We are loving the action throughout this impressive NHL season so far. As we move into the final stretch of the season, each division’s ladder has already become well formed. This means that every single win or loss can have a significant impact on the position each team will finish in when the regular season draws to a close, 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.
Carolina Hurricanes @ Buffalo Sabres – 7.00PM ET
The Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres will be playing each other in back-to-back games, and this Tuesday night clash will be the first. The Hurricanes come into this one winning three of their last five games, and this takes their season record to 46-16-8. The Sabres have lost four of their last six games, and last time out they went down to the Panthers, 3-5.
Marko Nadin
The Buffalo Sabres are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 25-34-11 record. They have lost three of the last five games and are coming off a 3-5 loss to the Florida Panthers. The Sabres are ranked 25th in the league with 2.7 goals per game and 26th with 3.5 allowed goals per game. It’s been more than five years since the Sabres have defeated the Hurricanes. Buffalo has lost 40 of the last 59 home games, 42 of the last 62 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 39 of the last 58 games after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
The Carolina Hurricanes are second in the Eastern Conference with a 45-16-8 record. They have won 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a 1-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild. The Hurricanes have a 4 point deficit to the leading Florida Panthers. This is a game that they must and will win in order to get a chance to reach the top seed before the playoffs starts. The Hurricanes are the best defensive team in the league allowing 2.3 goals per game and defending 88.1% of the power play situations. They have won the last 13 games against Buffalo.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-260)
Tony Battalio
The Carolina Hurricanes are coming into this game looking to close out the Metropolitan Division coming down the stretch. Carolina comes into this game with a record of 45-16-8 through their first 69 games of the season. Carolina currently holds a four point lead over the New York Rangers and a six point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Hurricanes are currently on a one game losing streak after dropping their last game to the Minnesota Wild by a score of 1-3. They will be looking to rebound in this one.
The Buffalo Sabres have been one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League over the last several seasons. It doesn’t seem like it is going to get any better for them after they traded away their franchise cornerstone Jack Eichel earlier this season. That likely means they will be starting back from square one heading into the off-season and this year’s NHL entry draft. The Sabres come into this game with a record of 25-34-11 through their first 70 games of the season. As for the result of this one, I have the Carolina Hurricanes getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-260)
Jeffery Thomas
The Carolina Hurricanes come into this Tuesday matchup on two days rest after their 1-3 loss at home on Saturday to the Minnesota Wild. The regulation loss ended a six-game points streak that dated back to their 0-2 loss to the New York Rangers. It was just the sixth time Carolina had lost in regulation in 35 homes this season (25-6-4) and now will face a Buffalo Sabres team that is wrapping up a four-game homestand of their own.
The Sabres are just 1-1-1 so far on the homestand and are coming off a 3-5 loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday. The Sabres have improved their play of late, but Carolina should still control this game and dictate play throughout. I don’t think Buffalo will be able to create enough offense against this quality Carolina defensive unit and a two-goal victory shouldn’t be hard to attain here for the Canes.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 (-102)
Toronto Maple Leafs @ Florida Panthers – 7.00PM ET
Probably one of the most interesting games tonight as we will see the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers, both from the Atlantic Division, face off. The Maple Leafs will be playing on back-to-back nights, and in their last game they beat the Lightning, 6-2. The Panthers have won their last four games in a row, and this takes their overall record on the season to 48-15-6.
Marko Nadin
The Florida Panthers are on top of the Eastern Conference with a 48-15-6 record and are only two points behind the Colorado Avalanche who have the best record in the league. They have won the last 4 games, 6 of the last 7 and are coming off a 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The Panthers are the best scoring team in the league with 4.1 goals per game and also have the most shots on goal per game with 37.3. Florida has won 43 of the last 52 games as a home favorite and 9 of the last 11 games against opponents with a winning record over 60%.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are third in the Eastern Conference with a 45-19-5 record. They have won the last five games and are coming off a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Maple Leafs are the second best scoring team in the league with 3.8 scored goals per game and are the best team in the league when it comes to a power play conversion with 29.8%. Toronto has won the last 2 games against Florida, 5 of the last 6 games against opponents with a winning record and 14 of the last 20 games against their Atlantic Division rival.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Florida Panthers (-188)
Tony Battalio
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be playing the second game of a back to back in this one against the Florida Panthers. In the first game of their back to back they knocked off the other Florida team. As they beat the two time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 6-2 in a game that wasn’t close at all. The Maple Leafs now come into this game with a record of 45-19-5 through their first 69 games of the season.
