Category: NHL

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 14: Bet on Sebastian Aho, Steven Stamkos to score

NHL anytime goal picks

Two red-hot forwards headline Friday’s anytime goalscorer picks.

The pregame narrative: Sebastian Aho has taken the reins in Carolina and is playing his best hockey ahead of the playoffs. I have a pick on the Finn, and later on, I’ll be backing Steven Stamkos to score for the Nashville Predators.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 14.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Aho to score a goal (+133)

Embed: #111235

When the Carolina Hurricanes traded away Mikko Rantanen at the deadline for a haul of future assets, some fans assumed the team would get worse.

But the opposite has occurred so far. The Canes have consecutive wins over two strong teams, the Winnipeg Jets and Tampa Bay Lightning.

That’s because with or without Rantanen, Aho’s been able to produce.

Over the last 18 games, here’s how he’s fared as a goalscorer:

  • 11 goals
  • 10-8 against this line

Aho has two assists in two games since the departure of Rantanen and I feel it’s time he gets back in the scoring column.

This is a good matchup to do so, too. The Detroit Red Wings allow the 10th-most goals per game and are expected to start Petr Mrazek, who’s been terrible this season.

Key stat: According to Money Puck, Mrazek’s -14.8 goals saved above expected ranks 92nd out of 94 goalies.

Quick pick

Stamkos to score a goal (+175): The first-year Pred is finding his stride and is fresh off being named the NHL’s second star of the week.

Stamkos had a blistering four goals and four assists in three games and followed it up by potting another goal against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.

The Anaheim Ducks should provide plenty of opportunities. They allow the most shots per game (32.3) and surrender just north of three goals on average.

They’ve also lost back-to-back games, allowing 10 goals total in those contests.

Stamkos is primed to continue his renaissance run as the Predators look to win their sixth straight.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 8:45 a.m. ET on 03/14/2025.

Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Panthers March 13: Bet on John Tavares and Carter Verhaeghe

Maple Leafs prop picks

Scotiabank Arena will have playoff-like atmosphere on Thursday when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Florida Panthers.

The pregame narrative: Two points separate Florida from Toronto atop the Atlantic Division standings, and the Maple Leafs have a game in hand. I expect John Tavares to notch a point for the home team and Carter Verhaeghe to clear his shot total for the visitors.

Check out my Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Panthers for March 13.

Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Panthers

Best Bet: Tavares to score 1+ points (-154)

Mitch Marner has dominated the airwaves with contract talks swirling, but Tavares is also set to be a free agent this offseason and has set himself up for a nice payday should he choose to leave the Maple Leafs.

The veteran centre has 26 goals and 55 points in 57 games and has been red hot coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break:

  • 9 games
  • 5 goals
  • 6 assists
  • Points in 7 of 9 games

Tavares is on Toronto’s second line with William Nylander — who is scoring at a career-high rate — and Calle Jarnkrok. That means he won’t get matched against Florida’s shutdown line featuring Aleksander Barkov.

He’s also on the Leafs’ top power-play unit, which has been on fire lately.

Toronto’s PP is connecting at a 32.1% clip since the break (sixth-best in NHL). Tavares has five points on the man advantage in that span.

Florida is a great defensive team and Sergei Bobrovsky is in a groove but I like this price on a proven point producer.

Key stat: Tavares has a point in four of his last six games.

Quick pick

Verhaeghe over 2.5 shots (-125): Maple Leafs fans have to be a bit worried with the team’s defensive form right now.

Check out how Toronto has ranked defensively on a 60-minute basis since the league returned to action on Feb. 22, per Natural Stat Trick:

  • 31st in chances (66.79)
  • 26th in shots (30.37)

Strong goaltending has papered over those issues, which is why I would rather back Verhaeghe to clear his shot total than record a point (-118).

The winger only has one point in his last five games but has cleared this total three times while averaging 3.4 shots per game.

Maple Leafs vs. Panthers prop picks made at 9:17 a.m. ET 03/13/2025.

Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Panthers March 13: Bet on John Tavares and Carter Verhaeghe

Maple Leafs prop picks

Scotiabank Arena will have playoff-like atmosphere on Thursday when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Florida Panthers.

The pregame narrative: Two points separate Florida from Toronto atop the Atlantic Division standings, and the Maple Leafs have a game in hand. I expect John Tavares to notch a point for the home team and Carter Verhaeghe to clear his shot total for the visitors.

Check out my Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Panthers for March 13.

Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Panthers

Best Bet: Tavares to score 1+ points (-148)

Embed: #111200

Mitch Marner has dominated the airwaves with contract talks swirling, but Tavares is also set to be a free agent this offseason and has set himself up for a nice payday should he choose to leave the Maple Leafs.

The veteran centre has 26 goals and 55 points in 57 games and has been red hot coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break:

  • 9 games
  • 5 goals
  • 6 assists
  • Points in 7 of 9 games

Tavares is on Toronto’s second line with William Nylander — who is scoring at a career-high rate — and Calle Jarnkrok. That means he won’t get matched against Florida’s shutdown line featuring Aleksander Barkov.

He’s also on the Leafs’ top power-play unit, which has been on fire lately.

Toronto’s PP is connecting at a 32.1% clip since the break (sixth-best in NHL). Tavares has five points on the man advantage in that span.

Florida is a great defensive team and Sergei Bobrovsky is in a groove but I like this price on a proven point producer.

Key stat: Tavares has a point in four of his last six games.

Quick pick

Verhaeghe over 2.5 shots (-130): Maple Leafs fans have to be a bit worried with the team’s defensive form right now.

Check out how Toronto has ranked defensively on a 60-minute basis since the league returned to action on Feb. 22, per Natural Stat Trick:

  • 31st in chances (66.79)
  • 26th in shots (30.37)

Strong goaltending has papered over those issues, which is why I would rather back Verhaeghe to clear his shot total than record a point (-118).

The winger only has one point in his last five games but has cleared this total three times while averaging 3.4 shots per game.

Maple Leafs vs. Panthers prop picks made at 9:17 a.m. ET 03/13/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 12: Back Tage Thompson and Cole Caufield

NHL anytime goal picks

Two studs from the Atlantic Division headline Wednesday’s NHL anytime goalscorer picks.

The pregame narrative: Tage Thompson and Cole Caufield were left off the American 4 Nations Face-Off team and have been on fire since. I’m tapping into their recent form by backing them in great matchups this evening.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 12.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Thompson to score a goal (+162)

Spite can be a powerful thing.

Thompson was perhaps the biggest “snub” on the American team heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off, and the U.S. could’ve used his scoring touch against Canada in the final.

Buffalo’s 6-foot-6 centre has scored 109 goals and counting over the last three seasons.

He has 33 in 57 games this year, good for a 47-goal pace over an 82-game season.

Thompson has been red-hot coming out of the break, with seven goals in nine games.

He scored twice in his last outing against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday and has found the net in four of his last five games.

Tonight, Thompson and the Buffalo Sabres go up against a Detroit Red Wings team with a serious goaltending problem.

Petr Mrazek was acquired at the trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks and makes his debut tonight.

Sure, he was playing on one of the worst teams in the NHL, but I can’t ignore his dreadful season-long numbers (NHL ranks in parenthesis):

  • 3.46 GAA (52nd)
  • .890 save percentage (45th)

Maybe a change of scenery will help Mrazek right the ship — but I doubt it.

Key stat: Mrazek’s -14.4 goals saved above expected ranks 92nd out of 94 goalies, per Money Puck.

Quick picks

Caufield to score a goal (+145): Leaving Caufield off the American squad made a little more sense considering his size and position, but Montreal’s winger knows how to light the lamp.

He’s scored in six of eight games since the break and is up to a career-high 32 on the season.

Caufield’s line with Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky has a 60.71 GF% this season, according to Natural Stat Trick. That’s not eye-popping but is really solid considering where Montreal sits in the standings.

The Canadiens are on the road against the Seattle Kraken, who are likely starting Philipp Grubauer in net.

Grubauer is one of two goalies with a worse goals saved above expected (-15.5) than Mrazek.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 12:57 p.m. ET on 03/12/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 12: Back Tage Thompson and Cole Caufield

NHL anytime goal picks

Two studs from the Atlantic Division headline Wednesday’s NHL anytime goalscorer picks.

The pregame narrative: Tage Thompson and Cole Caufield were left off the American 4 Nations Face-Off team and have been on fire since. I’m tapping into their recent form by backing them in great matchups this evening.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 12.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Thompson to score a goal (+148)

Embed: #111183

Spite can be a powerful thing.

Thompson was perhaps the biggest “snub” on the American team heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off, and the U.S. could’ve used his scoring touch against Canada in the final.

Buffalo’s 6-foot-6 centre has scored 109 goals and counting over the last three seasons.

