Skip to main content

NHL Odds & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Tuesday

Scott Cullen

Last Updated: March 14, 2023 3:22 PM EDT • 5 min 8 sec read.

NHL best bets
NHL best bets

There are a dozen games on Tuesday's National Hockey League schedule, with matchups crossing the spectrum from contenders going head-to-head as well as lottery teams focused on the best possible draft pick. Read on for our NHL best bets for Tuesday based on the best NHL odds.

The surging New Jersey Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning in the most compelling matchup of the night. 

The Devils have won three straight games and are on a 9-2-1 run overall that has them tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Metropolitan Division. Both teams have 94 points, though New Jersey has played one more game.

The Devils catch the Lightning in a rare funk. Tampa has just four wins in its past 14 games, and each of those victories has come against teams that are well out of the playoff picture.

The Lightning appear destined for a first-round playoff matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs, so maybe they aren't super motivated right now, but a game against the ascending Devils should capture their interest. And it's worth noting that these teams are going to be seeing a lot of each other: They meet three times in a six-day span beginning Tuesday.

Here are our best NHL picks for Tuesday (odds via , , , , and ; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our NHL picks.  

Tuesday’s NHL schedule and odds

(odds via FanDuel)

  • Winnipeg Jets (+184) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (-225)
  • Tampa Bay Lightning (+114) vs. New Jersey Devils (-137)
  • Montreal Canadiens (+285) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-365)
  • Vegas Golden Knights (-192) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (+158)
  • Washington Capitals (+140) vs. New York Rangers (-170)
  • Detroit Red Wings (+126) vs. Nashville Predators (-152)
  • Boston Bruins (-450) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (+340)
  • Ottawa Senators (+172) vs. Edmonton Oilers (-210)
  • Dallas Stars (-150) vs. Vancouver Canucks (+125)
  • Calgary Flames (-255) vs. Arizona Coyotes (+205)
  • New York Islanders (+115) vs. Los Angeles Kings (-138)
  • Columbus Blue Jackets (+118) vs. San Jose Sharks (-142)

Tuesday’s NHL best bets

  • Moneyline: Oilers 60-minute ML (-130 via DraftKings) vs. Senators ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Spread: Penguins -1.5 (-150 via DraftKings) vs. Canadiens  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Upset: Canucks ML (+130 via PointsBet) vs. Stars ⭐⭐⭐
  • Prop: Tomas Hertl anytime goal (+205 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tuesday’s NHL top picks

Moneyline: Oilers 60-minute ML (-130 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

At this time of year, desperation is not enough for an NHL team to win games – especially when its opponent needs points, as well.

The Senators enter Tuesday six points out of the second wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference – and while they do have two games in hand on the New York Islanders, they can't afford to leave points on the table.

Ottawa ranks second in the league with 54 goals during five-on-four play, but has gone six straight games without recording a power play goal – and that could be the Senators' undoing against Edmonton.

The Oilers have a league-leading 67 goals during five-on-four play, including 10 in the past 10 games. Whatever inconsistency exists in the Oilers' game, their power play is tried and true. 

The Oilers hold the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference but are still trying to secure one of the top three spots in the Pacific Division (and sit just one point behind third-place Seattle), so they have plenty of incentive going into this matchup.

With the Oilers priced at -210 for an outright win, I'm taking the juice down to a more reasonable level via the regulation victory. the Oilers haven't won a game beyond 60 minutes since Nov. 28; they do, however, have 34 regulation wins, and only Boston has more.

DraftKings has the best price for an Oilers 60-minute moneyline win, holding a clear edge over the rest of our best sportsbooks, which range from -143 to -150. 

Check out our latest Stanley Cup odds!

Spread: Penguins -1.5 (-150 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Penguins continue to roll in their quest to secure a playoff spot.

Pittsburgh is a sizzling 7-1-1 in its past nine games and has climbed into the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 78 points in 66 games, two clear of the Islanders.

While the Penguins have shown signs of life, this is more about picking against the Canadiens, who are staring at a schedule loss under tough circumstances.

Montreal is already fading, winless in its past seven contests. The Canadiens have a lineup depleted by injuries and just lost 8-4 at the Bell Centre against Colorado on Monday night. 

Going into Pittsburgh for the second game of a back-to-back – and kicking off a stretch of six road games in an eight-game span in the process – is a daunting task for the Habs. That's especially true against a Penguins team that is driving play, capturing 54.5% of score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals during five-on-five play since the All-Star break. 

DraftKings and Caesars are offering the Penguins on the puck line -1.5 at -150, a slight edge over FanDuel (-154) and PointsBet (-155). BetMGM has opted for a 2.5-goal spread, at +105 for the Penguins and -128 for the Canadiens. Only in the rarest of circumstances would I consider a 2.5-goal spread – and this is not one of those times.

Check out our latest Norris Trophy odds!

Upset: Canucks ML (+130 via PointsBet) ⭐⭐⭐

Goaltending stability is leading to better results in Vancouver.

The Canucks have two regulation losses in their past 10 games, and those losses were against strong opponents in Boston and Minnesota. After dealing with goaltending problems for most of the season, Vancouver ranks fifth with a .918 save percentage in its past 10 games.

Vancouver's underlying numbers are more encouraging, too. Since Rick Tocchet took over behind the bench, the Canucks are controlling just over 50.0% of five-on-five expected goals. That's entirely mediocre, ranking 17th in that span, but it's a lot better than the 46.2% they were getting under Bruce Boudreau. 

The Canucks face a Stars team that has won six of its past seven games, including a 5-2 triumph Monday at Seattle, and leads the Central Division. I still like the rested and improving Canucks to upset the Stars on the second game of a back-to-back. 

PointsBet is hanging the best number on the board for the Canucks moneyline, ahead of FanDuel (+125), Caesars (+122) and DraftKings (+120). BetMGM is lagging behind at +115.

Check out our latest Vezina Trophy odds!

Prop: Tomas Hertl anytime goal (+205 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sharks center Tomas Hertl has finally started taking his own advice.

A two-time 30-goal scorer, Hertl has just 19 goals in 64 games this season but is starting to show signs of returning to form. Hertl has four goals in six March games after scoring just two total goals across 22 games in January and February.

A greater willingness to shoot is clearly at the core here; he has 23 shots on goal already this month after recording just 13 shots in nine February games.

Hertl told reporters during his February slump: "Sometimes, I have to just shoot more like I did last year." And now, he is.

Hertl gets a favorable matchup Tuesday against the Blue Jackets. Columbus ranks 30th with a 3.71 goals-against average on the road, and that includes 10 games from the since-traded Joonas Korpisalo, who had a respectable 2.59 GAA away from Nationwide Arena. 

My price for a Hertl anytime goal is +160, with the incentive here to catch the newly shot-happy Hertl against a Blue Jackets team that is among the worst defensive squads in the league.

FanDuel has the best number for a Hertl goal, which represents huge value relative to the rest of our best sportsbooks. Caesars is next closest, at +170, while DraftKings, BetMGM, and PointsBet are all at +150.

NHL best bets made 3/14/2023 at 1 p.m. ET.

Here are our best sportsbooks:

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related pages

Written By:
Scott Cullen
Scott Cullen is 520ccc.com's Sports Betting Analyst and is one of the most well-known sports betting writers on the web. He wrote about fantasy sports for TSN for many years, and he has also written for The Athletic, NHL.com, The Hockey News, Monkey Knife Fight, and McKeen's Hockey. Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Cullen was an Economics major at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and played for the Laurier Golden Hawks hockey team.