Best NHL Bets Today | NHL Picks, February 17

Los Angeles Kings vs Anaheim Ducks

Kings -1.5 -106 (FanDuel)

Our first prop bet takes us to southern California for a rivalry game between the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks. This game will be in Anaheim but will feel like a road game for the Ducks, as there will probably be more Kings fans in the stadium. The Kings are having a much better season than the Ducks this year and will easily win this game. Bet on Los Angeles to cover.

The Kings are not excelling but are having a strong season. They have 67 points and are in second place in the Pacific Division. Their offense is solid and averages over 3.3 goals per game. They have three players with at least 40 points and six players with scoring ability. With that being said, they are a little worse on the defensive side and give up over 3.3 goals per game. It is not only the defensemen’s fault, though. Los Angeles’ two goaltenders, Jonathan Quick and Phoenix Copley, are not playing at particularly high levels and are often a liability to the Kings.

I just spoke negatively and positively about the Kings, but a large reason they will cover the spread is because of how terrible the Ducks are. The Ducks have 43 points and give up nearly 4.2 goals per game. They have also lost their previous three games by a combined score of 20-8. Only the worsts teams in the NHL are losing by that much. I do not expect them to be shut out, but they will lose this game by a couple of goals. Bet on the Kings to cover.

Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild

Stars Moneyline -111 (FanDuel)

Our second bet of the day is a simple moneyline bet. The game involves the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild. These teams faced each other on February 8, and the Stars crushed the Wild 4-1. I do not expect the Stars to have that much success against the Wild this time, but I expect them to win. Bet on the Stars' moneyline.

The Stars are better than the Wild on paper, but that is not the only reason they are going to win. Dallas is playing better hockey as of late. They lost their previous two games but won their two games before that. That may not sound great, but the Wild have only won one of their last five games, and it was a shootout win. Minnesota is a good team, but they have lost five of their last six.

I realize that some people may not be impressed with my argument above, so I will dive a little deeper into the numbers. The Stars have a solid offense, and of the best players in the NHL in Jason Robertson. They average 3.27 goals per game, compared to Minnesota’s 2.89. They also have a top three netminder in Jake Oettinger and possess the NHL’s second-best defense. They are statistically the better team. Dallas also plays well on the road and has a 15-8-4 away record.

Chicago Blackhawks vs Ottowa Senators

U 6.5 Goals -122 (FanDuel)

This is the only over/under bet of the day. Unfortunately, it is attached to what will probably be a pretty boring game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators. The Senators are better, but both teams will miss the Playoffs. Chicago has 37 points and is going through a full rebuild, and Ottawa has 55 points and lacks the pieces to make the Playoffs. I expect some goals to be scored in this game, but at most six. Bet on the under.

The Blackhawks have the slowest offense in the NHL and average 2.4 goals per game. They have been especially slow lately and have only scored three times in their last three games. As I mentioned above, the Blackhawks are going through a rebuild, so winning and scoring are not particularly important to Blackhawks’ management. They will likely score two goals this game, as the Senators do not have great defensemen.

The Senators have a better offense than the Blackhawks but are still below league average. Ottawa averages three goals a game, compared to the league average of 3.15. They score with more ease than the Blackhawks but not too frequently. Ottawa won their previous two games but only scored five regulation goals in the process. They will be going up against a horrible Blackhawks’ defense, so they will probably score four times this game, putting the total goals at six. Bet on the under.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Islanders

Islanders Mineyline -111 (FanDuel)

We are on to our final bet of the day. This game will be an interesting matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders. These teams are very close in the standings, but the Islanders have a slight edge. They are playing at home and going up against a Penguins team that is very mediocre on the road. Bet on the Islanders’ moneyline.

The Penguins score with more ease than the Islanders’. However, they also have worse defensemen and will be without goaltender Tristan Jarry as he recovers from an injury. If Pittsburgh was fully healthy, I would tell you to bet on them, but Tristan Jarry’s injury shakes things up quite a bit. The Penguins will now be forced to look to Casey DeSmith or Dustin Tokarski. DeSmith is the better option, but he is a big step down from Jarry.

The Penguins are dominant at home but very average on the road. They have a 25-6-4 record in Pittsburgh but a 12-11-5 record away from Pittsburgh. That is a huge problem for them and one they need to fix. However, that works in the Islanders’ favor and greatly improves their chances of winning. The Islanders are also significantly worse on the road but do not need to worry about that in this game. They are playing at home and bringing a better roster to the arena. Bet on the Islanders’ moneyline.