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

It’s a busy night in the NHL, with 13 games on Saturday’s docket. Here’s a look at our best bets based on the odds.

There are a number of marquee matchups and storylines for bettors and fans alike on Saturday. The Dallas Stars visit the Carolina Hurricanes in a bout between Stanley Cup hopefuls, and the New Jersey Devils will look to snap a four-game losing streak against the visiting Florida Panthers.

Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin is chasing down history on Saturday too, as his next goal will tie him with Gordie Howe’s 801 and leave him just 94 shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

The Caps are hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Toronto winger Mitch Marner will look to return to the scoresheet after his team-record 23-game point streak ended during Thursday’s loss to the New York Rangers.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg in what’s set to be an action-packed Saturday in the NHL.

Here are our best bets for Friday’s NHL slate (odds via Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, and PointsBet; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our NHL best bets.

Saturday’s NHL Schedule and Odds

(odds via DraftKings)

• Columbus Blue Jackets (+320) vs. Boston Bruins (-390)
• Ottawa Senators (-105) vs. Detroit Red Wings (-115)
• Anaheim Ducks (+260) vs. Edmonton Oilers (-315)
• Toronto Maple Leafs (-150) vs. Washington Capitals (+130)
• Tampa Bay Lightning (-245) vs. Montreal Canadiens (+205)
• New York Rangers (-180) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (+155)
• Dallas Stars (+120) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (-140)
• Florida Panthers (+120) vs. New Jersey Devils (-140)
• Buffalo Sabres (-165) vs. Arizona Coyotes (+140)
• Nashville Predators (+145) vs. Colorado Avalanche (-170)
• New York Islanders(+150) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (-175)
• Winnipeg Jets (-110) vs. Vancouver Canucks (-110)
• San Jose Sharks (+140) vs. Los Angeles Kings (-165)

Saturday’s NHL Best Bets

• Spread: Sabres -1.5 (+155 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
• Regulation bet: Rangers (-106 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Upset Parlay: Islanders + Predators (+512 via DraftKings) ⭐
• Prop bet: Anders Lee Over 0.5 goals (+255 via Caesars) ⭐⭐

NHL Top Picks for Saturday

Spread: Sabres -1.5 (+155) ⭐⭐⭐

With Arizona playing the second leg of a back-to-back set, I’m confident in Buffalo producing a strong offensive showing and covering. The high-scoring Sabres boast the second-highest power-play percentage, and the Coyotes have taken the second-most minor penalties at five-on-five.

Additionally, Arizona will be rolling out backup goaltender Connor Ingram, and he’s been struggling to the tune of an .866 save percentage and 4.57 goals-against average across his eight starts. It’s a huge downgrade for the Coyotes, as No. 1 goalie Karel Vejmelka boasts .911 and 3.11 marks.

Add in the Sabres ranking 22 spots higher in Corsi For percentage when adjusted for score and venue than the Coyotes, and all that’s left is making sure to grab the best number available.

Regulation bet: Rangers (-106)⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Rangers are rolling along during a five-game winning streak, and reigning Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin has found his form along the way with a .933 save percentage and 1.96 GAA. 

With New York icing a healthy lineup, the Flyers are an inferior opponent.

Philadelphia ranks seventh-lowest in Corsi For percentage (45.6) and sixth-lowest in expected goals percentage (44.8) at five-on-five when adjusted for score and venue, whereas New York is on the positive side of both metrics. The Blueshirts are also superior in both special-teams percentages.

FanDuel's odds are generous, and I’d book this line at New York -130.

Upset Parlay: Islanders + Predators (+512) ⭐

If we're chasing down upsets, why not try to pull off some Pavel Datsyuk magic with a two-leg parlay at long odds?

I’m eyeing two slumping road teams facing off against injury-riddled opponents.

The Colorado Avalanche are 2-2-1 since No. 1 center Nathan MacKinnon went down with an upper-body injury, and they were already struggling along a 2-4 stretch before losing their star. Meanwhile, the Predators have dropped five consecutive games and are in danger of falling out of the playoff race entirely without a change of fortune.

Nashville’s five-on-five metrics are way down during the slump, so I’m expecting a statistical correction. Additionally, No. 1 goaltender Juuse Saros appears to be finding his form with a .954 save percentage across his past two outings. 

With New York losing to Arizona on Friday, the Isles have now dropped three straight and are on an active 2-5-1 skid. They should tidy up their game and break the slump against the Golden Knights on Saturday. There's plenty of off-ice motivation to be victorious in Vegas, after all.

While Vegas could receive a boost if center Jack Eichel (lower body) is able to return to the lineup, the Golden Knights will still be without key defensemen Alex Pietrangelo (personal), Shea Theodore (leg), and Zach Whitecloud (lower body).

Prop bet: Anders Lee Over 0.5 goals (+255) ⭐⭐

Despite ranking fourth in individual-expected goals across the entire league through the past 17 games, Lee has only found the back of the net once.

That’s beyond poor puck luck, and positive regression is ahead.

He’s registered 81 shot attempts during the slump, including 47 of the high-danger variety. The six-time 20-goal scorer remains a staple in all top-offensive situations for the Islanders. Additionally, Lee’s 10.0 shooting percentage is considerably lower than the 16.7 mark he posted across the past two seasons. 

The Golden Knights are missing key blueliners, and they also sport the ninth-worst penalty-kill percentage. It might take a puck deflecting off Lee’s shin pad, but you can bet he’ll take it, and so will we.

Where to Bet on NHL Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

• FanDuel: Get a $1,000 No-Sweat First Bet Offer | Read our FanDuel Review
• Caesars: Earn a First Bet Offer of Up to $1,250 | Read our Caesars Review
• DraftKings: Get a 20% Deposit Match up to $1,000 | Read our DraftKings Review
• PointsBet: Earn Five First Bet Offer of Up to $100 Each | Read our PointsBet Review
• BetMGM: Get a First Bet Offer of Up to $1,000 | Read our BetMGM Review

* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related Pages

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NHL Best Bets picks made 12/17/2022 at 11:30 a.m. ET.