The Florida Panthers have been one of the top teams in the National Hockey League all season long. They are arguably the favorites to win the Eastern Conference at the moment as well. As they come into this game on a four game winning streak after getting wins over Buffalo, New Jersey, Montreal, and Chicago. They already have their playoff spot locked up now they will be looking to close out the Atlantic Division in the coming weeks. They come into this game with a record of 48-15-6 through their first 69 games of the season. As for the result of this one however, I have the Toronto Maple Leafs getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (+155)
Jeffery Thomas
The Florida Panthers have to be feeling really great about themselves with just 13 games left to play. They are on a four-game winning streak after their 5-3 win over the Sabres on Sunday and with that win have officially clinched a playoff berth. Their 102 points is first in the Eastern Conference and second in the league only to the Colorado Avalanche. The Toronto Maple Leafs will be on the back-to-back after taking down the Lightning 6-2 in Tampa on Monday. Auston Matthews tied the franchise-record of 54 goals with his fourth hat trick of the season.
Two talented offenses matching up in this one with a lot of star power on each side sets this up as a high-scoring affair. I think the Leafs will come in with tired legs playing their second game in as many days, but I’m not willing to pay this steep of a price for the Panthers against this quality of an opponent. The value is with the total, as I see this being a 5-3 or 5-4 type of game, easily clearing this number.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Over 7 (-122)
New York Rangers @ New Jersey Devils – 7.00PM ET
Another inter-division rivalry for your NHL viewing on Tuesday when we see the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils hit the ice. The Rangers will be hoping this is the game to put an end to their modest two game losing streak, as they have lost back-to-back games against the Islanders and Flyers. The Devils aren’t doing much better at the moment, having lost eight of their last 10 games, and last time out they went down to the Islanders, 3-4.
Marko Nadin
The two local rivals are in totally different situations. The New York Rangers are third in the Eastern Conference with a 44-20-6 record. After a four-game winning streak, the Rangers have lost the last two games and are coming off a 3-4 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Rangers are the third-best defensive team in the league allowing only 2.6 goals per game while they are scoring 3 per game which ranks them 18th. New York has won 8 of the last 9 games against New Jersey. They have also won 5 of the last 6 road games.
The New Jersey Devils are 15th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-39-6 record. They have lost the last 3 games and 5 of the last six with the only win in between being against the worst team in the conference, the Montreal Canadiens. The Devils are coming off a 3-4 loss to the New York Islanders. The Devils are ranked 17th in the league scoring 3 goals per game and are ranked 29th allowing 3.7 goals per game. They have lost 21 of the last 29 games against Eastern Conference rivals and 4 of the last 5 games against Metropolitan Division rivals.
Marko’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-162)
Tony Battalio
The New York Rangers have been one of the surprise teams of the 2021-22 National Hockey League season. They come into this game with a record of 44-20-6 through their first 70 games of the season. They are currently in second place in the Metropolitan Division as they trail the Carolina Hurricanes by six points with 12 regular season games remaining. New York is currently on a two game losing streak after losing back to back games to the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers.
The New Jersey Devils have had a rough season as they come into this one sitting at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. They have already been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, as they come into this rivalry matchup with a record of 24-39-6 through their first 69 games of the season. New Jersey is currently on a three game losing streak after losing games to the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Boston Bruins. As for the result of this game, I have the New York Rangers getting the win.
Tony’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-162)
Jeffery Thomas
These two teams just met exactly two weeks ago and it did not go so well for the New York Rangers. It was a great start for New York but they took their foot off the gas after going up 2-0 and eventually lost the game by the score of 4-7. It’s been two teams heading in opposite directions since that meeting however, with the Rangers going 4-1-1 while the Devils have gone 1-4-1. Before that loss on March 22 to the Devils, New York had won eight of the last nine head to head and would want nothing more than to get back to those dominant ways over their opponents from just 30 minutes East.
The Rangers will surely not take the Devils lightly this time around. New York is coming off a loss to another inferior opponent in the Flyers but there are positives to take away after they erased a 2-goal deficit in the third period to force overtime before losing in the shootout. I think this is a great bounce back spot for Igor Shesterkin and company so give me the Rangers here.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: New York Rangers (-162)
Colorado Avalanche @ Pittsburgh Penguins – 7.00PM ET
The Colorado Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins play each other for the second time in as many games on Tuesday night. In their game a couple of days ago, it was the Avalanche that scraped through with a win, 3-2. Now the game is played in Pittsburgh, can the Penguins get instant revenge, or will the Avalanche prove too good yet again?
