As we head down the stretch of the NHL regular season, playoff pressure is on full blast. Although the playoff teams in the Eastern Conference are set, the seedings are not. Higher seeds mean home ice with the NHL betting odds. And the value of home ice may be debated, but teams will tell you they want to play at home in a must-win situation. In the Western Conference, the race is much more fluid. Consider that 13 teams are in or within range.
NHL Best Bets
This week more attention will return to the NHL as March Madness is down to 16 teams. On the whole, we have an outstanding lineup of national TV action with playoff implications.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres
| Date and Time: | Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 5:30 PM |
|---|---|
| Location: | KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY. |
| TV Coverage: | TNT |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penguins | -1½ (+115) | 6 (-110) | -220 |  |
| Sabres | +1½ (-135) | 6 (-110) | +180 | |
| ||||
Pittsburgh has an online betting record of 38-16-9 with 30-30 over and under. Specifically, on the road, the Penguins are 21-7-4. The Penguins rank 13th for goal scoring and 4th for goals allowed. Pittsburgh has paid in seven of its last ten games. Only two of their most recent ten tilts went over the total.
Overall, Buffalo is 21-33-8 and 28-29 under the total. The Sabres are 11-16-4 on the road. Buffalo ranks 27th in the NHL for goal scoring and 26th for goals allowed. The Sabres are in a good stretch with five wins in their last eight games,
SBG Best Bet: Buffalo Sabres.
Dallas Stars vs. Carolina Hurricanes
| Date and Time: | Thursday, March 24, 2022, 7 PM |
|---|---|
| Location: | PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC. |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN |
| Betting Online Odds at SBG: | Click Here |
To summarize, Dallas is 33-24-3 with 26-32 under the total. The Stars are 13-16-2 on the road. Dallas ranks 19th for goal scoring and 15th for goals against. Late on, the Stars have slumped to one payout in their most recent five games.
First place in the Metropolitan Division belongs to 41-14-6 Carolina. The Hurricanes are 25-32 under the total and 23-4-3 on home ice. Carolina ranks 9th in the NHL for goal scoring and 1st for goals allowed. However, the Canes have lost three of their most recent four outings. Just one of their last eight cleared the total.
SBG Best Bet: Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights
| Date and Time: | Saturday, March 26, 2022, 3 PM |
|---|---|
| Location: | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV. |
| TV Coverage: | ABC |
| Betting Online Odds at SBG: | Click Here |
Chicago has an NHL betting record of 22-31-9 with 29-27 over the total. Specifically, on the road, the Blackhawks are 11-16-4. Correlate the Blackhawks rank 28th for goal scoring and 24th for goals allowed. Chicago has dropped five of its last seven games. Six of their most recent eight games cleared the total.
Vegas is fighting for its playoff life at 34-26-4 and 35-26 over the total. Vegas ranks 14th for goal scoring and 17th for goals against. Late on, the Golden Knights have lost five of their most recent seven games. Five of their last six cleared the total
SBG Best Bet: Chicago Blackhawks.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Islanders
| Date and Time: | Sunday, March 27, 2022, 3 PM. |
|---|---|
| Location: | UBS Arena, |
| TV Coverage: | TNT |
| Betting Online Odds at SBG: | Click Here |
Of major concern is that Tampa Bay has lost four of its most recent six games. The Lightning has slipped to 12th for goals against. Counter to that is an Islanders team with five wins in their most recent six games. Of course, this is a case of too little too late for a New York playoff spot.
SBG Best Bet: New York Islanders.