Top Shelf Picks: NHL Best Bets Today (Predictions for Blue Jackets-Rangers, Flyers-Maple Leafs, Stars-Canucks)

The NHL has a six-game slate for the first Monday after the Olympic break, including a matinee in Nashville.

The Sabres, Mammoth, and Ducks all came through for us for a sweep on Friday night. I’m looking to build on that with picks for a trio of road teams tonight.

Read on as I break down my NHL best bets – and their odds at the best betting sites – for Monday, March. 2.

NHL Best Bets for Monday, March 2

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Columbus Blue Jackets (-120) at New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers (+105) at Toronto Maple Leafs
Dallas Stars -1.5 (+136) at Vancouver Canucks

Columbus Blue Jackets (-120) at New York Rangers

The Blue Jackets are looking for their first post-Olympics win after losses to Boston and the Islanders, and I think they’ll get it tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers have gone to overtime in both of their games since the break, losing to the Flyers before beating the Penguins in a shootout.

New York is still just 7-15-5 at home this season, though, while Columbus is a respectable 14-13-3 on the road.

The Jackets may have lost their last two games, but they outshot the Bruins 40-22 and the Islanders 30-26. If they keep up that type of effort against a reeling Rangers squad, they’ll get back on track tonight as short road favorites.

Philadelphia Flyers (+105) at Toronto Maple Leafs

The Flyers lost their first game out of the break in Washington, then beat the Rangers in overtime and returned home to down the Bruins. They’re now up north for one game against a Maple Leafs team that has lost all three of its games since the break.

It hasn’t been particularly close for Toronto, either. The Leafs lost 4-2 in Tampa Bay, 5-1 in Florida, and then got booed out of their own building in a 5-2 loss to Ottawa on Saturday night.

This game is a toss-up, but given how these teams have played since the break, the Flyers have the value here as road underdogs.

Dallas Stars -1.5 (+136) at Vancouver Canucks

The Stars have now won eight games in a row, including both halves of a back-to-back since the break. While most of those wins have been by just one goal, they did easily take down the Kraken 4-1 last Wednesday.

On the flip side, Vancouver has now lost five games in a row and eight of its last nine. The Canucks have also played the Kraken in recent days, losing 5-1 in Seattle over the weekend. Furthermore, three of Vancouver’s last five losses have been by at least three goals.

Dallas already took down the Canucks by two goals in Vancouver back in November, and the Stars have no problem on the road with an 18-7-6 record. I’ll back Dallas to get a blowout win tonight in Vancouver.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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