We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move past the mid way point in the season, each division’s ladder has already become well formed. Despite this, every single win or loss can have a significant impact on where each team will finish at the end of the season, so it is important that you don’t miss any of the action!
Here at SportsTips, we are just as keen on the NHL as you are! We spend each and every day going through the best games and previewing them for you. Our experts offer up their free NHL picks, which means that you not only get enjoyment out of watching some intriguing games, but also make extra cash while doing so!
Look below to find our free NHL picks, as we preview the best five games on today’s schedule.
Columbus Blue Jackets @ Carolina Hurricanes – 7.00PM ET
The Columbus Blue Jackets wrap up their short two game road trip on Friday night with a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Blue Jackets are playing on back-to-back nights, and last time out they beat the Panthers, 6-3. The Hurricanes are currently on a three game winning streak, with wins over the Predators, Penguins and Flyers.
Marko Nadin
The Carolina Hurricanes are currently at 35-11-4 on the second place in the Eastern Conference with two games less than the leading Florida Panthers. Carolina has won 17 of 23 home games which is also the second best in the East. The Hurricanes have won the last three games scoring at least 4 goals in each of those games. They rank 6th in the league with 3.5 goals per game and second in the league allowing only 2.4. Carolina has won the last 4 games played on Friday and 5 of the last 6 against Columbus.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are 9th in the Eastern Conference with a 27-23-1 record and 7 points deficit compared to the Boston Bruins who are 8th. Columbus has won the last 4 games scoring 6 goals per game in that span. They are coming off a 6-3 road win over the best team in the East, the Florida Panthers. Columbus has won the last 5 games against conference opponents but only 1 of the last 5 games played on Friday. Columbus allows 35.4 shots per game which is the worst in the league and allows second-worst 3.6 goals per game.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-315)
Tony Battalio
The Columbus Blue Jackets come into this game after playing the first game of a back to back on Thursday evening. In the first game of the back to back they took down one of the best teams in the National Hockey League, the Florida Panthers by a score of 6-3 to continue their recent run of hot play. Now the Blue Jackets will look to take down another top team when they meet the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday evening. Columbus comes into this game with a record of 27-23-1 through their first 51 games of the season. They are slowly inching their way back into playoff contention with around 30 games to go on the season.
Everyone stepped up 👍@pedialyte | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/ef6Ksw3ZBm
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 25, 2022
The Carolina Hurricanes come into this game with a record of 35-11-4 through their first 50 games of the season. Carolina is one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference this season. They currently sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division as they hold a three point lead over the New York Rangers. Carolina is on a three game winning streak at the moment as they look to extend it to four to get a win over a hot Blue Jackets team. As for the result of this game, that is exactly what I expect to happen as I have Carolina getting the win over Columbus at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-315)
Jeffery Thomas
The Carolina Hurricanes will enter Friday winners of three straight after a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Monday. That was the conclusion of a quick two game Pennsylvania road stint against Pittsburgh and Philly, where they actually won both games 4-3. Zooming out though, the Canes are just a mediocre 4-4 in their last eight and an abysmal 2-8 against the spread in their last 10 games as favorites. They are still a powerhouse team with a great group of forwards and goaltender but with this recent lull in play, they’ll need to pick it up against a Jackets team that has found new life. Columbus will be on a back to back following a huge 6-3 road win over the Florida Panthers.
Two goals in a 10-second span in the third period brought the victory home as they pulled off another upset in their desperation dash towards the second wild card. It was also only the second time the Panthers lost two straight on home ice this season. Columbus has pulled off some big road upsets this year, most notably against Washington, Colorado and this Carolina team. They are firing on all cylinders right now and I don’t think the books have caught up with that just yet so the value is all on the underdog spread line here. I can see them winning this game outright so if you want to sprinkle on the moneyline I’m not going to talk you out of it.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Columbus Blue Jackets +1.5 (+100)
Buffalo Sabres @ St. Louis Blues – 8.00PM ET
The Buffalo Sabres continue on with their road trip, and on Friday night they take on the St. Louis Blues. The Sabres have lost their last four games in a row, and this takes their season record to 16-28-8. The St. Louis Blues have won four of their last five, with their only loss in this time coming against the Canadiens, 2-3, in overtime.
