NHL Best Bets For 3/2/23: Expert Betting Picks For Tonight’s Games

Get NHL best bets and our expert predictions for tonight’s NHL slate of games on (3/2/23) Find four best bets for the NHL games tonight.

NHL Best Bets (3/2/23)

There are several games tonight on the NHL slate and you can find four of our NHL best bets below.

Toronto Maple Leafs Vs. Calgary Flames Best Bet

Toronto faced the wrath of Connor McDavid last night and will continue their west coast trip against the Flames tonight. Calgary continues to have some advanced stats that point towards regression but we have yet to see it come to fruition this season. They are now 3-4-3 in their last ten games and home ice hasn’t been a huge edge for them. Jacob Markstrom is projected in net tonight and has a 2.96 GAA this season. Markstrom is an even 15-15 on the year with a .887 Save%. For someone who you didn’t want to face last season, that is quite different this year. 

The Leafs offense should show up, as they are third in the league in xGF and have generated the second most scoring chances this season. Now the Flames are not far behind in a lot of categories but it has been a disappointing year and recent form isn’t showing a case for things to change. Calgary also has given up the 6th most PP opportunities and Toronto boassts the 5th best PP% this season. This is strong value for a team, even with the back-to-back.

Best Bet: Maple Leafs ML
Author: Jason Guilbault

Ottawa Senators Vs. New York Rangers Best Bet

We won’t get Patrick Kane just yet but the Rangers offense has been humming. Since February, the Rangers are averaging 3.83 goals per game and the PP has been in form. Ottawa is a team on the rise but the schedule has really aided their recent success. Being able to attack Montreal three times, Chicago, St. Louis, and the Red Wings twice has given them a boost in terms of playoff chances. This will certainly be a tight game but the Rangers are the better side here. 

Jaroslav Halak has a 2.72 GAA this season and .902 Save%. While the preference would be for Igor to be in net, his game hasn’t been as stout as usual of late. Over the course of the month, there isn’t a huge drop off going to Halak. Back on home ice, the Rangers should take care of business, where Ottawa tends to play their best hockey at home.

Best Bet: Rangers 60-Min ML
Author: Jason Guilbault

Seattle Kraken Vs. Detroit Red Wings Best Bet

I give the Seattle Kraken a lot of credit for going from last year’s Pacific Division cellar dweller to a legitimate postseason threat. This is mainly due to a dynamic offense that ranks sixth in the league right now with 3.44 goals per game. Jared McCann currently leads the team with 27 goals, last lighting the lamp Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues in a 5-3 win. The team’s goaltending is its major weakness, though, with Martin Jones and Philip Grubauer both sub-.900 in terms of save percentage this year. 

Detroit hasn’t exactly been a brick wall in terms of goaltending either though, allowing six goals per game in back to back showdowns with the Ottawa Senators. Tonight’s projected goaltender Ville Husso currently has a .904 save percentage and a 2.90 GAA on the season. The Detroit offense has been especially cold lately, scoring just three total goals in the last three games. Leading scorer Dylan Larkin (22 goals) has been solid this season, but hasn’t recorded a goal in his last five games. I’m going to sweat with some subpar goaltending and go with the superior offense as I’m expecting the Seattle Kraken to get the win tonight.

Best Bet: Kraken ML
Author: Anthony Elio

Nashville Predators Vs. Florida Panthers Best Bet

After winning the President’s Trophy last season, the Florida Panthers have been quite a disappointment this year. The team is three points out of a Wild Card spot, and will need to go on a big run in a competitive Eastern Conference for any chance at the postseason. That being said, I’m liking what I’m seeing from them as of late. The 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning was a big surprise, with Sergei Bobrovsky looking solid in goal with a .966 save percentage. Bobrovsky looks to be in goal tonight, and will hope to build on a solid February in which he went 6-3 with a .925 SV% and 2.33 GAA.

The Nashville Predators are also hoping for a return to the postseason, but that’s going to be easier said than done in an increasingly tight Central Division. The Preds have been inconsistent overall this year, going 4-4 in their last eight games including losses to bottom-tier teams like the Vancouver Canucks and Arizona Coyotes. If Nashville wants another run at the playoffs, the team will need to get more out of an offense that ranks 24th in the league with 2.96 goals per game. Although this might be a tight matchup between two playoff-hungry squads, I’m going with the Florida Panthers, who are on a 7-3 run on home ice.

Best Bet: Panthers ML
Author: Anthony Elio