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

Scott Cullen

Last Updated: March 7, 2023 12:42 PM EST • 4 min 2 sec read.

NHL best bets
NHL best bets

It's a busy night on the ice Tuesday, with ten games in the National Hockey League. Read on for our NHL best bets for Tuesday based on the best NHL odds.

The Buffalo Sabres last appeared in the playoffs in the 2010-2011 season, so it has been a long time since they have played meaningful hockey in March. 

Coming off a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, the Sabres have another big matchup on Tuesday when they visit the New York Islanders.

The Sabres are four points behind the Islanders, who occupy the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot – but Buffalo has played three fewer games. That makes this head-to-head matchup crucial for both teams.

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 DraftKings)

  • Carolina Hurricanes (-325) vs. Montreal Canadiens (+270)
  • Toronto Maple Leafs (+110) vs. New Jersey Devils (-130)
  • Columbus Blue Jackets (+250) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-300)
  • Philadelphia Flyers (+240) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (-285)
  • Vegas Golden Knights (+125) vs. Florida Panthers (-145)
  • Buffalo Sabres (+140) vs. New York Islanders (-165)
  • Calgary Flames (+120) vs. Minnesota Wild (-140)
  • San Jose Sharks (+275) vs. Colorado Avalanche (-330)
  • St. Louis Blues (-140) vs. Arizona Coyotes (+120)
  • Anaheim Ducks (+250) vs. Seattle Kraken (-300)

Tuesday’s NHL best bets

  • Moneyline: Panthers (-145 via DraftKings) vs. Golden Knights ⭐⭐⭐
  • Spread: Avalanche -1.5 (-133 via BetMGM) vs. Sharks  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Total: Sabres-Islanders Under 6.5 (-115 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Prop: Eeli Tolvanen anytime goal (+240 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tuesday’s NHL top picks

Moneyline: Panthers (-145 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

It's now or never for the Panthers if they are going to make a push for the postseason.

The Panthers are one of four East teams with 68 points, and all four are chasing the Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins, who hold wild card spots with 72 and 71 points, respectively.

Florida has the profile of a legitimate playoff team, at least at even strength, as the Panthers are plus-20 when it comes to five-on-five goal differential.

Although the Golden Knights have just one regulation loss in their past 12 games (9-1-2), eight of those have been at home. They have just three victories in their previous 11 games away from T-Mobile Arena.

That opens the door for a desperate Panthers team. This is a three-star pick, though, because the Golden Knights are a higher quality opponent that is certainly capable of earning the road win.

DraftKings has the best moneyline price for the Panthers, at -145, which is a little better than BetMGM (-149). The rest of our best sportsbooks range between -155 and -160.

Check out our latest Stanley Cup odds!

Spread: Avalanche -1.5 (-133 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Avalanche are in prime position to crush the Sharks on Tuesday despite dropping three straight games.

For one thing, San Jose is making the trip to Colorado after a 3-2 overtime victory at Winnipeg on Monday night. The Sharks are just 3-8 SU on the tail end of a back-to-back, making this matchup against a rested Avalanche team look like a mismatch from the drop of the puck.

San Jose also has a dismal 3-8-1 record over the past four weeks, with seven of those nine losses coming by a margin of more than one goal.

The Sharks have scored on just 7.2% of their shots in those 12 games, which ranks 31st, and have traded leading goal-scorer Timo Meier to New Jersey. That is going to make it difficult to keep up with a Colorado team that is 14-4-3 in its past 21 games, with 10 of those wins coming by a margin of more than one goal.

BetMGM has the best puck line number for the Avalanche at -133, just ahead of DraftKings at -135. Caesars and PointsBet have the Avs at -140, with FanDuel lagging behind at -142. 

Check out our latest Norris Trophy odds!

Total: Sabres-Islanders Under 6.5 (-115 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

With the Sabres on the road, playing the second game of a back-to-back (a situation in which they're just 3-6-1 this season), the Islanders can dictate the style of play.

New York has a 2.33 goals-against average at UBS Arena – the second-best number on home ice, behind only the Boston Bruins. That is paired with the Isles scoring 2.91 goals per 60 minutes at home, which ranks 23rd.

The Isles have gone six straight games with a total of six goals or fewer, and look like a strong play to extend that streak against the Sabres.

Both BetMGM and PointsBet have the total at 6.5 with the Under at -115. DraftKings is at -120 and FanDuel at -122 while Caesars is at -130. 

Check out our latest Vezina Trophy odds!

Prop: Eeli Tolvanen anytime goal (+240 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Small samples can create opportunities to find value with greater variance in the marketplace – even when the player in question is struggling.

Tolvanen has 10 goals in 29 games for the Kraken, including four in 10 home games. He has averaged more than 15 minutes of ice time per game over the past two months, taking a regular spot in the top nine as well as on the second power play unit.

These credentials are good enough for me to overlook the fact that Tolvanen has just two goals in his past 14 games, while registering just 11 shots on goal over his past seven (with five of those coming in his previous game vs. the Avalanche).

The Kraken take on a Ducks team that is easily one of the worst defensive units in hockey. Anaheim has the highest rates of shots against, expected goals against, and goals against, and is . They are a prime target as opposition for an anytime goal scorer. 

My price for a Tolvanen goal against the Ducks is +160, which makes FanDuel's +240 number an absolute steal. Caesars (+215) is the only major sportsbook to come close.

NHL best bets made 3/7/2023 at 12:45 p.m. ET.

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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.