3 Best NHL Bets and Predictions for Friday 3/28/25

Whether it's moneylines or total goals, there are plenty of ways to bet on the NHL action all season. It's a long 82-game campaign, meaning that the best selections of each night can be very different based on backup goalies coming into play, injuries that add up, and if teams are due for positive or negative swings.

For additional NHL insights, check out FanDuel Research's daily NHL projections, powered by numberFire.

Let's dive into the best bets for tonight.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com. Lineup notes come from Daily Faceoff.

NHL Betting Picks Today

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Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Under 5.5 (+110)

After dropping a heartbreaking decision last night, the Montreal Canadiens are back in action Friday, taking on the Carolina Hurricanes. As inferred by the betting price, bettors have taken a firm stance on the over. However, we anticipate a more subdued offensive effort at the Lenovo Center.

Smartly, Montreal reserved primary netminder Sam Montembeault for tonight’s contest. Still, other indicators are pointing toward a low-scoring game. The Habs have employed a tighter-checking defensive system, holding three of their past six opponents to seven or fewer high-danger chances. Further, they’ve seen a decrease in offensive production, attempting nine or fewer quality chances in five of their last six.

While the Hurricanes remain a top analytics team, they could be on the precipice of a correction phase. Carolina overachieved offensively, totaling 27 goals across a seven-game stretch, surpassing their expected total. However, the Canes were held scoreless last time, which could be a sign of things to come as actual metrics balance with expected values.

Montreal can’t afford to lose any more ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race, which should result in a more stout defensive effort in Carolina. Combined with the Hurricanes’ anticipated regression, we see value on the under in this one.

Utah Hockey Club vs. Florida Panthers

Panthers Moneyline (-240)

The Utah Hockey Club had its fun, but we knew it wouldn’t be long before they were back to their old tricks. Utah was blown out on Thursday night, dropping an 8-0 decision. We anticipate another lackluster showing in tonight’s battle versus the Florida Panthers.

Utah’s recent efforts have been suboptimal. They’ve attempted a combined 13 high-danger chances across their last two outings and have been held to seven or fewer quality opportunities in three of their past five. Not surprisingly, they haven’t recorded a goal at five-on-five in either of their last two, getting out-scored by a whopping 11-0.

The Panthers are showing signs of breaking out of their late-season slump. The defending champs were on an extended skid, getting outplayed in five straight, but rebounded with above-average performances in each of their last two. Florida is coming off its best defensive performance in nearly a month, allowing just 15 scoring and six high-danger chances last time out.

These teams’ trajectories are carrying them in very different directions. Consequently, the Panthers’ moneyline price should be substantially higher than its current offering. On that basis, we see an edge on the home team.

New York Rangers vs. Anaheim Ducks

Ducks Moneyline (+138)

We’ve seen this from the Anaheim Ducks before. Once the season is out of reach, they start playing their best hockey of the year. That’s been the case again to conclude the 2024-25 campaign, and we’re expecting another superb effort against the visiting New York Rangers.

The Ducks are a team on the rise. Anaheim has wins in two of its last three, and its underlying metrics support that ongoing success is on the horizon. Across that three-game stretch, they’ve compiled an impressive 61.6% expected goals-for rating while outplaying two of three opponents. Their analytics success is grounded in their offensive attack, with the Ducks surpassing 13 quality chances in all three contests.

At the same time, the Rangers can’t seem to get anything going. The playoff hopefuls have been outplayed in four straight, resulting in a disastrous 34.8% expected goals-for rating. Despite constantly chasing the puck, New York has an actual goals-for rating of 50.0% across that sample.

The Rangers are prime regression candidates, and that could come back to haunt them in SoCal. The Ducks’ chances of securing the win are far greater than the betting line implies, leaving an edge on the hosts.

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