Skip to main content

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

Philip Wood

Last Updated: March 19, 2023 11:12 AM EDT • 3 min 7 sec read.

NHL best bets
NHL best bets

The NHL playoffs are fast approaching, and Sunday’s results will impact the standings immensely. Here are our best NHL bets for Sunday based on the top NHL odds.

There are seven NHL games Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m. with the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres desperately need a win against the NHL's best team to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The storyline is the same for many of the teams in action. One team is either safely in or out of the playoffs while their opponent is doing everything they can to get into contention with just a few weeks remaining in the regular season. 

Here are our best NHL picks for Sunday, March 19 (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Sunday’s NHL schedule and odds

  • Boston Bruins (-190) at Buffalo Sabres (+160)
  • Washington Capitals (+135) at Minnesota Wild (-155)
  • Columbus Blue Jackets (+270) at Vegas Golden Knights (-325)
  • Nashville Predators (+190) at New York Rangers (-225)
  • Winnipeg Jets (-135) at St. Louis Blues (+115)
  • New Jersey Devils (+110) at Tampa Bay Lightning (-130)
  • Vancouver Canucks (-135) at Anaheim Ducks (+115)

Sunday’s NHL best bets

  • Boston Bruins Over 3.5 vs. Buffalo Sabres (-135 via Draftings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Washington Capitals ML vs. Minnesota Wild (+135 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Elias Pettersson Over 1.5 vs. Anaheim Ducks (+110 via DraftKings)⭐⭐⭐
  • New York Rangers -1.5 vs. Nashville Predators (+115 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

Sunday’s NHL top picks

Boston Bruins Over 3.5 vs. Buffalo Sabres (-135 via Draftings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

You could consider taking the game Over for slightly better value, but it's not worth it because of the Bruins' defense and netminder Linus Ullmark's goalkeeping. Boston allows an NHL best 2.16 goals per game, and the Sabres are a hard team to decipher offensively.

But we love this matchup for the Bruins’ offense. The Sabres give up 3.63 goals per game, and allowed at least five goals in three of their last five. These teams met three times this season, and the Bruins only went above this total in one of those contests. They’re not playing their best hockey right now, but their offense should take advantage of a struggling Sabres' defense.

Washington Capitals ML vs. Minnesota Wild (+135 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

The Washington Capitals are barely clinging to their playoff life, and lost two of their last three on the road. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild can take another huge step toward securing a playoff berth with a win Sunday. The Wild are at home where they fell two in a row, but won five of their last seven. Additionally, they beat the Caps 4-2 in their only meeting this season. So why is the moneyline for the Wild so cheap?

It doesn’t make sense, which means this is the perfect spot to fade the public and side with oddsmakers. The Wild gave up a lot of goals lately. In their last three games, they allowed 15 total. The offensive-minded Capitals will take advantage of this struggling Minnesota defense and secure a narrow one-goal victory.

Elias Pettersson Over 1.5 vs. Anaheim Ducks (+110 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson had a point in seven consecutive games. During his current stretch, he recorded at least 2 points three times, including a two-assist performance against the Anaheim Ducks on March 8. His 86 points this season are an NHL 10th, and he has a favorable matchup with the Ducks Sunday.

The Ducks have the NHL's worst goals-against average. They allow 4.03 GPG, and gave up at least four in three consecutive. The Canucks will be better against this defense tonight than they were a week and a half ago. One thing is consistent, when the Canucks score, Pettersson usually has something to do with it.

New York Rangers -1.5 vs. Nashville Predators (+115 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

Just when it looked like the Nashville Predators were going to make a serious playoff push, they lost two in a row to the Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets. They now face a tough matchup against the Rangers, who have a +10 goal differential in their last three home games.

The Predators barely escaped with a win over the Anaheim Ducks in their last road contest, and are just 2-2 in their last four away from home. The New York Rangers are going to win this game, the question is just by how much. Of all the puck lines being offered Sunday, this is the one most likely to hit that's also worth its price.

NHL best bets made 3/19/2023 at 9:22 a.m. ET.

Here are our best NHL betting sites:

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

Related pages

Written By:
Philip Wood
Phil is a Sports Betting Analyst for Sportsbook Review and BettingPros.com, specializing in NFL and college football. He previously covered college football and college basketball for CanesInsight.com, where he also hosted the College Football Pick 'Em podcast. Phil is always looking for value, especially on lines that just seem too good to be true. His belief is if a line doesn't make sense, just assume that Vegas knows something you don't. An alumnus of The U, Phil always holds out hope that the next head coach will be the one who turns the football program around. Some would call him a frontrunner for his love of the Yankees and the Celtics, but he's also a diehard Detroit Lions fan and will never forgive the refs for the blown pass interference call against the Cowboys in 2015.