Marko Nadin
The Pittsburgh Penguins are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 41-19-10 record. They have lost 4 of the last 6 games, a run that has dropped them from the 4th place in the East. The Penguins are coming off a 2-3 road loss to the Colorado Avalanche and now will have a chance for pay back at home. The Penguins have won 3 of the last 4 games against Colorado. They have also won 4 of the last 5 games in the second game of a home-and-home situation and the last 4 games after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
The Colorado Avalanche are the best team in the league with a 49-14-6 record. They have won the last three games and 4 of the last 5. The Avalanche are the third-best team in the league scoring 3.8 goals per game and are seventh allowing 2.7 goals per game. The Avalanche have won the last 8 games played after a two day rest, 5 of the last 6 games against teams with a winning record and 13 of the last 18 road games.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins (-125)
Tony Battalio
This is going to be the best game of the Tuesday evening slate as two of the best teams in the National Hockey League will face off. As the Colorado Avalanche are set to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Colorado Avalanche come into this game with a record of 49-14-6 through their first 69 games of the season. They have been the best team in the league for the past couple of months. They are the current favorites to bring home the Stanley Cup trophy at the end of the season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are coming into this game with a record of 41-19-10 through their first 70 games of the season. Pittsburgh is currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division. They are one of the dark horse teams to win the Stanley Cup trophy this season. Pittsburgh comes into this game on a one game losing streak after dropping a game to the Colorado Avalanche. Now they will be looking to grab their win back in this one. As for the result of this game, I have the Colorado Avalanche getting the victory.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (+104)
Jeffery Thomas
This will be the second and final game of a home-and-home series between the Avalanche and Penguins that will shift over to the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The meeting on Saturday was all we could ask for with the Avs going up twice and the Penguins answering with a score of their own to tie it both times. However, after the Pens tied it up at 2-2 at the 15:07 mark in the third period, Colorado answered with what became the game-winning goal just 27 seconds later to give them the victory.
The home win just added to Colorado’s league best home point percentage of .843 but now with things swinging to Pittsburgh it’ll be interesting to see how the second matchup goes. I love the way the Colorado Avalanche are playing and heading into the playoffs they are still playing like the best team in the league and it’s hard to see the Penguins getting the better of them here. I give the goaltending edge to Colorado in what should be another close battle, but getting this value with the better team is something I can’t pass up.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Colorado Avalanche (+104)
Minnesota Wild @ Nashville Predators – 8.00PM ET
Two teams from the Central Division, the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators will face off against each other on Tuesday night. The Wild have won nine of their last 10 games, including last time out where they smashed the Capitals, 5-1. The Predators have split their last six games, and this takes their record on the season to 39-25-4.
Marko Nadin
The Nashville Predators are seventh in the Western Conference with a 39-25-4 record and are only one point ahead of the zone that may leave them without a playoff appearance this season. Nashville has won 2 of the last 3 games but are coming off a 3-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The Predators are 11th in the league scoring 3.3 goals per game and allowing 2.9 goals per game. Nashville has won 9 of the last 10 games against Minnesota and 20 of the last 28 home games.
The Minnesota Wild is second in the Western Conference with a 43-20-5 record. They have won 9 of the last 10 games with the only loss in that span against the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime. Minnesota is ranked 4th in the league scoring 3.6 goals and 17th in the league with 3 goals allowed per game. The Wild have won the last 4 games against Western Conference opponents, 5 of the last 6 games against teams with a winning record and 4 of the last 5 games played after one day rest.
Marko’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-120)
Tony Battalio
This is going to be a really interesting Central Division clash between the second place and fourth place teams in the division. This game could carry a lot of playoff implications down the stretch. As the Minnesota Wild travel south to the country music capital of the world to play the Nashville Predators. The Minnesota Wild were the best team in the National Hockey League earlier this season. Now they come into this game with a record of 43-20-5 through their first 68 games of the season.
The Nashville Predators come into this game with a record of 39-25-4 through their first 68 games of the season. Nashville is currently on a one game losing streak after dropping their last game to the Buffalo Sabres. Prior to that they had won two games in a row over the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers. Nashville currently sits in fourth place of the Central Division, as they are only a few points out of third and they currently hold onto one of the Western Conference wild card spots as well. As for the result of this game, I have the Nashville Predators getting the win at home.
Tony’s NHL Pick: Nashville Predators (+100)
Jeffery Thomas
The Minnesota Wild are red hot and will look to build on a 9-0-1 run when they travel to Nashville to take on the Predators. Jake Middleton was a strong defender on the San Jose Sharks and is proving to be a great deadline acquisition for Minnesota who was stuck in a mid-season lull. The great defensive play has allowed Marc-Andre Fleury to also thrive and he’ll look to keep his strong play going against a Nashville team that has been very strong at home this year. The Preds have gone 6-4-0 in their last ten games, but they’ll need Juuse Saros to get back to his Vezina trophy level of play if they want to have a shot against the Wild.
Over his last nine starts, he’s posting just an .895 save percentage which will not cut it at all in this matchup. I’m giving the goaltending advantage in this game to the Wild whether it’s Andre-Fleury or Cam Talbot and Minnesota also has been in much better form coming in. The only thing going for Nashville here is their home ice and being more desperate for points at the moment, but that’s not enough for me to back them against the Wild how they’re playing. Give me Minnesota and I’ll jump on it early as I expect this price to only rise as we get closer to puck drop.
Jeffery’s NHL Pick: Minnesota Wild (-120)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of writing, courtesy of FanDuel.
