This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Betting: Expert NHL Picks for Friday, March 22
There's a lot of college basketball on today. I get that. Apparently, there's this tournament that brings a bunch of Madness or something. But we gotta stay true to our roots! There's NHL action on tonight and by god we're going to bet on it! There are some sneaky solid edges to take with tonight's tilts, so let's take a look at the best NHL bets and player props tonight!
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Best NHL Bets Tonight
Penguins, Stars over 6.5 (-105 on DraftKings)
Five of the Stars' last seven contests have hit over 6.5, partly because 4+ goals of their own in five of those games too. It's total disarray in Steel City these days. The Pens have dropped nine of their last 12 and have surrendered 18 goals in their last four games. Every game in that 4-game span hit over 6.5 with games totaling 9, 11, 9, and 7. Give me some goals tonight again fellas!
Blue Jackets, Avalanche over 6.5 (-125 on ESPN Bet)
The Avs have scored 11 goals in their last two games against the Blue Jackets. They won 6-3 the last time the Blue Jackets visited Mile High in November 2022. They come into tonight's tilt on a 7-game heater and winners of nine of their last 10 overall. They've put up 4+ goals in seven of those 10 games too. The Blue Jackets just allowed seven total goals over their last two games, so I love the over here.
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Best NHL Player Props Tonight
Nathan MacKinnon over 1.5 points (-122 on FanDuel)
It's been tough sledding for this guy over the past two games, he's only gotten two total assists. For most NHLers, that's reason to ask their agent to press for more money. For MacKinnon though, it's a far cry from the 16 points he potted in the five games prior. He's recorded at least one point in every single home game this season so far, and has 2+ points in eight of his last 10 and five straight in Denver. I'm riding this war horse into battle tonight.
Wyatt Johnston over 2.5 shots on goal (-130 on DraftKings)
What a revelation this kid has been for the Stars this year. He's 5th on the team in points behind some bona fide ballers, and has really stepped into a major role consistently producing. He hit over 2.5 shots on goal in nine of his last 15 games, and was on a streak of doing so for six straight games before only hitting it in one of his past four. I like his matchup with a squeaky Penguins team that is prone to giving up a ton of chances. I wouldn't be surprised if he hit 5+ like he's done five of his last nine contests.
