3 Best NHL Bets and Predictions for Thursday 3/13/25

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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Boston Bruins vs. Ottawa Senators

Senators Moneyline (-184)

The Boston Bruins are in a classic letdown spot on Thursday night. Fresh off their emotional win over the Florida Panthers, the Bs are back in action today, taking on the charging Ottawa Senators. There's a chance the Bruins come out flat versus their divisional opponents.

Of course, Ottawa has gotten the better of most of its opponents recently. The Sens have outplayed the opposition in three of their past four, putting up expected goals-for ratings north of 58.8% in all three contests. Not surprisingly, those efforts have been buoyed by their usually stout defensive standard. All but one of their foes in that span has been held to six or fewer high-danger chances.

In addition to the anticipated letdown, we’re also forecasting some choppy waters for the Bruins regarding their analytics. Boston has seen an increase in scoring over its recent sample, recording 10 goals at five-on-five across their last four. That’s resulted in a 10.5% shooting percentage without a meaningful increase to their underlying metrics. Consequently, goals could be more challenging to come by as output balances with production.

Too many factors work against the Bruins in this one. As a result, we see an edge in backing the host Senators in their friendly confines.

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets Moneyline (+140)

The Vegas Golden Knights kicked off their four-game road trip with a loss. Unfortunately for them, we’re not anticipating a different outcome when Vegas takes on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

For the second time in four games, Vegas failed to record a goal at five-on-five last time out. Sadly, that regression is projected to continue over their coming games. The Golden Knights’ offense was overheating. We had seen an increase in their shooting percentage across their previous nine games, resulting in a higher-than-expected goals tally. Diminished scoring is a natural consequence as those metrics balance out.

While the Blue Jackets have also seen an increase in scoring lately, that boost is substantiated by solid analytics play. Since February 2, Columbus has averaged 23.5 scoring and 12.0 high-danger opportunities. That puts them well ahead of their respective season-long averages of 20.6 and 8.8. The scoring boon should continue if Columbus maintains its elite play in the attacking zone.

Given the circumstances, this is a nice spot to back Columbus. Another resounding offensive performance is expected against a Knights squad that’s given up 33 high-danger chances across their last three.

Edmonton Oilers vs. New Jersey Devils

Devils Moneyline (+122)

For some reason, the Edmonton Oilers continue to be favored on the road despite their underwhelming performances. The New Jersey Devils are the latest home team to be an underdog to Edmonton, but they should be able to get the better of their guests at home.

Edmonton can’t figure things out on the road. Over their last seven road games, the Oilers have outplayed their opponents only once. As a result, they’ve produced an unflattering 42.5% expected goals-for rating thanks to their ineffective play at both ends of the ice.

The Devils should have no problems corralling the Oilers’ attack. New Jersey has held three of its last four opponents to six or fewer quality chances, yielding an average of 6.8 per game in that time. Further, a more robust offensive attack has complemented that improved defensive play. The Devils are up to 9.8 high-danger chances per game across that sample, a solid increase from their regular season average of 9.0.

The market has the Oilers listed as the superior team, which hasn’t been the case lately. New Jersey is primed to maintain its improved on-ice product, which should come at Edmonton's expense on Thursday night.

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