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Top Shelf Picks: Best NHL Bets Today (Panthers will take down Maple Leafs in Toronto)

Breaking down the best NHL Bets to place for Monday night action including a game between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs.

By Iain MacMillan

Nov 28, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) battles for the puck
Nov 28, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) battles for the puck / Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
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There are just a couple of weeks left in the NHL season and teams are starting to gear up for the playoffs, or for some, the offseason.

As we've done all season, we're going to continue to place bets almost every single day and tonight's slate presents plenty of opportunities. I have three bets locked in for it, including a play on the Atlantic Division showdown between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs.

If you want to bet on tonight's NHL action, be sure to click the link below to sign up for an account at Bet365. For a limited time, new users who sign up for an account using the link below will receive $150 in bonus bets when they place their first $5 wager!

NHL Best Bets Today

  • Panthers -130 vs. Maple Leafs
  • Flyers -120 vs. Islanders
  • Oilers -1.5 (+125) vs. Blues

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs prediction

The Florida Panthers haven't played their best hockey of late, but they've still been the better team for the majority of the season, ranking second in CORSI% and fifth in 5-on-5 expected goals percentage.

The Maple Leafs have too many holes in their game for me to back them at this price. Most notably, their defense has been flat out bad this season, with a 5-on-5 expected goals against of 2.63 per 60 minutes, which ranks 19th in the league.

To make matters worse for the Leafs, Ilya Samsonov is set to get the start tonight and he has a sub-.900 save percentage this season at .893. That's enough for me to back the Panthers as road favorites.

Islanders vs. Flyers prediction

The Flyers are just 3-5-2 in their last 10 games but they've been playing a lot better than their record indicates, ranking seventh in CORSI% and ninth in 5-on-5 expected goal percentage in that stretch. The Islanders rank 26th and 25th in those two metrics over that stretch, yet are just small road underdogs in Philadelphia.

I'll back the Flyers as the team that has been playing much better hockey of late.

Oilers vs. Blues prediction

It is absolutely insane to me that the St. Louis Blues are 13-10-2 in their last 25 games despite ranking dead last in CORSI% and 30th in 5-on-5 expected goal percentage in that stretch. The Edmonton Oilers, who second in 5-on-5 expected goal percentage over that span, has an explosive offense that will overwhelm St. Louis.

I'll back the Oilers to win with margin tonight.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

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