This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
Wow, what a slate we have here tonight folks. Just 3 matchups but boy are they all so very spicy! All 3 are interdivisional bouts and all have playoff-seeding implications. This should be one of the most entertaining nights left on the regular season slate, so here are your 3 best NHL bets for tonight!
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Top Three NHL Bets Tonight
Panthers vs Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs know with near certainty that they'll play the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs. The Panthers are still fighting for a playoff spot, and come into tonight's game 3 points back of the Penguins for the second Wild Card slot. They're on a 4-game losing streak too, so they need this one badly. The question will be: how badly will the Leafs want it? They seemed to want it bad enough last Thursday as they took down the Cats 6-2 in their own building. The Leafs won the only other matchup between the two clubs too with a 5-4 win back on January 17. The Leafs are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games against the Panthers overall though, so if history holds up, the Panthers have a good chance to take at least 1 of the 2 games they'll play against Toronto in the coming week. Despite the downswing over their past 4 games, Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk are still playing at elite levels and can match up against the big guns like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on the other bench. I think they keep it close by sheer will alone.
Panthers ML -175
Islanders vs Capitals
Which Islanders team will show up tonight? If it's the one that has wins over the Kings, Maple Leafs, and Devils in recent memory, the Caps are in for a rough night. But if it's the same team that the Caps handed a 4-1 loss to at UBS Arena on March 11, then Alex Ovechkin and his squad will earn 2 major points in their last-ditch effort to sneak into the playoffs. The Islanders need to win this one to strengthen their hold on the first Wild Card spot in the East, so this one will be a playoff atmosphere in DC. The Caps have won both games against the Isles this season too. They've struggled at home down the stretch though posting just a 3-5-2 record over their last 10 home games. I think the Islanders keep up their momentum from their big win in New Jersey on Monday.
Islanders ML -110
Wild vs Avalanche
If the Wild win tonight, they keep their spot at the top of the Central Division. If the Avalanche win, they'll take that top spot. Both teams are on fire right now. The Wild are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games, and are 4-0-1 in their last 5 games with their last regulation loss coming to the Bruins on March 18. They're doing all of this without superstar Kirill Kaprizov, and youngster Matt Boldy has stepped up with 9 points in his last 5 games. The Avs have the best record in the NHL over the last 10 games, posting a 9-1 mark and winning 3 straight. There's not much discrepancy between these two teams right now, but I'm giving the edge to the Avs at home. Any team will need all their best stars in action to match up with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar on any given night, and I think those stalwarts are too much on home ice in this one.
Avalanche ML -155
Happy hunting y'all!