He has 33 in 57 games this year, good for a 47-goal pace over an 82-game season.

Thompson has been red-hot coming out of the break, with seven goals in nine games.

He scored twice in his last outing against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday and has found the net in four of his last five games.

Tonight, Thompson and the Buffalo Sabres go up against a Detroit Red Wings team with a serious goaltending problem.

Petr Mrazek was acquired at the trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks and makes his debut tonight.

Sure, he was playing on one of the worst teams in the NHL, but I can’t ignore his dreadful season-long numbers (NHL ranks in parenthesis):

  • 3.46 GAA (52nd)
  • .890 save percentage (45th)

Maybe a change of scenery will help Mrazek right the ship — but I doubt it.

Key stat: Mrazek’s -14.4 goals saved above expected ranks 92nd out of 94 goalies, per Money Puck.

Quick picks

Caufield to score a goal (+150): Leaving Caufield off the American squad made a little more sense considering his size and position, but Montreal’s winger knows how to light the lamp.

He’s scored in six of eight games since the break and is up to a career-high 32 on the season.

Caufield’s line with Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky has a 60.71 GF% this season, according to Natural Stat Trick. That’s not eye-popping but is really solid considering where Montreal sits in the standings.

The Canadiens are on the road against the Seattle Kraken, who are likely starting Philipp Grubauer in net.

Grubauer is one of two goalies with a worse goals saved above expected (-15.5) than Mrazek.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 12:57 p.m. ET on 03/12/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 11: Back Sam Reinhart and Alexander Ovechkin on Tuesday

NHL anytime goal picks

Sam Reinhart and Alexander Ovechkin are my two picks to score a goal during Tuesday’s NHL slate.

The pregame narrative: Ovechkin is nine goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record and has a dream matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. Before that, look for Reinhart to inflict damage against a Boston Bruins team that has waved the white flag.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 11.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Ovechkin to score a goal (+105)

I’m not betting on Ovechkin just to ride the hype train.

The Great Eight is on a rampage, scoring 33 goals in 48 games despite breaking his leg in the middle of the season. He’s netted seven goals since the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off break and has cashed this wager in five of his last seven games.

With that said, and considering his opponent tonight, I’m a little surprised this sits at plus money.

Anaheim has over-indexed this season based on expectations but is still a mediocre 28-28-7, mainly because of its awful defence.

Check out how the Ducks rank defensively on 60-minute basis, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick:

  • 32nd in high-danger chances (13.4)
  • 31st in chances (66.22)
  • 30th in shots (31.55)
  • 20th in goals (2.99)

The only reason Anaheim doesn’t give up the most goals per game is because of Lukas Dostal, whose .912 save percentage ranks 10th in the NHL.

But I’ll take my chances with Ovechkin firing at will against the young netminder.

Key stat: Ovechkin’s 2.32 goals per 60 ranks first in the NHL.

Quick picks

Reinhart to score a goal (+130): Florida made waves during last Friday’s NHL trade deadline when it acquired Brad Marchand from Boston for a second-round pick.

The move firmly signified a re-tooling period for a Bruins team that had been a perennial Cup contender.

Other big names that departed were Charlie Coyle (Colorado), Trent Frederic (New Jersey) and Brandon Carlo (Toronto).

Boston is rolling out a weak team against Florida and I expect the Panthers to cruise even with Matthew Tkachuk sidelined and Marchand uncertain to play.

Reinhart leads all Panthers skaters with 32 goals and is coming off a season where he scored a career-high 57. The first-line winger — slotted alongside Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe — should have plenty of opportunities to torch the Bs tonight.

Boston has lost eight of its last 10 games while allowing 2.9 goals per game.

Reinhart has scored six goals in his last five regular season games against Boston, clearing this mark four times.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 11:20 a.m. ET on 03/11/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 11: Back Sam Reinhart and Alexander Ovechkin on Tuesday

NHL anytime goal picks

Sam Reinhart and Alexander Ovechkin are my two picks to score a goal during Tuesday’s NHL slate.

The pregame narrative: Ovechkin is nine goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record and has a dream matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. Before that, look for Reinhart to inflict damage against a Boston Bruins team that has waved the white flag.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 11.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Ovechkin to score a goal (+108)

Embed: #111151

I’m not betting on Ovechkin just to ride the hype train.

