NHL betting preview & top picks & best odds | Sunday, March 06

There are eight National Hockey League (NHL) games scheduled for Sunday in America, including a rivalry game at 3 p.m. Central Standard Time (U.S.) on TNT between the Dallas Stars, formerly the Minnesota Northstars, and the Minnesota Wild, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Here’s where I suggest you place your bets on the Sunday games. All lines provided by Bovada.

Dallas Stars @ Minnesota Wild Top Picks

The Wild have been fantastic at home this season, going 16-5-1, but the Wild haven’t been particularly good lately. They’ve won just three of their last 10 games, while Dallas has gone 7-2-1 over their last 10.

Minnesota goaltender Cam Talbot has not been particularly good in net lately either. He’s allowed 25 goals in his last five games. Dallas has also given him trouble, with the Stars scoring on the Wild at a 4.3 goal per game average.

While Stars’ center Tyler Seguin and his 30 points won’t be able to play, look for the Stars to get a road win in Minnesota, and expect more than six total goals to be scored. Sportsbooks has the over/under at 6.5, and with the line on the over at -105, a modest bet can still make for a good return.

Los Angeles Kings @ Buffalo Sabres Tips

Take the Kings on the moneyline and bet that more than six goals will be scored between the two teams at -115. It would also be a good bet to parlay the Kings to win outright with a bunch of other big favorites. Namely…

Ottawa Senators @ Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas is the first team I would parlay with Los Angeles to win on the moneyline. The Golden Knights are almost always a good bet to win at The Fortress, and with Ottawa in town playing its second game in as many days, the Knights are the biggest favorites on the schedule.

I like the Knights to win by more than one, but Ottawa is so limited offensively, I’m more comfortable betting that five or fewer total goals will be scored in this one, especially with it paying +100. The Senators are averaging just 2.57 goals scored per game this season, and Vegas allows just under three goals per game. I feel this one will finish 3-1 or 4-1.

Seattle Kraken @ Carolina Hurricanes Preview

Carolina is the third team I’d parlay with Los Angeles and Vegas to win on the moneyline. They’re playing the expansion Kraken at home, where they are excellent (20-4-2). Seattle also played the Washington Capitals on Saturday, so it’s unlikely they’ll be at 100 percent.

Expect total goals to come in under six, given Carolina’s outstanding defense and Seattle’s ineffective offense playing on tired legs. The Hurricanes allow just 2.4 goals per game, and the Kraken score just 2.55 goals per game. Since I expect a low scoring game, I don’t like the Hurricanes to win by more than one.

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Chicago Blackhawks Betting Preview

The fourth team I’m betting to win on the moneyline in my four-team parlay is the Tampa Bay Lightning. That parlay including the Lightning, Hurricanes, Golden Knights, and Kings pays +285.

I also like the under in this one, especially with Chicago having played Saturday. With the over/under set at 6.5 and the quality of goaltending on both sides, I fully expect six or fewer goals to be scored. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the best goalies in the world, and he’s allowed just 2.32 goals per game this season. Chicago’s Marc-Andre Fleury has also logged an outstanding save percentage this season (.911) and has allowed just 2.83 goals per game. He didn’t play Saturday, so expect him to start Sunday.

The Blackhawks’ ability to stay out of the penalty box this season (456 penalty minutes) will be essential to keeping the legendary Lightning power play off the ice and keeping this a low scoring hockey affair.

St. Louis Blues @ New Jersey Devils Best Bets

The St. Louis Blues were on an absolute roll until they traveled to New York, falling to both the Rangers and Islanders. They’d won their previous four prior to that, and all of them by more than one goal. But the Blues are coming off the loss to the Islanders on Saturday and have to play in New Jersey at noon the next day.

Since the Blues are playing the second of back-to-back games on Sunday, I’m not including them in my moneyline parlay, nor am I picking them to win. I’m not taking New Jersey to win, either, but I do like the over/under being 6.5 at -110 and would bet the under. The Devils struggle to score (3.04 goals per game this season), and while the Blues will likely start backup goalie Ville Husso, he’s actually been better than starter Jordan Binnington this season (.931 save percentage and 2.13 goals allowed per game).

New York Rangers @ Winnipeg Jets Picks

I generally like the home team in a tossup, but since the Rangers have maybe the best goaltender on the planet in Igor Shesterkin, almost all bets are off. He’s allowing fewer than two goals per game and stopping almost 95 percent of shots on goal. I guess that means I like the Rangers more than the Jets in this one.

I do like the +100 line on five or fewer goals being scored in this one. The Jets’ goaltending is pretty darn good, too, and with both teams serving minimal penalty minutes thus far this season, the power play opportunities for both teams should be limited. But these are the two bets in which I have the least amount of confidence. Bettors beware.

San Jose Sharks @ Anaheim Ducks tips

The Sharks will be coming off a tough game against Nashville on Saturday night and have to travel to Anaheim to play Sunday night. Anaheim is already the better team, but only slightly. I do like the home team in this one, however.

The only problem I foresee is if Anaheim takes penalties at pivotal points of the game. The Ducks have been penalized 540 minutes this season, and more than a quarter of their power plays allowed result in goals allowed. But since the Sharks are playing their second game in as many days, I expect the Sharks’ tired legs to be guilty of more penalties than they typically take. If foul play is close to even, the Ducks will win.