NHL Odds, Picks, & Predictions: Thursday (4/3)
The 2024-25 NHL regular season is winding down, meaning many teams on the bubble are competing to lock up a Stanley Cup Playoff berth. Thursday night has nine matchups across the league, offering plenty of value on tonight’s NHL betting board.
Last week, I swept 2-0 with my NHL Best Bets. Dallas dominated Calgary 5-2 on the road to cash their -126 moneyline odds in a sweat-free tilt. Colorado shut out Los Angeles 4-0 at home to hit under 5.5 total goals at -105 odds.
I’ve got a pair of NHL best bets to tail on Thursday’s nine-game NHL slate. Each best bet is worth a one-unit wager. Let’s try to keep the momentum going on the ice tonight. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more NHL free bets and weekly analysis during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Thursday’s NHL Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay and Ottawa are trending in different directions right now. The Senators still have a five-point lead in the first Wild Card seed in the Eastern Conference, despite losing two straight games against Pittsburgh and Buffalo.
The Lightning have won four straight games, including their last outing on the road during a 4-1 rout of the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. Tampa Bay has been dominating opponents during its latest win streak, scoring six goals against the Penguins, shutting out Utah 8-0, proceeding to beat the Islanders 5-3 and 4-1.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has been confirmed in the crease for Tampa Bay against Ottawa. The Senators will deploy Linus Ullmark as their netminder. Vasilevskiy has been on fire, allowing two total goals across his last three starts, including a shutout against Utah. Conversely, Ullmark just gave up four goals in a 5-2 loss on home ice against the Sabres on Tuesday.
The Lightning are 2-0 against the Senators this season, winning both games comfortably on home ice. Yes, Ottawa is playing with more urgency based on standings, yet Tampa Bay’s offense and goaltending are both outperforming the Senators based on recent games.
Vasilevskiy beat the Senators 4-3 and 5-1 during their back-to-back in early February. He’s going to sweep Ottawa tonight on the road and do it in regulation. Let’s bet a unit on Tampa Bay’s 60 Minute Moneyline (3 Way) prop at +110 odds against the Senators.
Pick: Tampa Bay 60 Min Moneyline (3 Way) (+110)
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. St. Louis Blues
I’ve been riding the St. Louis Blues since their winning streak first started in mid-March. St. Louis has completely flipped its momentum and taken advantage of getting hot at the right time, surging into the top Wild Card seed in the Western Conference.
Ironically, the Blues’ last loss came against Pittsburgh on March 13th, losing 5-3 on the road. St. Louis has a chance to get revenge tonight against the Penguins on home ice. However, oddsmakers have juiced their moneyline to an expensive -230 odds.
Joel Hofer gets the start in net for St. Louis tonight. Hofer has been rock solid behind Jordan Binnington, entering tonight’s game with a 15-7 record as a starter this season, recording one shutout, along with a 2.62 GAA and .905 save percentage.
Hofer’s last start came a week ago during the Blues’ 3-2 comeback win on the road over Nashville. He’ll face Pittsburgh’s offense tonight, which has scored five total goals in its last three games played against Tampa Bay, Buffalo, and Ottawa.
We’ll lay a bit of juice and bet one more unit on the Penguins’ team total under 2.5 goals at -136 odds on the road against the Blues.
Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins Total Goals Under 2.5 (-136)
Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.