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Today’s NHL schedule and best bets for Thursday: Odds, Picks.

Scott Cullen

Updated as of March 9, 2026 at 1:12 PM EST. Read time: 4 minutes and 13 seconds. Links to Twitter and Google News provided.

NHL best bets
NHL best bets

Thursday night in the National Hockey League is packed with action as multiple Eastern Conference teams on the playoff bubble battle it out on the ice. Keep reading for our top picks for Thursday’s NHL games based on the most favorable odds.

Thursday’s schedule includes several exciting matchups, such as the Edmonton Oilers facing off against the Boston Bruins and the Vegas Golden Knights taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Additionally, there are numerous games featuring teams vying for wild card playoff spots.

The Penguins in Pittsburgh will face off against the New York Islanders, both vying for a playoff spot in the East as they begin their positional jockeying.

The Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, and Washington Capitals are all trailing the Penguins by five points and are facing tough opponents. A victory for any of these teams would greatly improve their chances of making the playoffs.

Check out our top NHL selections for Thursday, ranked by confidence on a 1-5 star scale, with odds provided by DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM, and PointsBet.

Take a look at our NHL selections.

The NHL schedule and betting odds for Thursday.

(odds via Caesars)

  • Washington Capitals (+115) will face off against the New Jersey Devils (-135)
  • Dallas Stars are favored to win with odds of -170 while Buffalo Sabres are the underdogs with odds of +143.
  • Philadelphia Flyers are the underdogs with odds of +328, while Carolina Hurricanes are the favorites with odds of -430.
  • Pittsburgh Penguins are the favorites to win against New York Islanders with odds of -145, while the Islanders are the underdogs with odds of +122.
  • Vegas Golden Knights are the underdogs with odds of +143 while Tampa Bay Lightning are the favorites with odds of -170.
  • The New York Rangers are favored at -292 while the Montreal Canadiens are underdogs at +235.
  • Edmonton Oilers are the underdogs with +140 odds, while Boston Bruins are the favorites with -165 odds.
  • The San Jose Sharks are the underdogs with odds of +122, while the St. Louis Blues are the favorites with odds of -145.
  • Los Angeles Kings are the underdogs at +135, while the Colorado Avalanche are the favorites at -160.
  • Nashville Predators are favored to win the game against the Arizona Coyotes with odds of -170, while the Coyotes are the underdogs with odds of +143.
  • Seattle Kraken are the favorites with -130 odds to win against Ottawa Senators who are the underdogs at +110.

Thursday’s NHL best bets

  • Moneyline: Kraken are favored to win against the Senators with a -130 odds via Caesars, rated with four stars.
  • Pick: Hurricanes -1.5 with odds of -155 from DraftKings, rated 4 stars against the Flyers.
  • Total points scored in the Golden Knights-Lightning game is over 6 with odds of -115 from Caesars, rated 3 stars.
  • Prop bet: Jack Quinn to score a goal at any time with odds of +330 on FanDuel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thursday’s NHL top picks

Moneyline: Kraken are favored to win with odds of -130 according to Caesars sportsbook. This is a four-star rating.

The Senators, who are fighting hard for a playoff spot, may be desperate, but their desperation won’t be enough to overcome Seattle’s strong offense.

The Kraken have won five consecutive games and are ranked fifth in the NHL with an average of 3.49 goals per 60 minutes. While they may not have many star players, their team balance is notable: Led by Jared McCann and his 31 goals, Seattle boasts 13 players with double-digit goal tallies, compared to Ottawa’s seven.

After an impressive five-game winning streak where they outscored opponents 27-10, the Senators suffered a humbling 5-0 loss to Chicago to start a five-game road trip. Rookie goalie Mads Sogaard allowed five goals on only 21 shots in the defeat.

The Senators will rely on Sogaard to step up with Talbot and Forsberg injured, but facing this tough matchup is not ideal.

At -130, Caesars offers the most competitive price for the Kraken on the moneyline, followed closely by PointsBet (-131), FanDuel (-134), and BetMGM (-135). The highest price can be found at DraftKings, which stands at -140.

