- The NHL slate Wednesday features the Florida Panthers and New York Islanders, two teams that are battling very closely for a wildcard spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- The over 5.5 total for Islanders vs Washington Capitals presents great value based on their track record.
- Nathan MacKinnon is among the best anytime goal scorers at -110.
TORONTO – A relatively small NHL slate Wednesday features just six teams, but will be an extremely important game for the Florida Panthers in particular as they sit just three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and six behind the New York Islanders for a wildcard spot.
Each matchup features some NHL betting plays with value for either the total or specific player props.
While most of the stakes lie in the Eastern Conference Wildcard race, the Western Conference matchup of Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche feature two of the top four teams with the reigning champion Avalanche being favored at -160 odds by online gambling sites. Anytime goal scorers will certainly be popular bets for the public as well, with legendary shooters Alex Ovechkin, Nathan MacKinnon, and Auston Matthews all playing today.
NHL Betting Odds Today
| Matchup: | Money Line: | Puck Line: | Total: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Panthers @ Toronto Maple Leafs | Florida Panthers (+125) vs Toronto Maple Leafs (-145) | Maple Leafs -1.5 | 7.0 |
| New York Islanders @ Washington Capitals | New York Islanders (-120) vs Washington Capitals (EVEN) | Islanders -1.5 | 5.5 |
| Minnesota Wild @ Colorado Avalanche | Minnesota Wild (+135) vs Colorado Avalanche (-160) | Avalanche -1.5 | 6.0 |
Florida Panthers @ Toronto Maple Leafs
With this likely being a must-win game for the Panthers, their top players feature solid value, especially the team’s goal leader (Matthew Tkachuk. The best prop on Tkachuk for this game is to be an anytime goal scorer at +125 odds. Tkachuk has been very hot as of late, scoring seven goals over his last 10 games including against the Maple Leafs last week.
If the Panthers are going to win this game and keep their playoff hopes alive, Tkachuk will have to be a major factor in that, making a goal the perfect scenario for both him and the Panthers.
Auston Matthews is similarly amazing at scoring goals, and had two against the Panthers last time, but his -135 odds do not present as good of a value as Tkachuk. Though as one of the best goal scorers in the league, Matthews’ prop is always worth considering even if the odds are slightly longer.
New York Islanders @ Washington Capitals
These two teams have a great track record to go over the 5.5 total. In their last five matchups, six or more goals were scored in four of them with the only under being a narrow miss at five total goals.
This game also features big playoff implications, as the Islanders are attempting to hold onto the top wildcard spot in the East while the Capitals need to win the majority of their remaining games to have a chance at a late miracle push for the playoffs. The Capitals only stand six points behind the Penguins for the last wildcard spot and a regulation win here would be extremely valuable for them to join the fray.
The top player prop on Alex Ovechkin is also his anytime goal scorer odds, as he has been on a hot streak, scoring five goals over his last four games. At +125 odds, the all-time great sports some nice value to notch another goal as he continues to chase Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record.
Minnesota Wild @ Colorado Avalanche
The matchup between the Wild and Avalanche here is likely to feature some playoff-level hockey, with both teams sitting firmly in the playoffs and fighting for a higher seed. The Wild are likely to have top goaltender Filip Gustavsson in this game and his services will be needed to fend off MacKinnon and co.
Speaking of MacKinnon, despite the likely start for Gustavsson, there are few goalies who can consistently stop the Avalanche superstar in front of net. At -110 odds to be anytime goal scorer as well as scoring in three out of his last five matchups against them, MacKinnon can certainly produce some profit for NHL fans.
Matthew Boldy for the Wild could also be in consideration as a top prop with +200 odds to score a goal. While not typically the shooting leader for the Wild, the absence of Kirill Kaprizov has seen Boldy explode to the tune of nine goals in his last five games, including two hat-tricks.
With Kaprizov still not skating, the +200 odds on NHL gambling sites is one of the best values available in the entire NHL slate.