Marko Nadin
The St. Louis Blues are third in the Western Conference with a 30-14-6 record. They have won 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 4-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers. St. Louis is ranked 4th in the league with 3.5 goals per game and third with 26.7 PP%. The Blues have won 7 of the last 10 games against Buffalo and 12 of the last 13 at home.. St. Louis has won the last 7 games coming in from a two-day break and 17 of the last 22 games coming in as favorites. They have played under the total goals margin in 17 of the last 23 games against a team with a record under 40%.
The Buffalo Sabres are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 16-28-8 record. The Sabres have lost the last four games, most recently 0-4 to the Montreal Canadiens. This was the fifth time in the season Buffalo failed to score in a game. They are 26th in the league with 2.6 goals per game and 28th with 3.6 allowed goals per game. Buffalo has lost 43 of the last 56 games as road underdog. They have also lost 4 of the last 5 games against Western Conference teams.
Marko’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-320)
Tony Battalio
The Buffalo Sabres have been one of the most disappointing teams in the National Hockey League this season. After a shockingly hot start to the year, fans around the league thought Buffalo may be better off without Jack Eichel but as we move towards the Spring it is clear that is not the case. It certainly seems like their rebuild will start back on square one, once this season ends and the off-season begins. Buffalo comes into this game with a record of 16-28-8 as they are virtually all but officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year.
Robert Thomas has already set a new career-high in assists this season (oh and he’s only three away from setting a career-high in points, too) pic.twitter.com/lVRulinyQ7
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) February 24, 2022
The St. Louis Blues are coming into this game looking to get themselves back into the top spot in the Central Division. They have a ton of work to do as the Colorado Avalanche just seem to keep getting better and better with each passing game. St. Louis comes into this game currently sitting in second place in the Central Division, a full 12 points behind the Colorado Avalanche for first place in the division and the Western Conference. St. Louis is currently 30-14-6 through their first 50 games on the year. As for the result of this game, I have the Blues getting the win at home over the struggling Sabres.
Tony’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues (-320)
Jeffery Thomas
The Blues are coming off a 3-0-1 road swing and now will return home to host the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. It’s a quick stop home, where they are 18-6-2 on the season, before they head off for another four game road trip. Their three wins on the trip were over Toronto, Ottawa, and Philadelphia with the lone loss coming to Montreal. The emphasis in this one for Buffalo will be getting off to a strong start. The Sabres struggled out the gate Wednesday and eventually fell 0-4 to the Canadiens.
It also didn’t help that they lost defenseman Henri Jokiharju with a lower body injury and they were already without wingers Kyle Okposo and Victor Olofsson due to illnesses. Now with a record of 16-28-8, the Sabres are in 7th place in the Atlantic Division. The Sabres are just downright awful right now and a road game against this Blues team is the last thing they need. St. Louis has four wins in the month of February, all on the spread line and I have them adding to that tally on Friday night. Give me the Blues to beat up on a struggling Sabres team that just can’t get out their own way.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: St. Louis Blues -1.5 (-118)
Winnipeg Jets @ Colorado Avalanche – 9.00PM ET
The road trip continues on for the Winnipeg Jets, who will face off against the Colorado Avalanche. The Jets have lost their last three games in a row, with losses to the Oilers, Flames and Stars. The Avalanche have won three of their last four games, and this takes their season record to 37-10-4.
Marko Nadin
The Colorado Avalanche have the best record in the league with 37-10-4 and have won 21 of 26 home games this season. They are returning home after a four-day road trip which they finished with a 3-1 record, losing 1-5 to the Boston Bruins in that span. In the last game, they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-2. Colorado is the second-best scoring team in the league with 3.9 per game and fifth with 35 shots on goal per game. Colorado has won 49 of the last 56 games against teams with a losing record.
The Winnipeg Jets are currently 12th in the Western Conference with a 22-20-9 record. They have lost the last three games, most recently 2-3 in overtime to the Dallas Stars. The Jets have lost 12 of their last 17 games. They have won only 2 of their last 10 games as a road underdog and 2 of the last 11 playing after a one-day rest. They have played under the total goals margin in 5 of the last 7 games as a road underdog and in 5 of the last 6 games playing after a one-day rest.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-295)
Tony Battalio
The Winnipeg Jets are having a rough year this season. They come into this game with a record of 22-20-9 as they are seven games below the .500 mark through their first 51 games of the season. Winnipeg is currently occupying sixth place in the Central Division as they prepare to take on the best team in the league on Friday night. The Jets have a long way to go to get back towards being a constant contender in the National Hockey League. They are currently on a three game losing streak after dropping games to Dallas, Calgary, and Edmonton.
