Best NHL Bets Today | NHL Picks, February 26

A new week means a new set of opportunities for casual sports fans and sports betters to go into the week with the chance to make some money. There are not going to be many games that are potential matchups between playoff teams, but the favorites coming into these games are lower than expected. Most of the favorites coming into are much more efficient and capable of making deep playoff runs, but the game lines are lower than expected. This makes the rewards for the bet much more deserving to bet on.

For more betting opportunities, check out our best NHL betting bonuses and promo codes.

New York Islanders vs. Dallas Stars

• Time: 8:00 PM E.T. - Monday

• Moneyline: Islanders (+145) | Stars (-175)

• Puck Line: Islanders +1.5 (-166) | Stars -1.5 (+140) 

• Total: Over 6 (-122) | Under 6 (+102)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Bet $5, Get the No-Sweat First Bet up to $1,000, act fast!

My Pick: Dallas Stars (DAL)

Each game for the remainder of the season is critical for all 32 teams in the NHL. Teams at the near-bottom of their respective division like the New York Islanders (23-20-14), are looking to create one more swing of momentum and climb to a wild card spot, which isn’t impossible. A high-volume team like the Dallas Stars (35-16-8) is looking for its lead in the Central Division by being one point above the Winnipeg Jets.

Tonight the Stars will host the Islanders in a game where they have the talent, efficiency, and home-court advantage compared to their opponent, but they are not a huge favorite.

The Islanders have been on a bad stretch of performances since the NHL All-Star Break. New York has won only one game in their six matchups. In half of the six games, the offense has underperformed. It is their defense, however, that has the biggest reason for this bad stretch as they have allowed an average of 4.2 goals per game.

About two weeks ago, the Stars had the top-ranked scoring offense in the league. Within the past five games, their offense has struggled significantly by averaging two goals per game. During this span of five games, the Stars have won one game with a 2-1 win at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

If there is a team to come back from their rough stretch of performances, it is the Stars’ offense. Dallas’ offense ranks fourth in the league in goals per game (3.61), while the defense of the Islanders ranks 24th in goals allowed per game (3.35).

Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers

• Time: 9:30 PM E.T. - Monday

• Moneyline: Kings (+130) | Oilers (-155)

• Puck Line: Kings +1.5 (-175) | Oilers -1.5 (+145) 

• Total: Over 6.5 (-115) | Under 6.5 (-105)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Score a No-Sweat Bonus at DraftKings when wagering just $5!

My Pick: Edmonton Oilers (EDM)

Potentially the best matchup of the night in the NHL will be the Pacific Divisional battle between the Edmonton Oilers (33-20-2) hosting the Los Angeles Kings (29-17-10). This game has a lot on the line as both the Kings and the Oilers are in third place in an incredibly stacked division. They are also not far from potentially surpassing the Vegas Golden Knights for second place.

This game tonight will be the third time this season that the Kings and the Oilers will meet with both teams having one previous game. The Oilers took care of business on the road on December 30 with a 3-2 win in a shootout with star center Connor McDavid accounting for a goal and an assist, both in the second period. The Kings were able to get revenge on the Oilers on February 10 with a dominant home win. Kings forward Quinton Byfield accounted for two goals and an assist while goalie David Rittich stopped all 26 of the Oilers’ shot attempts.

The Oilers look to be more efficient on the offensive side of the ice, but it has been their defense that struggled within the last few games. Edmonton has allowed 16 goals in the last three games.

The Kings have played great defensively within the last six games with three games allowing one goal. Offensively, there are questions as they have scored less as the season progressed. They are ranked 18th in the league in goals per game (3.07).

If there is an offense to trust, it will be the Oilers.

Boston Bruins vs. Seattle Kraken

• Time: 10:00 PM E.T. - Monday

• Moneyline: Bruins (-142) | Kraken (+120)

• Puck Line: Bruins -1.5 (+170) | Kraken +1.5 (-205) 

• Total: Over 5.5 (-115) | Under 5.5 (-105)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Bet $5 and get a No-Sweat Bonus up to $1,000 with DraftKings.

My Pick: Boston Bruins (BOS)

Once in a while, even some of the best teams in the league find themselves in a rut. That is what is currently happening with the Boston Bruins (34-12-13) as they try to keep their top position in the Atlantic Division against a Florida Panthers team that is becoming more of a Stanley Cup Finals winner each game.

The Bruins have lost two consecutive games and three of the last ten games since returning from the NHL All-Star Break. One of those losses was to the Seattle Kraken on February 15 with a 4-1 score, which gave the Bruins their third consecutive loss, at the time. Bruins forward David Pastrnak put Boston on the board first, but the Kraken scored four consecutive goals and played excellent defensively efficiently. Kraken goalie Joey Daccord accounted for 36 saves from the Bruins’ shots.

This Monday night, the Bruins will have a chance to rebound from their rough start after the break and get some revenge against the Kraken. Seattle has won three of the last five games, including big wins over Boston and the Vancouver Canucks.

The Bruins will look to revamp their offense, which ranks ninth in the league in goals per game (3.32). Boston only scored two goals each in their losses at Calgary and Vancouver. They can’t have another offensive stalemate, similar to the previous game against Seattle. The Kraken are not exactly to survive an offensive slugfest, with their offense only averaging 2.75 goals per game (27th in the league). Look for the Bruins to be more mentally focused in this new week.