Take a look at our most recent Stanley Cup betting odds!

Hurricanes are favored by 1.5 points with odds of -155 on DraftKings. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When the Hurricanes emerge victorious, they do so in a dominant fashion.

The Hurricanes have been dominant in their last 21 games, with a record of 17-3-1 and controlling a league-leading 63% of five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals. It is worth mentioning that 11 of their last 17 wins have been by a margin of 3 or more goals, so they have a history of winning by a significant margin.

In contrast, the Philadelphia Flyers are ranked 25th with 48.0% of expected goals during the same period. Despite a short period of strong play, the Flyers have only managed to secure two wins in their last 11 games, suffering six losses by multiple goals.

The Carolina PL win is most favorable with odds ranging from -155 at DraftKings to -176 at PointsBet.

BetMGM has adjusted its puck line to -2.5 (+120), despite the apparent mismatch in this game. Achieving a three-goal margin may be challenging. Although the Hurricanes are ranked fifth in the NHL in wins by 3+ goals, they have only covered a 2.5-goal spread in 12 out of 31 home games.

Bet: Golden Knights vs. Lightning Over 6 goals with odds of -115 at Caesars, rated 3 stars.

In Tampa Bay, two of the league’s most skilled teams face off.

The Lightning have top-tier offensive talent in Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and Brayden Point, but that’s just one reason to expect this total to go Over. Another is Tampa Bay’s questionable defense.

Following the All-Star break, the Lightning have posted a record of 6 wins, 6 losses, and 4 ties. They currently rank 21st in goals against average with 3.44 and 20th in expected goals against per 60 minutes with 3.20.

The Golden Knights’ ability to adapt to both tight-checking and high-scoring games is why I have chosen them as a three-star selection. Despite their impressive ranking of third in the NHL with a .929 save percentage since the All-Star break, it is likely that this statistic will regress soon.

The top sportsbooks like Caesars, BetMGM, and PointsBet all have the Over 6 set at -115, with DraftKings slightly higher at -120. FanDuel offers the Over 6.5 at +104, but the best value can be found on the Over 6.

Take a look at our most recent Norris Trophy betting odds!

Proposition: Jack Quinn to score a goal at any time (+330 odds on FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Opportunities are often all it takes, especially for players in Buffalo.

Before the 2021-22 season, Tage Thompson had been performing at a mediocre level, but once the Sabres moved him to center and surrounded him with talented wingers, he flourished, scoring 38 goals in a breakout season. His success continued into the 2026-23 season, where he has already surpassed his previous achievements.

Jack Quinn, the rookie right winger, is seizing the opportunity to step up his offensive game. With four goals in his last nine games, he has made a significant impact while skating on Buffalo’s top line with Thompson and Jeff Skinner, filling in for the injured Alex Tuch. However, Quinn is expected to return to the second line on Thursday.

On Thursday, the game against the Dallas Stars will be challenging, but FanDuel is offering good value with odds of +330 for an anytime goal. I have Quinn’s goal priced at +280.

Caesars is a good alternative choice at odds of +305, compared to other top sports betting sites which have Quinn scoring anytime at +290.

The top NHL wagers were placed on 3/9/2026 at noon Eastern Time.

These are our top sportsbooks:

  • FanDuel is offering a No Sweat First Bet promotion up to $1,000. Check out our FanDuel Review for more information.
  • Caesars: Get up to $1,250 in Bet Credits | Check out our Caesars Review
  • Check out our DraftKings Review and receive $150 in Bonus Bets by betting just $5.
  • Check out our PointsBet Review and receive up to $50 in five second-chance bets.
  • BetMGM: Receive a Bonus Bet of Up to $1,000 | Check out our BetMGM Review

If you are 21 or older and have a gambling problem, please call 1-800-GAMBLER. Please note that bonuses are not valid in Ontario.

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Written By:
Scott Cullen
Scott Cullen is UnderscoregReview.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.