Just want to send some hockey hugs from us to you today ❤️💙#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/kRTt56YDuO
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 24, 2022
The Colorado Avalanche are as previously mentioned, the best team in the National Hockey League this season. They are the clear favorites at the moment to win the Stanley Cup and dethrone the two time defending champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Colorado comes into this game with a record of 37-10-4 through their first 51 games of the season. They hold a double digit lead in the Central Division and look to be running away with it. As for the result of this game, I have the Avalanche picking up the victory over Winnipeg at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-295)
Jeffery Thomas
The Winnipeg Jets will now have to turn things around quickly if they want to make the postseason, and a game against the Avalanche is the last thing they need right now. They sit outside the top eight of the Western Conference after losing three straight (0-2-1). They are leaving a lot of valuable points on the ice, as their last 6 losses have all been by two goals or fewer. That streak may come to an end as they lost 1-7 to these Avs back in January. Colorado has been rolling for months and a big key for them all season has been their depth.
Star forward Nathan Mackinnon has missed 15 games but guys have stepped up in his absence and they are 12-2-1 in those games. They have 4 guys on the team with over 50 points so they can hurt you with any lineup and it’s a big reason why they’ve only lost three times in regulation since the end of November. The Avs have been so good on home ice this season and it’s almost impossible to ever pick against them. The Jets haven’t been able to show consistency on offense and their defense won’t have enough to slow down the Avs attack. Colorado should dominate the full 60 and wrap this one up in regulation.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Moneyline (3-way) – Colorado Avalanche (-175)
Vegas Golden Knights @ Arizona Coyotes – 9.30PM ET
The Vegas Golden Knights wrap up their road trip on Friday night when they take on the Arizona Coyotes. The Golden Knights snapped their three game losing streak last time out, with a win over the Sharks, 4-1. The Coyotes have lost three of their last four games, and last time out they went down to the Kings, 2-3.
Marko Nadin
The Arizona Coyotes are locked for the bottom of the league with a 13-34-4 record. The Coyotes are heading to their fifth consecutive home game and they have lost three of the previous four. They are coming off a 2-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Arizona is the worst defensive team in the league with 2.3 goals per game, 25.7 shots on goal per game and 11.9 PP%. They have won only 6 of the last 28 games as a home underdog. The Coyotes are 11-40 in the last 51 games against a team with a winning record.
The Vegas Golden Knights are sixth in the Western Conference with a 29-18-4 record. Vegas snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 over San Jose. The Golden Knights have won 4 of the last 5 games against Arizona, most recently 7-1 in December last year. Vegas has won 10 of the last 13 road games and 13 of the last 18 Friday games but they are only 2-6 in the last 8 games against teams from the Western Conference and after allowing two or less goals in the previous game.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-285)
Tony Battalio
The Vegas Golden Knights will be looking to use the second half of the season to regain possession of first place in the Pacific Division. They had led the division for the majority of the season before being passed up by the red hot Calgary Flames. They come into this game with a record of 29-18-4 through their first 51 games of the season. They are in second place in the Pacific Division at the moment as they are four points behind the Calgary Flames. They snapped a three game losing streak in their last game after picking up a win over the San Jose Sharks.
See you Friday. pic.twitter.com/e9GOywzaLW
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) February 24, 2022
The Arizona Coyotes have been the worst team in the National Hockey League this season, on and off of the ice. Between terrible play on the ice and arena lockout, and money issues off of the ice, it must be rough to be a Coyotes fan. Arizona comes into this game with a record of 13-34-4 as they are 25 games below .500 and in the basement in the Central Division and Western Conference. In their last game they lost to the Los Angeles Kings at home. As for the result of this game, I have them losing their second straight game, as I look for the Vegas Golden Knights to get the easy win on the road.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (-285)
Jeffery Thomas
Vegas is 5-3-2 over their last ten, which is not bad especially considering the opponents they had to go through. They had games against Florida, Tampa, Carolina, Washington, Calgary and Colorado but those are the types of teams you’ll have to go through to reach their expectations of a Stanley Cup. Now with five days rest and their elite lineup against this inferior opponent, expect them to come out looking to put up a blowout win. The Coyotes hung around Wednesday against the Kings, but ultimately fell 2-3.
