Betsided

Top Shelf Picks: Best NHL Bets Today (Stars Will Upset Rangers in New York)

Breaking down the best NHL bets to place for Tuesday, February 20, including the Dallas Stars vs. New York Rangers.

By Iain MacMillan

Feb 17, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter (20) skates with the puck
Feb 17, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter (20) skates with the puck / Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

A rare Connor Hellebuyck bad performance and an overtime loss by the Seattle Kraken led us to a losing 1-2 night on Monday, but we'll try to bounce back with today's NHL picks.

There are a handful of intriguing matchups across the league including a potential Stanley Cup Final preview between the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers. As per usual, I have three best bets locked in for tonight's slate, so let's dive into them.

If you want to tail (or fade) these plays, be sure to do so at FanDuel Sportsbook. If you click the link below to sign up for an account, you'll receive $150 in bonus bets if you win your first $5 wager!

Best NHL Bets Today

  • Devils -166 vs. Capitals
  • Stars +126 vs. Rangers
  • Jets -150 vs. Wild

Devils vs. Capitals prediction

The Washington Capitals are somehow 12-4-9 in their last 25 games but their metrics don't back that record up. Over that span, this team is 24th in CORSI% and 27th in 5-on-5 expected goals percentage. Not only that, but they have seventh-worst power play in the NHL with a PP% of 15.75%.

The Devils only glaring issue all season was their complete lack of goaltending but it looks like they may have found in answer in Nico Daws, who has a .912 save percentage in 12 games including four-straight strong starts where he stopped at least 93% of shots in each appearance.

I'll back the Devils as road favorites in this Metropolitan Division showdown.

Stars vs. Rangers prediction

The Rangers biggest advantage is their special teams, sporting a top six unit both on the power play and the penalty kill. That is enough to beat most teams in the NHL, but it's not good enough to beat the elite teams of which the Dallas Stars is one of them.

Over their last 25 games, the Stars rank fourth in the NHL in 5-on-5 expected goal percentage while the Rangers come in at 17th. I don't think there's any arguing that Dallas is the better team during 5-on-5 play and they also have the seventh-ranked penalty kill to help slow down the New York power play.

I think there's some value on the Stars as road 'dogs.

Wild vs. Jets prediction

Connor Hellebuyck had a rare bad performance last night so Laurent Brossoit will get the start tonight. That's enough to make me back the Jets for the second-straight night. Brossoit has been one of the most effective back up goaltenders in the NHL this season, sporting a 2.22 goals against average and a .920 save percentage.

I don't know how much offense the Wild are going to be able to produce on the road tonight. The Jets are one of the best defensive teams in the NHL, ranking sixth in 5-on-5 expected goals against, while Minnesota ranks 29th in expected goals for.

This is a stylistic nightmare for the Wild so I'll back the Jets at home in the second half of a back-to-back.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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

Home/NHL Predictions & Picks