3 Best NHL Bets and Predictions for Thursday 3/20/25

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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Colorado Avalanche vs. Ottawa Senators

Senators Moneyline (+100)

The Colorado Avalanche continue their three-game Eastern Canadian road trip with a battle versus the Ottawa Senators tonight. The Avs mismanaged their goaltenders, putting them at a deficit against a surging Senators squad.

After starting Mackenzie Blackwood last night, Scott Wedgewood is the presumptive starter in Thursday’s tilt versus the Senators. The Avs’ backup has been less effective between the pipes this season, posting a sub-optimal 90.6% save percentage. Moreover, he’s coming off a disheartening performance, allowing three goals on 19 shots last time out.

Wedgewood’s ineffective play should allow the Senators to continue their recent scoring surge. Ottawa has tallied 18 goals over their last four games, with 12 coming at five-on-five. More importantly, those performances are backed up with solid underlying metrics. The Sens have outplayed all but one of those opponents, resulting in a 53.6% expected goals-for rating.

This is a tough spot for the Avalanche. They’re running into a hot Senators team and will deploy their backup on the second night of a back-to-back. As a result, we see an edge in backing the underdog Sens at home.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Dallas Stars

Stars Moneyline (-130)

The wind has been knocked out of the Dallas Stars’ sails recently, but they’ve finally started to tilt the ice in their direction. We’re expecting another resounding performance on home ice that should help them cash as short favorites versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Before their win earlier this week, the Stars were on a bit of an icy streak. They had just one win across a four-game sample while getting outplayed in all but one of those contests. However, they’ve re-asserted themselves as a dominant analytics force more recently. Dallas has outplayed its opponents in two straight and has limited its last three foes to a combined 25 high-danger chances.

That defensive structure could pose a problem for a Lightning team posting diminishing offensive metrics. Tampa Bay has been held to nine or fewer high-danger chances in five of its previous six, averaging 8.2 opportunities per game over that stretch. Not surprisingly, that correlates with a deteriorating expected goals-for rating. The Bolts have been outplayed in three of those six outings, including two of three as the visitors.

The price on the Stars reflects their tepid stretch, but they are ideal buy-low candidates over their coming games. We see a ton of value in getting a piece of the Stars’ moneyline.

Winnipeg Jets vs. Edmonton Oilers

Over 5.5 (-128)

Two of the NHL’s offensive juggernauts will stand toe-to-toe at Rogers Place on Thursday night. The defending Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers host the league-leading Winnipeg Jets in what should be a wildly entertaining showdown.

Edmonton’s offense broke out in a big way last time out, scoring seven goals against the Utah Hockey Club. That scoring boon was expected, but the Oilers aren’t done yet. Over their last five games, the Oil are still operating below their expected goals for total. Moreover, they’re averaging 11.4 high-danger chances per game, implying sustained scoring is an inevitability.

But the Jets are more than capable of keeping pace with the high-octane Oilers. Winnipeg ranks second in the NHL in goals scored and shooting percentage, scoring on 12.2% of their shots. Further, they’ve increased their production over their recent schedule. The Jets have eclipsed ten high-danger chances in eight of their last nine while out-chancing their opponents in all but one of those contests.

Elite scoring will be on full display in this one. We expect both teams’ offensive stars to shine brightly, yielding an advantage on the over.

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