They’ve been a scrappy bunch this month, but haven’t been able to translate that into many wins due to their inability to control the games. Against this Vegas bunch, it sets up as another spot where they will be dominated in that aspect. After that run of dominant opponents Vegas will be happy to see Arizona here, even if it is on the road. There will be a wealth of opportunities in front of the net for them and while I do like the over, I think an even better play is the Knights on the spread line. Arizona will not keep this within two goals so give me that.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Vegas Golden Knights -1.5 (-105)
Los Angeles Kings @ Anaheim Ducks – 10.00PM ET
The Los Angeles Kings wrap up their four game road trip with a clash against the Anaheim Ducks. The Kings have gone 3-0-0 so far this trip, including wins over the Golden Knights and Coyotes (twice). The Ducks are currently on a two game winning streak which brings their season record to 25-19-9.
Marko Nadin
The Anaheim Ducks are 10th in the Western Conference with a 25-19-9 record but have the same number of points as Edmonton and Dallas who are ranked higher. After losing four straight games, they have won the last two against Vancouver and San Jose. Anaheim has won 5 of the last 7 games coming in after two-days rest but have lost 10 of the last 12 games against conference opponents. Five of the last seven home games against Los Angeles have finished over the total goals margin. Anaheim has won 3 of the last four against the Kings.
The Los Angeles Kings are 7th in the Western Conference with a 27-17-7 record. Los Angeles has won the last three games with the last two coming against the worst team in the league, Arizona. The Kings are the best team in the league when it comes to shots per game with 28.4 and are ranked 9th with 2.8 allowed goals per game. Los Angeles has won the last 5 road games and 9 of the last 10 against a team with a losing record.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Over 5.5 (-120)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Kings have put together a perfect road trip so far, but it’s fair to say they haven’t really played tough teams. As two of those games have come against the league’s worst team, the Arizona Coyotes. The Kings come into this game with a record of 27-17-7 as they have been pretty hot as of late. They are currently sitting in third place in the Pacific Division behind Calgary and Vegas at the moment. The Kings are currently sitting in a playoff spot but they have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to keep it. As they have the Edmonton Oilers right on their tail, only two points back of them.
Putting in the work before the Freeway Face-Off. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/UNLJ42GRTF
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) February 24, 2022
The Anaheim Ducks come into this one sitting behind the Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division standings. However, they are not far behind as they only sit two points behind the Kings, tied with the Edmonton Oilers for fourth place. The Ducks are currently 25-19-9 through their first 53 games of the season. The Ducks have had an up and down year as they traded between lengthy winning and losing streaks throughout the first half of the season. As for the result of this one however, I have the Kings getting the win over the Ducks.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-111)
Jeffery Thomas
Surprisingly the Kings are the second hottest team in the Western Conference with a 7-1-2 record in their last 10 games. They’ve gone a perfect 3-0-0 so far on this three game road stint, with a win over Vegas and two against Arizona. This run has propelled them into third place in the West, three points clear of Anaheim and Edmonton. It’s looking increasingly likely they’ll end their three year run of missing the playoffs and they are led by a top 10 defensive unit, only allowing 2.76 goals a game. The Ducks are on a winning streak of their own, winning two straight over the Canucks and Sharks.
The 4-3 shootout win over the Sharks on Tuesday was the start of a six-game homestand, which will be very important as they now sit outside the playoff picture. They have the fewest games remaining of all the playoff contending teams in the West so it’s getting to desperation time, meaning two points here will be paramount for Anaheim. It’s clear how important this game is for both teams, who are natural geographic rivals. They are quite possibly ducking it out for the same playoff spot, and by recent record and in the standings the Kings hold a slight edge. Anaheim does have the home ice advantage here though but I don’t think it will be enough. In what is sure to be a grinding playoff atmosphere, I’m going with the Kings to pull out the road victory.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Los Angeles Kings (-111)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
