Welcome to Thursday on the NHL Best Bets and boy am I glad to be back in the saddle after what went down on Tuesday. Haven't taking a L that large since before Christmas but I suppose these things happen over the course of a 7 month regular season. I am not deterred one bit as we head into today's slate that features a full slate of 11 games around the NHL! 

In today's article you will find a Money Line, a pair of game totals and of course the Dog of the Day returns to the lineup! I have also added some wagers to the card for your consideration, although I do not love them as much as the 3 featured bets they have some very good value. 

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Now, let's dive into today's expert NHL Best Bets!

  • Season Record: 100-83-3
  • Bankroll: +10.21 units
  • Dog of the Day Record: 11-12 (+2.85 Units)

Follow me on twitter @jwaggs10

**All bets are one unit unless specifically mentioned.

*Editor’s Note: Bet on any of these NHL best bets today at BetMGM Sportsbook and claim a “Bet $5, Get $150" bonus when you click here.

 

NHL Best Bets Today, February 22

Washington Capitals at Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction

For some of their faults this season the Lightning can still defend the home barn this NHL season and they look primed to do that again tonight! The Capitals are coming to town losers of 7 in the last 10 games and they are basically taking a knee on the season until they hit the trade deadline in a couple of weeks. 

Over the past 45 days Washington has scored 2.4 goals per game on the road while allowing 3.5 goals and have lost 6 of their last 8 road games as well. Alex Ovechkin is starting to heat up finally but even that hasn't been able to save the Caps in the past month and change. On the Lightning side they are scoring a massive 4.6 goals per game at home in the past 45 days and that's driven by the league leader in points Nikita Kucherov of course. 

The Money Line is too chalky for tonight though, and while the Lightning are 16-12 ATS at home this season I would rather middle the bet and take the Lightning to just win in regulation tonight on the 60-minute Money Line. 

Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning 60-Minute Money Line (-120 on BetMGM)

 

Dallas Stars at Ottawa Senators Prediction

It seems like every time the Stars or Senators are on the slate, I am looking at the over on the game total but tonight we have them going head-to-head and that's an absolute smash spot. The Stars have now gone over at a record of 36-21 on the season, the highest rate for an NHL team this season and the Senators at home aren't far behind hitting the over at 18-9-1. 

This one should be a shootout by all tangible metrics and even more recently the numbers will push the bet towards topping the total. The Stars have scored 3.6 goals per game on the road over the past 45 days and on the home side of the split the Senators have scored 3.6 goals per game as well. 

The Senators are also allowing 3.9 goals per game at home during that same time period so it would take a statistical anomaly to ruin this wager at this point. Ride the over at 6.5 goals before it moves up, I would wager it closes at 7 so jump in right now! 

Pick: Stars vs. Senators Over 6.5 Goals (-135 on BetMGM)

 

Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes Prediction

We have the big over circled on the slate, but what about an under that is just sticking out? This matchup between the Panthers and Hurricanes is an interesting one to me and not just because its a prime real life hockey game but because of how good the defenses have been for each team of late. 

The Panthers on the road over the past 45 days have given up just 1.4 goals per game, the best in the NHL during that time period and while the Hurricanes offense is better than that of an average team Florida has held their ground against some of the league's best. On the Carolina side they are allowing 2.6 goals per game at home during that same time span so the under bet is starting to take shape. 

Due to these stats the Panthers have gone under the total in 20 of 29 road games this season, the highest hit rate for unders this season and the Canes are 14-14 towards the under at home. Add it all up and seeing that the books made the total an even 6, I think they expect a lower scoring game and I do too!

Pick: Panthers vs. Hurricanes Under 6 Goals (+100 on DraftKings)

Additional Bets to Consider

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Expert NHL Picks: Dog of the Day

 

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