NHL Betting Picks and Player Props to Target: Saturday 3/2/24

Whether it's moneylines, total goals, or player props, there are plenty of ways to bet on the NHL action all season long.

It's a long 82-game season, 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.

Let's dive into the best bets for today.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals come from FanDuel Sportsbook.

NHL Best Bets

Vegas Golden Knights at Buffalo Sabres

Under 6.5 (-138)

There are heavy odds on the under (6.5) here, but there's still value according to numberFire's model, which expects this game to stay under 6.5 goals at a 63.1% probability.

The Buffalo Sabres are averaging 2.65 goals per 60 minutes at home, per NaturalStatTrick, with the Vegas Golden Knights scoring a respectable (but still moderate) 3.19 on the road.

Additionally, the 13 most comparable games to this matchup in numberFire's database all went under.

With plus goalies Adin Hill and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen expected in net, this all tracks for an under.

Ottawa Senators at Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers Moneyline (-130)

Over 6.5 (-122)

The Ottawa Senators haven't traveled well this year and are 8-16-1 on the road despite an expected goal share of 50.3% in road matchups (but a 0.98 PDO).

The Philadelphia Flyers are 15-13-2 at home with a healthy 53.0% expected goal share, suggesting some regression, as they have only a 48.3% actual goal share in home games.

numberFire's model likes the Flyers to win 62.2% of the time and for this game to score an average of 6.93 goals.

Boston Bruins at New York Islanders

Over 5.5 (-128)

Bruins Moneyline (-128)

The Boston Bruins hold a 16-5-9 away record this season, giving them more away wins than the New York Islanders have home wins (13-8-9 at home).

Boston's 84 points have them tied with the Florida Panthers for most in the NHL. The Islanders' 64 points have them as the 10 seed in the Eastern Conference.

New York has 64 points in spite of a -25 goal differential. Boston's number there is +38.

Via NaturalStatTrick, Boston has accrued 47.0% of expected goals in their road matchups -- but the Islanders are only barely better at home (47.8%). And the Bruins have a better road PDO (1.03) than the Islanders' home PDO (1.00).

numberFire's model gives Boston a 62.5% chance to win and considers this one 58.5% likely to go over 5.5 goals.

NHL Prop Bets

Mikko Rantanen Any Time Goal Scorer (+110)

Mikko Rantanen couldn't extend a scoring streak to three goals last game against the Chicago Blackhawks on his lone shot on goal, but he had five shots on goal in two games prior while scoring in each. Today, he faces a Nashville Predators team in a game with a 6.5 total.

numberFire projects Rantanen for 0.60 goals. Based on historical projections, that puts him right on line to score at +110 odds.

Igor Shesterkin Over 28.5 Saves (-114)

Igor Shesterkin is projected for 29.7 saves today by numberFire's model against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are averaging 32.4 shots on net per 60 minutes at home, per NaturalStatTrick. That's a top-10 rate.

Based on a save projection of 29.7, we can view Shesterkin as a value at -114 odds at 28.5 saves.

New to FanDuel Sportsbook? You have a chance to get $150 in Bonus Bets if your first bet wins—valid across all sports until March 11th! See the promotions page for more information.

Looking for more NHL betting opportunities? Check out all of the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.