With the NHL season heating up, Monday's slate presents some great opportunities for bettors. We’ve analyzed trends, key injuries, and recent performances to bring you the best moneyline plays and player prop picks. Whether you’re backing a red-hot Lightning squad or counting on Alex Ovechkin to find the net, we’ve got you covered with actionable insights. Let’s dive in!
NHL Best Bet: Lightning ML at Panthers (+120, BetMGM)
The NHL slate tonight is not overly large, but we do have some pretty good matchups to watch and bet on. Probably the best of the slate is this contest between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, as the in-state rivals have both been great this season and playing very well as of late.
Tampa Bay has won eight straight games heading into this matchup after defeating the Washington Capitals 3-1 on Saturday, and have been extremely impressive during it. Brandon Hagel has stood out as a key cog in the Lightning attack, having scored in four straight games now, which makes me sad as a Blackhawks fan. Netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy has been his usual solid self, allowing just a single goal to a very good Caps team last time out, but he has had some issues with Florida in the past. They last played each other in December, where he allowed three goals in a 4-2 Panthers win.
Florida has been equally as impressive, having won four of their last five games and off a shutout 3-0 victory over the Calgary Flames. They have won three in a row, and doing so without one of their best players in Matthew Tkachuk, who is out with an injury. His absence obviously hurts the Panthers, and could loom large against a team as hot and good as the Lightning. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been incredible in the net, allowing just five goals over his last three starts and that shutout against Calgary in his last outing between the pipes. However, he also struggled the last time he faced Tampa Bay, a 4-0 loss back in December.
At +120, I like the value on Tampa Bay on the road, especially since Tkachuk is out. You could also take the under 5.5 or 6, whatever the best number you can get is. Two of their last three games have gone under 6 goals, and both netminders have been very good as of late.
NHL Best Bet: Islanders ML at Rangers (+102, BetMGM)
The Islanders are technically on the road, but I would hardly call it much of a trip, more like a quick drive across the bridge to Manhattan. Both of these teams are coming off wins in their last game, and both have been extremely disappointing considering preseason expectations.
The Rangers have won four of the last five meetings between the in-state rivals, including a 5-1 victory just last month on Feb. 25. They will be on the second game of a back-to-back, but they have historically still been successful in this spot, winning nine of their last 10 home games on the second leg of a back-to-back. Their defense has not been very good, allowing three or more goals in seven of their last nine games, but their offense has found their groove. They have also scored three or more in seven of their last 10. Netminder Igor Shesterkin is just 2-5 in his last seven starts, and has allowed 3+ goals in 6 of them.
The Islanders have won two in a row, but had previously lost three straight before that, and have had this kind of uneven play all season. Their penalty kill has been horrendous (31st in the NHL), and is one of their weakest spots. That has really hurt goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who has allowed a whopping 13 goals in three straight losses. He’s a great netminer, but his defense and penalty kill have made it really hard for him.
Given how up and down both of these teams are, I like getting the plus money on the Islanders here as a small dog. The over could be a decent play, as both offenses have been better as of late and both defenses have struggled.
Player Prop Pick: Alex Ovechkin Anytime Goaltender (+110, BetMGM)
I feel like I would be insane not to bet this with him playing at home, and his chase for the all-time goal record. I know how incredibly square it is, but it would be a huge story for the NHL for him to break it, and they need the publicity.
Ovechkin consistently generates high shot volumes, often getting at least three of them in every single game, sometimes getting 5+ when they really force things. Obviously, this increases his scoring chances, and he is averaging around a point per game anyway. Historically, he has been phenomenal against Ottawa, with 38 goals in 59 career games. In two matchups with them this season alone, he has scored a goal in each of them, including an OT winner in January. He’s been red-hot, scoring five goals in his last five games.
The Senators rank just 25th on the penalty kill, and Ovechkin really thrives on the power play, and leads the entire league with 318 career PP goals. He had a PP goal in another game these teams played in January, and sitting now just 10 goals behind Wayne Gretzky, you know he is going to be firing away.
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