Expert NHL Best Bets and Predictions for Friday, March 22

NHL Best Bets

There is some magic in the air, considering that it’s the first Friday of the Spring. The NHL is always quieter on Friday nights, but I’m feeling a pretty funky pick tonight. Outside of the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals game, there aren’t a ton of great matchups tonight, but the one I’m looking at for my NHL best bet is the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Colorado Avalanche.  

Columbus at Colorado (-375, 6.5)

The Colorado Avalanche are on fire. Not only are they on a seven-game heater, but they’ve won nine out of their last 10 overall and have been the best offensive team in the NHL since February 27th. The Avalanche are averaging 4.20 goals per game and their power play has been absolutely buzzing as they’re clicking at a 35.7% rate. 

Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen have become quite the unstoppable force. Rantanen might be the most underrated player in the entire NHL. In their last 10 games, MacKinnon has tallied eight goals and 13 assists, Rantanen has added seven goals of his own with 12 assists. Nikita Kucherov now has a five-point lead on MacKinnon for the league lead, and not that I’m implying that MacKinnon really pays attention to it, but you know his competitive nature wants to win the scoring title. I’m expecting to see a fired-up MacKinnon tonight. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets have lost five out of their last six games and don’t have much to play for. Since February 27th, the Blue Jackets have been allowing 3.25 goals against per game. Elvis Merzlikins is expected to be the starter tonight, and his previous few starts haven’t been very pretty. Merzlikins is 1-2-1 in his last four starts with a 4.08 goals against average and a .865 save percentage. 

Colorado is generating the sixth most high-danger chances per 60 minutes, getting around 12.91 per contest. The Blue Jackets give up the seventh-most allowing 12.52 against. 

This game should be all Colorado. 

NHL Best Bet(s): Over 6.5 -125 (play to -135) | Colorado Avalanche -1.5 -155 (play to -165)

March Record: 20-16 (+1.34 units)

2023-24 record: 120–127 (-31.62 units)