these are two of the best defensive teams in the league. New York's fourth defensively, conceding only 2.50 goals per game. Carolina is right behind them at fifth, allowing only 2.56 goals per contest. The Canes have cleaned up their early defensive issues, and they're currently on a 5-1-0 run where they've surrendered an average of 2.3 goals per game. Let's play the under tonight in Raleigh.

Bet: Under 6.0 Total Goals (-125)

Arizona Coyotes (+162) at Minnesota Wild (-195) | O/U 6.5 (+100/-120)

The Coyotes play the middle leg of a three-game road trip tonight before they wrap up in Detroit on Thursday night. They'll take on the Wild (69 points), who are directly above them (57 points) in the Central Division. The two teams are sixth and seventh in the divisional standings. This contest is set for 8:00 p.m. ET from the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. 

While Arizona didn't make any significant moves at the deadline, it was apparent that they're essentially throwing in the towel on this season. They sent Matt Dumba to Tampa Bay and Jason Zucker to Nashville. I'm going to fade the Yotes tonight, and I'll do so in the prop market by locking in the Under 2.5 goals for their team total.

These two sides just faced off on March 7th, and Minnesota won 5-2 in Tempe. Now the Yotes hit the road, where they've struggled mightily this season, going just 10-18-5. Their offense is one of the worst in the league, sitting at 24th overall in scoring (2.9 GPG). Meanwhile, Minnesota's defense has been solid recently, allowing just 2.5 goals per game over their current 3-1-0 run. These two teams are trending in opposite directions, and I'll fade the downward-trending Coyotes tonight on the road. 

Bet: Coyotes Under 2.5 Total Team Goals (-108)

Colorado Avalanche (-178) at Calgary Flames (+150) | O/U 6.5 (-110/-110)

The Avalanche hit the road tonight as they open up a four-game road trip. The first stop is in Calgary, where they'll take on a Flames side that's sixth in the Pacific Division with 67 points. This Western Conference clash is set for 9:00 p.m. ET from the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. 

Like the Coyotes, it's very clear that the Flames have seen enough this season. Over the last month, they've sent away Elias Lindholm (Canucks), Chris Tanev (Stars), and Noah Hanifin (Golden Knights). Since Friday's deadline, Calgary's 0-2-0, getting out-scored 12-3! I don't see the team banding together and rebounding tonight against a red-hot Avs club. I'll lay the 1.5 goals with Colorado in this spot.

First off, Colorado has the offense to stretch this lead out and cover the puck line. They bring in the league's best offense, scoring 3.7 goals per contest. They're also seventh on the power play, cashing 24.45% of their man-advantage opportunities. The Avs have won five of their last six games, covering the puck line in four of those contests. They've out-scored their opposition 25-9 over the six-game sample size. Let's back the Avs to take care of this floundering Flames team. 

Bet: Avalanche -1.5 (+140)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Tuesday:

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