Weekend NHL Picks – Saturday, March 5 and Sunday, March 6

It is a busy weekend of NHL action with 10 games on Saturday and eight on Sunday, including a number of nationally televised games. NHL Network has two games on Saturday and one on Sunday, while ABC has the Blackhawks at the Flyers on Saturday and TNT has Dallas at Minnesota on Sunday. We’ll focus on the best bets for both days and also include some of the televised action. Keep in mind that Saturday’s action includes four matinees, while there are three matinees on Sunday. Let’s look at weekend NHL picks.

Saturday, March 5 NHL Picks

St. Louis at New York Islanders (NHL Network)

You can get the weekend started early with this Saturday matinee on NHL Network. The Blues have played well of late and Jordan Binnington seems to have regained his top form. It really doesn’t matter who is in goal for the Blues, as Ville Husso has played well all season. The Islanders have struggled for much of the season and they have really struggled to score goals. This has all the looks of a low scoring game, so I will go under the total.

Calgary at Colorado

This is a show me game for the Avalanche to show who is boss in the Western Conference. The Flames have surged up the standings of late, but Colorado is still the top dog in the NHL. These teams haven’t met in Colorado since 2019 and I think Calgary will find it very difficult on Saturday night. I’ll lay the price and take the Avalanche in this contest.

Sunday, March 6 NHL Picks

Seattle at Carolina

This is a matchup between one of the worst teams in the league in the Kraken and one of the best teams in the league in the Hurricanes. This is a bad spot for Seattle, as they will be playing with no rest, having played at Washington on Saturday. Seattle struggles to score goals and they don’t figure to have much success in this game against one of the stingiest teams in the NHL. The Hurricanes should roll in this game, so I’ll lay the 1.5 goals and take Carolina.

Dallas at Minnesota (TNT)

These teams are Central Division rivals so they know each other really well. Dallas has had all kinds of trouble against the Wild in Minnesota, as they have lost 7 of the last 10. The Wild are just in front of the Stars in the division, so this is a huge game in terms of the playoff race. Minnesota has been one of the best home teams in the NHL this season, as they were 16-4-1 at home in their first 21 home games. This is a good spot for Minnesota against a division rival they have done well against at home. I will take the Wild in this one.

Tampa Bay at Chicago (NHL Network)

The Blackhawks had to play on Saturday and now they have to face one of the top teams in the NHL with no rest. It is not a good situation for the Blackhawks and they are not a good team anyway. The Blackhawks have struggled to score goals and even though Fleury has played well in goal, Chicago hangs him out to dry far too often. The Lightning won’t be overlooking this game and they have dominated the Blackhawks in Chicago, winning 7 of the last 8 meetings. I will lay the price and take the Lightning in this game.

Ottawa Senators at Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights have not played nearly as well of late and this is simply a game they can’t afford to lose at home. Vegas has not been nearly as good since losing Mark Stone to injury, but this is a matchup they should be able to handle on home ice. The Senators still have major weaknesses across the board and Vegas should be able to take advantage. The key factor in this matchup is the fact that Ottawa had to play in Arizona on Saturday and now has to go into Vegas and take on the Golden Knights with no rest. I will take Vegas in this one.

Every day through June, the Top NHL odds and picks can be accessed and made at SugarHouse.