Best NHL Bets Today | NHL Picks, March 2

Dallas Stars vs Chicago Blackhawks

Stars -1.5 +102 (FanDuel)

Our first bet of the day is a little bit risky. It involves the surging Dallas Stars and the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. The Stars are having an excellent season and are first in the Central Division with 77 points. They are exceeding expectations and have many of the necessary pieces to make a Playoff run. However, their opponents, the Blackhawks, are rebuilding and trading longtime captain Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers on Monday. The Stars should have no problem beating the Blackhawks and will even cover the spread. Bet on Dallas -1.5.

The Stars have surprised many with their performance this season. Offensively, they are led by Jason Robertson and average nearly 3.2 goals per game. With that being said, Dallas is even stronger on the defensive end and only allows 2.60 goals per game. The Stars have a handful of quality defensemen that have been instrumental to their success this season. If that is not enough, Dallas also has a top-five goaltender in Jake Oettinger. Oettinger only allows 2.30 goals per game (the third-least in the league).

Above, I spoke about the Stars’ strengths. Now I will speak about the Blackhawks’ weaknesses. Chicago has been in rebuild mode all season and is playing like it. They have the worst offense in the NHL and the sixth-worst defense. This has led to them having a measly 47 points through 60 games. I can go more in-depth about how horrendous the Blackhawks are, but I have said enough. Bet on the Stars to cover.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Calgary Flames

Over 6.5 Goals -106 (FanDuel)

Our second bet of the day involves the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames. These teams first faced each other in December, and the Maple Leafs won 5-4 in overtime. That matchup ended up being fairly high scoring, and I expect this one to be as well. Bet on the over.

This bet could go either way, but I am leaning towards the over primarily because both teams have solid offenses. Toronto is the stronger offensive squad, but the Flames also hold their own. The Maple Leafs average 3.45 goals per game and beat the Seattle Kraken 5-1 on February 26. The Flames are not as high-powered as the Maple Leafs but still average 3.13 goals per game.

My first argument may not be too convincing to some, so I will give you another argument. The Maple Leafs have been scoring with a little more ease lately and are averaging 4.2 goals per game. I expect them to score four or five times this game and the Flames to score three or four times. There may only be seven combined goals, but that is still enough for the over.

Minnesota Wild vs Vancouver Canucks

Wild Moneyline -164 (FanDuel)

We are now moving on to the moneyline portion of this article. Our first moneyline bet is the safest bet of the day. It involves an interesting matchup between the Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks. The Wild are having a tremendous season at home but have struggled a little more on the road. With that being said, they are still better than the Canucks, so I would bet on them to win this game.

The Wild come into this game with a 13-11-4 away record but a 2-0-0 record against the Canucks this season. Minnesota beat the Canucks 4-3 in overtime in their first matchup and shut them out 3-0 in their second matchup. The Wild simply have a track record of beating the Canucks. 

Some people may be concerned by the Wild’s away record. However, Minnesota is facing an underwhelming Canucks team with an 11-16-1 home record. The Canuck do not perform well at home or on the road. They may keep this game close, but they will not win. Bet on the Wild moneyline.

St. Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks

Blues Moneyline -110 (FanDuel)

Our second moneyline bet of the day is a little riskier. The St. Louis Blues will take on the San Jose Sharks for the second time this season. The Blues beat the Sharks 5-3 in their first matchup. I do not expect them to have as much success this time around, but they will win the game. Bet on the Blues moneyline.

The Blues are going through their toughest stretch of the season and on a six-game winning streak. However, the Sharks are also struggling and have lost six of their last seven games. You cannot look at those teams' past few weeks and tell who will win this game. You can only look at their numbers and record. The Blues are a touch stronger on paper but will win because they perform better on the road than the Sharks do at home. The Blues have a 13-15-1 road record, while the Sharks have a 6-16-8 home record. 

The Blues are not an exceptional team. They are out of the Playoff race and traded away Vladimir Tarasenko. However, they are slightly better than the Sharks and perform well enough on the road. Bet on St. Louis.

Montreal Canadiens vs Los Angeles Kings

Kings -1.5 +104 (FanDuel)

Our final bet of the day takes us to Southern California for a game between the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings. These teams first faced each other in December, and the Kings beat the Canadiens 4-2. I expect the Kings to once again make light work of the Canadiens and cover the spread. Bet on the Kings to cover.

These teams are in vastly different positions. The Canadiens are rebuilding and almost at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, and the Kings are in second place in the Pacific Division. Los Angeles has a stronger offense, defense, and goaltending than Montreal. The Kings also have home-ice advantage and are on a three-game home winning streak. Not much more needs to be said. Bet on Los Angeles to cover.