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

Scott Cullen

Updated as of March 20, 2023 at 1:34 PM EDT • Read time: 4 minutes and 16 seconds. Links to Twitter and Google News provided.

NHL best bets
NHL best bets

Monday’s NHL schedule features five games, including some pivotal matchups as teams battle for playoff positioning. Keep reading for our top NHL betting picks for Monday using the most favorable NHL odds available.

NHL teams on the brink of missing the playoffs are running out of time. Three games on Monday’s schedule feature teams fighting to secure a postseason spot.

Despite losing three games in a row, the Pittsburgh Penguins maintain the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference. They will face the Ottawa Senators, who have lost their last five games and are trailing the Penguins by seven points.

The Penguins are facing a more urgent challenge in their pursuit of the Florida Panthers, who are only one point behind them. The Detroit Red Wings, who are nine points behind the Penguins, are quickly falling behind.

Monday’s late game will showcase the Calgary Flames facing off against the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings are currently trailing by two points in the Pacific Division, while the Flames are aiming to close the four-point gap with the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Below are our top NHL selections for Monday, with odds from DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars. Picks are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 stars based on confidence.

Take a look at our NHL selections.

Monday’s NHL schedule and odds

(odds via DraftKings)

  • Ottawa Senators (+140) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-165)
  • Florida Panthers (-180) vs. Detroit Red Wings (+155)
  • Chicago Blackhawks (+370) vs. Colorado Avalanche (-460)
  • San Jose Sharks (+275) vs. Edmonton Oilers (-330)
  • Calgary Flames (-110) vs. Los Angeles Kings (-110)

Monday’s NHL best bets

  • Moneyline: Penguins (-162 via FanDuel) vs. Senators ⭐⭐⭐
  • Spread: Oilers -1.5 (-140 via FanDuel) vs. Sharks  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • First-period total: Flames-Kings Under 1.5 (+118 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Prop: Nathan MacKinnon Over 1.5 points (-130 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Monday’s NHL top picks

Moneyline: Penguins ML vs. Senators (-162 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

The Penguins seem to be opening up the playoff race to more teams, but their competitors are also struggling.

The Penguins are struggling to secure a playoff spot with only one regulation win in their last nine games and a .886 save percentage since the All-Star break, ranking 25th in the league. This is hindering their ability to put together consecutive wins.

Injuries have led to the Senators relying on AHL call-ups in goal, resulting in a team save percentage of .885 since the All-Star break, which ranks 27th in the league.

Both teams are having difficulties on the power play, with Ottawa ranking 29th and Pittsburgh ranking 30th in five-on-four goals per 60 minutes since the break. However, the Penguins have the advantage at even strength, ranking sixth with 55.3% of five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals in that time. On the other hand, Ottawa ranks 17th, controlling 49.2% of expected goals.

The Penguins are favored to win at home on Monday with a Moneyline value of -185. FanDuel has the best odds for a Penguins victory at -162, beating out DraftKings, Caesars, and PointsBet who all have odds at -165. BetMGM is not far behind with odds at -167.

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

Spread: Oilers -1.5 vs. Sharks (-140 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Oilers are hard to catch when they are on a roll.

Since the start of 2023, they have won 9 out of 15 games at Rogers Place, with each victory being by more than one goal.

Edmonton’s success is largely due to their league-leading power play, scoring 12.45 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play. This rate is over 30% higher than the second-ranked Toronto Maple Leafs, who score 9.40 goals per 60 minutes.

Despite their low standing in the league, the Sharks have excelled in penalty killing, ranking eighth with 5.90 goals against per 60 minutes during four-on-five play. However, this statistic has worsened since the March 3 trade deadline, with San Jose now ranking 22nd with 7.77 goals against per 60 minutes.

In the last 12 games, San Jose has only managed to secure one victory and has suffered eight losses by multiple goals. The Sharks lack the offensive strength to compete with the Oilers in this upcoming matchup.

Our top sportsbooks are offering similar prices for the Oilers’ puck line, with FanDuel offering the best number at -140, followed closely by BetMGM at -143. DraftKings, Caesars, and PointsBet are all offering the line at -145.

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

First-period total: Flames-Kings Under 1.5 (+118 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐

Lately, both the Flames and Kings have been gradually getting into the swing of things.

In the eight games since the trade deadline, Calgary has scored six first-period goals and allowed five. This averages out to 1.38 goals per first period, making them the fourth-lowest scoring team in that time frame.

The Kings have been extremely efficient, scoring five goals in the first period while only allowing four in seven games. They currently have the third-lowest average of 1.29 first-period goals over this span of games.

Since the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Kings have maintained a league-leading 1.67 goals against average, showing their ability to limit goals scored against them in all three periods, not just the first.

The pricing for the first-period Under varies significantly. Caesars offers the best price at +118, followed by DraftKings at +115. BetMGM and Caesars both have it at +110, while FanDuel lists the Under at -102.

The significant contrast between Caesars and FanDuel highlights the importance of seeking out the best price to maximize value.

Take a look at our newest Vezina Trophy betting odds!

Prop: Nathan MacKinnon Over 1.5 points (-130 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nathan MacKinnon, the star center for the Avalanche, is turning multi-point games into a regular occurrence.

In 12 of his last 18 games, MacKinnon has tallied two or more points. Additionally, he has recorded multi-point games in 12 out of 26 games at Ball Arena.

Facing a Blackhawks team that ranks 29th in expected goals against and 21st in goals against per 60 on the road, MacKinnon has a prime opportunity to exploit their below-average defense as one of the hottest scorers in the league.

MacKinnon Over 1.5 points is offered at -130 by DraftKings and PointsBet, slightly better than the odds at FanDuel (-132) and BetMGM (-133).

The NHL’s top betting options on 3/20/2023 were identified at 12:15 p.m. ET.

Here are our best sportsbooks:

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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.