The Great Eight is on a rampage, scoring 33 goals in 48 games despite breaking his leg in the middle of the season. He’s netted seven goals since the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off break and has cashed this wager in five of his last seven games.

With that said, and considering his opponent tonight, I’m a little surprised this sits at plus money.

Anaheim has over-indexed this season based on expectations but is still a mediocre 28-28-7, mainly because of its awful defence.

Check out how the Ducks rank defensively on 60-minute basis, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick:

  • 32nd in high-danger chances (13.4)
  • 31st in chances (66.22)
  • 30th in shots (31.55)
  • 20th in goals (2.99)

The only reason Anaheim doesn’t give up the most goals per game is because of Lukas Dostal, whose .912 save percentage ranks 10th in the NHL.

But I’ll take my chances with Ovechkin firing at will against the young netminder.

Key stat: Ovechkin’s 2.32 goals per 60 ranks first in the NHL.

Quick picks

Reinhart to score a goal (+107): Florida made waves during last Friday’s NHL trade deadline when it acquired Brad Marchand from Boston for a second-round pick.

The move firmly signified a re-tooling period for a Bruins team that had been a perennial Cup contender.

Other big names that departed were Charlie Coyle (Colorado), Trent Frederic (New Jersey) and Brandon Carlo (Toronto).

Boston is rolling out a weak team against Florida and I expect the Panthers to cruise even with Matthew Tkachuk sidelined and Marchand uncertain to play.

Reinhart leads all Panthers skaters with 32 goals and is coming off a season where he scored a career-high 57. The first-line winger — slotted alongside Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe — should have plenty of opportunities to torch the Bs tonight.

Boston has lost eight of its last 10 games while allowing 2.9 goals per game.

Reinhart has scored six goals in his last five regular season games against Boston, clearing this mark four times.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 11:20 a.m. ET on 03/11/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 10: Bet on Oilers’ Draisaitl, Avlanche’s Lehkonen to score

NHL anytime goal picks

Hockey’s top goalscorer has a plus matchup and headlines my NHL anytime goal picks.

The pregame narrative: Leon Draisaitl leads the league in goals by a wide margin and is an excellent choice to score a goal on Monday. Two Colorado Avalanche stars — Artturi Lehkonen and Brock Nelson — round out the ticket with a plus matchup on deck.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 10.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Draisaitl to score a goal (+100)

Draisaitl is in the midst of the best goalscoring season of his career.

The Edmonton Oilers superstar leads the league with 46 goals, sitting 11 ahead of the next closest players (Mark Scheifele and William Nylander).

He’s on pace for 60 goals, and if he can reach the mark, it’ll be his first time reaching that milestone.

I’m betting on the German forward to inch closer to that mark in a juicy matchup on Monday night.

Edmonton visits the Buffalo Sabres, which is a plus for Draisaitl’s outlook. Buffalo’s defence ranks:

  • 30th in goals/game (3.50)
  • 31st in team SV% (.879)
  • 27th in expected goals/60 (3.2)
  • 25th in high-danger chances/60 (11.61)

The Sabres are struggling to keep the puck out of their net, allowing four-plus goals in six consecutive games. They face an Oilers squad that ranks ninth in goals per game (3.25).

Expect Draisaitl to lead an overwhelming offensive onslaught for Edmonton on Monday.

Key stat: Draisaitl has scored a goal in 13 of his last 18 games, including nine of his last 11.

Quick picks

Nelson to score a goal (+187): Nelson didn’t score in his Avalanche debut but he did chip in with an assist.

Before being traded, Nelson was heating up as a goalscorer. The ex-New York Islanders star had scored in two of three games before the deal, totalling three lamp-lighters.

What’s encouraging to see is that Nelson is skating on Colorado’s top power play. He shares premium ice time alongside top-tier talents Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Martin Necas.

The matchup is mouthwatering with the Chicago Blackhawks on the schedule for Monday night. Chicago is allowing the fourth-most goals per game (3.47).

The Blackhawks have allowed three-plus goals in eight of their last 10.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 2:56 p.m. ET on 03/10/2025.

Best NHL anytime goalscorer picks March 10: Bet on Oilers’ Draisaitl, Avlanche’s Lehkonen to score

NHL anytime goal picks

Hockey’s top goalscorer has a plus matchup and headlines my NHL anytime goal picks.

The pregame narrative: Leon Draisaitl leads the league in goals by a wide margin and is an excellent choice to score a goal on Monday. Two Colorado Avalanche stars — Artturi Lehkonen and Brock Nelson — round out the ticket with a plus matchup on deck.

Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for March 10.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Draisaitl to score a goal (-113)

Embed: #111126

Draisaitl is in the midst of the best goalscoring season of his career.

The Edmonton Oilers superstar leads the league with 46 goals, sitting 11 ahead of the next closest players (Mark Scheifele and William Nylander).

He’s on pace for 60 goals, and if he can reach the mark, it’ll be his first time reaching that milestone.

I’m betting on the German forward to inch closer to that mark in a juicy matchup on Monday night.

Edmonton visits the Buffalo Sabres, which is a plus for Draisaitl’s outlook. Buffalo’s defence ranks:

  • 30th in goals/game (3.50)
  • 31st in team SV% (.879)
  • 27th in expected goals/60 (3.2)
  • 25th in high-danger chances/60 (11.61)

The Sabres are struggling to keep the puck out of their net, allowing four-plus goals in six consecutive games. They face an Oilers squad that ranks ninth in goals per game (3.25).

Expect Draisaitl to lead an overwhelming offensive onslaught for Edmonton on Monday.

Key stat: Draisaitl has scored a goal in 13 of his last 18 games, including nine of his last 11.

Quick picks

Nelson to score a goal (+175): Nelson didn’t score in his Avalanche debut but he did chip in with an assist.

Before being traded, Nelson was heating up as a goalscorer. The ex-New York Islanders star had scored in two of three games before the deal, totalling three lamp-lighters.

What’s encouraging to see is that Nelson is skating on Colorado’s top power play. He shares premium ice time alongside top-tier talents Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Martin Necas.

The matchup is mouthwatering with the Chicago Blackhawks on the schedule for Monday night. Chicago is allowing the fourth-most goals per game (3.47).

The Blackhawks have allowed three-plus goals in eight of their last 10.

Lehkonen to score a goal (+155): I expect another Avs forward to get in on the scoring.

Lehkonen is sneakily putting together a quality offensive campaign. The winger has produced a career-high 26 goals in 52 games, putting him on pace for 35 tallies in 2024-25.

Lehkonen has been scoring at a decent rate recently, finding the back of the net in seven of his last 15 games (eight total).

Chicago has the third-worst expected goals against per 60 mark (3.37), according to Natural Stat Trick, making this a prime opportunity for Lehkonen to score.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 2:56 p.m. ET on 03/10/2025.

Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Utah March 10: Bet on Toronto’s Knies to score a point

Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Utah

The Toronto Maple Leafs battle the Utah Hockey Club after a tough loss on Saturday night.

The pregame narrative: The Colorado Avalanche outlasted the Maple Leafs on Saturday, but Toronto’s Matthew Knies continues to impress. I’m betting on him to deliver a point in Monday’s contest and am fading Loogan Cooley.

Check out my Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Utah for March 10.

Maple Leafs prop picks vs. Utah

Best Bet: Knies to score 1+ points (-112)

I will continue betting on Knies to score a point so long as the price remains palatable.

The young forward is thriving under new head coach Craig Berube. He has career-highs in goals (24) and points (42) and is seeing increased opportunities as a result.

Knies is playing on Toronto’s first line alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, which is prime placement in the Maple Leafs’ lineup. The winger also plays next to those two, William Nylander and John Tavares on the squad’s top power play.

His usage is up significantly this year compared to previous seasons. Knies is playing 18:26 per game compared to just 13:39 per game before the 2024-25 campaign.

Utah is a neutral matchup for Knies as the team is tied for a middling 14th in goals against per game (2.94) this season.

Matthews (-315) and Marner (-265) are both priced at a significantly longer price to record a point. Comparatively, Knies remains a great value and is worth backing until the market adjust.

Key stat: Knies has a point in five of his last six games.

Quick pick

Cooley to not score a point (-134): Cooley is having a solid offensive campaign but there’s ample reason to fade him tonight.

The young star has 47 points in 56 games but does enter Monday’s contest on a three-game pointless streak. Looking at an even larger sample size, Cooley has been held off the score sheet in six of his last 10 outings.

Although Cooley centres Utah’s first line, he does not skate on the top power play, which is a significant knock against his chances of producing.

The Maple Leafs aren’t a plus matchup for the forward, either, as they’re tied for 15th in goals against per contest (2.95). They’re also a respectable 10th in team save percentage (.899).

Maple Leafs vs. Utah picks made at 12:36 p.m. ET 03/10/2025.